First new tires for my 2019 CX-5 Signature

Greetings, everyone. This is my first post, so please forgive me if this has been covered many times in other threads. I have searched them already and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.

I have a 2019 CX-5 Signature with about 22,700 miles on it, and after having my regular 7,500-mile oil change and tire rotation at the dealership earlier this week (the dealer keeps pressuring me to do it every 5,000 miles, but the manual says 7,500, so I go with that), was told that my tires will not pass inspection later this month. (I was told they measure just below 2/32). I'm suspicious and will get a second opinion, but in the meantime I've been trying research what my best tire options are, as well as the best place to buy them and what extras I should expect to have to pay for (wheel weights? alignment? mount and balance?). Since there doesn't seem to be all that big a gap in price between good tires and excellent tires, I will probably not be driven by budget. But here's what is important to me:

I live in northern New England, and don't want to get snows, so all-season is important. Traction in rain, ice and snow is important. Lifespan is important. Quiet is important. Fuel economy is important.

I have a wise friend who swears by Michelins (he said he once met a fellow who worked for Goodyear who confided that he only bought Michelins), but I bought an expensive set for another car over a decade ago and they did not age well -- they wore out fast, and one threw a belt. Maybe mine were a one-off, but I don't know. I'm also not sure whether their Premier LT or their Crossclimate 2 would serve me better.

The dealer recommended the General Altimax RT43, Goodyear Assurance Maxlife, and Continental Crosscontact LX25. He also said he would match anyone else's price. I'm open to any make/model.

I could also use suggestions for retailers/wholesalers (online is just as good as brick-and-mortar for me), and also any other sites/forums where I can read reviews and get guidance, and advice on what "extras" (see above) I should expect to pay for and what ones some tires laces will throw in for free. I assume the dealership will charge me for every last thing they can.

Again, this is my first post here, and I am clearly out of my depth, so any and all help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
Can you post some pictures of the tire tread? It should be easy to tell if they are at 2/32. I'd go with the Continentals.
 
Tirerack.com has very good reviews. +1 on the Contis.

Tire rack has great prices and lots of local shops to do the install. Discount Tire is ano there chair with good prices. Get a a Tire rack price and see if your local dealer will match or come close. And you're done.
 
For good price and service, hard to go wrong with either Costco or Discount Tire. They’ll give you an all-up price including mounting, balancing, tire disposal fees, etc. They’ll often match (or come close to) mail-order prices (like TireRack) after you add in the cost of mounting and balancing. Check their web sites too. TireRack is a good retailer but the convenience of getting everything done at one place is compelling. Warranty service is much more straightforward too.

Michelin is a good brand but Continental is well-regarded too. (And I occasionally buy Bridgestones, Yokohamas, and Pirellis.). There are comprehensive consumer surveys at TireRack. Consumer Reports is worth checking too. The Crossclimate 2 and LX25s are the two tires which seem to generate the most positive vibes at the moment. The CC2 has an unusual tread pattern which some like and others not so much. I’m sure the Premiere is a good tire but the LX25 tends to rate higher. Both Michelin and Continental run coupons every six months or so that can save you $75 or so on a set of four.

I wouldn’t trust the dealer on their tread depth measurement. To be at 2/32 after 22k miles is unusually rapid wear, even for the crappy original tires fitted by Mazda. You can buy a $8 depth gauge at any auto parts store or just use a suitable small rule. If this high wear rate is true, you might want to look at whether you’re habitually running your tires low on pressure and/or alignment issues, especially if the heavy wear isn’t equal across the tires and tread service.

I suspect I’ll be putting on LX25s at Discount when the time comes.

- Mark
 
All tires have wear bars to show when they reach end of life.

If anyone has never seen a wear bar (or know how to look for them):
 
All tires have wear bars to show when they reach end of life.

One of the features I like on many Continental Tires is the scored D/W/S markings on the tread. When the S wears away, the tire is no longer good for Snow. Same for W & D when no longer good for Wet and then Dry.
 
Thanks, everyone! That's all very helpful. I appreciate the wear bar link, too.

I brought the car by my friend the mechanic this morning, and he said that the tires are worn, but no need to replace them til the fall. They're OEM Toyos, and apparently very soft. He recommended Michelins if budget is not a factor (BJ's also has a good sale on Michelins this month), and said that in his experience Continentals are very loud. I'd be curious if that's been peoples experience with the LX25s?

Given the noise factor, I'm leaning toward the Michelin CrossClimate2, though some reviews I've read said they hurt fuel economy noticeably. Has that been anyone's experience here?

For what it's worth, my mechanic friend also recommended Bridgestones. Anyone have experience with those?
 
A salesman at a new car dealership told me Continental has the reputation for the quietest tires, so they are OEM on many new cars.

Softer rubber probably makes for quiet tires, but they wear quicker.
 
TireRack surveys show the LX25s are reasonably quiet. The CC2’s have been reported to be quiet too, but have a low-pitched “growl” that some find annoying in character if not volume. I don’t think you’d notice any fuel economy differences in the tires we’re discussing. I’d be cautious about putting great credence in any one person’s opinion; rely instead on many opinions, including the TireRack surveys.

I really don’t think you can go wrong with the LX25s, especially if you wait until Conti has a sale. If your existing tires can go six-months, I’d just wait for Conti to run their next sale. The stock Toyos are not well regarded so losing them while they still have a small amount of tread is not really much of a loss.

- Mark
 
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Assuming that the average tire buyer for an SUV is looking for all-season touring/performance types, The top two tires listed below are recommended by Consumer Reports:
1. Michelin CrossClimate2
2. Continental PureContact LS
3. General Altimax RT43
All are rated better than average for:
Dry braking
Handling
Hydroplane resistance
Snow traction
Ice braking
Noise
Only the Michelins are rated above average for wet braking and ride, whereas the other two are rated as average.
The Continentals have a tested life of 90,000 miles, whereas the Michelins are at 75,000 miles and the Generals, 70,000.
Since the tested tires were most likely not the same size as yours, the tread life numbers may vary from those listed above.
 
I'll be needing Toyo replacements by this fall and to date I've narrowed my choice down to the CC2's and the LX25's. I am leaning towards the LX25's, BUT, I run separate winter tires. As you live in Northern New England (where I'm sure you have lots of winter snow), and you don't want to run separate winter tires, I think you might be better served with the CC2's as I believe they have better snow traction than the LX25's.
 
I have a 2019 CX-5 Signature with about 22,700 miles on it,
I brought the car by my friend the mechanic this morning, and he said that the tires are worn, but no need to replace them til the fall.
Honestly, the OE Toyo A36 225/55R19 99V should have longer tread life than 22,700 miles. Based on its “300 A A” UTQG, it should get at least 30K miles under normal driving conditions. Most people with this tire can easily get 40K miles without too much issue.

Get a (cheap) tire tread depth gauge to measure the tread depth by yourself, and you’ll know for sure when you reallly need a new set of tires.
 
I’m in a different playland than many here. In southcentral Arizona snow is not an option in most places. After 27 years in Alaska, I had seen enough snow (on the ground for over six months each year where I lived) and I don’t care to drive in it any more. Thus, my replacement tires will likely be Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s. I’ve used them on two other vehicles and they are an affordable ultra performance option offering great dry (and even wet) traction along with sharp handling. The 245/50-19 should fit factory rims fine, and when I need to replace the stock tires these will be a top option.
 
⋯ They're OEM Toyos, and apparently very soft. He recommended Michelins if budget is not a factor (BJ's also has a good sale on Michelins this month), and said that in his experience Continentals are very loud. I'd be curious if that's been peoples experience with the LX25s?
Lots of discussions here and people have different opinions. Here’re a couple of recent ones:

Best All-Season Michelin 225/55R19 Tires?

Tire Recommendations?

We shouldn’t generalize the tire performance only by the brand. Michelin has bad tires too from my past experience (blow-outs、dry rots etc.) even though they usually are way more expensive than others. We should use specific tire models in the same category to get a fair comparison. Since tire purchase has become a very expensive proposition nowadays, we should not only check the specs and test results, but also use people’s real world experience in large data for product comparison. I believe Tire Rack’s Tire Ratings Charts with specific category and size is a very valuable information to judge tires, especially those with millions of miles reported.

⋯ Given the noise factor, I'm leaning toward the Michelin CrossClimate2, though some reviews I've read said they hurt fuel economy noticeably. Has that been anyone's experience here?
On the contrary if the noise is your concern the most, there’re more noise complaints on Michelin CrossClimate² than Continental CrossContact LX25. On the other hand, from Tire Rack’s Tire Ratings Charts the noise on CrossClimate² is rated 8.8, and LX25 is rated 8.7. But be aware that they’re in different tire categories, and the rating can be misguided. As a Grand Touring All-Season tire on CrossClimate² it actually is #4 rated on noise level among 9 for 225/55R19, whereas as a Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire on LX25 it’s #1 rated on noise level among 8 for 225/55R19. Besides, the noise difference is not significant at all with 0.1 even if you want to compare these 2 tires in different categories. Is it really worth it to pay at least $92 more for this?

In addition, based on UTQG rating “640 B A”, Michelin CrossClimate² has a “B” rating on Traction among 4 (“AA”、”A”、”B”、”C”). You won’t be able to find an aftermarket tire nowadays with such low “B” rating, and this alone would make me rule the CrossClimate² out.

On my Gen 1 CX-5 I ran Michelin Premier LTX's (when the OEM Toyo's wore out) and absolutely loved the ride they provided, BUT, as others have said they wear out way too quickly. Fortunately I run separate winter tires so was able to get my LTX's to last longer then most. Now, on my Gen 2 CX-5 my Toyo's may need replacing this summer or fall and I have discussed options with my COSTCO sales rep. I ruled out the new Michelin CC 2's that the sales rep suggested after one of the tire techs there warned me that they have a harsh ride and aren't very quiet. As I read that the Primacy Tour A/S's also wear out rather quickly I have ruled them out as well. From COSTCO the only other tire that I would have considered is the Pirelli Cinturato P7 A/S Plus 2's, BUT, I think I might rule them out as they are H rated and it says on the Pirelli tire sticker.... not to use a replacement tire with a speed rating lower that that recommended by the vehicle manufacturer (which is a V rating for my CX-5). Yes, I know, who is ever going to run a CX-5 at the speed that an H rated tire is capable of, but I am more concerned about any warranty work being denied if I opted for an H rated Pirelli. So, unless Michelin comes out with a more viable option between now and this fall I will go with what I currently believe to be the best Crossover/SUV Touring All Season option out there......the Continental CC LX25. Even though it isn't sold by COSTCO, I see that my local Mazda dealer sells Continental's.
On the LX25 vs CC2 noise issue, one review said the CC2 isn’t appreciably louder on the noise meter, but has a distinct low-pitched growl that may annoy some drivers. I have poor high-freq hearing (too many years riding motorcycles and flying small planes) so I suspect I would be more bothered than someone with normal hearing, but I haven’t driven either tire personally.

- Mark

⋯ For what it's worth, my mechanic friend also recommended Bridgestones. Anyone have experience with those?
Bridgestone used to be a good tire brand but no longer. Very few selections for 225/55R19, and Ecopia H/L 422 Plus Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire may be the only one available as an aftermarket tire for CX-5. It’s rated the dead last with 2.4M miles reported in Tire Rack’s Tire Ratings Charts among 8 Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tires. With the price $212.99 which is approaching to Michelin level, it’s simply not worth it to consider.


 
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Looks like DT is having a Flash Sale. $110 off a set of 4 of the Cont. CC LX 25s.

Several tires on sale.

DT Sale
Continental CrossContact LX25 225/55R19 99V, $199 X 4 = $796 - $110 = $686. That’s $171.50 each for LX25, great price! I’d just go to a local Discount Tire / America’s Tire and do the tire change directly for the same price (technically do the “price match” to Discount Tire Direct).
 
Honestly, the OE Toyo A36 225/55R19 99V should have longer tread life than 22,700 miles. Based on its “300 A A” UTQG, it should get at least 30K miles under normal driving conditions. Most people with this tire can easily get 40K miles without too much issue.

Get a (cheap) tire tread depth gauge to measure the tread depth by yourself, and you’ll know for sure when you reallly need a new set of tires.
I got a cheap tire tread depth gauge, as advised, and they measured 2/32. I have no idea what would have worn them down so quickly, but they definitely need to be replaced.
 
The LX25 s I put on last summer have the thickest treads I've ever gotten on new tires.

I almost wonder if they affect the speedometer reading.
 
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