Show me your Winter Wheels and tire combos.
- Thread starter Vinster
- Start date
I have studded tires because i live on the Quebec side. Are studded needed, probably not, but they saved my butt a few times coming to a red light with unexpected black ice. just for those moments I will keep studded tires, and the technology has evolved so much, the hakka 8 are much better than the Hakka 5 which were very noisy! There are a lot of good choices for those who wants a studless tire.
For Spacey, mine were bought from PMC (pneus moins cher), 3 years ago they had the best price on Nokian (they did not like it). It is different now, Nokian has a very strict policy now, the prices are the same almost everywhere.
For Spacey, mine were bought from PMC (pneus moins cher), 3 years ago they had the best price on Nokian (they did not like it). It is different now, Nokian has a very strict policy now, the prices are the same almost everywhere.
I have a dilemma. Here in Colorado the snow/ice doesn't stick around for long. Most of the time in the winter I'm driving on dry, snow-less roads. On my last car (Subaru Outback) I went with a winter wheel/tire combo that had a tall aspect ratio. This made the car handle like a boat. I dread driving my CX-5 on cushy tires. I was thinking about getting 19" rims for winter use in an attempt to preserve as much zoom zoom as I could. Does anyone out there run 19" on their snow wheels? How does the snow tire perform on 19" rims? Thanks.
Without knowing exactly what the aspect ratio of your previous winter tires were, nor the model of tire or what inflation pressure you used, I would venture to say the boat like handling was likely due more to the tires construction and tread pattern than the tall aspect ratio. And too low of air pressure could have contributed to the poor handling. So, no, I would not recommend going with a 19" winter setup to attempt to maintain handling. You just need to buy the right tire for the job.
Based on everything you've said, I think you would be very happy with the performance of the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT's in 225/65/17. Inflate to 37 psi. They handle less boat like than the OEM Geolander all-seasons (in the same size) and have very good (not exceptional) snow/ice performance. With the natural snow/ice ability of the CX-5 this is not a problem - they will literally KILL the snow/ice performance of any all season radial. They are exceptional in the rain too. Very firm, sporty cornering.
Most 19" winter tires will not give you dry pavement handling this good. And the selection of winter tires in 19" size sucks.
I had the Bridgestone WS80 in 205/65R16 size. The stock tire is 225/55R17. I could have gone to 225/60R16 on the WS80 but I chose 205/65R16 since I had figured the narrower thread would give me better traction in the snow. Little did I know that tire is sloppy in the dry. If 19" snow tires is too much perhaps I'll find a compromise in a 18" setup. I'm just hesitant to go with 225/65/17 after my bad experience with the 205/65/16. The stock 19" are superb in the dry. I can't imagine driving anything less than the 19" even if I get paid for it, haha.
One of the biggest factors that I find that contribute to tire performance is the stiffness of the side wall. Look for a tire that has a higher load rating, this usually means a stiffer side wall is at work. With a stiffer side wall there is less of a chance of having the wishy washy feeling that some tires can give. My wifes audi A4, which is a heavy car, recently got new tires that dropped a load rating from the previous set. The new tires are considerably more wishy washy then the last ones. I think going from 19's on your GT down to 16's (3 sizes) is quite the jump. A 17" with a proper load rating and speed index number should suffice. I prefer to go with a taller side wall (-1 or -2) wheel size for winter as the added height in side wall helps smooth the pavement when it freezes and the all the expansion joints expand and what not. Unless I find a good deal on Hakka R2 SUV I will going with the WS80's from Costco when they go on sale next month.
Thanks. I think part of the problem is our mild winter. We could get snow anytime from Oct-Jun. However we get plenty of mild and sunny days. On a mild day the soft and squirmy compound on the snow tire feels awful compared to the stock tires. This is from my experience on the Subaru Outback. I have no experience on the CX-5. I didn't think tires would make a big difference but is was sure day-night difference on the Outback. I'm still debating on whether to get snow tires for this season. If I do then my dilemma is 17" vs 19".
Come to think of it, maybe I need to find a poorly rated snow tire. A poor performing snow tire should do better in the dry, correct? I'd rather give up a bit of snow performance for above-average performance in the dry. Mind you I do live in Colorado and we get plenty of sunny days.
There is some truth to that but it's not all that clear cut.
Too stiff of a sidewall will give a wooden feeling and will lose traction easily on broken or irregular pavement (as well as off-pavement). It will also contribute to a harsh ride. I've found steering response and overall handling characteristics are determined not so much the stiffness of the sidewall but the support offered by the sidewall construction. With a good design of the radial belts (optimized for the weight of the vehicle in question as well as any other idiosyncrasies specific to that vehicle) a compliant ride with exceptional grip on irregular pavement can be achieved while still maintaining excellent steering feel and precision. And this is a more ideal situation than a tire that achieves good steering feel with a higher weight rating.
My favorite tires on vehicles I've owned over the years were not inexpensive but did fall relatively close in weight rating for the vehicles actual needs. If the vehicle will mostly be used half loaded or less, I recommend sticking pretty close to the needed weight rating (for a fully loaded vehicle). But, if the vehicle will often travel fully loaded (or nearly so) the case could be made to use a tire with a bit higher of a weight rating. If shopping for budget tires, yes, it's a good idea to move up the weight rating scale. But you will still have budget tires which will suffer multiple deficiencies.
That's what I was saying in my previous post. And a "poorly performing" winter tire of today is still going to drive circles in the snow/ice around the best performing winter tire from even 20 years ago.
I do not think you will be happy with the bare pavement cornering of the Bridgestone Blizzak's even in the lower aspect ratio 19" size. This is because most of the corner mushiness of a typical winter tire comes from the shoulder of the tread, not the sidewall.
Thanks for the input. Since the 19" tires are on sale I just might pull the trigger. I also found a set of 19" rims locally on Craigslist. Mind you I have to live with the snow tire six months out of the year. If anything the looks of 19" will keep me happy for six months. Here's a photo of the new Honda Civic in stock trim. Low aspect ratio is in.
If a car to you is more style than substance then I suppose it makes sense to follow the latest fads.
Myself, I just want the car to perform and keep me and my family safe.
To each his own.
Good score! The OEM 17's are quite a bit lighter than most aftermarket wheels in the same size.
OEM steelies or regular ones?
where at?
looking at local dealer, they have OEM steelies @$95 per, part of package with pirelli ice zero FRs (@160 per)
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