Snow Tires

[capnfatpants]

Greetings all. This is a very general question, but I figured this would be a good place for a reliable answer. I've never put winter tires on my car, it's kind of an easy way out in Cleveland, OH. We're bred to do things the hard way to help further our own suffering. Anyway, I bought a 2015 Touring AWD a few months ago, partly because we wanted a safer car for our two kids. I figure one great way for improving safety is by getting snow tires. What is the best way to go about getting them? Should I buy rims and keep them mounted and swap them out myself? Is there any special maintenance that is required? What's the best kind? Do I stay with the same size wheel or are smaller tires better at handling? As you can see, I'm essentially in the dark about this, so any tips/considerations would be immensely appreciated.

Thank you

 

[rjdee]

I've always been a fan of having the snows mounted on their own wheels. I find it much easier to do the swap at home when I want rather than paying and waiting in line at the tire shop. I also do all mine oil changes and such anyway. You can also get a 16" wheel and tire size on the Cx5 which will save you money and be more comfortable over the potholes and frost heaves. You can stick with the stock section width or go a bit narrower. Narrow tires will cut through the slush and slop much better. I had a Volvo V70 AWD with tiny 185/15 tires that was a beast in snow. I'm running stock size 225/65/17 on the CX5 since I found a deal on a 1 year old setup. Just keep the tires at close to the stock diameter so it won't screw up the speedo.

 

[Iceman04503]

I found that having a snow tire set (steel rims and snow tires) and swapping it out with my regular set myself will save me money on the long run. If you buy just snow tires and have the tire store swap it than you're paying for them to swap the tires at least twice a year. For my '14 Mazda3 I have 18" rims with 215/45/18 and for my winter set I bought 16" steel rims with 205/60/16. For my CX-5 I'm looking at 16" steel rims with 225/70/16 or 17" factory rims with 225/65/17. I found this very helpful with I was looking at tire sizes that won't mess with your speedometer: http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/

 

[Sekmor]

Purchase another set of rims, and do the swap yourself. As long as you know how to jack up the car and change the tire, there's not much to it. Also you'll need a torque wrench to check the lug nuts. Once you have them, no waiting in line at the store, save the money fron seasonal change overs.
As for what's the best winter tire, that's always up for debate. Every year there seems to be another tire on the list with better tech than the previous year. Google can give you some good comparisons. Nokian, Michelin, Bridgestone, to name a few. If you stay with the same sizes, then there are no issues with anything else, clearance, speedo, handling, etc. Any local tire shop should be able to help you, but down south you guys have a lot more options like buying online.
Personally, I purchased another set of rims and use them for summer. I'm driving on those right now, and will changeover when I see fit. For the winter rims, I'm using the stock OEM that came with the CX5.
For rubber I purchased Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2

 

[CX-5tormtrooper]

Last month, I picked up a set of wheels with Blizzak tires, used with under 5k miles on them, from Craigslist for $300. It's my first AWD car my first set of winter tires as well, hoping for a blizzard this winter. They are 17" wheels, but only .7cm shorter than the stock 19"s, according to Wheel/Tire Calculator.

 

[jjw6455]

I'm from Cleveland and have always had my winter tires on a second set of rims. I bought all my tires from tire rack as a complete package. They will mount and balance them before shipping so you end up saving about $75 in labor. If you want to be cheap you can get steel rims for about $60 each, or something a little nicer for $100 each. I've had Blizzaks on 4 different cars over the years with no complaints.

 

[capnfatpants]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was worried about the size messing with the speedometer and I'm glad there's a calculator to figure that out.

jjw6455, where in Cleveland. I live in Fairview and drive to the East side every day. I'm in my car a lot.

 

[cybercruiser]

jjw6455, where in Cleveland. I live in Fairview and drive to the East side every day. I'm in my car a lot.

Kent, here, will be my first Winter with the 2015 CX-5 Touring FWD, had a Honda Civic before, would think the CX-5 will do at least as well in the snow/ice.

 

[wayne73]

Will a 16" Mazda 3 wheel fit on the cx-5 awd ? Thinking about running something like that for winter. And keep our 19's in good shape for summer time only here in minnesota.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[quant]

So I have been doing some searching for winter tires, and can see the benefits of having a dedicated set of tire and wheel combination. I want to stay with the 19 inch size on the grand touring AWD, but I am concerned about the TPMS. When I was looking at tirerack.com I found that the blizzak DM-V1 would be good at the 225/55R19, original size. But when I went to find some wheels that would fit I got a warning:

Important Notes:
This vehicle relies on the wheel speed sensors in the hubs to monitor the tire pressure differences. Although no tire sensors are required, a TPMS reset is required so the vehicle learns the new tire overall diameters.

Does not using the stock wheels mess up the TPMS? Can you have a sensor installed? Or should I just buy stock mazda wheels to make sure it has the sensor in it?

I am also confused on how the TPMS sensor works and where it is located in the wheel.

 

[magicpotatoes]

there is no TPMS sensor in the wheel/tire, part of the ABS system monitors the tire rotation difference between all 4 tires ie: if one tire is flat it will rotate more than the rest . not as accurate as a pressure sensor inside the tire but it works very well. as long as all 4 tires you're putting are the same size it shouldn't interfere with the TPMS functionality, it just needs to be reset if the new tires have different diameter/circumference compared to the stock ones.

 

[quant]

there is no TPMS sensor in the wheel/tire, part of the ABS system monitors the tire rotation difference between all 4 tires ie: if one tire is flat it will rotate more than the rest . not as accurate as a pressure sensor inside the tire but it works very well. as long as all 4 tires you're putting are the same size it shouldn't interfere with the TPMS functionality, it just needs to be reset if the new tires have different diameter/circumference compared to the stock ones.

Thank you for the information, I was getting confused with a actual tire pressure monitoring system that I had in my previous car, but it never really worked? maybe the batteries died in the sensors? Does the TPMS system work well?

I have only had the car since the end of July and with the winter coming up I will start to have to check the pressure more frequently. Are the actual pressure monitoring systems worth it? or is just getting a good gauge worth 50$ or so and just check it often?

 

[quant]

Another question: what should I be looking for in a winter wheel (not tire)? Anything in particular?
Does it make a difference between gravity cast and low pressure cast?
Are there any companies that I should stay away from on tirerack.com? I have read some pretty bad reviews about ASA and Bremmer Kraft

Finally how much does weight come into play for tires?

Motegi MR120 - 24.25lbs.

Eneki raijin - 22.8lbs.

 

[cybercruiser]

I usually run by rear tires approx 4 lbs over what the front driver's side door jam states, and my front tires approx 8 lbs over, they seem to wear better that way. But, that's just me...

 

[MikeM.]

I usually run by rear tires approx 4 lbs over what the front driver's side door jam states, and my front tires approx 8 lbs over, they seem to wear better that way. But, that's just me...

All four tires should be run at the same pressure to maintain the balanced handling with slight understeer built into the CX-5. Your preferred pressures will increase understeer unacceptably during hard cornering and avoidance maneuvers. I do agree the stated pressures can be bumped up somewhat. I run the tires on my CX-5 37 psi summer, 38 psi winter.

 

[MikeM.]

Another question: what should I be looking for in a winter wheel (not tire)? Anything in particular?

Don't skimp on quality. A good powder coated aluminum wheel will resist corrosion better than anodized.

Does it make a difference between gravity cast and low pressure cast?

Assuming the wheels are suitable for the CX-5, either would work fine. But the low pressure cast wheels are more consistent and can be made lighter with the same margin of safety for hitting road hazards. I like light wheels and went for low pressure cast.

Are there any companies that I should stay away from on tirerack.com? I have read some pretty bad reviews about ASA and Bremmer Kraft

I don't have direct experience with either brand but, with wheels, you generally get what you pay for.
Finally how much does weight come into play for tires?

Motegi MR120 - 24.25lbs.

Eneki raijin - 22.8lbs.[/QUOTE]

 

[MikeM.]

Another question: what should I be looking for in a winter wheel (not tire)? Anything in particular?

Don't skimp on quality. A good powder coated aluminum wheel will resist corrosion better than anodized.

Does it make a difference between gravity cast and low pressure cast?

Assuming the wheels are suitable for the CX-5, either would work fine. But the low pressure cast wheels are more consistent and can be made lighter with the same margin of safety for hitting road hazards. I like light wheels and went for low pressure cast.

Are there any companies that I should stay away from on tirerack.com? I have read some pretty bad reviews about ASA and Bremmer Kraft

I don't have direct experience with either brand but, with wheels, you generally get what you pay for.

Finally how much does weight come into play for tires?

Motegi MR120 - 24.25lbs.

Eneki raijin - 22.8lbs.

Do you mean tires or wheels?

Both are rotational inertia so heavier tires or wheels will make the car feel more sluggish. But it's not quite that simple because there is not a direct relationship between weight and rotational inertia, it depends on how far the weight is from the axle. And there's no way to tell simply by looking at the published weight.

 

[halfast3]

Yes, the M3 16" will work. I bought a set of new take-off M3 alloys off Craig's List for $250 and will be shopping for a set of studless snows next month.

 

[danieljw]

Yes, the M3 16" will work. I bought a set of new take-off M3 alloys off Craig's List for $250 and will be shopping for a set of Michelin X Ice studless snows next month.

Do you mean BMW M3 or Mazda3? I believe BMW uses 5 x 120 mm pattern.

 

[halfast3]

Do you mean BMW M3 or Mazda3? I believe BMW uses 5 x 120 mm pattern.

Whoops, sorry about that! (hand) I meant Mazda 3 wheels.