Winter wheel and tire set for 2017 CX-5

jaypdx

Member
Contributor
:
none
Probably won't mount these for another month or so, but I unpacked them to take a look. Those are Radius WI15 17x7 wheels with 225/65R-17 Michelin Latitude X-ICE XI2 from tirerack. Honestly the tread pattern doesn't look so different from standard all-season tires. I was looking for something similar in appearance to the OEM 19" wheels.

Overall wheel quality looks great. Hopefully the TPMS transmitters work. The wheels are stamped Made in Italy, despite tirerack's website saying they're made in China. They weigh in at 55.8lbs each.

I plan on putting a good coat of wax on each one and maybe hitting the caps with a little black plasti-dip to get rid of the logo.


IMG_20171107_114904079.jpg

IMG_20171107_114918189.jpg

IMG_20171107_114928574.jpg

IMG_20171107_114949526.jpg
 
Probably won't mount these for another month or so, but I unpacked them to take a look. Those are Radius WI15 17x7 wheels with 225/65R-17 Michelin Latitude X-ICE XI2 from tirerack. Honestly the tread pattern doesn't look so different from standard all-season tires. I was looking for something similar in appearance to the OEM 19" wheels.

Overall wheel quality looks great. Hopefully the TPMS transmitters work. The wheels are stamped Made in Italy, despite tirerack's website saying they're made in China. They weigh in at 55.8lbs each.

I plan on putting a good coat of wax on each one and maybe hitting the caps with a little black plasti-dip to get rid of the logo.


View attachment 217744

View attachment 217745

View attachment 217746

View attachment 217747

Did you get the 35mm or 45mm offset for the wheels?
 
nice winter tyres! The winter tyres have sipes (slits) that make them special for snow and ice grip and your summer tyres do not have them besides looking the same. Nice set of aluminium rims. I noticed that your Michelin winter tyres have directional marking making the criss cross rotation impossible. You will have to do front to back rotation only. The continental viking conti 6 winter tyres are non directional so criss cross rotation is fine with them.
 

Attachments

  • 20171027_130739.jpg
    20171027_130739.jpg
    123.6 KB · Views: 560
nice winter tyres! The winter tyres have sipes (slits) that make them special for snow and ice grip and your summer tyres do not have them besides looking the same. Nice set of aluminium rims. I noticed that your Michelin winter tyres have directional marking making the criss cross rotation impossible. You will have to do front to back rotation only. The continental viking conti 6 winter tyres are non directional so criss cross rotation is fine with them.

I did a little research and it looked like most snow tires are directional, but good to know there are some non-directional options out there. I was mainly looking for something with good snow/ice performance and a quiet ride.
 
I did a little research and it looked like most snow tires are directional, but good to know there are some non-directional options out there. I was mainly looking for something with good snow/ice performance and a quiet ride.

There are a few chinese manufacturers with non directional winter tyres but the quality is a big suspect and they mostly come last in the winter tyre tests here. The big ones are still Nokian, Good year, Continental, Michelin, Pirelli etc. I actually had a directional Nokia Rsi winter tyre in my BMW and I rotated it back to front every year and it worked well and there was no uneven wear. I would not hold out just because of that issue if the tyre u wanted was well recommended and came cheaper than others.
 
I just put those X-Ice Xi2s on my GX. So far really happy in the rain, slush and snow. I'll be putting my Blizzaks on the CX this next week.
 
I just put those X-Ice Xi2s on my GX. So far really happy in the rain, slush and snow. I'll be putting my Blizzaks on the CX this next week.

Sounds like you've driven two of the most popular snow tires. How do they compare to one another (in terms of traction, handling, ride, noise, etc.)?
 
A few thoughts...

I haven't had a chance to do really deep snow yet with the Xi2s yet so can't comment there.

Just my subjective opinion... :)

•The Xi2's are noticeably quieter than the Blizzaks.
•I think both give a softer ride
•I think Xi2's probably handle somewhat better than Blizzaks but still need some road time
• Both feel sure footed in slippery conditions

I've heard Xi2's have a longer useful life than the Blizzaks (once they wear down to a certain point).

It may be that the Blizzaks work better in deeper snow since they seem to have wider tread gaps but we'll see. I can't answer on that yet.

I wish years ago I had utilized winter tires during the season... there is a grip and confidence there (handling/braking) I have never had with all-season tires. Not trying to start another debate or convince others to start using them... they work for me....that's all.
 
Probably won't mount these for another month or so, but I unpacked them to take a look. Those are Radius WI15 17x7 wheels with 225/65R-17 Michelin Latitude X-ICE XI2 from tirerack. Honestly the tread pattern doesn't look so different from standard all-season tires. I was looking for something similar in appearance to the OEM 19" wheels.

Overall wheel quality looks great. Hopefully the TPMS transmitters work. The wheels are stamped Made in Italy, despite tirerack's website saying they're made in China. They weigh in at 55.8lbs each.

I plan on putting a good coat of wax on each one and maybe hitting the caps with a little black plasti-dip to get rid of the logo.


View attachment 217744

View attachment 217745

View attachment 217746

View attachment 217747

Great choice - they look really fantastic! I'm looking at the same wheel and was wanting to confirm that this is the "Titanium Gunmetal" color from Tire Rack.

Thanks!
 
Yep... mine are titanium gunmetal.

Nice colour but I am a little concerned. Is the gunmetal polish going to last the life of the wheel? I have the gunmetal colour on my summer wheels but bought the hardy silver coloured ones for winter wheels due to exposure to harsh winter weather with salt and sand on the road. But yours really look nice.
 
Nice colour but I am a little concerned. Is the gunmetal polish going to last the life of the wheel? I have the gunmetal colour on my summer wheels but bought the hardy silver coloured ones for winter wheels due to exposure to harsh winter weather with salt and sand on the road. But yours really look nice.


No idea... all I can do now is hope for the best. This is apparently a pretty reputable wheel manufacturer, but there weren't any reviews on the tirerack website and there is no warranty on the finish.

I'll post an update in the spring once I take them off.

PS: Tirerack does a poor job with customer reviews. I wrote a detailed review based on my initial impressions weeks ago and they never posted it.
 
Thanks! My order should arrive next week. I was also concerned about the warranty and lack of reviews, but decided to go for it since I liked the style/color. I will also try to post a review on Tire Rack - we'll see if it makes it to their site.
 
Back