Mazda 5 on snow?

[sun1004]

Has anyone with Mazda 5 drove their car on snow? I live in NY and we get lot of snow during winter and I was wondering how the 5 does in snow.

[the_saint]

We got a few inches the other day but I didn't get to drive in the fresh snow, only plowed streets.
I did play on an unplowed parking lot for a few seconds. I turned and pulled up on the ebrake for a second and the backside swung around pretty far, farther than I expected. This makes me a little nervous about winter driving, as I think the backside might get pretty squirrley if you have to pull some kind of 'emergency manuver'.
But then again, I've been driving my 240sx for the last few years so it might be that I am accustomed to RWD behavior.

Mutual consensus is that the OE tires suck. I haven't had too much trouble with the m yet. They aren't great, but they're better than bald tires.
I've driving like a panzy and I seem to get along just fine.

[PhiTauKid]

Has anyone with Mazda 5 drove their car on snow? I live in NY and we get lot of snow during winter and I was wondering how the 5 does in snow.
I've found that the MP5 Does not do snow, After buying a new control arm and rim, then next winter I drove my 4WS Honda Prelude at the first sign of snow Now I'm looking to find a bigger Mazda Rim so I can find more popular Tires

[the_saint]

Are we talking Mazda5 or Mazda Protege 5 door?

[sun1004]

Are we talking Mazda5 or Mazda Protege 5 door?
Mazda5

[pbdave]

You my want to post a note in the other section as well - 5 Suspension, Rims and Tires - as there has been some mention of snow tires there.

Myself I am wondering about the merits of adding only 2 snow tires to the front of the 5 for some winter hwy driving we have to do. we don't get snow in the city, so we don't need a full set of them.

Anyone have any thoughts.... Is that even safe?

[the_saint]

You my want to post a note in the other section as well - 5 Suspension, Rims and Tires - as there has been some mention of snow tires there.

Myself I am wondering about the merits of adding only 2 snow tires to the front of the 5 for some winter hwy driving we have to do. we don't get snow in the city, so we don't need a full set of them.

Anyone have any thoughts.... Is that even safe?
I don't see why it would not be safe. Back in the day people used to run big old nasty snow (truck) tires on the back and they did ok.I would think that having 2 grippy snow tires pulling you along would be much better that 2 snow tires in the back pushing you around.
I'm sure the tire guy will reccomend that you get a full set so he can make the sale. I'm sure 4 snows would be better than 2. But at the same time 2 would be better than 0.

[Mikey444]

It's safer to have an even amount of traction all around.

[Antonio DiMarco]

We had about 4 inches on Thanksgiving day and I had to drive my 5 out of our unplowed driveway up a 30 degree incline. I did not have any issues. Then again I got rid of the standard Toyo's for some Michelin Pilot A/S tires. I have the same tires on my 3 and had no issues last winter. Massachusetts has a pretty good snow removal so I'm not too worried.

[5thAve]

You my want to post a note in the other section as well - 5 Suspension, Rims and Tires - as there has been some mention of snow tires there.

Myself I am wondering about the merits of adding only 2 snow tires to the front of the 5 for some winter hwy driving we have to do. we don't get snow in the city, so we don't need a full set of them.

Anyone have any thoughts.... Is that even safe?

Definitely NOT safe!

Especially with front-wheel drive a matched set of tires (snow or non-snow) is necessary. Snows on front only will lead to a serious imbalance between traction levels at front and rear ends. Sure you'll have decent acceleration in a straight line, but any lateral movement or braking will accentuate the car's desire to swap ends --- in a most dramatic fashion. RWD cars used to get away with two snows on the back, thereby putting the greater adhesion in the rear and to some degree "promoting" lateral stability at the expense of turning ability. Greater traction in the front will enhance turning ability in the form of a tendency for the vehicle to spin.

[fam]

I have from experience on a ford focus, that 2 snow tires on the front WILL WORK, it was a TANK in the snow and put the mazda3 HB and i model to shame. It gets your moving and stoping, the back tires are there just to keep the car straight. Unless you plan on racing on a mountain with alot of turns it IS a viable cheap option.

[Antonio DiMarco]

I have from experience on a ford focus, that 2 snow tires on the front WILL WORK, it was a TANK in the snow and put the mazda3 HB and i model to shame. It gets your moving and stoping, the back tires are there just to keep the car straight. Unless you plan on racing on a mountain with alot of turns it IS a viable cheap option.

Taking shortcuts with safety is ridiculous. Sure maybe you did have some luck with two snow tires but what kind of snow was it: soft and light? Heavy and slippery? Hardened into ice?. Are you sure the Focus has the same front to rear weigth distribution as the 5?

Why not be safe and do all four. Maybe save some money by not going out to dinner for a month if you can't afford the tires.

This is a HUGE pet peave of mine. I see a lot of people cheaping out on tires because they think that all tires are created equally. But they're NOT. Doesn't matter how well your car performs, throwing bad tires on a car or deciding to throw two instead of 4 snow tires will severely impair traction. It's common sense for Christsakes.

Your not only putting yourself in danger but the people driving around you in danger.

End of rant.

[gone_fishin]

I'm going to have to agree with DiMarco on this one. The only place you should be racing is a track.

As far as snow goes, every ounce of predictability you thought you had with your car no longer applies. Unless it's an emergency, stay off the road. If you're looking for reliable means of transportation when it dumps, purchase a snowmobile. :)

[fam]

It was underlying frozen ince over about 2 ft of snow. I think youre illusion of safety is a tire manufacturer's dream and slogan as well..but to each his own.

[Lord_Zath]

The rear's probably swinging out because it's so much lighter than the front. My protege5 is the same way. This winter I'm going to try adding some weight in the middle of the car to try and help with all-around grip on the road.

I'd imaginte the Mazda5 is the same story.

[Antonio DiMarco]

It was underlying frozen ince over about 2 ft of snow. I think youre illusion of safety is a tire manufacturer's dream and slogan as well..but to each his own.

I can understand why you may think that but I'm not one to cave to advertising. The reality is that different tire compounds will offer different types of traction on different road surfaces. Without even traction on all wheels, anti-locks and cornering will be compromised. I've learnerd this first hand.

I also choose to be overly safe than cut corners. The point is not every car behaves the same at the limit so I'd rather make every attempt by placing the odds in my favor. The cost of an extra set of tires easily costs as much as most insurance deductibles.

[Antonio DiMarco]

The rear's probably swinging out because it's so much lighter than the front. My protege5 is the same way. This winter I'm going to try adding some weight in the middle of the car to try and help with all-around grip on the road.

I'd imaginte the Mazda5 is the same story.

Weight distribution has a lot to do with it. But I'll argue that even if you put extra weight in the back you'll still be dealing with compromised traction. My 3S came with Goodyear GSAs and sucked on all surfaces. Taking corners, even at slow speeds on wet asphalt caused the rear end to break loose. I replaced the Goodyears with Michelin Pilots and my 3S handles like it's on rails. I put the same tires on my 5.

The Honda Pilot we used to owned also used Goodyears and, despite all-wheel drive, hydroplaned dangerously. It feels horrible when a 2+ ton SUV gets squirrley. I replaced all four tires with Yokohama Geolanders and it was a night and day difference. Every time I see a Pilot with Goodyear Integritys I wonder how the hell they stay on the road. Of course there's also those people who drive around with bald tires. Fucking idiots.

Tires make a big difference.

[fam]

He didnt even ask about tires and swapping 2 lol. All this talk crap for nothing. Answer he needs to know:
Its decent in snow, would be great in snow with better tires\winter tires.

[sun1004]

Thanks for lots of info guys.
I'm guessing that this car is as good as any front wheel drive car. I was asking because I didn't see Tracktion control as one of the options, I know with Tracktion control on a front wheel drive car it will drive really well in the snow.

[Lord_Zath]

when accelerating, yes. But there's a lot more to a car than acceleration, especially in the snow.

Cornering and braking are much more important in winter...

[36Crazyfists]

get snow tires and drive cautiously

[Wuster]

I'll get to test out how well the MZ5 does in snow today. The weather service is calling for 3 to 6 inches of snow in the Washington, DC region for today.

[perfecto]

Yeah, I had my 5 out in the snow (about 2-3 inches) and it was just fine. I can't imagine what it'd be like when pushing through the deep stuff, but thankfully I live in Vancouver and don't have to worry about that.

[pbdave]

Mutual consensus is that the OE tires suck.

Anyone else comment/agree/disagree/elaborate on this statement? Are we all talking about the 17"s? I swear I read something about this elsewhere and cannot find it again.

[Wuster]

I do have to say that I'm kind of surprised that Mazda went with Toyo for the OEM tires.

My Mazda3 had the same tire sizes (205/50-17's) but it came with Goodyear RSA's. The RSA had pretty decent performance in the snow.

[baxtersit]

I live in Cleveland and the stock tires are pretty bad. I nicked a front rim turning onto my street going about 5mph. It just wouldn't turn and went straight for the curb. Ouch. I'm just asking for trouble this winter so I'm thinking about a set of Blizzak Revo1 from Tire Rack. Does anyone have any experience with the Revo's? Would you get 205/55 16's or go for 205/60 16's?

[canadianexpress]

I live in Toronto and I have 4 snow tires on (pirelli winter carving with steel rims). We have had some light snow so far (about 5 cm) and no problem. These tires are great on slush, water and light snow. I am still waiting for that big snow storm so I can really test it.

[Mr.Smith]

It's safer to have an even amount of traction all around.

That is true. More traction out front will have you swaping ends. It is not a safe set-up. (spin)

[5thAve]

I live in Cleveland and the stock tires are pretty bad. I nicked a front rim turning onto my street going about 5mph. It just wouldn't turn and went straight for the curb. Ouch. I'm just asking for trouble this winter so I'm thinking about a set of Blizzak Revo1 from Tire Rack. Does anyone have any experience with the Revo's? Would you get 205/55 16's or go for 205/60 16's?

I don't have experience, but I'm looking at them too. From what I've read on TireRack and elsewhere, they look like a really good price/performance ratio.

[pbdave]

just thought I would mention that we picked up our 5 this weekend and drove around on compact snow for a couple days. I actually have to say I found the stock toyos handled the conditions really well for the size, and have no real complaints! I guess for those who will have only brief encounters with snow, they seem to work just fine.

[Wuster]

Qestion for you guys with snow tires.

How does having snow tires affect the TPMS?

Does the light just stay on till you put the original rims back on?

[5thAve]

I had four 16" steel wheels set aside at the dealership awaiting the delivery of my car (MAV?). Now I"ve learned that they sold them out from under me. Grr. The worst of it is that it was a salesman who informed me of this and offered an excuse "Mazda doesn't have steel wheels available for the Mazda5 yet." I think this is a load of bull$%&@ since I've been assuming that wheels from the Mazda3 would be interchangeable. Does anyone have the truth on this? Is there a difference in clearances between a 3s or 3i and the 5? How about the 6? A second dealer says they've used steels from the 3 on the 5 but he asked a price 50% higher than my home dealer so I'm reluctant to buy from him. (Cdn$98 ea. versus my dealer's original quote of Cdn$65 each).

[5thAve]

Qestion for you guys with snow tires.

How does having snow tires affect the TPMS?

Does the light just stay on till you put the original rims back on?

The TPMS transmitters are in the special valve stems. You can buy a set of valve stems for your winter rims (assuming they will fit -- I understand they are slightly oversize???)

If you use duplicate transmitters (i.e. a summer set and a winter set), you have to go through a TPMS reprogramming procedure at each changeover. I think it is outlined in the owner's manual, if I remember.

Maybe you could have the valve stems from your summer rims fitted on your winter rims? I wonder how many times you could do that remove/replace of the valve stems before you have problems sealing though...

Just my $0.02

[canadianexpress]

I had four 16" steel wheels set aside at the dealership awaiting the delivery of my car (MAV?). Now I"ve learned that they sold them out from under me. Grr. The worst of it is that it was a salesman who informed me of this and offered an excuse "Mazda doesn't have steel wheels available for the Mazda5 yet." I think this is a load of bull$%&@ since I've been assuming that wheels from the Mazda3 would be interchangeable. Does anyone have the truth on this? Is there a difference in clearances between a 3s or 3i and the 5? How about the 6? A second dealer says they've used steels from the 3 on the 5 but he asked a price 50% higher than my home dealer so I'm reluctant to buy from him. (Cdn$98 ea. versus my dealer's original quote of Cdn$65 each).

The 16" rims are the same on the Mazda3 and mazda5. I got my package from GYRO Mazda, try them if you are living in Toronto. They do charge more for the Mazda steels if you don't buy the tires from them. They sold the Pirelli Winter Carving for $795 + tax (Tires & Rims).

[Wuster]

The TPMS transmitters are in the special valve stems. You can buy a set of valve stems for your winter rims (assuming they will fit -- I understand they are slightly oversize???)

If you use duplicate transmitters (i.e. a summer set and a winter set), you have to go through a TPMS reprogramming procedure at each changeover. I think it is outlined in the owner's manual, if I remember.

Maybe you could have the valve stems from your summer rims fitted on your winter rims? I wonder how many times you could do that remove/replace of the valve stems before you have problems sealing though...

Just my $0.02

Interesting. I didn't realize the sensors are in the valve stems.

Any ideas where I can find another set of TPMS valve stems? I don't remember seeing them on any of the Mazda parts website.

[5thAve]

Interesting. I didn't realize the sensors are in the valve stems.

Any ideas where I can find another set of TPMS valve stems? I don't remember seeing them on any of the Mazda parts website.

Your Mazda dealer should have a part number for them. They're not offered here in Canada so I have no idea of price. I'm interested to hear if they're cost effective though. Please post any info you dig up. (thumb)

[5thAve]

The 16" rims are the same on the Mazda3 and mazda5. I got my package from GYRO Mazda, try them if you are living in Toronto. They do charge more for the Mazda steels if you don't buy the tires from them. They sold the Pirelli Winter Carving for $795 + tax (Tires & Rims).

Thanks for the info. Looks like Mazda's rims are sold out for all of Canada, according to 2 different dealers I talked with. I'll call Mazda Canada directly though, and try for more info. I also was told by one that there are only *2 WHEELS* !!! left in stock in the U.S.A. Wow. this sounds a little far fetched to me. I guess I'll keep trying to track down some aftermarket steel wheels at a reasonable price. Most places local to me are sold out. (Ottawa).

[canadianexpress]

Thanks for the info. Looks like Mazda's rims are sold out for all of Canada, according to 2 different dealers I talked with. I'll call Mazda Canada directly though, and try for more info. I also was told by one that there are only *2 WHEELS* !!! left in stock in the U.S.A. Wow. this sounds a little far fetched to me. I guess I'll keep trying to track down some aftermarket steel wheels at a reasonable price. Most places local to me are sold out. (Ottawa).

There are lots of aftermarket steelies which will fit the 5 but just make sure they are hub-centric.

[the_saint]

There are lots of aftermarket steelies which will fit the 5 but just make sure they are hub-centric.
Can't you get hubcentric rings to make them fit?

[canadianexpress]

I have been told by tire experts that the ring only fits in the alloy wheels and there is no place to properly mount them in the steelies.

[the_saint]

Oh.

[amti]

just planning to buy mazda5 touring any one with mazda 5 experience in new york city and in snow please share your experience how the car handled lack of traction control etc.......

[fam]

You will be fine. With stock tires it will spin when the torque kicks in in 1st gear but the car stays completely straight. You will have to get used to the electric steering, its a different steering wheel feel all together in the snow but its a completely capable vehicle. Id worry more about the pot holes in NY than the snow.

[miatafied]

Id worry more about the pot holes in NY than the snow.

Agreed here - Drove my 5 through the worst snow storm this past winter season - I was the only car moving on the road, actually! I felt like I was in a commercial as I passed other cars stuck on the side of the road. I did have dedicated snow tires on - but the 5 was a champ in the snow. I was worried on how it would handle - since the car that I replaced was an AWD Subie wagon that drove in every snowstorm in the past 5 years without problem. So, my 5 had some pretty big snow shows to fill and it handled the job with ease.

[Zoom5Zoom]

Winter Driving

I am from Canada and have logged over 5000 Km in the Snow, Ice, Freezing Rain and yes Rain. The 5 with its stock rims and tires are crap in the conditions we have hear. Remember Summer tires FREEZE at -10 C and that is not a joke.

I purchased 4 winter tires with steel rims and totally enjoyed the 5K we did. We do long hockey tournement trips and Ski trips in the Mountains.

As mentioned 4 winter tires NOT 2 as it is worse then none at all.

JMO

PS its now 30C and sunny in ottawa and the TOYO stock rubber are sweet.

[was98strat]

The 16" rims are the same on the Mazda3 and mazda5. I got my package from GYRO Mazda, try them if you are living in Toronto. They do charge more for the Mazda steels if you don't buy the tires from them. They sold the Pirelli Winter Carving for $795 + tax (Tires & Rims).

What size did you use? I really like Pirelli Winter Carving but they don't make a size sutable for the 5. On 16 inch steelies we should be running 195/60 R16's

What size did you end up using?

[wongpres]

What size did you use? I really like Pirelli Winter Carving but they don't make a size sutable for the 5. On 16 inch steelies we should be running 195/60 R16's

What size did you end up using?

Mazda5 on 16-inch, use P205/55R16 size

[was98strat]

Mazda5 on 16-inch, use P205/55R16 size

hmm, not for winter tires, you should be using minus 1 sizing. but I guess if that's al that's available then ok!

[Zoom5Zoom]

minus 1 inch will not fit for stock 16 inch tires....17 inch you can drop to 16

[was98strat]

minus 1 inch will not fit for stock 16 inch tires....17 inch you can drop to 16

Minus 1 for tire sizing doesn't mean minus 1 inch on diameter (though I can see where the confusion miught come from. Plus 1 is an increase in rim diameter). tirerack and 2020tire both have good articles on Winter tires It means you take you stock tire tread width and go down 1 size . The idea is to get more PSI on the contact patch to get down through the snow better. So you go from 205 down to 195. Stay with the 16 inch steelies, but you go from 205/55 to 195/60, keeps the overall tire diameter the same with the increased contact patch pressure.

[wongpres]

Minus 1 for tire sizing doesn't mean minus 1 inch on diameter (though I can see where the confusion miught come from. Plus 1 is an increase in rim diameter). tirerack and 2020tire both have good articles on Winter tires It means you take you stock tire tread width and go down 1 size . The idea is to get more PSI on the contact patch to get down through the snow better. So you go from 205 down to 195. Stay with the 16 inch steelies, but you go from 205/55 to 195/60, keeps the overall tire diameter the same with the increased contact patch pressure.
Yes, P195/60R16 will work (i.e. it won't throw off ABS sensors or anything like that), but the factory Mazda5 tire sizes are:

- P205/55R16
- P205/50R17

So why not just go with the stock sizes? Yes, 195/60 will work and provides a narrower tread width, but if one lives in a snowy area and puts on winter tires in the first place, then they've already made the right decision (i.e. putting on winters), and the 205/55 vs 195/60 is negligable.

[canadianexpress]

What size did you use? I really like Pirelli Winter Carving but they don't make a size sutable for the 5. On 16 inch steelies we should be running 195/60 R16's

What size did you end up using?

I got the stock size 205-55-16, noisy compared to the all season toyo's, but hey it is about safety not noise level when it comes to winter tires. I am quite happy with the performance so far with all the snow we had last season.

[ansatzjp]

Probably a dumb question, so bear with me. If I buy snow tires (or winter tires), I should get them with rims (or wheels?), so I can keep the original tires at home to use it later? Oh, I feel embarrassed.

[Zoom5Zoom]

Correct recommend steel rims for your winter tires. Saves your alloys for the summer

[miatafied]

Probably a dumb question, so bear with me. If I buy snow tires (or winter tires), I should get them with rims (or wheels?), so I can keep the original tires at home to use it later? Oh, I feel embarrassed.

I think that ideally you have a set of dedicated winter tires/wheels combo that you trade back and forth w/ your set of dedicated summer tires/wheels.

I considered getting dedicated winter tire/wheels, but somehow couldn't find rims that I really loved (unless I shelled out more $$ than was in the budget) - so for this year I simply switched out the tires. I now have a set of unmounted winter tires in the garage. Still looking for a nice set of rims and I'm hoping to keep the stock wheels as my dedicated winter set.

My search has been sidetracked due to my concern over the TPMS - and the fact that I don't really have to think about it until next season....