New CX-9 Grand Touring/Tire Concerns

[pitt]

I will be taking posession of a new Grand Touring AWD in a couple of days and I have a concern with reviews that I have read, from tire rack to this site, regarding the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400's that come with this vehicle. Poor performance in rain and especially snow is what I have read in numerous reviews especially Tire Rack. Mazda told me they were unaware of any problems; and what a surprise, Bridgestone said the same thing. Any options what a dealer can do regarding swapping tires ? Any feedback with these tires would be appreciated.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Bridgestone tires suck, but I wouldn't call these unsafe. Just not the greatest for cornering or wet/icy roads.

[rk2112]

I have to agree............the Bridgestone tires were terrible in the snow, and in the rain they are fair at best. I just replaced mine @ 22,000 miles. I now have Yokohama Parada Spec-X........so far so good. We will see how they are once the snow flies.

[scottybue]

Got 2,000 miles on my Toyo Proxes ST II's. Still going strong. Very good grip in the wet. No winter use yet.

[tb88]

I just bought a set of 17" wheel/tire winter package from tire rack because of the reviews I read. I need a dedicated set of snow tires for western NY weather.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Anyone yet tried the Michelin Latitudes?

[todd92]

I don't think they are bad on wet roads and they are actually quiet decent handling tire for normal driving. Just get a set of winter tires and wheels from the Tire Rack, about $1300 including another set of TPMS. No all-season tires are going to very good in snow, real snow tires make snow driving fun. I skipped getting AWD and with just FWD and 4 winter tires I never have any problem.

[MacMaster]

My friend got Michelin Latitude Sport on his cayenne s, he says they r good

[wakblak]

Can second the Yokohama Parada Spec-Xs.
They have proven very satisfactory in the rain so far.

[badself]

Can second the Yokohama Parada Spec-Xs.
They have proven very satisfactory in the rain so far.

Did you get the factory size, or did you go with an off-size?

[CX9 SportOwner]

still looking at the Michelins. We get rain, light snow, and ice.

[rk2112]

Did you get the factory size, or did you go with an off-size?


I went with the factory size. (for some reason the tire rack doesn't show them as an option in the stock 20" size)

[Craig-CX9]

I have an '07 GT AWD that did great last year in the Boston winters with stock 20's.

[elerner61]

Here's my take on this for us folks who lease. The stock tires will never make it through the lease term with enough tread left to not get "dinged" when returning the vehicle. The Yokohama Parada Spec-X's seem to be the best alternative 20" tire out there if you don't want to risk your life in the snow. If picking up a new vehicle, ride the stock tires for while (if not snow season already) swap out to the Yokohama's and then put the Stock tires back on when returning the vehicle at the end of the lease.

[badself]

Well, one of my four Bridgestone (20's) factory tires suffered a small nail puncture so far into the inner edge of the tread/sidewall that it may not be repairable.

I wouldn't dream of spending good money on one replacement Bridgestone, even if readily available. These tires are worthless IMO.

Last I looked, TireRack was not showing the Parada in our size. For those who have the Spec-X, where did you purchase them?

Here locally, I guess I'll try Mr. Tire or Merchants. A post back would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Force-1]

Last I looked, TireRack was not showing the Parada in our size. For those who have the Spec-X, where did you purchase them?

Here locally, I guess I'll try Mr. Tire or Merchants. A post back would be appreciated. Thanks.

Discounttire.Com lists them for $197 each, 245/50R-20.

[rk2112]

Well, one of my four Bridgestone (20's) factory tires suffered a small nail puncture so far into the inner edge of the tread/sidewall that it may not be repairable.

I wouldn't dream of spending good money on one replacement Bridgestone, even if readily available. These tires are worthless IMO.

Last I looked, TireRack was not showing the Parada in our size. For those who have the Spec-X, where did you purchase them?


Here locally, I guess I'll try Mr. Tire or Merchants. A post back would be appreciated. Thanks.

I purchased mine at a local tire dealer $189 ea. installed (plus tax etc..) I had 20,000 on the Bridgestones and had the same issue I got a nail in one right on the sidewall that was not repairable.

[badself]

I purchased mine at a local tire dealer $189 ea. installed (plus tax etc..) I had 20,000 on the Bridgestones and had the same issue I got a nail in one right on the sidewall that was not repairable.

At least you got 20,000 miles out of them. My set has a little over 3,000 miles.

No way I'll buy another Bridgestone, not even to save the set.

Anybody in the Baltimore metro area looking for three 20'' Bridgestones, $150 takes all three.

[badself]

Well, one of my four Bridgestone (20's) factory tires suffered a small nail puncture so far into the inner edge of the tread/sidewall that it may not be repairable.

I wouldn't dream of spending good money on one replacement Bridgestone, even if readily available. These tires are worthless IMO.

Last I looked, TireRack was not showing the Parada in our size. For those who have the Spec-X, where did you purchase them?

Here locally, I guess I'll try Mr. Tire or Merchants. A post back would be appreciated. Thanks.

Well, the puncture at the inner edge of the tread/sidewall is unrepairable.
I'm having trouble getting the Parada's locally, and my cheapest price from a dealer than can deliver is $804 out-the-door. However, they won't do road hazards and the wheel balancing is one-time-only (though the dealer said he's rebalance within a couple thousand miles if it's needed).

The Toyo's are significantly less expensive. Like $540 over the internet plus installation, which is probably about $100. While back, Treadepot was shipping a set of four for $500. I'm assuming the Yokohama is a marginally better tire, and it weighs nearly 5 pounds less per tire, so I'm leaning toward spending the extra money.

I never imagined that five months and 3,300 miles after taking delivery of my Cx-9, I'd be blowing eight bills on new rubber.

[badself]

These set me back $784 out-the-door in Maryland.

Only dealer that could get the OE size in a day was also the cheapest. Hole-in-the-wall tire shop, but a pleasant experience (I don't get many).
Balance is spot-on, and they didn't scratch my wheels. The entire installation took 30 minutes.

My initial impressions are in line with others on this forum who have the tire, they seem to be worth the money. Almost $200 more than the Toyo Proxes S/T II, I don't know. The Yokohama is said to have the edge in snow and rain, and the set weighs exactly 16.5 lbs less than the Toyo, by itself a minor difference, but it did factor into my choice.

[wakblak]

Off size since I have 22 inch rims.

[FiveG]

My stock 20s stink. Can someone recommend a good all season tire for the 20s?

[o.c.cx9]

My stock 20s stink. Can someone recommend a good all season tire for the 20s?

I just posted on the thread above in the 18" section. I put Mich Latitude Tour Hp 255/50/20 on my GT a few days ago. You can read my comments.

Tom

[nacra55uni]

Gladly replaced the Bridgestones at 29K miles. Local tire store recommended Goodyear Eagle RS-A (255/50R20). Can't comment on snow yet, but wet traction is worlds better and the car also seems to be less prone to poor tracking.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Keep in mind that wider tires are poor for snow.

[o.c.cx9]

Keep in mind that wider tires are poor for snow.

Very true, but 1/2" wider? For use in occasional snow should not make that much difference.
If I were in snow country all the time I would be buying a complete set of snow tires.

Tom

[badself]

Gladly replaced the Bridgestones at 29K miles. Local tire store recommended Goodyear Eagle RS-A (255/50R20). Can't comment on snow yet, but wet traction is worlds better and the car also seems to be less prone to poor tracking.

If your CX-9 is navigation equipped, make sure you do a tire calibration. This should be done with every new set of tires, especially if you've gone to an off-size.

I did the calculations a while back when I was considering this size, the speedo error is about 3%. Like I said, though, the nav system can adjust for it.

In the end, I went with Yokohama Spec-X in the factory 245-50-R20 102V.

[CX9 SportOwner]

you're right 1/2' not much difference, especially in light snow.

[o.c.cx9]

If your CX-9 is navigation equipped, make sure you do a tire calibration. This should be done with every new set of tires, especially if you've gone to an off-size.

I did the calculations a while back when I was considering this size, the speedo error is about 3%. Like I said, though, the nav system can adjust for it.

In the end, I went with Yokohama Spec-X in the factory 245-50-R20 102V.


Thanks for the info. I did not know we could do that. I am off to read the manual.

Tom

[jshape]

Here in Michigan we just had our first taste of snow covered roads. The Bridgestone Dueler HL 400's are maybe the WORST tire I have experienced on an AWD vehicle in snow. They border on being actually unsafe on packed snow. Check out the comments on this tire at Tirerack.com and you'll see that the responses are not complimentary about their winter performance. I have a set of Goodyear Eagle RS-A's being installed on Tuesday. I'll report on how they work.

[Mazda3]

Here in Michigan we just had our first taste of snow covered roads. The Bridgestone Dueler HL 400's are maybe the WORST tire I have experienced on an AWD vehicle in snow. They border on being actually unsafe on packed snow. Check out the comments on this tire at Tirerack.com and you'll see that the responses are not complimentary about their winter performance. I have a set of Goodyear Eagle RS-A's being installed on Tuesday. I'll report on how they work.

Don't get the RS-A's they won't be any better, RS-A's are a terrible tire in the winter.

[jshape]

I didn't get the RS-A's - one look at them and I could see they would be no better than the Bridgestones. I opted instead for Goodyear Wrangler HPs. They have a much more aggressive tread pattern and I am very pleased with them in pretty heavy and packed snow. They are a bit noisier on the highway than the Bridgestones but the snow performance is worth the noise.

[Padre Dave]

I've been running the Yokohama Parada's on my old Dodge Magnum RT, in the 20" size, and these tires wear like iron, even in our superheated summer road conditions in Arizona. I keep praying for an unrepairable problem in one of the Bridgestone's so I can justify a trip to Discount Tire and put a set of Yoko's on my GT

[badself]

Yeah, the Parada has been awesome (about 5k miles into the set). They were almost eight bills installed, but they put the Bridgestones to shame in every measurable respect. At a little over 3k miles, one of my Bridgestones suffered an unrepairable puncture, and a replacement was a week away and $235, so it was a no brainer.

I haven't looked in the last few months, but the Parada is probably the best m/s tire out there for the CX-9 at this time. The Toyo Proxes can be had for a bit less, some members here are running those.

[jdoering]

One more vote against using the standard 20" Duelers on any winter driving.

I have the AWD and was lucky to get through the first two days of winter driving without screwing up my CX-9. I think the tires are dangerous on snow. I drive relatively conservatively and still slid around terribly on the stock tires. We have round-abouts where I live and the stock tires made them deadly even at slow speeds.

My FWD Honda Accord with stock tires (all season and relatively worn) was WAY, WAY safer than my AWD CX-9 with the stock tires.

Fortunately I just got 18" Blizzak DMZ3s mounted on spare rims today. Absolute night and day difference!

-Jeff

[wakblak]

Okay the Parada's have been a big disappointment in the snow.
Unable to make into my driveway!

[Termin81]

As we all know the stock tires are worthless in any slush, snow or ice. I have looked at the Yokohama Parada Spec-X but after some reviews have found they may be just as bad as the stock Dueler HL400's so how about going to a 255/50-20 tire Dueler H/L Alenza? Anyone tried these?

[Termin81]

!!URGENT!! - If you are looking for replacement tires to the H/L 400 tires that came oem on the Mazda CX-9 GT LOOK no more. I have done research and asked around, checked Tire Rack and could not find a tire that had any good reviews, good years, pirelli, yokohomo, all of them had the same flaws as the 400's! I was not wanting to spend $ on replacement tires that were just as bad as 400's!

The standard tires on the GT version are 245/50-20, I spoke with the guys at Firestone and used a tire calculator and looks like I can order Bridgestone H/L Alenza 255/50-20 size tire and still have it fit. I should be getting them installed Saturday, if any of you decide to wait and see how they do for me, we are expecting snow on saturday and I will post back on how they do in the snow. So far from what I've read I have very high expectations. If you decide to go this route, the tires are brand new in this size and the tire shops might tell you they are not available yet, they are but the shop will need to order them from the factory.

[CX9inMA]

Newbie here. I had to jump in this thread with my story.

I have a 2007 CX9 GT and have had nothing but trouble in the snow. They are beyond unsafe -- passenger cars pass us all the time, which is kind of embarrassing for an AWD crossover.

Last year my wife and I slid into a storm grate on the way home from church on a very slight decline while rounding a turn at about 15-20 MPH. We were lucky to salvage the rim ($750 each!), but I was forced to purchase two new Dueler 400s -- being told by the dealer that this was the only tire available.

Now, about one year later, we just had a nightmare trip to NH and back on New Year's eve. The two older tires are almost bald and I discovered that these tires are high performance and not even all-weather! How a company can stock these on an AWD vehicle is beyond me, but I digress. I also discovered that there are more tires out there (http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl). Also here (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?width=245%2F&ratio=50&diameter=20&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&x=66&y=9&RunFlat=All).

I ordered four new Toyo PROXES S/T II 245/50 R20 102V today, which are due to be installed Monday. I also considered the Goodyear Wranger HPs, but opted for these instead, hoping for better handling with the sporty CX9 as I was told the Wranglers are more well-suited for a small truck.

I will report back with my experience with these tires.

Careful driving!

[DSherwood]

tires will only do what they are intended to do, the Mazda sells zoom zoom which has a lot to do with responsiveness, feel, grip, and tightness, and nothing to do with snow/ice. The public has been oversold the goods on "all weather tires". Tradeoffs, its all about tradeoffs, where would a v or z rated tire ever be worthy in the winter, only stored in the garage, their compound is worthless at any temp below 40 degrees, which is fact.

Goodyear has a decent three compound tire that could be one of the answers, but sizing is a problem right now. I have no sympathy for someone that has the wrong tires in the winter, get the right tires and be safe!

[CX9inMA]

!!URGENT!! - If you are looking for replacement tires to the H/L 400 tires that came oem on the Mazda CX-9 GT LOOK no more. I have done research and asked around, checked Tire Rack and could not find a tire that had any good reviews, good years, pirelli, yokohomo, all of them had the same flaws as the 400's! I was not wanting to spend $ on replacement tires that were just as bad as 400's!

The standard tires on the GT version are 245/50-20, I spoke with the guys at Firestone and used a tire calculator and looks like I can order Bridgestone H/L Alenza 255/50-20 size tire and still have it fit. I should be getting them installed Saturday, if any of you decide to wait and see how they do for me, we are expecting snow on saturday and I will post back on how they do in the snow. So far from what I've read I have very high expectations. If you decide to go this route, the tires are brand new in this size and the tire shops might tell you they are not available yet, they are but the shop will need to order them from the factory.

Any word on those Alenza's?

The Toyo's I ordered hit a snag and I am considering a last minute swap if your experience in the snow was positive and they fit well.

Oh, and if you don't mind would you please post the price you paid as well? Tire rack has them listed at $220 (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+H%2FL+Alenza&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=55VR0HLALNZXL&fromCompare1=yes&place=0). And if that size is acceptable, how about Pirelli Scorpion ice & snow (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Scorpion+Ice+%26+Snow&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=55VR0SCORISXL&fromCompare1=yes&place=9) tires?

Thanks!

[CX9inMA]

Got 2,000 miles on my Toyo Proxes ST II's. Still going strong. Very good grip in the wet. No winter use yet.

Have you had any snowy conditions yet Scott? I am anxiously awaiting the installation of these tires and would like some feedback on their performance in bad weather.

I have gone back and forth several times and have finally settled on these tires being the best fit for my needs.

Thanks!

[brownghost]

We bought an '08 GT a few weeks ago and like everyone else have been completely flabbergasted at how terrible the Duellers are in snow. Even with light braking or slow turns the car has been sliding all over the place and we have had at least two near accidents. My wife is too nervous to drive it to work and has elected to drive an old Protege that we almost never use.

Obviously winter tires are better, but I never experienced such poor performance with the all-seasons of my previous SUV. These tires should NOT be on any CX9 sold in northern climates.

I am now trying to find winter tires (Blizzaks or anything else) but every place that I have tried in the Toronto area are sold out. So if I can't find any winter tires in a reasonable amount of time, I will probably try to replace the Duellers with all-seasons that have some decent (read: better) traction in the snow. Could anyone give a recommendation?

[rk2112]

We bought an '08 GT a few weeks ago and like everyone else have been completely flabbergasted at how terrible the Duellers are in snow. Even with light braking or slow turns the car has been sliding all over the place and we have had at least two near accidents. My wife is too nervous to drive it to work and has elected to drive an old Protege that we almost never use.

Obviously winter tires are better, but I never experienced such poor performance with the all-seasons of my previous SUV. These tires should NOT be on any CX9 sold in northern climates.

I am now trying to find winter tires (Blizzaks or anything else) but every place that I have tried in the Toronto area are sold out. So if I can't find any winter tires in a reasonable amount of time, I will probably try to replace the Duellers with all-seasons that have some decent (read: better) traction in the snow. Could anyone give a recommendation?

Have you tried the tire rack on the web?

[CX9inMA]

brownghost,

Lots of people have added a second set of tires with good results. Check out this thread (http://www.mazdav.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123727584). The good news is you have new Duelers, so you can simply swap between seasons and prolong the life of the stock tires. The Duelers actually perform like a good ultra high performance tire in the warmer months based on my experience -- it's just snow and ice that render them useless. If you get a lot of snow in Toronto (and I assume you do), that's definitely what I would do. Get Pirelli Scorpions or Blizzaks or winterforce tires from Firestone on 18" rims. Check it out here (http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp).

I live in an area that doesn't get a tremendous amoutn of snow consistently (Coastal Southern New England). I just got Toyo Proxes S/T II 245/50R20 102Vs installed today and so far they are vastly superior to the Bridgestones in every way. The car was also badly out of alignment, so that's likely part of the improvement too. We are expecting a good amount of snow here on Sunday so these came just in time. I will report back with how they handle in snow Sunday evening.

[CX9inMA]

We had a few inches of snow and now freezing rain. The roads look awful. I'll be testing the S/T II's to and from church this morning and then possibly this afternoon as well and I'll report back this evening.

[CX9inMA]

The roads weren't as bad as they looked, but I did notice an immediate improvement, naturally. There was still some spinning on the slushy, snowy hills in our subdivision, but 100% better than the Duelers. I think these Toyo tires are going to work out well as a compromise between safety and performance. I will post again when I have more experience to go on...

[SeCX-9]

Drove my Blizzak DM-Z3's last night during the major snowstorm after midnight. Had no issues driving down the completely snow-covered Route 290 Highway here in central mass. Passed quite a few other accidents on the opposite side of the highway. Zoomed along around 55-ish and very, very focused.

[DashingMax]

Here in Chicago area...these Duelers are not just bad, but flat out dangerous!

I just ordered the Yokohama Parada Spec-X. I prefer Continentals but they do not make one in our size.

Anyone here that does NOT like their Yokohama tires? What are some better tire options (if any)?

Thanks.

[brownghost]

I was going to get some Blizzaks along with new rims from Tirerack, but after some thought I decided to save $2K and try a different brand of all-seasons - winter tires are definitely recommended, but I am pretty comfortable driving in snow as long as the tires are decent.

So I had the 20inch Michelin Latitude Tour HPs put on yesterday and the difference was incredible. Good traction in the snow, good handling and the steering felt a lot tighter (in a good way). Several different dealers had recommended this tire to me for winter (since winter tires were impossible to find). So far I'm pretty happy.

[DashingMax]

So I had the 20inch Michelin Latitude Tour HPs put on yesterday and the difference was incredible. Good traction in the snow, good handling and the steering felt a lot tighter (in a good way). Several different dealers had recommended this tire to me for winter (since winter tires were impossible to find). So far I'm pretty happy.

Wow...you must've gone with the 255/50R20 size, correct? When I searched, these do not come in our OEM size of 245/50R20. Tirerack also rates this tire as extremely good in winter snow & ice.

[CX9inMA]

The Latitude Tour HP is Michelin's Highway All-Season light truck tire developed for the drivers of premium crossover and sport utility vehicles. Used as Original Equipment (O.E.) on Acura, BMW, Lexus and others, Latitude Tour HP tires were designed to combine enhanced durability with confidence in virtually any type of weather, including in light snow.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Latitude+Tour+HP

These tires are what they should be putting on the CX9's. I can see why they don't though, since they list for $285 ea. in the 255/50R20 size on Tirerack.

Like brownghost, I am quite comfortable driving in bad weather. The fact that we made it from Plymouth, MA to Plymouth, NH at all New Year's Eve in a blizzard with two balded Duelers is a testament to that, I think. My wife may disagree though. ;)

So far I am very content with the purchase of the Toyo Proxes S/T II's in 245/50R20. Cornering and stopping on snow covered roads is a breeze now. The true test of grip is to stop in the middle of a hill and see how hard it is to start back up. This is doable in the S/Ts but you have to watch the throttle! I'm sure it's that way with any tire that isn't dedicated for winter/snow use only or studded.

[brownghost]

Wow...you must've gone with the 255/50R20 size, correct? When I searched, these do not come in our OEM size of 245/50R20. Tirerack also rates this tire as extremely good in winter snow & ice.

yes - I got the 245/50R20. I was told they were only recently made available in Canada. Now after a few more days of driving with these tires I am even happier - infinitely better than the Duellers....

[DashingMax]

Yokohama Parada Spec-X...WOW!! What a difference compared to stock Bridgestones.

Very impressed with these tires. Cuts right through whatever mother nature here in Chicago winter, throws at it! :)

(2thumbs) Highly recommended for our CX-9's!(2thumbs)

[badself]

Seems like most folks running the Yokohama and the Toyo report snow weather gains (at least in the stock size).

It would be nice to know which is the better all-weather tire, given that the tread designs differ significantly.

[badself]

Here in Chicago area...these Duelers are not just bad, but flat out dangerous!

I just ordered the Yokohama Parada Spec-X. I prefer Continentals but they do not make one in our size.

Anyone here that does NOT like their Yokohama tires? What are some better tire options (if any)?

Thanks.


You'll love the Spec-X on your CX-9.

No offense intended, but Continental doesn't even make the short list, the ones I ran on my '99 Benz were shot in 12K miles, whereas comparably sized Michelins went 38K miles on the same car.

[DashingMax]

You'll love the Spec-X on your CX-9.

None taken...The Continental ContiExtreme on my Speed6 are more than halfway gone after 14k miles!! By 20k (if not earlier), they will need replacing.

500+ miles on my new Parada Spec-X & loving every mile of it! :)

[CX9inMA]

Here's another report on the Toyo Proxes ST II's ...

Last week we had a couple significant snowfalls and I got a chance to tool around with the new tires some, as I have been all winter. I was killing some time waiting for the bus with my kids and a neighbor friend and decided to have some fun. We live at the very end of a cul-de-sac, so I started looping around the circle and gunning the engine while turning to try and get the car to doughnut. I was able to get all four wheels spinning simultaneously (or so it seemed from the tire marks) and the car held the line well. I even got the back end to fish tail by really laying on it hard and I never felt out of control of the car for an instant.

I can now say that after having these tires for almost a full winter that I would definitely recommend them as "all season" alternatives to getting dedicated snow tires for those who live in areas that receive a modest amount of snow and ice. I have yet to encounter conditions that these tires cannot handle, and I have not been left spinning my wheels once as I had been almost constantly with the HP Duelers.

[The-9]

Wow lots of distaste for the OEM Duelers. Checking Bridgstone's site, these tires are OEM for Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, some Mercedes cars, BMW X5 and others.

Seriously, is it the tire or the AWD not working optimally? I just picked up my CX-9 Saturday and while I do not particularly like the tread design, I am curious to see how it handles in the rain then snow when it hits NJ in January.

My other vehicle is a 2005 SRT-10 Viper Ram and it runs Pirelli Scorpion Zeros and is my daily driver even in snow. (up to 2 inches on the street)
I make it fine since I drive cautiously.
I really think AWD is a misnomer as far as what this vehicle or any other can really do. I grant this is not my jeep grand cherokee which was a real mud digger if it wanted to be especially with low 4wd engaged but I will compare the 9 to the Chrysler Pacifica but better because the Pacifica had a fluid controlled AWD with zero brains and the CX-9 has the electronic controls.


The Pacifica in snow was fine (even with crappy Michelin tires it had) as long as you drove as if it was snow on the ground not with snow on the ground and you think it is 70 degree summer day.


I guess lots has to do with driving habits but from all the threads on this subject, I am sure the tires are fine but there are better choices which enhance stability and control in snow and rain.


I will however post my thoughts once I drive her in the rain and again in the snow.


Mark

[The-9]

Might be pretty lame to say but, tire pressures always need to be checked. too much or too little will cause wear and traction problems. My tires were at 45psi the 2nd morning after I bought it and I adjusted to 35psi (door says 34psi) and boy the ride is much better and I am sure the traction will be better as well.

We will see.. :D

[CX9 SportOwner]

First, I want to remind everyone that there is a huge difference between snow and ice. I heard the duelers didn't do that badly in snow, but the real problem with them was on ICE, which is mostly what we deal with here.
The Duelers are dangerous on ice, with no grip at all. They are also pretty bad on wet roads, too, and as they wore, got pretty bad even on dry pavement. (Yes, I always maintained proper air pressure)

I wanted to avoid having two sets of tires, so I did a LOT of research, and my short list came down to the Parada Spec X, and the Latitude Tour HP. I chose the Paradas because they got better snow AND ice ratings from owners, and have some other nice features the latitudes don't.
The Rim Guard, better water evacuation, heat dissipation dimples, the spliut center rib, and the integrated block pattern not only give it the performance edge, but make it a better looking tire, in my opinion. I wanted to trade the wheels for something a bit wider with less offset to get rid of the truck look of the tires, but the Paradas did that all by themselves. I haven't gotten to try them on ice, but on wet roads I have a hard time getting them to spin, where the Duelers would spin on dry. They improved acceleration, and braking is MUCH more confident. Even if they lose grip under hard braking, they re-bite immediately, vs. the duelers losing their grip and never getting it back.

If you compare the tires, you can see how the Paradas have the two columns of block tread, similar to a snow tire, rather than the standard full radial groove design. This is where it earns it's keep. The Toyos LOOK like they have a similar block desighn, but because they are more dimensional, you don't get the extra ice traction like the Paradas.

......Latitude..........Toyo..........Parada...... .Blizzak Snow...Paradas on my 9

[CX9 SportOwner]

Another reminder, with the Manual shift, you can put it in 2 when stopped and the CX9 will hold it there even when you stop again. I use this feature all the time in snow and ice. What a difference it makes.

[The-9]

I agree, checking the tread of all available tires, the Yoko's to me have the best water displacement design and with that slush too. I am just going to give the duelers a shot and report back what I find out.

The mention of starting in 2 when in snow conditions is a great tip... Thanks

[hamproof]

Wow lots of distaste for the OEM Duelers. Checking Bridgstone's site, these tires are OEM for Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, some Mercedes cars, BMW X5 and others.

I guess lots has to do with driving habits but from all the threads on this subject, I am sure the tires are fine but there are better choices which enhance stability and control in snow and rain.



Coming from just driving cars my entire life for 19 years and having bought the CX-9 last year, I don't think the tires are all that bad as others have put it. Of course driving conditions may vary depending on where the members are located, and I can only offer my opinion on where I live.

Bought it in Sept, drove it in metro Detroit winter and it wasn't slipping and sliding as some have put it. I've driven it on narrow back roads that were somewhat unploughed and didn't encounter any issues.

Of course when I reported this previously on this forum, I've been accused of not driving in real world. Go figure.

I know a SUV (ground clearance) allows me to go where my car would have been stuck, but I also know with AWD, it helps me get going, but not stopping. So, I always treat the CX-9 like I'm still driving my car.

When the tires need replacing, it'll be Yokos for sure. I've great experience with Yokos on my cars.

[CX9 SportOwner]

The two biggest problems with the Duelers are specifically ice, not snow, and performing more and more poorly as they wear. They were fine on dry when they were new, and okay in snow. By 20K, they would spin on dry pavement on a straight start.

Tread wear is also terrible. I could see Lincoln's head at 25k. Noise was also a big problem.

The Paradas are SO much better.

And yes, it's stupid for someone to say you're not driving in the real world. Conditions are SO different from one area to the other. That's why I am specific about the conditions in which the Duelers performed poorly.

[The-9]

When the time comes, I will replace them with a tire I do research on and that I like the warranty, specifications and tread design. Those items have yet to fail me in tire choosing and I will stick with what I know.

[CX9 SportOwner]

If you wait through next winter I will be happy to offer a report on the Paradas.

[The-9]

If you wait through next winter I will be happy to offer a report on the Paradas.

I have always like Yokohama tires and I am looking forward to your review!


Mark

[hamproof]

The two biggest problems with the Duelers are specifically ice, not snow, and performing more and more poorly as they wear. They were fine on dry when they were new, and okay in snow. By 20K, they would spin on dry pavement on a straight start.


Sorry, I can't help it. This is what you said :) I assume when you said worthless tires even on dry, you mean at 20k, they are worthless on dry.


http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123743774

I dumped mine at 25k. Penny test failed. Absolutely worthless tires even on dry.

[CX9 SportOwner]

point?

[hamproof]

What you said on this thread: I heard the duelers didn't do that badly in snow

What you said on the other: Absolutely worthless tires even on dry

Those 2 statements obviously contradict each other. If they are worthless on dry, they can't be "didn't do that badly in snow".

Btw, I just noticed you said "... heard ...". Have you ever driven the CX-9 with stock tires on snow??

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'm trying to give some real world experience and you HAD to come on and be an ass. You're twisting my statements, or simply didn't bother to read them.

I've driven on ice, snow, slush, mud, gravel, wet and dry pavement, all on the Duelers.

One more time for the less attentive:

The Duelers were okay on dry when new. Not great, but adequate. They were also okay in snow, but terrible on ice from day one. My 'hearing' of others having decent snow traction was a confirmation of my own limited experience, but my point was to explain that snow and ice are different, so someone doesn't hear 'good in snow' and think that also means good on ice. I deferred to the other snow drivers because most of my winter driving is ice.

AS THEY WORE, they became terrible even on dry pavement by 20k, as I stated. I got rid of them at 25k because they failed the penny test and had very little grip for acceleration, cornering, and stopping. This to me makes it a worthless tire, especially for this type of vehicle.

[hamproof]

I'm not twisting any of your words. I'm simply asking for clarifications. I did not make up those statements. I copy and pasted them from your own posting.

Pretty strange for a forum mod to call another member an ass. How old are you? 9?? Or 19?? 29?? I doubt you are much older than that.

Let me know what I said that you find it proper to call me an ass.

Hmm ... aren't you a forum mod?? I thought I saw something to that affect beside your username in the past. Maybe it was someone else.

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'm twisting your words. I did not copy them from your own posting.

Pretty strange for a forum mod to be an ass. How are you much older than that.

Let me know I an ass.



I can quote people out of context too, undermining their point.

[hamproof]

If my intent was malicious, I would have started calling you names, big liar being one of them.

Whether you believe it or not, I just wanted clarification from you. I've seen you replying to almost every posts on this forum. So I know you have good intentions. But when I see every post about the Duellers being outright dangerous and everyone should replace them immediately is just not giving the tires a fair evaluation.

Do you think Mazda would put such tires on a big SUV like the CX-9 when they know most folks who buy them probably live in a snowy area? The same folks who are clueless about AWD and only knows SUV == Get out of my way while I'm driving when it snows

Some folks do report issues with them in snow. On ice, I don't think anything can help you much esp when all corners are driving on ice (ok .. I probably opened up an old can of worm on this - waiting for the Canada guy to tell everyone to ignore this as my real world experience driving on dedicated snow tires are not relevant).

But they are others who either from their driving style OR snowy road conditions do not have issues. Otherwise, we'll hear more accident reports and NHTSA will open up an investigation on out of controlled CX-9 while driving on slush/snow/ice or god forbid dry pavement at 20k miles.

[CX9 SportOwner]

You keep suggesting I am reporting my own personally biased opinion of the tires. If you wanted clarification, you needed to say that. Not accuse me of contradicting myself and not stating facts. That's not the case as I have explained more than once.

My statement of being dangerous on ice is based on my own experience with these tires having virtually no grip, as well as dozens of other owners with the exact same experience. I did research to back up my own experience, which is driving carefully at slow speeds, not trying to tear through town at normal speed.

A good snow tire will grab ice like glue, and if anyone lives in an area that gets a lot of ice, I will always tell them to get a second set, like the Blizzaks.

Where we are I cannot justify the extra set of tires yet, so I did a lot of research and concluded that the Parada Spec X is going to give me the best ice traction for an AS tire. No where near the traction of the Blizzak, but MUCH better than the Duelers. That conclusion is based on reviews by other owners. Dozens of them.

My other statement is based on my own experience as the Duelers wear, and I made that clear. The more they wore, the worse their traction got. Acceleration, cornering, and braking were all greatly reduced, and continued to worsen as the tires reached their limit at 25k. That is a bad tire.

Mazda and other makers put these on their cars because Bridgestone gave them the best deal out of the limited number of tires available in these sizes.

My reason for recommending people change tires right away is to allow them to get some money for them in trade. I don't think everyone needs to, but anyone driving on ice should before they find out how bad the Duelers are, as some on this very board found out the hard way. Having replaced them now, I wish I had done so right away, instead of driving 25k with lesser performance and more noise. I want others to learn from my experience, and have a better initial driving experience.

Have I clarified this enough for you?

[CX9ZoomR]

I'm convinced! I'm getting the 25k mile Duelers on my 2007 CX9 replaced next week with the Paradas. Can't wait to find out first-hand how much this improves driveability...:)

[The-9]

I cant see these tires lasting over 25k with a treadwear around 260 or so. I will not wait 25k because I am sure they will be with limited tread by that time and I do not wait that long to change tires anyway

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'm convinced! I'm getting the 25k mile Duelers on my 2007 CX9 replaced next week with the Paradas. Can't wait to find out first-hand how much this improves driveability...:)

FWD or AWD?

[CX9ZoomR]

I got the "cheapie"...FWD.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Me too, an I love it.

The Paradas will really reduce that torque steer you have.

[CX9ZoomR]

That's good to know! I've always been just a little annoyed at the amount of torque steer. Of course I'm used to driving a RWD Miata when I'm not hauling kids or other stuff in the "ole niner". I never imagined driving something that's FWD and weighs almost 2 tons could be fun, but Mazda's done a decent job with the CX-9...

[PapaKen]

Got my CX9 AWD Grand Touring in Novmeber '07. Great car bad tires. December "08 had an accident in school parking lot. Going under 10MPH slid into back of another car, did minimal damage to CX9 front-end but $1000+ damage to rear bumper of other car. Tires have 24K now and are cupped inside. Will replace before winter even though I will be out of Buffalo NY snow and in Florida. Thanks to all who shared their experiences. I will replace with Toyo since they seem to be most reasonably priced in Western NY market. Any advice or reason not to get the Toyo?
Ken

[CX9 SportOwner]

I still recommend the Yokohamas if you're only going to have one set. They are the best rated for year round driving in all conditions.

[benben01]

Toyos are great tires. I've always had great luck them. Having said that, I've mostly pruchased "TPT" series for the family cars and "T1R/S" for the performance cars.

[CX9 SportOwner]

The Proxes ST II 245/50R20 is only a 102 load rating and doesn't have particularly good wet traction and even less ice and snow traction.

[CX9ZoomR]

Well, I've only had the Paradas on the ole niner for a week now, but what an improvement! They're quieter, a lot smoother over cracks, bumps, and potholes, and the annoying "bump-steer" is almost totally gone! I sure wish these are what were on this when I bought it in February of 2007. Anyway, I'm looking forward to giving them a much more thorough eval on our upcoming trip to Michigan in July. It will also be interesting to see how they do this winter compared to the Duelers. Just glad I didn't wait any longer to replace the OEM tires...

[ceric]

Personally, I don't buy tires based on "brand" alone. Each brand has low-end tires, the cheapie. I also try to avoid Michelin because they are good but over-priced in MHO.
I usually go be users' review on tirerack.com and consider the price to strike a balance.
Yoko Parada Spec-X is great based on the said criteria.
I have 18K on the odometer, and the OE still have 50% thread left.
Painful to wait......

[vikefan7]

So isn't there usually something wrong with the suspension or shocks if tires are cupped? I had a Montero Sport that had the worst cupped tires I've ever seen and when I took it in for an alignment they said they couldn't even do one for reasons that escape my memory. Just thinking if there is something wrong with the suspension and you run out and spend $800 on a set of new tires you might end up with the same cupping problem....

[CX9 SportOwner]

Cupping is usually from overinflation. Often because the owner tries to get more MPG out of the tires.

[Craig-CX9]

Ok.. I like the numbers on the 245/50R20 Michelins, but what would be the advantage of getting the 255's either in the Michelins or Parada? A little wider..better handling.. a smidgen higher in sidewall... but not enough to ruin things.. And what about the V rating of the Michelins.. I'm not worried because I don't plan on driving 130mph..
Craig

[CX9 SportOwner]

Stick with factory size.

[Craig-CX9]

I just spoek with a tire guy about the size question. He said that based on the tire wear that I have and the load of the vehicle, that the 255/50 would be the better way to go. He said that the 255/50 in the Michelin has better load carrying numbers, speed rating (H), and once properly aligned would give the better overall scenario for wear, performance, mpgs, etc.. I don't know if he's bllowing smoke up my tailpipe, it's just what he said.
Craig

[CX9 SportOwner]

Isn't 255 the factory size for the 20s?

[Craig-CX9]

The "factory" that I have is 245/5/20.

[CX9 SportOwner]

ok


I wouldn't go wider of you drive in snow, but dry could benefit if you like to corner it.

[Craig-CX9]

I just got home from geting 4 new Michelin Latitudes 255/50/r20 on my CX-9 AWD. So far they are awesome. These are the tires that should have come on a car of this size, weight, and cost. The 255's have a higher load rating which is very obvious in just a few miles of driving.. The alignemtn is also critical. My tire guy tightened the spec to accommodate the wider tire. I'll keep you guys posted with what I find as I drive! Yes, I did the navi calibration.

Craig

[ab040501]

Hi Craif-CX9, so hows the ride with the 255/50R20? Do you have any issue with your speed meter?

[SeCX-9]

Hi Craif-CX9, so hows the ride with the 255/50R20? Do you have any issue with your speed meter?

If you have the Navigation system, you can reset the car to recalibrate for tire change automatically through the menu interface. Press the button and drive around for 10 minutes then all is good.

[Lindyrect]

I just spoek with a tire guy about the size question. He said that based on the tire wear that I have and the load of the vehicle, that the 255/50 would be the better way to go. He said that the 255/50 in the Michelin has better load carrying numbers, speed rating (H), and once properly aligned would give the better overall scenario for wear, performance, mpgs, etc.. I don't know if he's bllowing smoke up my tailpipe, it's just what he said.
Craig

If I may ask, what was the damage for your new shoes?

[badself]

Hi Craif-CX9, so hows the ride with the 255/50R20? Do you have any issue with your speed meter?

Of course there are "issues" with the speedo, if the laws of mathematics still apply.

I did the calculations before the Parada came out in the OE size, the difference was like 3% lower than actual speed, it's the least amount of inaccuracy possible while using an off size. If you're doing 60, your speedo will read 58. The difference becomes material when you go to 22" wheels and tires, etc.

See for yourself:

http://www.rims-n-tires.com/rt_specs.jsp?item=

[ceric]

If you look up the specs on tirerack.com, you would be surprised.
Say, tire A (your OE) and B are both 245/50R20, and C is 255/50R20.
The diameter difference between B and A could actually be BIGGER than C and A.
The reason is in the tolerance of error in diameters. The diameter differences among
all 245/50R20 tires can be as large as 0.4 inch.
I would not take the numbers literally. I would look at the specs on tirerack.com,
if you care about the odometer/speedometer readings.

Wider tires are
good: road holding, braking
bad: MPG, hydroplaning/snow traction
Though, we are taking about a very small differences (255/265 - 3% wider if same tire).

Note also that, in cross-section view, some tires are rounder, others are more rectangular.
Therefore, a 255 tire not necessarily has wider contact patch than a 255 tire (if not the same tire)

[CX9 SportOwner]

Wider tires are
good: road holding, braking
bad: MPG, hydroplaning/snow traction
Though, we are taking about a very small differences (255/265 - 3% wider if same tire).

Note also that, in cross-section view, some tires are rounder, others are more rectangular.
Therefore, a 255 tire not necessarily has wider contact patch than a 255 tire (if not the same tire)

All reasons why I chose the Parada Spec X, FYI. The Parada tread is 7.8" vs. the Duelers at 6.5" for the 245/60-18. Diameter is 29.5 for the Paradas vs. 29.7 resulting in the Paradas making 3 revolutions more per mile than the OEM Duelers. A small price to pay for all the benefits of the Paradas. WHIPPEEEEE!

[drafty888]

so i'm in the same boat as many of you, considering what to do this winter for shoes on my cx-9. based on what i'm seeing here, the prada-x looks like a good all-season option. I'm wondering why no one has mentioned the Michelin LTX (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=LTX+M%2FS&partnum=46TR8LTX&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes) as an all-season option. Tire Rack rates it nearly as high as the prada spec-x in pretty much every category, although the one that means the most to me as an all-season tire is winter performance, since i live in northern Vermont. Thoughts?

[ceric]

Because LTX has no 245/50R20 (GT size).
It looks like a good alternative for 18" wheels.
The thread pattern looks like more designed for snow performance than dry/wet.

[drafty888]

good point on the 20" tire size. But you can get the LTX in the 245/60 R18, which is what my '08 Sport uses. My concern is that it is a more "truck like" tire than a "performance" tire like the spec-x.

Anyone out there have LTX's on their CX-9?

[badself]

Even if the Michelins were available in 245/50, I eliminated the tire on price alone. There's a reason why the Parada is 4-6 weeks back-ordered, if that's actually the case. After 10,000 miles and a couple light snows, I'd buy them again without a second thought.

A while back, I replaced the donut spare with a full-size 20" factory wheel and one of the OE Bridgestone tires I had laying around. Mounting it underneath took some out-of-the-box thinking, but it's done. I was worried about the additional load on the cable, but it seems to be holding fine. I wish I was as confident about the car itself as I am about the Parada's and the spare.

[drafty888]

here's another option that i haven't seen discussed. i think this may be a great all-season tire that actually has a snow flake symbol on it:

http://www.nokiantyres.com/tyre?id=11195214&group=2.01&name=Nokian+WR+G2+SUV

Available in 245/60-R18.

[vikefan7]

Thats a sick looking tire. Haven't even heard of Nokian before. It says they're already available in the US, are they on Tirerack?

[ceric]

Nokian is from Finland.
As you can imagine, their snow tires are more famous and popular.
No, tirerack does not carry Nokian YET.
To me, buying tires is a significant investment ($500+). I would rather base my decision on customers' reviews. Once you bought a set of poor tires, you are stuck with them for years.

[todd92]

Nokian are great snow tires. They are not all-season tires. You would not want them on your car year round.

[drafty888]

The Nokian WR is indeed marketed as an "all-season" tire, but the only one that actually has a snow flake symbol. I ran them year round on my Honda CR-V, and they did great in the snow, great on wet roads, and OK on dry pavement. I'm really not sure what they'd do for a CX-9 though. My CR-V wasn't a "Performance" car, not nearly as fast & tight as the CX-9.

The Nokian Hakka ("Q" series, Nordman, etc) are the hard-core winter tires.

[Lindyrect]

I called Mr. Tire and price quoted tires. Obviously they tried to sell me the crappy Duellers for close to a grand. I asked for the Yoko Parada Spec-X. With tax, mounting, balancing for life, warranty, back massage and hair transplant it came up to $893. I am definatly going with the spec-x when I scrape the money up.

[CX9 SportOwner]

I called Mr. Tire and price quoted tires. Obviously they tried to sell me the crappy Duellers for close to a grand. I asked for the Yoko Parada Spec-X. With tax, mounting, balancing for life, warranty, back massage and hair transplant it came up to $893. I am definitely going with the spec-x when I scrape the money up.

Is that full warranty, or prorated? I paid less at Discount and got full replacement. Unless you have 20's. I have 18s.

[ceric]

My tires have 6-7/32 thread depth left. I surely will replace them with Yoko Parada Spec-X before the winter time this year. Can't wait. The OE tires were bad when new, and get worse over time.

[Lindyrect]

Is that full warranty, or prorated? I paid less at Discount and got full replacement. Unless you have 20's. I have 18s.

I do have 20's. That did cover full warranty. Prorated is why you don't go to places like Walmart to buy/install your tires (no).

[badself]

Some of you folks must know something I don't, because anytime I ever bought a road hazard warranty (from anywhere), anything past the first 2/32 inch of tread, the cost of the replacement has always been prorated where I had to pay for the portion of the tire I utilized before the hazard took the tire out of service. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from damaging a tire with 3/32 inch of tread for the sole reason of obtaining a brand new tire at no cost.

Again, if I'm not understanding, please educate me.

[CX9 SportOwner]

You are exactly right. ROAD HAZARD warranties are pro rated.

What I got was a full replacement certificate from Discount in place of the standard road hazard for $23 extra per tire. To prevent the fraud you described, vandalism is not covered. Normal road damage is.

[Force-1]

I personally think these tire warranties are a waste of money. I have bought/leased over 20 new vehicles in the last 22 years. In many cases I immediately replaced the OEM tires with better tires.

A few weeks ago my wife hit a curb and sliced the sidewall on one of the tires on her '08 Santa Fe. This was the first tire we ever had to replace, excluding normal wear.

Come to think of it, I've had one flat in the last 22 years.

[CX9 SportOwner]

And if you're relatively healthy, you don't need health insurance.

If you don't plan to burn your house down, you don't need homeowners insurance, either.

[Bajan Loch]

Slightly different than Force-1 was implying. It's a question of how much do you want to self-insure for?

And if you're relatively healthy, you don't need health insurance.

If you don't plan to burn your house down, you don't need homeowners insurance, either.

[Force-1]

And if you're relatively healthy, you don't need health insurance.

If you don't plan to burn your house down, you don't need homeowners insurance, either.

Let me see.....

My home would cost about $400K to replace.

A medical emergency or treatment can be tens of thousands of $$$.

Her tire cost $190, mounted & balanced.

Good comparison! (notcool)

[petesamprs]

Let me see.....

My home would cost about $400K to replace.

A medical emergency or treatment can be tens of thousands of $$$.

Her tire cost $190, mounted & balanced.

Good comparison! (notcool)

+1. I self-insure my tires.

[DenverCX9]

We're finally getting replacement tires and can't find the Paradas anywhere! Even the factory is supposedly backordered. Since I want to have new tires before winter hits, I'm looking at the others mentioned here: Michelin Latitudes, Pirelli Scorpion, and Toyo Proxes S/T II.

[ceric]

Can you imagine how many CX9 owners want to buy the Yoko Parada Spec-X?
No wonder it is on back order.
The next you see will be Yoko raising the price of Spec-X. Hope not.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Her tire cost $190, mounted & balanced.

Good comparison! (notcool)

And would have cost half with the warranty, and future replacements would cost nothing. Real waste of money.

[DenverCX9]

I'm in the unfortunate circumstance of needing to get tires very soon. The wife drives the CX9 and shuttles the kids around and the existing Bridgestones aren't looking very good. We can also get snow at any time -- some forecasts are putting it as early as this week in Metro Denver (very slim chance, though). Although not as well surveyed as the Paradas, the Scorpion STRs look like what we'll go with since they're available and within our budget, whereas the Michelins are not. I found it interesting that the lower reviews (especially for snow and tread life) on that tire came from full-size truck owners. Other SUV/CUV owners generally had positive reviews.

One downside to the 20" rims, I guess, is the lower selection of tires.

[ceric]

20" tires used to be very expensive and there were few choices.
Nowadays, more 20" wheels as OE. Tiremakers are producing more 20" tires.
The difference in price is no longer as large compared to 18" and 19".

[Force-1]

And would have cost half with the warranty, and future replacements would cost nothing. Real waste of money.

You're off by bit. I said this is the only tire failure I've had in the last 22 years. Let's do some simple math. Twenty vehicles x 4 tires x $15-$20 per tire for hazard warranty.

Now who's wasting money?

Your results may vary.

[jzfamily]

hey mazda lovers and some not. I'am new to the forum and was wondering what tires would be good for me out here in cali, everybody here seems to be from the east coast with lots of rain and snow problems. are the stock tires good enough, i really want a better ride i have 2008 cx9 GT 20" a little stiff any suggestions would be great.

[Going_Going_Gon]

hey mazda lovers and some not. I'am new to the forum and was wondering what tires would be good for me out here in cali, everybody here seems to be from the east coast with lots of rain and snow problems. are the stock tires good enough, i really want a better ride i have 2008 cx9 GT 20" a little stiff any suggestions would be great.

I got reasonable wear out of the Bridgestones, but they were noisy and not the best for wet traction. I held off until my tires were near-bald waiting for the Yokohamas to be available online at a reasonable price, but they were constantly on backorder so I settled for Toyo Proxes. These tires are quiet, a tad heavier than the Bridgestones which costs about a half mpg in fuel economy, but they look and handle nicely. We've hardly had enough rain to wet a road since I put them on, but they shouldn't be any worse than the Bridgestones were.

[Force-1]

A coworker drives a 2008 Toyota Highlander Limited. It's equipped with the same Bridgestone's that come OEM on the CX-9.

Today I noticed she had new tires. I asked her how many miles she got out of the old ones (I'm interested since my CX-9 is leased). She said about 28K miles. She also said it cost her $1K to replace them. She had the same OEM tires installed, and told me she had no choice, as they are the only tires available.

I checked TireRack.Com, and sure enough, the only tire that comes up for the Highlander Limited is the 245/55R19 Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400.

At least we have a choice!

[CX9 SportOwner]

Add that to the long list of reasons not to buy a "I bought one because I'm HIGH"-lander

[IVSigma]

A bit of an old thread, but I think it is a good one. This thread is basically about the best year round tire we can buy for our CX-9s. But what about the CX-9 users that have dedicated snow tires for winter?

I agree that the OEM choice of tire completely sucks for our crossovers. I would oppose any discussion that they are remotely adequate. I drove in Michigan during last years Xmas snow storm and was so disgusted, I tried to buy Blizzaks while I was visiting there. They were out of stock! So, I'll just leave it at that.

So how many of you are using 20" 3 season tires and 18" snows out there? Is there any issues with your TPMS system and recalibrating each time you swap out? I'm thinking of Blizzak DM-V1s on 18" wheels and Toyos on 20" for the other seasons.
Thanks, in advance!

[ceric]

Regarding TMPS, if you use the same set of TMPS sensors, there will be no problem.
The sensors will continue to talk to the ECU, even after rotation (since our TMPS system is not location-aware).
If you use a separate set of TMPS sensors, then, (I think) you need dealers to register them for you. And, again, when you swap them back.

[IVSigma]

That's great to know. Can anyone else confirm this? I swap wheels on my Dodge all the time...system auto updates and doesn't miss a tic.

[ceric]

Correction:
In manual:
Changing tires and wheels
The following procedure allows the
TPMS to recognize a tire pressure sensor's
unique ID signal code whenever tires or
wheels are changed, such as changing to
and from winter tires.
NOTE
Each tire pressure sensor has a unique ID
signal code. The signal code must be
registered with the TPMS before it can work.
The easiest way to do it is to have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer change your tire and
complete ID signal code registration.
When having tires changed at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer
Tire pressure sensor ID signal code
registration is completed when an
Authorized Mazda Dealer changes your
vehicle's tires.
When changing tires yourself
If you or someone else changes tires, you
or someone else can also undertake the
steps for the TPMS to complete the ID
signal code registration.
1. After tires have been changed, turn the
ignition switch to the ON position, then
turn it back to the ACC or LOCK
position.
2. Wait for about 15 minutes.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
3. After about 15 minutes, drive the
vehicle at a speed of at least 25 km/h
(16 mph) for 10 minutes and the tire
pressure sensor ID signal code will be
registered automatically.
NOTE
If the vehicle is driven within about 15 minutes
of changing tires, the tire pressure monitoring
system warning light will flash because the
sensor ID signal code would not have been
registered. If this happens, park the vehicle for
about 15 minutes, after which the sensor ID
signal code will register upon driving the
vehicle for 10 minutes.

[petesamprs]

A bit of an old thread, but I think it is a good one. This thread is basically about the best year round tire we can buy for our CX-9s. But what about the CX-9 users that have dedicated snow tires for winter?

I agree that the OEM choice of tire completely sucks for our crossovers. I would oppose any discussion that they are remotely adequate. I drove in Michigan during last years Xmas snow storm and was so disgusted, I tried to buy Blizzaks while I was visiting there. They were out of stock! So, I'll just leave it at that.

So how many of you are using 20" 3 season tires and 18" snows out there? Is there any issues with your TPMS system and recalibrating each time you swap out? I'm thinking of Blizzak DM-V1s on 18" wheels and Toyos on 20" for the other seasons.
Thanks, in advance!

Hi IV,
I'm in your boat. I'll be using the OE Dueller's (20") for 3 seasons and swapping to dedicated winter rim/tire setup for 1 season (18" Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3). I'll be doing the swap myself later this month and using the TPMS reset procedure in the manual that ceric quoted. Have done this for several years on my previous cars.

My view is that dedicated winter tires are actually not much more expensive than sticking with all seasons year round. Since the second set of tires just prolongs the life of the your main set, the only extra expense is the cost of the second set of rims/tpms sensors ($600) and the time (30 minutes) to swap rims 2x a year. That extra cost is worth it for the added confidence/safety in winter driving, even in the hit/miss winters of NY area where I live.

Plus, I can rotate my main tires when I mount them again in the spring.

[SeCX-9]

Regarding TMPS, if you use the same set of TMPS sensors, there will be no problem.
The sensors will continue to talk to the ECU, even after rotation (since our TMPS system is not location-aware).
If you use a separate set of TMPS sensors, then, (I think) you need dealers to register them for you. And, again, when you swap them back.

Hey Ceric,

When I put on my Blizzaks last year with their own TPMS, the car came back from NTB (who swapped them) with no warning indicator. I don't suspect they knew what to do to register them, but who knows. Same thing when I took them off and put on the stock Bridgestone in the spring.....no indicator. Maybe it doesn't even work!

I'll let you know again in a month or so when I put the Blizzaks back on.

[Touring9]

On my 07, I never had to redo the TPMs after a rotation.

If you take them off with the car turned off, and put them back on, the car will not even know they were removed. It just looks for the 4 sending units, and the pressure data.

If you added new ones, maybe the shop actually did know how to register the new sending units. Otherwise the car would tell you it's not receiving data.

If you get a flat and put the donut on, it will flash because the tire has no pressure and the donut has no TPM.

[ceric]

According to the manual, here is what you do in case you have a new set of wheels/tires with their own different TMPS sensors in them:

----------- from manual
1. After tires have been changed, turn the
ignition switch to the ON position, then
turn it back to the ACC or LOCK
position.
2. Wait for about 15 minutes.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
3. After about 15 minutes, drive the
vehicle at a speed of at least 25 km/h
(16 mph) for 10 minutes and the tire
pressure sensor ID signal code will be
registered automatically.

[tstex]

According to the manual, here is what you do in case you have a new set of wheels/tires with their own different TMPS sensors in them:

----------- from manual
1. After tires have been changed, turn the
ignition switch to the ON position, then
turn it back to the ACC or LOCK
position.
2. Wait for about 15 minutes.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
3. After about 15 minutes, drive the
vehicle at a speed of at least 25 km/h
(16 mph) for 10 minutes and the tire
pressure sensor ID signal code will be
registered automatically.

Ceric,

If this is not performed right after changing the tires, can it be down the 2nd time the car is driven? Also, this may be dealer-dependent, but is it SOP for the dealers to perform this for you, or post a sticker or something with specific instructions to do so?

thanks,
tstex

[ceric]

This is from my 2008 manual.
If you had a 2009/2010, you should consult yours to be sure.
I don't thnik there is any limit on how many times you can perform this.
The 1st step tells ECU to prepare to learn the codes.
The 2nd and 3rd steps is the learning part.

[vikefan7]

I plan on keeping the duellers on my 20's and buying the Blizzaks and some 18's here pretty soon. I can't see spending $800 or $900 on tires that I can't put chains on. I would rather spend the $1100 or so on TireRack to buy a set of winter tires and wheels. What are the differences in the Blizzaks? Someone mentioned DM-V1 and then there was DM-V3 or something? Which one is better?

I don't plan on buying the TPMS for the winter set either, I'll live with the annoying light on the dash for 4 months out of the year to save $200.

[ceric]

Put a small piece of black electrical tape on the light so it does not annoy you....

[vikefan7]

Put a small piece of black electrical tape on the light so it does not annoy you....

Good call.