Mazda 5 on snow?

[the_saint]

Oh.

 

[amti]

new york city and mazda5

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....