Mazda5 Tires: Issues & Replacement Recommendations
- Thread starter MD5
- Start date
I've had a set of Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum's on my car for about a year. I've been happy as can be with them...they're wearing nicely, handle just fine and quieted the car down somewhat.
While I haven't looked closely at them in a while to make totally sure, I'm fairly certain mine are marked "Made in Korea" for those concerned about such things....
Dang...I guess that's a sign I need to get out there to clean and shine those rims and tires!
While I haven't looked closely at them in a while to make totally sure, I'm fairly certain mine are marked "Made in Korea" for those concerned about such things....
Dang...I guess that's a sign I need to get out there to clean and shine those rims and tires!
rodslinger
Member
Agreed. We did have a few days of snow in Atlanta this winter. These tires had NO traction in the snow. The grip does drop off a bit below 50F. Since my van spends 1/2 of its time in Miami I can't complain about cold weather traction much.
southpawboston
Member
On disadvantage to the Sumitomo HTR Z III is that they are a Max Performance Summer tires, which would require winter tires for some of us, in northern MA most people run all seasons, but I do love my snows on my GolfAny idea of how many miles these might be good for?
good point, and i forgot to mention this as well. i run dunlop wintersports in the winter, on a set of 16" mx-5 rims.
Kumho vs. Continental
Speaking of which, has anyone used the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum? I am debating between these and the Continental ExtremeContact DWS (made in Brazil I believe).
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Speaking of which, has anyone used the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum? I am debating between these and the Continental ExtremeContact DWS (made in Brazil I believe).
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
I got right at 40,000 miles out of them. Same as the Toyos and the Generals I tried. I recently bought another set of the Sumitomo. I can't say they're that much better, but they seem to be the best I've tried so far.
Agreed. The Toyo's that came with my 09 M5T AT are worthless CRAP.
My employer put Toyo AT's on my 08 GMC 2500HD and they are also TOTAL GARBAGE.
I steer everyone I know from toyo.
The 5 is getting new shoes next week. I am thinking I will put 215/50/17 Yokohama S.Drives on it.
They are totally awesome on my old 510 (195/50/15) and last at least 40k miles from all the reviews I have read.
The Factory toyo's didnt last 19k on our 09 5. I am surprised by that even. We dont drive it hard, and most miles are hwy.
I regret not being more forceful at the dealer when insisting I get the Yokohama tires that were on the car next to the one we bought. All they would have needed to do was swap wheels.
They were d-bags about it, and I just let it go. i still dont understand why the Silver came with Yokos and the Blue came with "pay-less shoe store grade" Toyo.
My wife's chevy has Kumhos (not Ecsta LX Premium though). They are NOT cheap tires but as expensive as Continental, as you may know. I just confirmed that they are made in Korea. The basic difference is that Kumho Ecsta LX Premium is a grand touring tire while Continental Extremecontact DWS is a performance tire. I'm not sure where you live but if you need better traction and driving performance, go with Continental. If you just want smooth and quiet city ride, Kumho might be a better choice. Another impression after two weeks with Continental DWS: the tires collect LOTS of small stones and rock particles because they have deep treads. You'll hear very annoying noise if your tires have such things on them.
Continental vs Kumho
Thanks suniri for the feedback. I live in SE Texas where we get monsoon type rainfalls So maybe the Continentals will be a better fit. Not very excited about the issue collecting lots of stones though ...
Thanks suniri for the feedback. I live in SE Texas where we get monsoon type rainfalls
So maybe the Continentals will be a better fit. Not very excited about the issue collecting lots of stones though ...My General Exclaim UHPs reached the end of their life, they were below 2/32 and super loud. They came with my used 2006 Mazda5 so I don't know how many miles were on them. I picked up a used set of Goodyear Eagle RS-A's for $100 to buy me some time. They all have 5/32 (50% tread) or greater and they are so much more quieter. Low profile tires are so expensive so my priority was to find non-directional so I can rotate them conventionally. I plan to rotate them with every oil change. I kept with the 205/50/17 size, I think they look sharp. I have three kids in daycare so I couldn't afford a new set but when I can the Bridgestone Potenza's are on my wish list.
Continental ExtremeContact DWS
Well on Friday I went by the nearby Discount Tire (Clear Lake Shores) and I paid for a set of four Continental ExtremeContact DWS 215/50R17. $612 out the door price including lifetime rotation/balancing. The free GPS makes it an even nicer deal.
I should be getting them installed this week (they did not have them in stock). Looking forward to a new set of shoes. The original Toyos are now too loud after four years and around 20K miles. Also do not want to risk it on water anymore.
Well on Friday I went by the nearby Discount Tire (Clear Lake Shores) and I paid for a set of four Continental ExtremeContact DWS 215/50R17. $612 out the door price including lifetime rotation/balancing. The free GPS makes it an even nicer deal.
I should be getting them installed this week (they did not have them in stock). Looking forward to a new set of shoes. The original Toyos are now too loud after four years and around 20K miles. Also do not want to risk it on water anymore.
Link?
Yokohama AVID ENVigors
I have had the Envigors for approx. 5k miles now and I really like them. Like you, I was deciding between the DWS's and the Envigors and the DWS's were backordered at the time, so I ended up with the Yokos.
They are great in wet weather (primary reason for choosing them) - I feel very confident in the rain. In my opinion, the dry handling is not quite as good as the stock Toyos (when in good condition). If I am taking a turn aggressively, I feel that the Yokos give out a little sooner than the Toyos did. Obviously, this is only noticeable if driving aggressively.
Overall, a great tire and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
I have had the Envigors for approx. 5k miles now and I really like them. Like you, I was deciding between the DWS's and the Envigors and the DWS's were backordered at the time, so I ended up with the Yokos.
They are great in wet weather (primary reason for choosing them) - I feel very confident in the rain. In my opinion, the dry handling is not quite as good as the stock Toyos (when in good condition). If I am taking a turn aggressively, I feel that the Yokos give out a little sooner than the Toyos did. Obviously, this is only noticeable if driving aggressively.
Overall, a great tire and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
Thank you for the quick reply. Based on the reviews here & at Tire Rack, it looks like either tire will be a good choice. In the end, I too will base my decision on availability. My original Toyos have over 28.600 miles on them and need to be replaced soon. Considering all the complaints I've read here about the Toyos, I've had few problems - except for the noise & vibrations. I'm looking forward to a quieter, smoother ride, even if it means taming my driving habits a bit.
