Winter Tire Recos

You can go as low as 17" rims, in fact that is what mazda dealer recommends to client in my region.

This was the case for me too. At first I had doubts, as I didn't want to go from 19 down to 17 inch rims but when I saw the design I decided to go for it. I actually like the look, despite the 2 inch drop down. It's not the best photo, but the winter rims are in my profile pic.

I didn't have a TPMS light showing last winter, so I guess the dealer hooks it up. I know many are loathe to go thru dealers, but it is an option.
 
Yeah, I find them to be a safe choice that doesn't break the bank.

Might be worth considering buying a second set of wheels altogether, one for winter and one for spring/summer/fall. You could do 18" rims/alloys/steel wheels and install 255/60R18 tires on them. Steel wheels are pretty cheap and 18" tires will be cheaper than 20" tires. It's also cheaper/easier to swap one wheel set out for another compared to swapping OEM tires out for winter tires every winter. An extra set of TPMS sensors might offset the savings, but they aren't really necessary anyway, as long as you can ignore the TPMS light lol
I just did that. My local Mazda dealer is having a sale until Oct 31. The Blizzaks were cheaper than Costco so was a pretty good deal. Got some 18” alloy wheels, tires and TPMS sensors. Expensive upfront cost but I’d rather swap out the set myself rather than pay every year for a tire shop to do it. Thanks for all the feedback!
 
I just bought a 2017 CX-9 GS-L and I'm in the market for winter tires. After reading this and other forums for hours I've found these that might work for me at a decent price.

Anyone know if they will fit, and if so, whether it's a good choice?
 

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I just bought a 2017 CX-9 GS-L and I'm in the market for winter tires. After reading this and other forums for hours I've found these that might work for me at a decent price.

Anyone know if they will fit, and if so, whether it's a good choice?
You want the Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires. There is nothing better on the market. Period. They even grip on ice, better than any tire. Mazda uses Bridgestone Blizzak tires when they do their AWD testing on their winter track. They are amazing winter tires!
 
I ended up getting the Blizzaks. Haven’t really been able to test them as the only day we had a lot of snow, I didn’t leave the house. So far no issues.
 
JRoll,
You will be very happy with them. I had them on a front drive 2001 Honda Odyssey and I never got stuck.
 
I’m a big fan of the Nokian Hakka R3. Had them on my CX-5 and they were amazing on a 12 hour back road winter drive when the highway was closed for avalanche blasting. Getting a set installed on the CX-9 today (y)
 
Hyperlite,
Thanks for the heads-up on the Nokian Hakka R3 tires.
Question.....where did you drive from/to for 12 long hours on back roads?
 
Driving from Vernon, BC to Lake Louise for my brother-in-law’s wedding. Supposed to be about 4.5 hours but they shut the highway down all day for avalanche danger at Revelstoke just as we got there. We had the groom in our car and the rehearsal dinner was that night so we had no choice but to make it. 12 hours and 2 ferries (that I didn’t even know existed) later and we arrived! Quite the adventure. Nokians performed brilliantly in every road condition. Can’t recommend them enough.
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Wow, road blocked at Revelstoke? Screw the wedding.....break out the snow gear and hit the slopes.
Thanks for the update on the R3 tire performance. I have since heard others proclaim the R3's to be superior to the Blizzaks. I will have to check them out when I order my next pair of winter tires. Thanks.
 
I have the Nokian R3 on mine. Performs great in snow and ice, best winter tires I’ve had for those conditions but not the best on water in my opinion. I can deal with the lower performance on wet surfaces, but take that in consideration if you are in an area with milder winter that often sees rain.
 
The major tire makers keep leapfrogging each other bringing out newly developed tires every few years. Michelin's newest is their X-Ice Snow (not yet in our sizes). Continental, Nokian, Bridgestone...can't go wrong with any of them. Consumer Reports lists the X-Ice Latitude Xi2 (fits our cars) as having better grip than Blizzak DM-Z2 (with which I'm very pleased).
 
I just bought a 2017 CX-9 GS-L and I'm in the market for winter tires. After reading this and other forums for hours I've found these that might work for me at a decent price.

Anyone know if they will fit, and if so, whether it's a good choice?

Not sure if anyone replied to you, but not a good idea to go with 245 width winter tires, or to put them on a 7" wide rim. I'd go with 225 width tires max on a 7" rim, or get a wider rim if you can. I got 225 tires on a 8" and they are perfect.

The tire choice is great, I have the same tires.
 
M+S rating is achieved by a certain geometric design of the tread...certain percentage of void spaces, etc. Real winter tires with the 3-peak-mountain-snowflake severe winter service symbol must pass an actual on-snow traction test, ASTM F1572. The worst real snow tire is better than the best all-season M+S tire, especially on ice.

Every tire design is a compromise. Three important factors--tread life, traction, and rolling resistance. Maximize one and the tire designer must reduce one or two other factors. The Michelin Defender is maximized for tread life. It won't have traction as good as, say, the Michelin Premier that is maximized for traction and gives up some tread life.
 
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