20" Tire Options...

yeah I worried about that, but I haven't had a problem with them at all, they track well and don't try to follow seams. As far as street performance I drive pretty spirited and haven't seen anything to derogatory, other than slightly more slow turn in response times.....here is my original post on these tires when I installed them.....

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123802954-Toyo-Open-Country-H-T-235-55-20-tires

So, still on the topic but not quite what brand/model to buy...

I haven't been able to find a resource to find out what tire sizes fit the GT. We all know 245/50 is the stock size, and I've heard some people go to 255/50's, but what about... say.. 265/45? How about 275/45? At what point is the tire likely to rub... has anyone been under the vehicle under full turn conditions to see how much clearance there is?

I find it odd, but in looking for new tires sometimes the bigger (wider) ones are actually cheaper. So if I can get a wider (and possibly better performance) tire for cheaper, I might as well.

For those interested, I've done more investigating - though I still don't have all the info I would like since there doesn't appear to be that much available online.

245/50 is the stock tire.
255/50 is an option, with speedo reading 1.3% too slow. 255/45 is also an option, but speedo is 2.1% too fast. That's a little too off for my tastes.
265/45 is a very viable option - with the speedo reading .9% too fast. I think this is probably the best option for those looking for a wider tire.
275/45 is an option - though you may start getting into rubbing issues. (Unconfirmed). Additionally, the width of our rim was not really intended to accomodate a tire this width so a) You *may* have issues with people putting these on for you, and b) You *may* have more stress on your sidewall. Speed reads only .3% too slow which is the best of all potential alternate sizes.



Pros to wider tires: Better handling.
Cons: Less mileage. Potentially less hydroplaning resistance. Potentially uneven wear.

Be aware that even at the same "size" (says, 245/50/R20), every brand of tires might still vary in actual diameter by up to 1/4".
The % you mentioned might vary a lot. Check the spec of each brand of tire.
tirerack.com is a good resource.

Finally pulled the trigger on a set of Yokohama Parada Spec-X. 35k out of the Duelers is enough. Tire Rack is a premier outfit. Ordered today, shipped today and due at my dealer tomorrow. Up to $179 each. Can't wait for a quiet, smooth ride again.

I just purchased some 265/45R20 Ventus RH07's from Tirerack too. Pretty good deal.

Of course, THEN I managed to find the reviews that say these tires start making a lot of noise after about 20k miles.

Oh well....

We've had the Parada Spec-X tires for about 2 years now, and they just failed inspection (wore out on the outer edges, might be alignment issues since we rotate every 5000 miles, but I hear AWD cars are tough on tires).

They have done very well overall, they never got loud, performed well enough in snow (my wife is the main drivers and she never felt "unsafe"), so all in all we've been happy with them.

I'm currently looking at the options available, and the Paradas still seem to come out on top. Reviews on Tirerack are awful for the Goodyear RS-A, and mediocre for the Hankook Ventus (due to noise), and the Pirelli Scorpions seem to rate at the bottom of the pack on Consumer Reports. Continental has a new one for SUVs, the CrossContact LX20 which rates well, but the size is no good for the GT.

Ah well, maybe I'll just go with my gut and get the Paradas again.

Maybe someone else knows for sure but I thought the Yokohama YK580 is the next generation of the Spec-X tires. Just as another option...

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/fi...&cf=false&rcc=Spring+Hill&vid=019380&sw=false

qck said:

Maybe someone else knows for sure but I thought the Yokohama YK580 is the next generation of the Spec-X tires. Just as another option...

Click to expand...

I had seen these on the Yokohama website. They compare favorably to the Paradas, but the comparison chart indicates that the Parada is one notch better in wet and dry traction, and 2 notches better in winter driving. The YK580s are one notch higher in longevity, however.

The better winter driving for the Paradas is important to me, so I'll stick with those this time and wait for others to report back on the YK580s. Both tires seem to be the same price. If the 580s perform well in the winter, than I'd definitely go with these if they have longer longevity.

YK580 is a 3-season tire. Bad in winters. If you use snow tires in winters, YK580 is a better fit since it lasts longer
for about the same price. If you, like me, use four-season tires, I don't see any better tires than Spec-X today, price-performance-wise. I wish I could because I like to try different tires.... Using the same tires twice is like watching the same movie overall again...

ceric said:

YK580 is a 3-season tire. Bad in winters. If you use snow tires in winters, YK580 is a better fit since it lasts longer
for about the same price. If you, like me, use four-season tires, I don't see any better tires than Spec-X today, price-performance-wise. I wish I could because I like to try different tires.... Using the same tires twice is like watching the same movie overall again...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Just ordered the Paradas on Tirerack, so it looks like 2-3 more years with these, which is no problem since they are rather good tires.

And lol on using the same tires twice, I'm the same way, I feel like I should try something new just because, but when a tire works out well for your needs, it's tough to take a chance on another brand. Which reminds me, I should Ferris Bueller is on TV today, think I'll watch that again!

I can't justify the paradas with no warranty as well plus the significant price difference in this category makes me think they may not be as high quality as some of the others.
I had the Pirelli Scorpion STR-A in 245/50/20, great tire. Long lasting and super in wet/snow. Handled well but mine are almost done. Been on there for 5 years. I am going to stick with the Pirelli Scorpion but move to the Verde - All season. My price is $269 per tire wholesale and I am going with 265/45/20 this time. Talked with Pirelli and this tire will fit 7-9 width rim. So I am good there. The Prada does not come in this size, only a 265/50/20 would be close and the cost is $150 per tire. Significant difference in cost. I find that most of the good tires out there cost some money. I never chince on tires. Although tire racks reviews are fantastic for that tire, I really don't take that much from the reviews, too much involved to make a good decision. Since my other pirelli's have not let me down, I am going with the Verde for my AWD. I hope they also give me an increase in MPG since they are low rolling resistance tires. I can stand to gain some MPG, even is only 1.5mph. I would not expect a significant improvement with the parade compared to the more expensive Pirelli, I feel better using the Pirelli. I know it will be safe and the warranty proves that along with the experience I have had with them in 3ft of snow to the dry roads of Phoenix.
Tires are the only thing between you and the ground. Better quality tires do everything from better handling, noise, ride quality snow and wet to STOPPING! Cheaper tires can't do that. I never liked Yokohama on any of my cars I have ever used them on. Just my opinion and experience. (also looking at the Continental ExtremeContact DWS- 255/45/20, heard this tire is amazing)

Update to the 265/45/20 Ventus RH07's I purchased:

Far superior handling and road noise than my 18" winters. Haven't noticed an issue in the rain yet. Barely a squeal when going around corners at speeds a crossover has really no right going. Ride is firm and you feel a lot of the road, but it's not really jarring. Only real complaint I have so far is that they pick up a ton of pebbles which make a lot of tick tick ticking. Most new tires would probably do this though. Hoping to heck some of the reports that claim the tire wears far too quickly will be proven false.

Absolutely zero rubbing or fitment issues, and any difference in speedo reading due to slightly different diameter is imperceptible.

Very happy with them, and shipping from Tirerack to Canada ended up costing me around $750 if I remember correctly... which is very reasonable) You guys in the States would probably get them for around $600 delivered.

Edit: Today I hit a curb at fairly low speed, and blew the sidewall out. It is possible the sidewalls on the Hankook tire are a little suspect...

Just had the Mazda dealer in Orange county install 4 new prada spec-x 245/50/20 after 40k miles on the Dueler. They price matched onlinetires.com price ($694 shipping included) plus $100 installation. Also there is a $100 rebate from Yokohama for dealer installed tires though may. This turned out to be a good deal. I am surprised they did online price matching. The ride is vary nice and smooth.

Good deal! I had a buddy who worked for a tire chain (pun) in Florida. Mark up on tires is incredible.

I've got the Yokohama YK580's on my 2011 CX-9 GT, as I did on the 2008 of the same model that I traded. They are a very good handling tire, very quiet and in the rare times that the road is wet in southern Arizona they handle without fault at speed. I recommend them highly