Tire Choices

NomoreFords

Member
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2012 Mazda 2 Sport
Hello All,

I had to get new tires today for my 2012 Mazda 2. It was depressing to find there were no tire choices so I had to get the same tires all over again. I only had 34000 miles on my first set, Yokahama Avid Ascend, and the low tire light kept coming on. I wasn't covered in any way shape or form on them when I went to the dealership. They were $685 for the set of 185/55's. Are these tires any good? BTW, how do you get your pic on the sidebar there?
 
Couple things. Yes, our tire choices suck in the stock size. If I was forced to use it I would go Yokohama S.Drive or Toyo T1R. If I didn't drive aggressively I would go Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 at the nearest Costco.

If the low tire light kept coming on then you should have taken it into a Discount Tire or some other tire shop to fix what was probably a puncture. Dealers are the worst place for tire buying/service/advice.

$685 for a set of 185/55R15 Avid Acends is not good. Way too much. That tire is less than $100 a piece which means you paid over $250 in installation and taxes. Go to Yokohama's site and do the $60 mail in rebate that got going on to help get some of that money back.

Try and keep your rotations going every 5-6K and check the air pressure every week to get more then 34,000 miles out of em this time.
 
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Are you sure your original tires were avid ascends and not avid s34? My car came with avid s34 from the factory, which also wore out at around 32000 miles.

I replaced them with avid ascends and absolutely love them, amazing cornering grip for a commuter/LRR tire, and after about 13,000 miles they've only lost about ~2/32 of the total 12/32

I got mine from tire rack for ~$400 + shipping and then got them mounted/balanced for $80....and then got a set of Miata rims and paid another $80 to swap them over
 
For some reason I decided to get all-seasons in the stock size last time I bought tires. I went with kuhmo ecsta 4xii. Quiet, good grip, fantastic in the wet. Not an auto-x or track tire though, they will get slippery when hot. If I had a do-over I'd get another set of 195/50, mainly because acceleration felt better with the smaller diameter tires.
 
When the S34's on our blue 2 finally wear out (probably this summer, at about 48k) I think I'm going to jump up one size and get a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto AS's. Had those on our 3 and they were great for all-seasons. IIRC the tire diameter difference between stock and the closest size in the Exaltos is less than 1%.

EDIT: Crap, just checked TireRack again, looks like the Exaltos are discontinued. Guess I need to start my research again...
 
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BTW, I'm running 205/50 15s on my stock rims. No clearance problems at all, and a lot more grip. There are a lot of choices in this size. I also autocross this with this size with Dunlop Direzza IIs star-spec.
 
When the S34's on our blue 2 finally wear out (probably this summer, at about 48k) I think I'm going to jump up one size and get a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto AS's. Had those on our 3 and they were great for all-seasons. IIRC the tire diameter difference between stock and the closest size in the Exaltos is less than 1%.

EDIT: Crap, just checked TireRack again, looks like the Exaltos are discontinued. Guess I need to start my research again...

The Exaltos were replaced by the AS3. To get the same diameter you'll have to go 195/45R16.

BTW, I'm running 205/50 15s on my stock rims. No clearance problems at all, and a lot more grip. There are a lot of choices in this size. I also autocross this with this size with Dunlop Direzza IIs star-spec.

Me too. I was on CS springs and Koni orange dampers with 205/50R15 RE11As on ET30 Kosei K1s, but with all my surfing gear and a passenger, the rear tires destroyed my fenders on some large dips. I went back to stock suspension after that.
 
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S.Drives are a bit noisier but no noisier than my worn out stockers were. They grip well and have great traction in the rain. If you commute and do the occasional autocross, they're a great summer tire.
 
This topic has probably been beaten to death but I am a HUGE fan of the Toyo R1R. They're lightweight compared to Hankooks and Kumhos, road noise is minimal and they perform fantastically at the track. I use them in a 205/50/15 size on my Miata. They also exist in a 195/50/15 and a 195/55/15 which would be more appropriate on the 2's OEM wheels. You're looking at about $120 a pop, just shy of $500, with about $60 shipping from tirerack.com. Expect around $550-560 shipped.
 
Another great option is the Dunlop DZ102. They come in 195/50 or 205/50, possibly more sizes. I've got 205/50s and they are EXCELLENT for the price. The grip super well, are quiet for a Summer tire, great in the wet, and not bad if the temperature drops to 40 or so (not ideal though).
 
Been running a set of super cheap Falken 950A/S in 195/50/15, the "new" 912 that tuners loved. Good tire for the money, a mild upgrade from stock. Decent at best in snow though, but I have a set of winters, so it's not much of a concern for me.
 
Just picked up a set of 205/50/15 AD08R's for $352 to my door after rebates (should be about the same price for my wheels too), from discount tire. Pretty decent sale going on now on wheels and tires. Just do yourself a favor and say the wheels and tires are for separate cars unless your fitment is within the tire manufacturer recommendations.
 
Weight

S.Drives are a bit noisier but no noisier than my worn out stockers were. They grip well and have great traction in the rain. If you commute and do the occasional autocross, they're a great summer tire.

How does the extra 2- 4 pounds per tire affect acceleration? Looking to do some suspension and tire upgrades, but I am not sure which combinations work or don't work.
 
So at about 50k on the odometer, it's coming time to put new tires on. Not thrilled with any of the tires in the stock size. The thought crossed my mind to just put a set of Michelin X-Ices on there and run 'em year-round (which, strangely, do come in 185/55-15's), but during the warmer months they'd probably wear too fast. I don't have the garage space for a second set of wheels/tires; what I buy needs to be on the car year-round.

What I'm looking at now are a set of Michelin Premier A/S's, in 195/55-15s (the closest they have to stock size). IIRC they're about 3% larger diameter than stock. What does everyone think -- any reasons why the extra 10mm width would be an issue?
 
Also look at 205/50 15s. There are a LOT of choices in this size, about the same diameter, and no problems fitting in the fenders. I run this size for normal driving and a different set for autocross.
 
Use 195/50-15 or 205/50-15. Insane amount of tires in both sizes. 195/50 is Miata size, and 205/50 would cause your speedometer to be off <.3%. Well worth the slightly harsher ride for the huge increase in performance based selection.
 
Another great option is the Dunlop DZ102. They come in 195/50 or 205/50, possibly more sizes. I've got 205/50s and they are EXCELLENT for the price. The grip super well, are quiet for a Summer tire, great in the wet, and not bad if the temperature drops to 40 or so (not ideal though).

How are these in when temps get down to 20's and 30's? My next set for the 2 will likely be these or neo-gens in 205/50, mainly since with my recent change of suspension the car could use a little more grip. Otherwise, my 185/55 Ecsta 4xII's have been phenominal on my 15x7's. I HIGHLY recommend this setup if someone wants to run all-seasons and doesn't need massive grip. If they existed in a 205/50 I would buy them in a heartbeat (to put on 15x7.5).
 
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