BFG KO2s on your AWD CX-5?

ontario102

Member
:
2013 CX-5 GT
Hey all- My first post after lurking for years. Thanks for the good info. Little to no discussion found on the following after a forum search.......

Is anyone running BFG KO2s on their CX-5 (AWD)? I just put a set on my Lexus GX 4x4/AWD, and I love them. Im looking to replace the stock (13) Toyos that certainly do not do well in the winter, and these look like a great option, having the desire not to run a dedicated winter tire and hassling with switching out and storage. Id likely be replacing the 225/55/19s for a set of 225/65/17s on a GT.

The problem is all of the all-season tires most everyone is using do not appear to have very aggressive tread and seem not to do *great* in the winter. The Michelin Premier LTX look like the best option in the all-season catagory, but those may not be quite as capable as I need in the snow.

I need a *great* tire year-round tire that excels in the winter for the wife, who is not at all comfortable driving in adverse conditions, to say the least. The KO2s have superior snow/slush traction, look great, and have very good street/dry road manners. The occasional summertime weekend off-road trips would benefit, as-well, when we aren't being more serious with the Lexus.

Any first-hand experience out there in terms of handling, ride, performance, etc? One worry I have is that the already under-powered 2.0 would suffer with additional drag/weight.

Cheers!
 
You really think that's going to be a "great" year-round tire? It's a bloody off-road truck tire!
 
Definitely a great tire and last a long time. I doubt you will find many running them on a CX5 though. But a nice 1-2" lift and larger K02 would be sweet on a CX5. The one concept version has them on it. You will definitely notice them with the extra weight depending on what ply rating you got as well. Overall great tire though. Many people use as DD.
 
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I'm well aware what kind or tire it is: it's an "A"ll "T"errain tire, not a dedicated off-road tire. Great compared to the typical CUV tires on dry pavement? Clearly not.

Thus my initial question.

Thanks for your "input", anyway.
 
I have run on a few Jeeps and one Tacoma. These are quiet for a more aggressive AT tire, as stated earlier last a long time but do keep them rotated. Very strong tire. Look great with the outlined white lettering (could be turned inside) and not very expensive either. Do well in light/moderate offroading and snow. These are factory tires in some models too like the Tacoma TRD package.
 
Also keep in mind that, being a LT-metric tire, the KO2 will need to be inflated to something like 45 psi to maintain the load rating of the stock CX-5 tires.
 
I ended up going with the Yokohoma G015. Considered other snowflake rated tires, but they didn't meet my standards. I also went with 17" Touren TR9 Black Wheel with Machined Face.

http://www.bbwheelsonline.com/touren-tr9-wheels-rims-17x7-4x100-4x4-5-4x114-3-black-machined-42mm-offset-3190-7701M/?gclid=CjwKEAiA-rfDBRDeyOybg8jd2U4SJAAoE5XqXBYBQdssPGQjkwFBv2v5piIDQ6GupLf6GdqRPzbYyBoCPKPw_wcB

These seem like a great tire so far in the snow; we'll see on dry, summer pavement. Looks pretty sharp, as well.

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Any first-hand experience out there in terms of handling, ride, performance, etc? One worry I have is that the already under-powered 2.0 would suffer with additional drag/weight.
Cheers!

I have them on my 2.5L 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring and have about 4000 miles on them.

I am a very conservative driver, and I got probably a 4MPG drop with this heavier tire. Acceleration and stopping distance are slower and longer, and you will find yourself harder on the brakes (and probably wear them out sooner). The car just feel heavier, but kind of in a good way. It feels more "in" to the road. If weekend off-road excusions are your norm, this will suit you well. Definitely a lot more grip in snow/mud. The tires are loud for the first 250 miles or so, then quiet down a little, but still definitely louder than stock tires. Make sure you get your wheels balanced.

I'm running 36PSI. They seem to be pretty sensitive noise to PSI, so you may have to experiment to what sounds and feels best for you.

If you've got the 2.0L they will probably feel extra heavy and slow, but if you're not a spirited driver, you probably won't care. I'm curious come spring to see how evenly the tires are wearing and I will adjust PSI accordingly, or maybe get an alignment.

All that being said, I really like the tires. My stock ones needed replacing and I feel a lot more comfortable going through rocky, muddy, or snowy terrain.
 
You must have already had 17" rims on; I went from 19s, and actually lost over 5# per corner between the rims and tires if my calcs are correct. The tires are only 1.8# heavier. I do expect an increase in road noise and roll resistance, and maybe a slight drop in MPG, but we'll see once spring comes.

Cheers

I have them on my 2.5L 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring and have about 4000 miles on them.

I am a very conservative driver, and I got probably a 4MPG drop with this heavier tire. Acceleration and stopping distance are slower and longer, and you will find yourself harder on the brakes (and probably wear them out sooner). The car just feel heavier, but kind of in a good way. It feels more "in" to the road. If weekend off-road excusions are your norm, this will suit you well. Definitely a lot more grip in snow/mud. The tires are loud for the first 250 miles or so, then quiet down a little, but still definitely louder than stock tires. Make sure you get your wheels balanced.

I'm running 36PSI. They seem to be pretty sensitive noise to PSI, so you may have to experiment to what sounds and feels best for you.

If you've got the 2.0L they will probably feel extra heavy and slow, but if you're not a spirited driver, you probably won't care. I'm curious come spring to see how evenly the tires are wearing and I will adjust PSI accordingly, or maybe get an alignment.

All that being said, I really like the tires. My stock ones needed replacing and I feel a lot more comfortable going through rocky, muddy, or snowy terrain.
 
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Much to the dismay of the Pep-Boy's sales person, I did put KO2s on my wife's CX-5 last month. My wife wasn't too thrilled but this was an executive decision. In any case, the tires are definitely loud. You don't notice it over 40 mph but under, its like running super swampers. Still, the traction and potential capability is fantastic. I can't wait to get the Mazda out in the snow this year. I'd recommend putting these tires on if you're willing to sacrifice a little daily comfort overall. Note: you might have to do some tactful negociation if your wife is the one doing that.

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Hey all- My first post after lurking for years. Thanks for the good info. Little to no discussion found on the following after a forum search.......

Is anyone running BFG KO2s on their CX-5 (AWD)? I just put a set on my Lexus GX 4x4/AWD, and I love them. Im looking to replace the stock (13) Toyos that certainly do not do well in the winter, and these look like a great option, having the desire not to run a dedicated winter tire and hassling with switching out and storage. Id likely be replacing the 225/55/19s for a set of 225/65/17s on a GT.

The problem is all of the all-season tires most everyone is using do not appear to have very aggressive tread and seem not to do *great* in the winter. The Michelin Premier LTX look like the best option in the all-season catagory, but those may not be quite as capable as I need in the snow.

I need a *great* tire year-round tire that excels in the winter for the wife, who is not at all comfortable driving in adverse conditions, to say the least. The KO2s have superior snow/slush traction, look great, and have very good street/dry road manners. The occasional summertime weekend off-road trips would benefit, as-well, when we aren't being more serious with the Lexus.

Any first-hand experience out there in terms of handling, ride, performance, etc? One worry I have is that the already under-powered 2.0 would suffer with additional drag/weight.

Cheers!

I also live in Ontario, and we get a lot of slush here. Another winter tire wth excellent grip in the slush and reasonable manners on dry/wet pavement is the Yokohama iceguard IG52C. Great tire... I thoroughly put them through the test drifting about in a RWD BMW 528i.

https://youtu.be/jnrz9PzAI5c

Winter tires use more fuel and decreases stopping distances/grip in dry pavement, so I would not recommend using these, or any winter tire year-round.

28vq1ir.jpg

Look at then siping pattern for slush. These tires also last very, very long. Crazy good treadwear.
 
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Much to the dismay of the Pep-Boy's sales person, I did put KO2s on my wife's CX-5 last month. My wife wasn't too thrilled but this was an executive decision. In any case, the tires are definitely loud. You don't notice it over 40 mph but under, its like running super swampers. Still, the traction and potential capability is fantastic. I can't wait to get the Mazda out in the snow this year. I'd recommend putting these tires on if you're willing to sacrifice a little daily comfort overall. Note: you might have to do some tactful negociation if your wife is the one doing that.
...to say nothing of your marriage!(smash)
 
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