Driving in snow

new 2017 CX-5 in snow, looks like fun !! wish there was something like that here in USA.......

don't get me wrong, I love the new look outside, but that 2017 center dash could have been layed out better

empty space above and below the vents....just looks too plain.....I prefer the 2016 dash

2016 dash lay out

hands down, the new CX-9 dash is the best looking, note they placed the tweeter on the dash instead of the CX-5 A pillar, I think the A-pillar location would be optimal for tweeters.... is there center speaker on the new CX-9 / CX-5, not sure since the LCD screen might be obscuring the center speaker

The CX-5 video you linked to, at least in the beginning, does not capture the cabin well.
Here are better photos.
2017-Mazda-CX-5-interior-from-driver-seat.jpg

2017-mazda-cx-5-interior.jpg
 
I slipped and slid enough coming back from the mountain, Going up with the stock tires is no big deal coming down using motor breaks and it still lets go on the ice is no fun. Got Blizzak dmv 2 coming.

You won't be disappointed with the traction of the DMV2s
 
I actually like the 2016.5 CX-5 Dash a little better than the 2017 dash, but I have to admit, the new CX-9 dash is one of the best I've seen in any car or SUV, even from the luxury automakers.

Agree 100%
 
⋯ hands down, the new CX-9 dash is the best looking, note they placed the tweeter on the dash instead of the CX-5 A pillar, I think the A-pillar location would be optimal for tweeters.... is there center speaker on the new CX-9 / CX-5, not sure since the LCD screen might be obscuring the center speaker
As long as there's Bose Centerpoint surround sound system for movie watching, there's a center speaker. Although we can't see it, the 12-speaker setup on new CX-9 Bose system does include a center speaker (and a pair of dash tweeters like Mazda6、CX-3 and a spare-tire sub-woofer like CX-3). Hard to tell on new CX-5 but I do believe it has a center speaker as its Bose system should have Centerpoint surround sound. This would be a good news as this means the 10-speaker system on new CX-5 could have a spare-tire sub-woofer. :)

I really like the A-pillar location than dash location of newly added tweeters on new CX-5 for Bose system. High notes from tweeters will be aimed directly toward driver's ear level, which is supposed to be as high notes can't change direction like low frequency bass.
 
I feel completely different. My 2016 GT with 19" stock tires sucks in the snow. Yeah I'm sure buying winter tires would help a lot, but even with the new stock tires I expected it to go better. Doesn't stop for crap even in 1" of snow. I have a Jeep Renegade TH and it plows through anything. Being able to lock in the 4x4 is way better. We will be dumping the CX-5 as soon as possible.
 
I feel completely different. My 2016 GT with 19" stock tires sucks in the snow. Yeah I'm sure buying winter tires would help a lot, but even with the new stock tires I expected it to go better. Doesn't stop for crap even in 1" of snow. I have a Jeep Renegade TH and it plows through anything. Being able to lock in the 4x4 is way better. We will be dumping the CX-5 as soon as possible.

Try swapping the jeep tires to the cx-5 and then compare... I think installing the 17 inch or 16 inch winter or snow tires would be the best for snow, and be much cheaper than taking a big $$$ hit from "...dumping the CX-5 as soon as possible."

Right now you are asking your Mazda which has running/cross-training shoes on it (all-season tires), to perform in the snow like someone in trail/hiking boots. (all-terrain tires).

Is your CX-5 GT an AWD??
 
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I feel completely different. My 2016 GT with 19" stock tires sucks in the snow. Yeah I'm sure buying winter tires would help a lot, but even with the new stock tires I expected it to go better. Doesn't stop for crap even in 1" of snow. I have a Jeep Renegade TH and it plows through anything. Being able to lock in the 4x4 is way better. We will be dumping the CX-5 as soon as possible.

Winter tires would completely change your mind about the CX-5, believe me. I know snow and I know the stock GT tires! Oh, and about the Jeep, if you keep the CX-5 until the summer, why not take both of them on a high-speed run on a freeway cloverleaf sometime and tell me how the Jeep compares! I'll bet the Jeep, with it off-road oriented tires wouldn't fare as well as the CX-5 does (just a guess). But with some aggressive summer rubber on the Jeep's wheels, I'll also wager that it would do better than it does with off-road rubber. The point being; you are comparing an apple and an orange. Given a little bit of an upgrade, you could shine up that apple a bit and take a better bite out of winter!
 
Try swapping the jeep tires to the cx-5 and then compare... I think installing the 17 inch or 16 inch winter or snow tires would be the best for snow, and be much cheaper than taking a big $$$ hit from "...dumping the CX-5 as soon as possible."

Right now you are asking your Mazda which has running/cross-training shoes on it (all-season tires), to perform in the snow like someone in trail/hiking boots. (all-terrain tires).

Is your CX-5 GT an AWD??

I've lived in snow belt all my life and have gone through many winters with all season with no problems, It's just Mazda did not think on these Toyo tires, Terrible.

It's a AWD and I agree the tires are terrible, worst set I've ever owned. They sucked new, even in wet conditions. I didn't really want the 19" wheels, but worked out a good deal on this one. I'm way ahead of the game on this ride, got a good deal, own it out right, so the only loss I'll take is the depreciation.

I don't drive the CX-5 much and partner wants it gone. Just doesn't like it. Owned almost 2 years and the little things are adding up to dump it. It has been problem free.

I just don't think you can compare AWD to real 4X4. My little Renegade will tackle snow, trails the CX-5 couldn't even touch.
 
I've lived in snow belt all my life and have gone through many winters with all season with no problems, It's just Mazda did not think on these Toyo tires, Terrible.

It's a AWD and I agree the tires are terrible, worst set I've ever owned. They sucked new, even in wet conditions. I didn't really want the 19" wheels, but worked out a good deal on this one. I'm way ahead of the game on this ride, got a good deal, own it out right, so the only loss I'll take is the depreciation.

I don't drive the CX-5 much and partner wants it gone. Just doesn't like it. Owned almost 2 years and the little things are adding up to dump it. It has been problem free.

I just don't think you can compare AWD to real 4X4. My little Renegade will tackle snow, trails the CX-5 couldn't even touch.

Understood completely! The right tires can make or break a vehicle...

I have only dealt with the 17" Yokohama Geolandars on my 3 CX-5's, so I cannot compare against the 19" Toyos. (peep)

Look forward to hearing about your vehicle replacement choice in another thread.
 
Oh c'mon man the toyos are not quite as bad as you make them seem - WORST TIRE EVER!! I had more than adequate traction in rain and snow. Still have great wet traction with 4/32 left on the tires. I'm expecting not quite as good traction in the snow now that they're worn, but we shall see. I think the AWD helps a lot.

My first winter I had a blast. Could not make the thing spin. Got a little bold and tackled this snow bank that ultimately took a chunk out of my plastic undercover thingy, but it was worth it :). Been a little more reserved and mindful of the ground clearance since then.
 
Came back from a ski trip in the Sierra / Tahoe area. On the way there, saw multiple accidents along I80, with a little snow on the road which made it slippery.
On the way to the resort and on the way back, major snow storm with lots of snow.

What worked well was the AWD, now with non-OEM all-seasons. The car is also very predictable and controllable even when I feel it starting to slide. I had same conclusions from past trips.
What does not work well is ice getting into the wipers and then they stop working well and windshield visibility reduced. Spray nozzles frozen shut fairly quickly. Obviously, we are not used to this weather (not cold enough for snow where we live), so perhaps my expectations are wrong.

Tires are far from perfect for these condition, though they get good scores for an all-season and it does not make sense for us to get winter tires for the number of days over the course of a winter, or even number of miles driven on actual snow/ice.
 
Ok so lots of discussion about the CX5 AWD on snow, and that's just fine for those in the northern hemisphere! Glad to hear how well the perform!

But how about some examples of how it goes on the sand - on beaches! Here in the Land Down Under that's a far more likley prospect, so let's hear about that!
 
Ok so lots of discussion about the CX5 AWD on snow, and that's just fine for those in the northern hemisphere! Glad to hear how well the perform!

But how about some examples of how it goes on the sand - on beaches! Here in the Land Down Under that's a far more likley prospect, so let's hear about that!

I suppose it would be best for you to start a new thread...
 
Had to go out today in freezing rain. The roads were salted and not too slippery. Parking lots were a mess so I tossed it around a bit.
Nothing!!!
I really had to do some reckless driving to get any tail wagging or skidding so I stopped.
This little beast is sure footed and nimble, I'm happy.
 
I have a Jeep Wrangler and aside from ground clearance CX-5 has no perceivable disadvantage... in fact the with snows on ice... no comparison. Mud tires are seemingly just as bad as summer tires in those conditions. Am I gonna rock crawl with the CX-5?... no... I like the skid plates on the Jeep for that. I picked the perfect winter in the northwest to usher in my first real experience with winter tires. I plan to get a set for my G35x this year as well. I am totally sold.
 
Sorry for asking a silly question. I am having default tyres which were there when i bought car. Mine is 2016 AWD Touring. I have never driven it on snow ( living in hot California :p ) .
So my question is that Can i drive my car on snow with same tyres ? if No, should i use snow specific tyres ? or should i put chains while driving in snow ? (boom03)
 
Sorry for asking a silly question. I am having default tyres which were there when i bought car. Mine is 2016 AWD Touring. I have never driven it on snow ( living in hot California :p ) .
So my question is that Can i drive my car on snow with same tyres ? if No, should i use snow specific tyres ? or should i put chains while driving in snow ? (boom03)

Yeah you can definitely drive in snow with the stock tires. Of course, you'd be better off with actual snow tires but if you live somewhere where it only really snows a couple times a year, investing in snow tires might not be the best idea. That's how it is for me here in Maryland. We'll get the occasional snow storm maybe 1-3 times a year and it's not worth buying, storing, having to install, etc extra set of tires. Plus, the cx5 with stock tires still doesn't pretty well.
 
Sorry for asking a silly question. I am having default tyres which were there when i bought car. Mine is 2016 AWD Touring. I have never driven it on snow ( living in hot California :p ) .
So my question is that Can i drive my car on snow with same tyres ? if No, should i use snow specific tyres ? or should i put chains while driving in snow ? (boom03)

I used to drive up to Tahoe from SF Bay in my base model 96 corolla with half worn tires. Used chains for the last leg where Caltrans stop you and make sure you either have chains or AWD. I am no expert driver with or without snow and don't know much about cars either. I just drive and survived ok so far. Only thing I remember is that in snow/ice/sleet I drove slow and kept good distance from the car in front of me.

Also survived driving my old beat up stick shift Saab 900 up/down the SFO hills including Lombard street. There were some hairy moments I should say.(spin)
 
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Had to go out today in freezing rain. The roads were salted and not too slippery. Parking lots were a mess so I tossed it around a bit.
Nothing!!!
I really had to do some reckless driving to get any tail wagging or skidding so I stopped.
This little beast is sure footed and nimble, I'm happy.

It was 33*F yesterday with mixed rain/snow, and hit 11*F this morning, of course every road surface is glossy like mirror. I'm on DM-V2, was able to slide the rear a bit in a parking lot in the morning. Got home to a driveway coated with ice, tested the tires by stopping at the entry of the driveway (all wheels on ice), couldn't get it to go up without first backing up a bit so that the rear wheels got out of the ice sheet.

Overall, super happy with the DM-V2, could have spun out of control easily on the ice with the stock Yoko. My wife's Accord on Xi3 is also good.

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