Alloys (M011 or M012) and Tires for Winter

iterated

Member
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2018 CX-9 GT; 2011 Mazda3 Sport GX
I have a 2018 GT and am currently shopping for winter tires on Mazda OEM alloys.

The standard guidance is of course to downsize for winter. The arguments being (1) cheaper, (2) greater protection for rims, and (3) greater traction in snow (assuming the downsized tire is narrower).

However, due to the climate in my area (Southern Ontario), I am mostly concerned with cold, wet, slushy and icy weather rather than deep snow. Meanwhile I also appreciate the firm ride with the standard 20" wheels.

As such I am rather torn between the 18" M011 and 20" M012. Price difference including tires is only about 10%

Wondering if anyone has faced a similar decision or has thoughts? Separately anyone had any winter tire recommendations for the CX-9?
 
I recently bought winter tires and went through the same thing. Buying 18s and winter tires for the 18s would have cost me a little bit more than buying winter tires for the OEM 20s. If I was planning to just swap winters onto the 20s every year, I would have gone with the 18s.

However, since I plan to get new wheels and tires next year, I put winters on the 20s and sold the tires that originally came on them. The 20s are now my "winter set".

I have about 2000 kms on a set of 255/50/20 Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s. Winnipeg has seen some decent snowfall in the last couple of days and the tires have been great so far. They are noticeably louder than the OEM Bridgestone Ecopias, but I think that's to be expected with most winter tires.
 
Continental has a good article debunking the idea of narrow winter tires: https://www.continental-tires.com/car/technology/wide-tires

Not downsizing...original outside diameter and width...but a wheel with a smaller OD and a tire with a taller sidewall will give a more compliant ride as well as rim protection from slamming pot holes. That's my preference. I like a firm ride on smooth roads. I want more compliance on rough ice roads or damaged pavement.
 
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I have about 2000 kms on a set of 255/50/20 Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s. Winnipeg has seen some decent snowfall in the last couple of days and the tires have been great so far. They are noticeably louder than the OEM Bridgestone Ecopias, but I think that's to be expected with most winter tires.

Those are great tires and can't go wrong with them. My hesitation is only the first 55% of rubber is the special compound that makes them really great winter tires. That being said I don't put a ton of mileage on my car so they would still last me quite awhile. They are also really well suited for snow which as I mentioned isn't my main priority.

I am leaning toward the Yokohama IceGuard IG51V. Not as popular of a choice but I believe they may be well suited for my needs.
 
Continental has a good article debunking the idea of narrow winter tires: https://www.continental-tires.com/car/technology/wide-tires

Not downsizing...original outside diameter and width...but a wheel with a smaller OD and a tire with a taller sidewall will give a more compliant ride as well as rim protection from slamming pot holes. That's my preference. I like a firm ride on smooth roads. I want more compliance on rough ice roads or damaged pavement.

After a ton of research, including the link you posted, I personally don't see the need for a narrower tire. May make sense in certain scenarios but not for me.

I will definitely be sticking with one of the OEM sizes (255/50R20 or 255/60R18). All evidence points to the 18" being a wiser option (cheaper, less risk of damage, and smoother ride), but something about sticking with 20" appeals to me.

My past vehicles (including a Mazda3) were hatchbacks with 205/55R16. Plenty of rubber so didn't feel the need to downsize for winter. The 20s on the CX-9 have just as much rubber although it is certainly a different vehicle and the tires are massive in comparison, so admittedly stepping down to 18" may make sense.
 
Those are great tires and can't go wrong with them. My hesitation is only the first 55% of rubber is the special compound that makes them really great winter tires. That being said I don't put a ton of mileage on my car so they would still last me quite awhile. They are also really well suited for snow which as I mentioned isn't my main priority.

I am leaning toward the Yokohama IceGuard IG51V. Not as popular of a choice but I believe they may be well suited for my needs.

Came across this comparison and am blown away by the difference in performance between the Blizzak DM-V2 and Yokohama IceGuard IG51V. Some of my research suggested that the IceGuard would have better 'road manners' and top notch dry/wet handling, but this comparison has tossed that right out the window. Guess I'm leaning toward the DM-V2 now.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/chartDisplay.jsp?ttid=205&viewPage=y
 
My hesitation is only the first 55% of rubber is the special compound that makes them really great winter tires.
And, with that little remaining tread depth no tires are effective snow tires. At this point just use them up as 3-season tires.
 
I put a set of TOYO GSi5 tires on 18" alloys for winter on my 2018 GT. Had a set on our 2009 CX9. Good in snow and on ice, quiet and good wear. Had 45K km on them and still had 7/32 of tread left when I sold them.
 
I see people decide between 18" and 20", why not 19"? It's not an OEM size, but still one of the recommended sizes. Isn't it a better trade-off? 20" feels too expensive, 18" looks way small on cx-9.
 
I see people decide between 18" and 20", why not 19"? It's not an OEM size, but still one of the recommended sizes. Isn't it a better trade-off? 20" feels too expensive, 18" looks way small on cx-9.

I agree the 19" are worth considering.

I ultimately selected the Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires on 18" alloys and installed them last week. I would have preferred 20" or even 19" but compared to 18" the cost difference was substantial for these particular tires (approx +20% for 19" and +40% for 20")

With some other tire options I found the price difference was much smaller (+10-15% to go from 18" to 20"). Had I chosen other tires I likely would have gone with the larger alloys.

The Pirelli tires feel good so far in dry, not so cold weather although I haven't yet been able to test in winter conditions.

Handling with the Pirelli tires on 18" remains great, although the ride is softer and I do prefer the firmer feel of the OEM 20". And of course the 20" tires do look sleeker while the 18" are more utilitarian.
 
Iterated, wondering if youve had much of a chance to experience the Scorpion Winters in snow & ice conditions yet? I want to get a set of 18 alloy winter wheels & the Pirellis are my top choice so far.
 
Iterated, wondering if you*ve had much of a chance to experience the Scorpion Winters in snow & ice conditions yet? I want to get a set of 18* alloy winter wheels & the Pirellis are my top choice so far.

Unfortunately the weather hasn't cooperated yet so I haven't really been able to test them out on any sort of substantial snow/ice.
 
Ah, well how are they on cold, dry pavement?

As per earlier post they feel pretty good on dry pavement, although the stock 20" Falken all seasons provided a firmer ride.

It also hasn't been that cold here recently. I imagine the Pirelli tires will only feel better as the weather gets colder.

Honestly though it's too soon for me to provide any sort of meaningful comments. That being said after much research I don't think there's any winter tire that would've been a better option for me in 18".
 
Finally we received a blast of winter this week in my area. And I was thus able to give the Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires a good test.

The temperature has been very frigid (-20 C / - 4 F at the moment) and we got a reasonable dump of snow (~20 cm / 8 inch).

The driving conditions were quite slick and messy. However, the Pirellis on the CX-9 (with AWD) handled everything with ease. Felt very comfortable and in perfect control.

As a comparison, I also took my Mazda3 with Hankook W409 Winter i-Pike out during the weekend and while the car got around fine it did not feel nearly as planted as the CX-9. Obviously the lack of AWD was a contributor to the difference as well.

Overall I remain very happy with my decision to go with the Pirellis. Through most of the winter so far it has been cold but relatively dry, and the tires have felt great on the clear roads. They also handled the snowy and icy winter conditions without any concern.

That being said for those who more regularly face severe winter conditions, I don't doubt that other options such as Blizzaks may offer some advantage. However, for my particular needs the Pirellis have been awesome.

In terms of size, I do prefer the feel of the OEM 20" alloys in dry weather and feel that the 18" provide a bit less stability and firmness. On the other hand when driving in the snow the 18" felt great and the extra cushion was appreciated.
 
Glad to hear that youre so happy with the Pirelli purchase. Ill probably go with those next year. Our driving conditions sound similar.

The oem Falkens on the wifes CX9 were in need of replacement. I went with 20 Michelin Premier LTX for all season use. They got decent reviews on tire rack in the snow. I completely realize theyre not dedicated winter tires, but I figure theyll be pretty good for this first winter with full tread on them.
 
Glad to hear that youre so happy with the Pirelli purchase. Ill probably go with those next year. Our driving conditions sound similar.

The oem Falkens on the wifes CX9 were in need of replacement. I went with 20 Michelin Premier LTX for all season use. They got decent reviews on tire rack in the snow. I completely realize theyre not dedicated winter tires, but I figure theyll be pretty good for this first winter with full tread on them.

I too have the Falkens. How do you like the Michelin LTXs?Any comparisons to the Falkens?
 
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