I have a 2016 cx-5 GT with Toyo A23 all seasons. Anybody experience these tires in snow / ice? I am thinking of getting dedicated winters, but drive maybe 20 days in compact snow and even less on ice during the winter months. In the past I have had all seasons on other cars that were more than adequate in ice/snow. But then again, I have also had other all season tires that were terrible in ice/snow. Just wondering about the A23's. Thanks.
Toyo A23 all seasons. Performance in winter?
- Thread starter apsco17
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All ice is not created equal. If you had all-season's that were "more than adequate" on ice then you were never on ice that was much of a challenge.
Get winter tires for the months that are cold enough to run them. I would not suggest you get winter tires that perform the best in ice/snow but rather, those that perform the best on cold, wet pavement. They will still outperform any all-season radial by a dramatic margin on ice. e
If cost is your concern, consider that for the months your car is wearing winter tires, your summer tires are staying nice and not taking any wear. So, while it does cost more to run two sets, it's not that much more and it's cheap insurance when the nasty hits. I'm an excellent snow/ice driver but, on public roads, no one is invincible and especially if you're on all-season radials, you are even further from being invincible. If you didn't have to deal with the hazards of oncoming traffic, drinking drivers, drivers on medication, inexperienced drivers and reckless drivers, I would say you can probably get to your destination just fine on all seasons and, if the nasty hits, just slow way down, unless it's really bad you'll probably make it. But driving in the winter dark and wet with puddles and lurking ice, you will be glad you have the winter traction. If for nothing else, to avoid the idiots trying to take you out. The danger isn't when there is an ice storm (because then traffic is reduced to a crawl). The real danger is when everyone is splashing through the winter slush and puddles at high speed.
What's your life worth? Alternatively, how much would you pay to avoid 6 months in rehab/physical therapy.
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- 2014 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech
I have the 19" A23's. They are total crap for winter driving here in Minnesota. Bought a set of OEM 17" wheels and put Blizzaks on them right after the first time I drove in wintery conditions. NIGHT and DAY difference. Do not hesitate to have dedicated winter tires, totally worth the investment.
Thanks for the info!
shortnugly
Member
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- Mazda CX-5 Touring
Nice dissertation on all the variables that may lead you to getting a set of dedicated winter tires/wheels.
Life and safety being the center bull's eye, with property damage, inconvenience, feeling of comfort and driving confidence as the outer concentric rings.
It's a cheap investment for a potentially huge return/risk mitigation.
I'm in the same position, and sprung for a set of Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1s from Tire Rack. They're on sale for $114 + shipping right now (225/55 R19) which is a beyond-excellent price. I've had the Blizzaks on other cars before, and there's truly no comparison with all season tires when the snow starts falling. At that price, given that you'll get many seasons out of them as well as increasing the life of your A23s, it's a no-brainer.
That's a great price. Do you plan on having two sets of tires but just one set of rims? How much would you have to pay each year to do two tire swaps?
Yes, just the one set of rims. There's a tire shop near me that will swap them over for around $13 per tire, so call it $105 per year for the two swaps.
I don't understand why people do that. It makes way more sense to buy a spare set of wheels for winter. You could even downsize to 17's for the winter, which would make your tires even cheaper. A new set of 17" steelies (or hunt craigslist for some decent used Mazda OEM wheels) should cost less than $300. If you include the tire savings, that would easily pay for itself in 2-3 years of not having to have a shop remount and balance. You also remove the added risk of some shop dummy damaging your good wheels by having them on a tire machine less often, and you have the advantage of being able to swap them on yourself if you get unexpected snow early in the season. Not to mention keeping the snow and salt away from your good wheels, and the added wear and tear on the tire beads from repeated mounting/dismounting.
I'm sure you've got your reasons, but to me it makes much more sense to have a spare set of wheels.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
(iagree)
3 year lease, so the math is snow tires + wheels that will most likely be useless for whatever comes next, or just snow tires and pay for the changeovers. If I owned then I would most definitely have gone with the extra set of wheels for all of the reasons that you listed.
I have the 19" A23s, and have been through two Minnesota (twin cities) winters with no problems. That said, I agree with Minnesotaart that dedicated snows are a great improvement and well worth the money (you are really only paying for the wheels or the swapping, as your summer tires are resting while the winters are on). I now drive less than 7k miles a year, so probably won't invest in them myself.
I've had blizzaks and X-ice tires on dedicated wheels in the past for a camry, a prius, and a Miata (that one was required!), and they are easy to sell on Craigslist once the car departs.
I've had blizzaks and X-ice tires on dedicated wheels in the past for a camry, a prius, and a Miata (that one was required!), and they are easy to sell on Craigslist once the car departs.
I HATED them in the snow and ice, and just disliked them in regular driving. I find they ride too hard. I switched to a CX5 from an older MDX, so maybe I was spoiled. My old car, with Michelin Cross Terrains handled like a beast in the snow, and really well the rest of the time. I just bought Cont True Contacts to replace the Toyos, so I'm hoping they perform better in the snow. I like them so far in regular driving, as well as in heavy rain.
I have the TrueContacts on my wife's Acura RDX. She slid out on a corner and hit another car. After the accident I got her some Blizzaks. I truly doubt the TrueContacts are better than the A23 in the snow. Nothing beats dedicated snow tires like the Blizzaks.
