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Mazda 3 Tire & Wheel Questions

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Comments

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    Call Tire Rack and see what they have to say.

    I've got 20K on my Bridgestones with quite a bit more tread left. Could be an alignment problem.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    Do you have an MZ3 or MS3? If the latter, 20K on a 140 wear tire is pretty good.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    Do you have an MZ3 or MS3? If the latter, 20K on a 140 wear tire is pretty good.

    I have an MS3. My point was that if an MS3 can get over 20K miles out of a set of Potenzas then an MZ3 should be able to do much better with the less aggressive rubber it comes equipped with...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • fox4300fox4300 Member Posts: 1
    I have a mazda3 i touring 2008 with 18900 miles, has anyone had any issue with the rims or tires?
    I had to replace 3 rims( $1400) and 2 tires($360)
    tech says its because of potholes. I think that is crazy!
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Lower profile tires and rims get eaten alive by rough road conditions so it's not out of the question that potholes could be the cause.

    My brother spent $1700 on rims and tires in less than 6 months when he made the mistake of going to low-pros for the look in northern NJ. They may look nice, but the roads you travel on need to be better than average conditions because potholes can definitely chew them up.

    Standard equipment on the 3i touring is a tire with an aspect ratio of 50%. That falls under "low profile"
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    Lower profile tires and rims get eaten alive by rough road conditions so it's not out of the question that potholes could be the cause.

    I had to buy a 225/50-16 after hitting a big pothole on vacation a few years ago, and that's been the only time in35 years of driving. My Mazdaspeed 3's 215/45-18 tires have less than 5000 miles left on them at 20000 miles, but that's due to my hooligan driving antics on both the street and the road course. All four 18" wheels are also still straight and true.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • billcrobillcro Member Posts: 1
    I have Mazda 3 year 2005 and i am looking for steel rims. Anyone know where to buy them.Preferably new ones. thanks , Billy
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    www.tirerack.com

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • tomkozskitomkozski Member Posts: 39
    Be careful what size steel rims you purchase. If you have a 3s, smallest steel rims you can get are 16" due to the larger brakes on the 3s. 15" rims are ok on the 3i.
  • blanca58blanca58 Member Posts: 3
    Recommend that you not buy a Mazda. Bought a Mazda 3 2006. At around 17,000 miles I began to have problems with the tires. After complaining several times to the dealer, I was referred to the Toyo Dealers to address the warranty. I ran into major problems with them in honoring the warranty and ended up buying 4 new Firestone tires at 21,000 miles. Again at around 20,000 miles, I began having the same problems. I had the tires aligned, rotated and balanced every 3,000-6,000 miles and nothing improved the wear of the tires. Neither the Mazda dealership nor the main Mazda offices were willing to do anything to remedy the problem or find a solution. I finally traded the car in in 2008 and don’t plan to ever buy another Mazda in my life. I have read blogs on both the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 with the same problems.
    Unless you are rich and can afford tires every 17,000 miles, it is not worth the trouble you will incur. You will be zoom zooming every 17,000 miles to a tire store.
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  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    Unless you are rich and can afford tires every 17,000 miles, it is not worth the trouble you will incur. You will be zoom zooming every 17,000 miles to a tire store.


    Interesting, I have a 2007 Mazdaspeed 3-with 25,000 miles on it-which I drive pretty "briskly" as the Brits put it. On top of that, the car has spent @4 hours lapping Putnam Park Sports Car Course. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires still have 2,000-3,000 miles left on them.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    At around 17,000 miles I began to have problems with the tires... referred to the Toyo Dealers ... ran into major problems with them in honoring the warranty ... ended up buying 4 new Firestone tires at 21,000 miles. Again at around 20,000 miles, I began having the same problems
    It sounds like the Toyos lasted 21K. How long did the Firestones last?

    had the tires aligned, rotated and balanced every 3,000-6,000 miles
    Having an alignment done every 3K to 6K miles sounds costly.
    What are your expectations in terms of tire life?
    25K miles? 30K miles? 40K miles? more than 40K miles.
    How would you characterize your driving and braking style?
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    Having an alignment done every 3K to 6K miles sounds costly.
    What are your expectations in terms of tire life?
    25K miles? 30K miles? 40K miles? more than 40K miles.
    How would you characterize your driving and braking style?


    I'd also suspect that tire pressures were checked on no more than an annual basis.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • pfcvpfcv Member Posts: 1
    Came with 205/55r16

    How big can I go with out modifying

    ex: 205/70r16 etc.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    How big can I go with out modifying

    Why in the world would you want to go from a 55 aspect ratio to a 70 aspect ratio?
    In any event, the techs at Tire Rack will be able to answer your questions.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • grace10grace10 Member Posts: 2
    I need to replace the tires on my 2006 mazda 3 and they are very expensive... i was hoping someone knew any other tire names and makes that can be put on this car that are not too expensive OR other rims that could be put on this car..
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I need to replace the tires on my 2006 mazda 3
    What does your car currently have? I would not recommend switching rims if you want to save money. If your driving is not "sporty" then you can choose a lower speed rating; the speed rating is often indicated by the letter (other than R which stands for radial) shown in the tire coding. For example,. 205/50/16 V is a faster tire than a 205/50/16 H tire; generally, faster tires are more expensive than slower tires.
  • grace10grace10 Member Posts: 2
    The tires that are on it now are Goodyear P205 50R17 88V. I am not really looking for speed I am more looking for how long they last and price. Is it in my best interest to look into switching rims because the snow handling on the ones i have now are terrible.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    The tires that are on it now are Goodyear P205 50R17 88V.
    These are performance tires (note the "V)" and not intended to be driven in the snow.

    Is it in my best interest to look into switching rims because the snow handling on the ones i have now are terrible.
    What many of us do is buy a separate set of winter tires with rims. The advantages of doing this are:
    - you save your regular alloy rims from winter damage,
    - the switch from summer to winter tires is quicker and cheaper
    - you can downsize your tires as well as your rims to save money.

    By buying the tires and rims at the same time, you can get a package deal which should be lower than if you bought them separately. Your winter package can be downsized by at least 1 step; meaning that you can go from a 17" rim down to a 16" rim. Any reputable tire dealer should be able to advise you. Some good choices for winter tires come from the usual suspects: Bridgestone, Michelin, Yokohama, and Toyo. Personally, I have been using BF Goodrich Winter Slalom. Some rate them as a lower rank of winter tire but I have had no problems with them for the last 5 winters. They come in a variety of sizes, are widely distributed and are cheaper than the first tier of tires. Also, don't wait too long before buying winter tires as they run out of sizes by late Novermber. Good luck!
  • rulprulp Member Posts: 9
    I have an '04 3s with AEM CAI and Magnaflow exhaust. Driving style is 'spirited' My latest tire choice is Dunlop Signature 205 50R17 93V and paid $160ea. Downshifting to 3rd, this car will easily pass several vehicles at once and you can find yourself near 90 mph when you pull back in without trying for it. 30-32 MPG is consistent. The Dunlops feel great and respond to all demands and situations this side of abuse. I don't know about mileage yet, but research indicates a decent life expectancy on the tire comparison websites. Live to zoom, zoom to live!
  • 06mazda3s06mazda3s Member Posts: 7
    I have an 06 S Hatchback with 205/50/17V with 16000 miles that I bought new with Goodyear RSA's on it, and I am going to upgrade to 215/50/17V BF Goodrich Traction TA with a 60000 mile warranty.
    I had them on my last car, an 02 Lancer OZ Rally, and went up one size with them too.
    Many people on Tirerack have done this upgrade and it seems the size of the original tires is very hard to find and V rating makes them expensive with little tread life.
    I would go up one size in width rather than buy expensive tires twice. The best you can expect on the current tires is 30K, my tires are starting to look bad now, so I expect at around 20-25K I will switch them.
    I would not go down on the speed rating because of the suspension, lowering the speed rating on the tires would defeat the purpose of the vehicle. V rated tires are stiffer and more responsive.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Grace10 said: I am not really looking for speed I am more looking for how long they last and price.

    Your reply: I would not go down on the speed rating because of the suspension, lowering the speed rating on the tires would defeat the purpose of the vehicle. V rated tires are stiffer and more responsive.

    Could you explain what you mean by saying "I would not go down on the speed rating because of the suspension"?
  • petesleafpetesleaf Member Posts: 1
    Same prob with my 2007 Mazda3 bought new from factory with Toyo Tires. Not convinced that it is the actual brand of tires causing the inside wear at 15k after reading the eight or so blogs/complaints about Maza 3s rear tire negative camber problems.
    I took my car to Tires Plus in Port St. Lucie Fl and they called me into the garage to explain that the alignment computer is showing "factory specs" on all four wheels. They said there must be a factory defect in the car and to take it to the dealer and demand correction and a new set of tires or threaten Lemon Law !. I took it to the Mazda dealer in Stuart Fl and they said the car was fine and that I just had not rotated the tires each oil change. I went home not convinced and started searching on line finding all the forum write ups on the problem being extreme negative camber on the rear of most Mazda 3s. One forum explained how you could personally try to make your own corrections to the rear camber by turning the two hatchmarked adjustment bolts in or out on both rear wheels. This made sense seeing my problem started exactly at the same mileage a lot of the other forum writers stated. 17k on factory tires. I rotated my tires once since new at 14k moving the rear tires with the worn inner ridge to the front of my car. That is when I started noticing unusual tire/road noise. It threw me off because most tire wear is usually caused from front end misalignment. My front tires were fine and then they started wearing right away when I moved them to the rear. I noticed the wear was a little more extreme on one side than the other so I adjusted the rear camber on that side one and a half hatch marks and the other side only one hatch mark correction using two large 17mm box end wrenches with the car jacked up and with safety jack stands in place. You can actually see the correction to the negative camber when you turn the camber bolt in or out after loostening the threaded lock nut on the outside. You can notice the tops and bottoms of the tires moving in or out a little with each turn. Negative camber is when your wheels are tilting in at the top and out at the bottom. As you add weight to the car such as heavy passengers you will get even more negative camber on the rear wheels. The front wheels do not need camber adjustment and don't have an adjustment as far as I could see. After making the minor adjustments to my car I took my best tires and moved them up to the front hoping that I could get a little more out of them. I figure 30 to 40K would be fair. We'll see. I still have the road noise because of the previous wear damage. I haven't noticed any oversteer as a result of the minor adjustment which I considered an easy fix/job as car repairs go. Now I'm driving around behind every Mazda 3 I can catch up to in traffic and in parking lots observing the rear camber. It is amazing. Some are very easy to detect visually that the rear tires are tilting in at the top as compared to other cars . I stood behind a Mazda 3 five door the other day and couldn't believe how obvious the negative camber looked. Why the dealers are so misinformed or underhanded I don't know. It sure isn't ethical. Withl the problems they fix and diagnose, I wonder if the service managers ever read the forums to find out stuff that is affecting their customer's confidence. It probably has to do with them having to own up to a new set of tires for every complaint. That could be a lot more expensive than a routine alignment. On the other hand their reputation is at stake trying to hide stuff. Who would want a car that wears out a good set of very expensive tires every 15000 miles?
  • slateracslaterac Member Posts: 85
    I am having the same problem with my 06 tires. I have 24k on the car and have only had the car taken to the dealership for maintenance and they rotated the tires every time and they told me 5k ago that they were wearing down and now they say I need new tires. Is there anything I can do about this? They are toyo tires and I know that they should last at least 40k and if there is nothing that we can do and it's just a defect then can we get mazda to do something about it because it's ridiculous to shell out 500+ for tires and an alignment (by the way my alignment is definately off). I just don't feel for my 10 mile drive a day (to work and back) that I should have to pay for new tires 2 1/2 years in.
  • slateracslaterac Member Posts: 85
    I know I'm responding to my own post but I wanted to let you all know that if you are having the same problems as I am you can contact the NHTSA and file a complaint online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm.

    There have been 3 such complaints made so far and only one of them really had to do with the tires wearing down. Others say the Toyo tires are not made for the snow.
  • slateracslaterac Member Posts: 85
    I called my dealership after work and told them about my tires and they said that they have found that more and more Mazda 3's wear on the tires faster and that no matter what tire you use they will probably wear out in 30k. It seems like Mazda should have a recall on this and fix this problem. It would cost 2k+ for new tires by 100k.
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    Mazda 3's wear on the tires faster and that no matter what tire you use they will probably wear out in 30k.

    That's just not true. I have seen the stock Goodyear Eagle RS-A's last past 40K on many Mazda3's that come into my store.

    There are plenty of variables that attribute to tires wearing out. First, lack of proper rotation or proper inflation pressure. Second, aggressive driving. The Mazda3 is a compact the promotes sportiness. Many owners, unfortunately, assume their Mazda3 is an autocross car.

    It seems like Mazda should have a recall on this and fix this problem.

    There is nothing wrong with the Mazda3. The car does not magically make tires wear out faster. If there is something not right with your Mazda, out of alignment comes to mind, then your tires would wear unevenly. You would see uneven wear on the inner half or outer half. If the tires are wearing evenly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car.

    Every vehicle on the road does go out of alignment from time to time. That's the nature of automobiles.
  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    80,000 mi tire. Very high wear rating--it's a hard tire but has very aggressive tread pattern for water evacuation. Pretty good in the snow too. Costco has pretty good prices.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    I got 26000 miles out of the Bridgestone RE050As on my Mazdaspeed 3. They probably would have lasted past 30K had I not tracked the car and driven it in a "spirited" fashion on the street... :P

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • slicktiresslicktires Member Posts: 2
    Hi there -

    I have about 34,000 miles on my original Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires. They are slick as a bottle of tire shine on ice. I am looking for a decent all season tire that is good both in wet conditions, snow, and holds up to the "estimated" mileage warranty. I don't want to pay more than $125 a tire though. As I navigate Tirerack.com I see the best sellers under my car tire category.

    1- Kumho Ecsta ASX ($90/each) 205/50R17
    2- Dunlop SP Sport Signature ($105/each) 205/50R17
    3- Bridgestone Potenza G 019 Grid ($115/each) 205/50R17

    I do like to drive fast at times and enjoy corners so you could say I have the zoom zoom type mentality.

    What would you suggest out of these three tires? Also, is there a better, read cheaper website to order from?

    Thanks!

    Zac
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    I've run Kumhos on several of my cars and I currently have a set on my Three Series. Tire Rack provides such good service and value that I haven't felt the need to look elasewhere.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • idol767idol767 Member Posts: 4
    I replaced the tires on my '91 Integra with the Bridgestone Potenza G 019 last fall. They were quiet and had great traction, but felt very soft when cornering. The car used to be very tight with the old Michelin Pilots, but the Bridgestones felt like they belonged on a Buick. I replaced the Integra with my 2008.5 Mazda3 Touring hatch in May, and I love how tight it feels when cornering. I'll spend a little extra money on my 3 when it's time to get new tires, and probably stick with Michelin.

    You might try www.discounttiredirect.com for another option to the Tirerack. Good Luck.
  • slicktiresslicktires Member Posts: 2
    I guess what I am now faced with is accountability, meaning if my tire pops or something happens to it who do I go to to replace it. Tirerack? I assume that the garage that puts the tires on for you isn't responsible for the tire after that. I guess I am skeptical of buying tires online vs. at a local shop, but obviously am trying to save some dough.

    What do you know about staying with the same speed rating? My car came with a V, do I need to stay with a V or can I go one lower or one higher - H or W. The Kumbos is a W.

    I got a quote today from a garage for 4 Pirelli P6 all season tires with install and disposal for $530 w/tax. I think the Pirelli's he quoted were H though.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I've purchased many sets of tires and wheels from TireRack over the years and have always had good experiences with them. You can pre-arrange an appt. with a recommended installer in your area and have them shipped directly to them. This almost always saves money compared to buying locally, especially if you are also looking to buy them already mounted and balanced on separate wheels.

    The Pirelli P6 has been around is an old design that was very popular in its day, but you should check other available options with newer technology that will fit your car. Look at the reviews on TireRack to make your choice, weighing the factors that are most important to you (wear ratings, handling, traction, noise level, price, etc.) I wouldn't get too hung up on speed ratings but for an all season tire on this car I personally wouldn't buy anything rated less than H. Remember that all tires involve compromises of one sort or another.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,314
    I'd stick with a V rated or higher tire- except in the case of winter tires.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I probably would too, mainly because they would offer slightly better handling, on average. But H tires are rated at 130 mph so they would be perfectly safe and may be cheaper with longer tread life (although every tire is different and there are many exceptions).
  • 6020160201 Member Posts: 6
    I do think the goodyear RS-A are cheap tires or wear out prematurely with Mazda3s - this is not a good combination. I also find the tracksion control kicking in on wet pavement starts. Terrible in snow even when they were new. I don't have a problem with the car otherwise.

    I've had all my service done at Evanston Mazda including oil changes and tire rotations. But at 25K miles and 24 months later I need new tires. I don't race, my alignment is fine, I have checked my tire pressure in between oil changes and still only 25K?? doesn't seem right.

    My service tech also gave me some line about they worn out due to my high mileage, but I don't think 1K/month is high mileage. But then admitted many people are unhappy with their RSAs. They are more than eager to sell me relacement RS-A for $1,000 or Michelins etc for the same price.

    I'll probably get michelins, but not really keen on going back to Mazda.
  • zoomzoomdlrzoomzoomdlr Member Posts: 7
    Ohio Mazda Dealer here. Many of our Mazda's new come with performance oriented tires, best example the RX's and Speed cars with the Bridgestone Potenza re050's which average 13k miles till shot. Same deal with the RS-A's, performance tire sacrificing wear and winter traction. For winter I would deifinitely go Tire-Rack for a 15 or 16" tire, not even necessarily narrower because the RS-A's are only 205's. OR, I'd find an owner of the 3 Sedan I Touring package with the 16" factory wheel and offer a swap, just realizing that handling will be sacrificed for ride and winter driving, but those also wear much better.
  • orca3orca3 Member Posts: 11
    I replaced the Goodyear RSA's on my sons Mazda3 touring at 3000 miles
    because I didn't feel they were safe enough(hydroplaning). Bought the Kumho
    Asx's and they have been great - Have not had great luck with Dunlop's in the
    past so I couldn't recommend. Bought the Kumho's on Tirerack.com and
    couldn't be more pleased with their service,speed of del. and price - alot less
    expensive than any dealer in my area!
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    My service tech also gave me some line about they worn out due to my high mileage, but I don't think 1K/month is high mileage. But then admitted many people are unhappy with their RSAs. They are more than eager to sell me relacement RS-A for $1,000 or Michelins etc for the same price.

    I'll probably get michelins, but not really keen on going back to Mazda.


    I agree a thousand miles per month is not high mileage. I disagree that your tires are anything but cheap. Tthey are fast-wearing performance tires. If you don't need performance tires (and many commuters don't) then why not opt for regular cruising / touring tires? They are not difficult to find. Finally, buying tires from a dealership will limit your choices; consider a tire specialist and ask for their advice or check out the choices online at TireRack and other providers.
  • orca3orca3 Member Posts: 11
    I'm buying a Mazdaspeed3 in the next 2 weeks. A guy in my area has a set of
    4 Toyo snowtires with 4 custom alloy rims for sale from his Mazda3 Touring.
    The size down for the Mazdaspeed3 is 215/50-17(from 18") - the tires and rims
    he has for sale are 205/17-50 - -- will they fit the Mazdaspeed3 or should I buy new snow tires and put them on the 18" Mazdaspeed3 factory rims?
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    A quick way to find out for sure would be to call TireRack at 888-541-1777.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    set of 4 Toyo snowtires with 4 custom alloy rims for sale from his Mazda3
    Hmm, why would you put snowtires on custom alloy rims? Unless, of course, you don't care about the rims. How much wear have the tires had?

    or should I buy new snow tires and put them on the 18" Mazdaspeed3 factory rims
    The problem here is that one has to switch the summer and winter tires onto the rims each year. This is more costly and can potentially damage both the tires and the rims.

    A third option is to buy snow tires with steel rims. This makes for a quick change each year between summer and winter tires.
  • 6020160201 Member Posts: 6
    Has anyone tried these tires on a Mazda 3.
    They are $175 including installation at Costco

    Any comments?
  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    Because steel rims are skank. Decent looking alloys can be had for as little as $100 ea. Have TR set you up with a -1 set of alloys and winter tires and you can swap them out yourself and keep your OEs looking good. Or if you don't like your OEs, use them for the winter tires and put your summer tires on new wheels same size.

    Don't go ugly all winter with steel wheels. Puke. Better off just going all-season.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I agree with indydriver 100%. We have 3 vehicles and have extra alloy wheels with winter tires mounted on each. I always look for the cheapest alloy wheels I can find that still look decent on whatever car I'm buying them for, normally 1 inch smaller in diameter than the stock wheel while maintaining the same circumference. TireRack has a wide selection to choose from for most models and very competitive prices.
  • orca3orca3 Member Posts: 11
    I'm taking delivery on my Mazdaspeed3 today. The oem tire size is 215/45-18 and
    the minus size (for snow tires)is 215/50-17. I have emailed Tirerack,but they haven't gotten back to me yet. Question is this - someone I know has a set of 205/50-17
    newly used(1 year) aftermarket alloy rims with Toyo snow tires, off of his Mazda3
    (2007) touring hatchback - will this set fit my 2009 Mazdaspeed3 ? I guess the
    205's would sit alittle lower than a 215 - would this be a problem in winter?
    I'm interested because the used rim, tire set would be less than half the price
    of new (cheap) alloys and tires(new). Anybody out there know?
  • sh622sh622 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Mazda3 with 16" Toyo tires. I bought the car with 7k miles on it and the tread was already starting to wear on the 2 front tires. I have about 28k miles on it now and the tires are BEYOND worn. I probably should have replaced the tires 10k miles ago. I moved from Arizona to Indiana and definitely need to get the tires replaced before winter hits. The rear tires look brand new still (besides the inside tread wearing slightly), but I need 2 new front ones.

    Does anyone have suggestions on what type of tires I should get and where I should get them put on? I obviously have little car knowledge and just want something that is cost effective and won't wear easily. I also don't want to get "taken" at the dealership or any other place because I'm a young woman with ZERO knowledge on what I should put on the car. Thanks in advance with your help :)
  • scwmcanscwmcan Member Posts: 399
    First off if only the front tires are worn out, I would have to say that you did not have the tires rotated as you are supposed to, so when you replace the tires make sure you rotate them as recommended in your owners manual. Tire Rack is a good place to look for information on tires, they have tests and reports from owners on the tires take some time and look at their site, and then even if you don't buy from them you will have a good idea of what you want (in your price range etc.) and evn have a price to work from to see if you can match or better it.
    Good luck and try not to stress out about it.
  • 06mazda3s06mazda3s Member Posts: 7
    Typically a higher speed rating, such as V, has a stiffer sidewall than other lower speed ratings, and thus complements the suspension of the vehicle. The Mazda 3 5-door has a stiff suspension that calls for V-rated tires and benifits from their stiffer sidewalls. Lowering the speed ratings on tires in this car would not give the responsive and sporty ride that came with the V rated original tires. Speed rating is more about construction than actual speed use. According to Mazda, both the 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter engines have a maximum speed of 117.5 mph. So if speed was literal to the tires, there would be no need for anything under a T rated tire, but it is not just about the numerical speed ratings.
    Q 99 mph
    R 106 mph
    S 112 mph
    T 118 mph
    U 124 mph
    H 130 mph
    V 149 mph
    W 168* mph
    Y 186* mph
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