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Mazda 3 Tire & Wheel Questions

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  • jdkirkjdkirk Member Posts: 4
    My daughter has a 2010 Mazda 3 Speed with 17 inch wheels.
    She has an almost new set of Hakka's 205/65-15 from an older BMW.
    The 2008 (for example) Mazda 3 used 15 inch wheels.
    Will the 2008 Mazda 3 15 inch wheels fit on a 2010 Madza 3 S with the Hakkas mounted?
    Using the
    site indicates very little difference in size.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    It is almost inconceivable that wheels from an older RWD BMW will mount up to a FWD 2010 Mazda3. A quick way to check would be to go to TireRack.com (http://www.tirerack.com) and configure up a set of wheels and tires for both cars, and then look as the bolt pattern, offset hub sizes of the two wheel types. My bet is that they won't even be close.

    Best regards,
    Shipo
  • rbucc1rbucc1 Member Posts: 4
    Since the Dealer initially blamed wheel alignment, I called him on it and said the cars been aligned twice, the as found readings were reported in-spec by you guys (The Dealer) and then he blamed not rotating the tire, however, I did rotate the 1st set of tires. The first set only lasted 25k miles. I decided not to rotate the tires just to see where the problems would show up. It turns out the fronts are fine after 25k and I can easily get another 10k miles on them.

    The backs are cupped on the inside and I'm considering just swapping the back tires on the rims to put the cupping on the outside, where there is hardly any road contact due to the positive camber required on the rear tires.
  • rbucc1rbucc1 Member Posts: 4
    I only use the car for work, 20 miles each way, 75% highway. Since the first set of tires lasted 25k miles, I figure this new set is performing a little better, at least the front tires are. The new fronts have 25k and look good, they should easily get another 10-20k. I guess I could replace the rears in kind and I'm curious to try a new set of shocks to see if this reduces the cupping.

    Since the rears have so much positive camber, maybe I'll swap the rears on the rims to get the good tread on the inside where most of the contact is.

    Any suggestions?
  • rbucc1rbucc1 Member Posts: 4
    Oops, I'm positively sure it negative camber and not positive camber.
  • adsettadsett Member Posts: 1
    Hi! Is there a problem with the Mazda3 being hard on tires. I have had two sets of Michelin tires (Harmony & Energy) become scalloped and very noisy. We were able to reduce the noise considerably on the present set (Energy) by putting a front tire on the back but I don't think the problem is solved. My other car (Toyota Camry 2007) has the same tires and they ride noiselessly.
    Thanks for any suggestions or advice.
    Ernie
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    What year is your Mazda3?

    FWIW, I have a 2009 Mazda3 i that came with 205/50 R17 Goodyear Eagle RS-A that had such horrible reviews that I replaced them with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires when the car h ad 714 miles on the clock. The good news (for me at least) is that the Michelins still look practically new after 20,000 miles. I don't know if my experience differs from yours due to the different tires, a different suspension setup on my model year of car, or both.

    Keep us posted.

    Best regards,
    Shipo
  • u542u542 Member Posts: 11
    Has anyone tried out the Nokian WRG2 205 50 17 tires on thier Mazda 3 .Just wondering.They look like a good tire.Thanks for any info.
  • psdm1psdm1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi:

    I recently bought a 2007 Mazda3 hatchback (have wanted one for quite a while - what a great car, I'm loving it already!). I have a general tire question:

    The tires are 205/50R17 Bridgestone, with max pressure rating of 51 psi. I see that Mazda recommends tire pressure of 32 psi, and that's about where they're set. (And the TPMS, which my car has, is set to around that same value I think),

    This default pressure of 32 seems really low to me. In other cars, I've always preferred higher tire pressures, closer to the max rating; it gives a harsher ride, sharper steering, better mileage, and it's debatable whether it increases the wear on the tire.

    Does anyone else here use higher tire pressures for normal driving? If so, what value are you using?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I typically tend to run my tire pressure a few pounds above the manufacturer's recommendation, and in my Mazda3 I use 36. I don't like going much above that as the suspensions are designed to use the tires for a limited amount of shock absorption and when the pressure is too high, ball joints, struts and various other pivot points and bushings tend to wear out much quicker.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    run my tire pressure a few pounds above the manufacturer's recommendation, and in my Mazda3 I use 36
    Ditto for my Mazda Protege5. The 32 pound setting gives a softer and less precise feeling to the ride. I would be cautious going much higher (i.e. in the 40's) for an extended period of time though.
  • fancy1fancy1 Member Posts: 1
    i just bought this car on Jan 7, 2009. It has 8,300miles on it, and it already needs 2 new front tires to pass inspection... now, i didnt rotate my tires (my fault there). but should they have worn out that fast?? i dont drive like a maniac.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    If your car came with Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires, then yes, those suckers wear out quickly. Over on a different board I heard so many claims of premature wear with these tires before I bought my 2009 Mazda3 that I opted ti order a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires the day I bought my car and had the RS-As yanked after only 714 miles. FWIW, those tires now have almost 22,000 miles on them and aren't even half gone yet. :)

    Best regards,
    Shipo
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    8,300miles ... needs 2 new front tires ... didnt rotate my tires (my fault there). but should they have worn out that fast?

    You're right on both counts: you should rotate your tires and regular tires should last longer than 10,000 miles or one year. Good luck with your next set (which I guess will not be Eagle RS-A tires). You may want to consider biting the bullet and getting a set of 4 new tires like Shipo did.
  • davedfdavedf Member Posts: 4
    my son's only lasted 6000 miles!
  • jdkirkjdkirk Member Posts: 4
    You might consider Bridgestone Potenza tires, the specific tire picked to match your driving conditions.
    I have found them to be good handling and reasonable wearing tires.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    consider Bridgestone Potenza tires ... reasonable wearing tires

    Interesting. How many miles do your tires have? What size (e.g. 205/50/16) and speed rating (e.g. V rated) do they have?
  • geauxmazgeauxmaz Member Posts: 2
    Tell me about it. My 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback just got 4 new tires due to the poor wear of the Goodyear Eagles. I had barely 20,000 on this car and did mostly inner-city driving. Part of the problem was my fault for not getting them rotated enough. Now I'm going to rotate them at every oil change to help keep my Potenza's wearing evenly. The tire men said the Goodyear's were too soft. Hopefully these Bridgestones will last longer. I got the better ones that are suppose to last 50,000 miles, but I doubt mine will due to my inner-city driving habits. My rear tires were practically bald and my front ones were not much better. What a rip off these Goodyears were. Nevertheless, I love driving my little Mazda - a fun little funky car and have had nothing go wrong with it mechanically. :)
  • ekirkmanekirkman Member Posts: 1
    Picked up my 2010 in late July....has the same tires as you got....how did they do in that late April snow? I'm curious if I need to invest in winter tires...live in Southern Indiana where they don't salt but rather sand/salt mixture. So far dealers have been telling me I should be fine....

    Also have you had any problem with tire pressure problems. Looks like there was a possible issue in previous years...

    Love the car otherwise...
    Thanks!
  • skogsc3skogsc3 Member Posts: 1
    Mazda 3 2.3, 25K miles. Just burned throught the second set of rear tires in 25K!!!!!

    Negative camber for good handling causes the problem! No solutions. Wish an energetic lawyer would find this issue!

    My solution is to trade this tire eating monster off this weekend. A great, fun car to drive....but new tires every 12-15k miles isn't on my list.

    Warn your friends!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Is it the suspension or is it the tires? I ask because due to the sheer number of complaints regarding the OEM skins, I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires installed on my 2009 Mazda3 after only 714 miles. So far at least they still look virtually new after 23,000 miles. Go figure.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    We have not yet had to replace the tires on our 2007 model with 39,000 miles, but we have been running separate winter tires each year for roughly 3 1/2 months. I do plan to replace the original OEM tires this spring. I figure they have about 25,000 miles on them and are getting very near the end. For replacements I will look for tires that have excellent tread life, including the Pilots that Shipo's had good experience with.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,348
    Mazda 3 2.3, 25K miles. Just burned throught the second set of rear tires in 25K!!!!!

    I'm no longer a fan of Mazda, but in all fairness I have to say that tire wear has NOT been a problem with my Mazdaspeed 3; The OEM Bridgestones and the replacement Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S tires each lasted over 25,000 miles.

    Wish an energetic lawyer would find this issue!

    Ah yes, the jackpot theory of justice...

    My solution is to trade this tire eating monster off this weekend. A great, fun car to drive....but new tires every 12-15k miles isn't on my list.

    Let me get this straight; buying a new car and taking a several thousand dollar hit on depreciation is less expensive than buying new tires and finding out what is causing the excessive wear? If you say so...

    Warn your friends!

    Now that IS funny...

    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
    My solution is to trade this tire eating monster off this weekend. A great, fun car to drive....but new tires every 12-15k miles isn't on my list.
    Let me get this straight; buying a new car and taking a several thousand dollar hit on depreciation is less expensive than buying new tires ...

    I must agree the better solution may be a new set of tires; who knows you may love that "monster" again. :)
  • igozoomzoomigozoomzoom Member Posts: 801
    My '06 s 5-door chewed thru the factory Goodyear Eagles in barely 28k miles...but the Dunlop SP Sports that replaced them have 47k and counting on them and lots of tread life remaining!
    2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,348
    I must agree the better solution may be a new set of tires; who knows you may love that "monster" again.

    I strongly suspect that the OP simply wants a new car and the tire wear issue has become the justification for buying it.

    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
    I strongly suspect that the OP simply wants a new car and the tire wear issue has become the justification for buying it.

    You read my mind!
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,348
    You read my mind!

    Great minds think alike!

    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

  • eoghan1eoghan1 Member Posts: 58
    At about 40K I replaced the original RSA's on my 2004 3s with Michelin Pilot Sports that I bought used. Two had full tread and two were half worn. I found the Pilots good but just as noisy as the RSA's. I plan to replace the two more worn ones with Hankook Ventus's or Optimos, putting them on the back. Can I expect them to be quieter? Anyone feel mixing the brands is a problem?
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    What are the size and ratings (e.g. V-rated) of your Pilots and the Hankooks? Differences here may mean different handling and other driving characteristics. Sticking to the same type of tire makes the drive more consistent (that is, use sporty tires for a sporty ride).

    Are either the Pilots or Hankooks unidirectional (that is you cannot rotate them in a cross pattern only in a front to back and vice versa)?

    I plan to replace the two more worn ones with Hankook Ventus's or Optimos, putting them on the back.
    Once you do a tire rotation, they will be on the front. :)
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,348
    I've been running Pirelli PZero Nero M+S(ultra-high performance all-season) tires on my 2007 MS3(which is putting out @288 bhp since I installed the Mazdaspeed Cold Air Intake). I'm far from a sedate driver yet PZeroes didn't hit the wear bars until I had 28,500 miles on them. Note that I did rotate them every 5,000 miles. Needless to say I replaced them with the same tire(now called the PZero Nero All Season) and-with 54,000 miles on the car-I splurged and also had the car aligned for the first time since I bought it new in July 2007.

    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 just ordered a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS's from TireRack. Excellent user reviews and very high UTQG rating (540 A A)...have to be a LOT better than the Goodyear RSA's...

    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiresB.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeC- ontact+DWS&partnum=05WR7ECDWSXL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Maz- da&autoYear=2007&autoModel=MAZDA3%20s%204-Door&autoModClar=
  • donaldudonaldu Member Posts: 2
    The stock RSA tires on my Mazda 3 are also wearing on the inside edge of the tire after 21k miles. I have read many web site remarks. But my question is - How dangerous is it to drive the car with tires worn on the inside edge?? The rest of the tire looks good with plenty of tread. Looking at cutaway pictures of tires here:

    http://www.goodyear.com/truck/pdf/radialretserv/Retread_S10_V.pdf

    From the pics, it appears the inside edge of a tire has about 50% more rubber thickness than the center of the tire. I mostly just drive 40mph to work, lunch, and dinner with very little freeway driving. Traction is less probably but stopping at 40 mph should not be a problem.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    edited April 2010
    First, the image you are looking at is for a truck tire, and they are quite different than the passenger car tires on your Mazda. Passenger car tires have pretty close to the same amount of rubber across the entire tread face. So if the tire is smooth on one edge, it will not be long before the tire is worn into the steel plies - and once that happens, the next stage is a tread separation, which at best will leave to stranded, and at worse could cause your vehicle to go out of control.

    Second, the source of the problem is the vehicle's alignment. So you need to get that addressed or the problem will continue.

    Third, even if you get the alignment fixed, you can't add rubber back onto the tire, so you are looking at replacing the tires - and pretty soon.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    How dangerous is it to drive the car with tires worn on the inside edge?? The rest of the tire looks good with plenty of tread

    The next time you bring your car in for service have the mechanic look at the tires. Generally speaking, tires are measured in several spots to determine an average depth. If the tires are still good, but wearning unevenly they will recommend an alignment. If the tire wear has exceeded the maximum allowable and the tire is 4/32" or less, you will be encouraged to replace your tires. Not to put a fine point on it: until you replace them, you are putting yourself and others at risk when you drive.

    p.s. Remember to rotate your tires!
  • donaldudonaldu Member Posts: 2
    As the earlier posts have said, the alignment is fine and within Maxda specs. The Mazda 3 just wears tires evenly on the inside edge. The depth of all tread grooves is over a 1/4 inch still. There are not really any grooves to measure on the corner edge of the tire, so how do you know exactly when to replace the tire with this type of wear? It is my guess that the tire will perform just fine for many more miles, but I will probably replace them at 25k. Of courrse I'm sure any tire dealer will tell me they need replacing right now.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    The depth of all tread grooves is over a 1/4 inch still
    1/4 inch works out to 8/32 which is definitely good. Brand new summer tires are typically 10/32 so yours indicate minimal wear. I would keep monitoring and rotating the tires and you should be fine.

    any tire dealer will tell me they need replacing right now
    The way I see it is a good mechanic advises the client, it's up to the client if they follow the advice. My mechanic has been straight with me with his advice and I appreciate his "early warning" of upcoming issues so that I can plan my next step.

    All the best!
  • BMW540BMW540 Member Posts: 33
    My son has 26k on a 2010 hatchback .At 18k 2 tires, Yokohama Avids were replaced due to side bubbles. They were replaced with Yokohama S Drives. They have yet to be rotated as my son does not keep an eye on these things. Took the car to the tire store and they said that the rears are in worse condition than the fronts, ie the mileage so not to rotate them, but not worn out. I do not recall but by not rotating doesn't one end start to cup? What is the solution here? Thanks
    BMW 540
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    If you don't rotate tires, ANY car will eat them up. There's no such thing as a perfect alignment, so you really do need to rotate them to spread out any wear. If the tires are that bad that the tire shop is saying to not rotate them, you may simply want to get new tires and keep up with the rotations. The tire shop I use rotates tires for free if you purchased them there. Hopefully yours does the same
  • eoghan1eoghan1 Member Posts: 58
    I bought 4-used 205/50r17 Michelin Pilot A/S Sport’s to replace the RSA’s. Two are due for replacement. New Pilots are pricey. If I replace two with Hankook Ventus V12 Evos at about half the price of the Pilots will I foul up the handling etc.? I would put the Pilots on the front and wear them out, with the Evos on the rear.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I replaced the 205/50 R17 OEM Eagle RSAs on my Mazda3 after only 714 miles and had Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires mounted in their place. While there are cheaper tires out there, I suggest that you're going to be hard pressed to fine a different tire that lasts as long as the Michelins do on a Mazda3. Why do I say that? Because I have over 32,000 miles on my Pilot Sport A/Ss and based upon the tread wear, I can project that these tires will last an easy fifty to fifty-five thousand miles before I'll need to replace them.

    FWIW, the current buzz is that the new Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires are both less expensive than the Michelins (a set of four can be had from TireRack for less than $500), and offer similar performance; I may take a look at them in a year or two when I need some new skins.

    As for mixing different tires on your car, I did that one time, and never again. While many tires offer similar handling characteristicts and as such are probably acceptable for mixing (i.e a different set on the front versus the rear), in my case the car got so dodgey to handle that it was unsafe even when rolling in a straight line. My advice; don't do it, the life you save may be your own.
  • lorahbeelorahbee Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I know little about cars, tires, etc, so am asking here. Thank you in advance for your assistance. I had a really scary incident recently where I hydroplaned severely in medium to heavy rain on the freeway. I wasn't speeding, either. I have 61,000 miles on my original tires. My car is a 2004 Mazda 3i, four door sedan, with a 2.0L I4 engine. I've heard Michelin Hydroedge are good tires for wet conditions. What size should I buy?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    You should buy the same exact size of tire that is already on your car. Hint: you can look at the sidewall and you'll probably see something that looks like 195/65 R15 or 205/55 R16. The thing is, your car came from the factory with two different sizes so you'll have to go out to yoru car and look at the tires yourself.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited November 2010
    I had a really scary incident recently where I hydroplaned severely in medium to heavy rain on the freeway. ,,, I have 61,000 miles on my original tires. My car is a 2004 Mazda 3i, four door sedan, with a 2.0L I4 engine. I've heard Michelin Hydroedge are good tires for wet conditions

    As these are 6 year old tires with over 60K miles (100K kilometres) it's not surprising that you were hydroplaning; your tires may not have very much tread left on them. It's a wonder that your mechanic has not warned you about tires that are over 5 years old. On the other hand, you've done very well with these tires!

    The Michelins are an excellent tire. The issue with Michelins is price, so you may want to hunt around for a good deal.

    All the best!
  • undecided2009undecided2009 Member Posts: 2
    Little old lady bought 2009 mazda3 hatchback sport. Little old lady wanted to go zoom zoom. Problem is my tires need replacing at 26k !
    I'm trying to find something that won't brake my Social Security payment---. When I go to the tire stores---being a female and a gray haired one, I'm not sure if they are taking me to the cleaners or not.
    I want an all wx--Minnesota wx- with GOOD HANDLING in snow/ice---what do you recommend. I drive mostly freeway--about 20k /yr.
    My tires on my previous Honda's would last for 50-60k. I would have bought another civi---but the seats were very uncomfortable.---not that I'm looking for a rocking chair mind you.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    It sounds like the Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires ($123.00 in the 205/50 R17 size from TireRack.com) is a perfect option for you.
  • undecided2009undecided2009 Member Posts: 2
    How many miles should I be able to expect to get out of the continental extreme ?

    Is there a 50k-60k warrenty ususally with these ?

    How is the road noise on these tires ?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited November 2010
    How many miles? Naturally that depends upon driving environment and such. Currently I'm running a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, tires that have a lower Treadwear Indicator compared to the Continentals; with ~34,000 miles on the tires I'm pretty confident that I'll get 45,000 to 50,000 miles out of them. Assuming the treadwear indicators on the two tires are even remotely consistent, that would imply that the Continentals should be good for at least 50,000 miles.
  • mikie7mikie7 Member Posts: 1
    just want to commiserate. I am also a little old lady with a mazda 3 hatchback. At 21K miles my tires are almost down to the wear bar. I'm ticked. My car will be 2 years old on 12/27. I think that is ridiculous! I'm going to try BJs first. If you have one or a costco, they do a pretty good job. I used to have a BMW 325xi, my ex was a gear head and he had no problem with their tires. Good luck to you!
  • harry_spiderharry_spider Member Posts: 2
    I'm so annoyed about the tire wear issue... When my 2006 Mazda3 needed tires at 20k, I said huh? My old Civic used to get 80k out of a set... Local tire shop said those factory tires weren't up to the "sporty" Mazda3... so I got Yokohama's, and again, they were worn at about 20k... what the heck? the DEALER said "oh, they've worn on the inside, needs alignment..." so I got another set, Goodyear's, higher rating, alignment, more money... and NOW THE THIRD SET IS WORN ON THE INSIDE...

    I had to talk myself blue in the face before the dealer service finally admitted the car is actually DESIGNED like this. They set the angle of the rear tires "for more sporty handling", and this angle (the "camber") can not be adjusted to make the rear tires wear evenly, without using aftermarket parts... which the dealer said they won't pay for.

    It just angers me so much that no one (at the dealer, or at the tire shop) mentioned that the car cannot actually be "aligned", and that spending $100 on "alignment" (without installing non-Mazda parts) has no chance of solving the issue... and that it took 3 years to figure out I'd been had.

    On a new car's window, they put gas mileage, and an approximate fuel cost per year. THIS extra cost sure is a surprise to me; maybe when the engineers knowingly build a car in a manner that will make the customer buy $600 worth of tires every 17-20k, that information should be disclosed.

    I threatened them with lemon law; I asked them to fix the problem, brought it back 3x. I had to go above the dealer to the regional service manager; now Mazda is finally going to cover SOME of the cost of having the aftermarket kit installed.

    This is so completely annoying to me. I'd prefer if Mazda would just be honest and disclose the issue, let people decide what they want to live with. Don't BS me for years about the tires being the problem; don't tell me that spending money on alignment can fix it, when they KNOW it has been designed to wear tires like this.

    At this point, I think I should have gone with a CIVIC, or a Toyota Matrix. Would I be about even in price, by now, I wonder...
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