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Mazda5 Winter Snow Tires

sandymcsandymc Member Posts: 3
Hi, I am new to this forum and I am trying to decide what brand of snow tires to buy. I plan on getting the rims from a Mazda dealership. They are trying to sell me tires from Sweden but I think they are Finnish, maybe Nokian Hakkapeliitta. I could be wrong and they are from Sweden. Love Tire Rack prices but to import them to Canada I woud have to pay duty as they are not made in US, I don't know if this is an option. I would very much appreciate any help anyone can give me. Thanks, Sandy

Comments

  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    hey ya
    I bought the hakka's the RSi though and love them. I have used them for 4 years. I have never been stuck ever. I was in Ottawa when I got mine think it was performance mazda but not 100% sure of the name and they purchased a container load themselves so the cost was very reasonable.
  • dona83dona83 Member Posts: 67
    Could be GIslaved? Although they may be Swedish, I'm not sure, great tires though. How much for the set?
  • sandymcsandymc Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for input. I have found out:
    1. Not all Mazda Dealers carry the same tires.
    2. Dealership where I bought the car sell Gislaved Nord 5 for
    $888. plus tax.
    3. Tires23 same tire as Dealership would have been $830 including tax and after market rims made specifically for Mazda. They were out of stock.
    4. Tire23 has Sepert for $700 and Hankook for 770. Both include taxes. They said the Hankook is a better tire.
    Does anyone have Hankook? If so can you let me know what you think of them.
    .
    So far I have been doing o.k. without snow tires. (city driving)
    Thanks
  • larry8061larry8061 Member Posts: 37
    You can't buy better snow tires than the Hakks (check out which model). I couldn't get them last year and went with the Gslavs which are adequete in the snow. They do corner really really well though.

    Good luck,

    Larry
  • castg1castg1 Member Posts: 34
    I got the hankook winter I-pike on my MZ5 2006GT.. Winter was coming and I had to get the steelies too from the dealership, so I went for the price. If you are doing ok without snow tires, any brand of winter tires will make a big difference.

    I think it is difficult to compare. Once you have picked a winter tire, it will last you at least 4 winters.. This is my 4th winter with the Hankook. The tread is still far from the 'replace this' markers. I would have wanted it to wear soon so I can ' try out the other 'more top of the brands' type of winter tires.

    Note: When the hankook was newly installed, it did not have that much grip until
    I had drivern it some km. They say it is true also with other tires. Or maybe I have adjusted my driving style to the tire.
  • 412scott412scott Member Posts: 3
    anyone tried these on the Mazda5? I've found great reviews for the tire itself, but not on the Mazda. Need to buy winter tires soon - live in Pittsburgh, have a 3 year old, and want the safest tire possible. Yokohama seems to be what the local tire places have in stock (205/50/17's)
  • fiveandfivefiveandfive Member Posts: 4
    I have the Yokohama's, and like them alot...
  • scj1scj1 Member Posts: 2
    I have been very happy with the General Altimax Arctic snow tires on my two Mazda's. Last I checked, Consumer Reports placed them as second best. Also, various snow tire forums rate them very well (I have a subscription but don't always trust CR). The Arctic's last long and run quiet on pavement, and they tend to be one of the least expensive snow tires available.
    As mentioned on many tire company websites (e.g. Tire Rack), I also recommend downsizing to a narrower size for snow tires. For my 2005 Mazda3 and my 2012 Mazda5 GT, I purchased new dedicated alloys and snow tires for winter. The size is 205/55/16 and these are better in snow than the GT stock 205/50/17s because they are narrower. Wider tires more so float on snow, while narrower tires are better to cut through the snow.
    FYI - I live in Maine and the Stability/Traction Control on the 2012 Mazda5 GT is awesome. The tires don't spin at all in snow.
  • 412scott412scott Member Posts: 3
    Turns out winter never really showed up in Pittsburgh, so I can't say much about the Yokohama's I did purchase. I do, though, need to get them off my car now and put on better all weather tires ASAP! :shades:
  • mazdarx75mazdarx75 Member Posts: 1
    I live in the most northern major city in Canada - Edmonton and we got 14 inches of snow in one day this Nov 2012. Good thing the wheels I ordered from Tirerack came in just days before the snow storm. I ordered the Enkie 17x8 rimms with General Altimax Artic winter tires 225/45/17 I was considering smaller for better traction 205/55/16 on 16x7 rimms but the 17x8's I bought was on sale, so I went for the looks instead. No regrets, the wider tires looks great and handles good in snow, ice and slush. Stopping and cornering is excellent. Acceleration on ice is a bit tricky due to lack of traction control. Any winter tire is better than the best All season tire and is a good investment. I have Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice for my RX7, Bridgestone Blizzak for my Jeep and now General Altimax for the Mazda5. They all work good in winter but the Blazzak is the best one I have used so far.
  • strazmadazstrazmadaz Member Posts: 1
    don't want 17 205 for winter. 175 70 14 just perfect for deep snow in canada. need to find a mazda with 14' rims to swap with. most if not all mazdas are 5 bolt ,4.5 high positive off set. any idea which model had 14" rims thanks.
  • davichodavicho Member Posts: 190
    14" wheels will NOT fir your Mazda5. They are way to small. The smallest you can go is 16" wheels in order to clear the brake calipers.
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