Winter Tire Advice for a Noob

[sd11ke]

I recently bought a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport-GS with a 2.5L engine (I’m not sure if this is relevant) and have no idea where to start in terms of getting winter tires (Size? Brand?Cost?). Clearly I’m not a car girl (yet) and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[S.F.W.]

I recently bought a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport-GS with a 2.5L engine (I’m not sure if this is relevant) and have no idea where to start in terms of getting winter tires (Size? Brand?Cost?). Clearly I’m not a car girl (yet) and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

The 2.5L is relevant as it means you need to use at least 16" tires. A 205/55/16 is your best bet.
In terms of cost look at the Mazda packages here http://www.simplytire.com/winterpricing.html
And decide what you can afford.

[Cab0oze]

What he said, but in addition to that, don't just buy the cheapest tire unless that is really all you can afford. Check reviews and try to get ones that actually work. Do some searching on here, there are plenty of topics about winter tire recommendations.

[gotak]

A budget might help. Buying too crappy a tire can end up costing you more if you get into an accident. Generally I recommend people buy the well liked tires from the major brands

Typically tires falls into 2 categories: stud-less, and stud-able. The differences is in general (not always) that the stud-less tires have more narrow groves between blocks. I have found that stud-less tends to be less good on snow. While the tires you can put studs in are usually more built to be a snow tire and do quite well on slush and snow. As the design intends is for the studs to provide ice traction. However, in southern Ontario you can't use studs. That said they aren't bad on ice without studs.

I just put on a pair of the new Conti Wintercontact Si. Better hydroplane resistance than the x-ice 2 I had before. Can't tell you about anything else but the tirerack partial review seems to show they do just as well on an ice rink as the WS80 which stands them in pretty good stance. They are super soft when the temps are above 7C though. The car feels like it's running on rubber bands, steering inputs has a certain lag.

[microtandme]

I recommend looking on kijiji I got 205/45/18 for my sisters Kia for $380 and they have less then a season on them and they're a premium brand too

[Cab0oze]

I recommend looking on kijiji I got 205/45/18 for my sisters Kia for $380 and they have less then a season on them and they're a premium brand too

This is great advice if you know what you're doing. I got my XIce XI2s nearly brand new on alloys for $400. However - if you are a tire noob this can lead to massive problems, and a lot of wasted money if you get the wrong tire, or get tire(s) that have been ruined or are defective and you don't know what to look for. A M3Q member I know got "a steal" on summer tires from kijiji only to find out once he had paid to mount them that they were defective and essentially garbage.

[sd11ke]

I was looking at the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 (they are on sale at Costco this week $530 for the set, so I save around $70). I don't really want to spend more than $600 for the set since I will still need to pay for installation and I want to keep a bit of extra money on hand for any car maintenance costs that may come up.

I am a little worried about buying used ones, since in all honesty I would have no idea how to tell if the tires are "good".

[sp3GT]

^You can always measure the tread. But keep in mind, winter tires below 50% tread are no good.

[bastymn]

Winterforce can be a good option also since they are not pricey. For normal diving needs, you will be ok with these tires.

[Noisy Crow]

Also: recommend you get a set of steelies rather than swapping winter/summer tires on and off of a single set of rims. Long term this will save you money (avoid tire swap and balance cost twice a year) and will be better for your tires (avoid cumulative damage that can occur when they are stretched to fit on the rims)

[sarujo]

I was looking at the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 (they are on sale at Costco this week $530 for the set, so I save around $70). I don't really want to spend more than $600 for the set since I will still need to pay for installation and I want to keep a bit of extra money on hand for any car maintenance costs that may come up.

I am a little worried about buying used ones, since in all honesty I would have no idea how to tell if the tires are "good".

The WS80's are fantastic snow and ice tires - I have them on my car. Make sure you have them inflated properly to that listed on the door sticker (I am at 35PSI for my 16's on my 2010). Also a good idea to get steelies as recommended previously - they usually cost around $50 each

Costco is fine. Another good place if you are in the west end is Tires23

[sd11ke]

The WS80's are fantastic snow and ice tires - I have them on my car. Make sure you have them inflated properly to that listed on the door sticker (I am at 35PSI for my 16's on my 2010). Also a good idea to get steelies as recommended previously - they usually cost around $50 each

Costco is fine. Another good place if you are in the west end is Tires23

Really they are only around $50?? I'm in Richmond Hill area but I'll check out Tires23 and ask for a quote. Thanks!

[S.F.W.]

Really they are only around $50?? I'm in Richmond Hill area but I'll check out Tires23 and ask for a quote. Thanks!

$50 per wheel.
You can also check simply Tire is likely closer.

[jl_1978]

You should definitely get steel rims. As mentioned, it'll save you money in the long run. I change my tires myself each season, so I spent a bit more and got aluminum rims because they look better and are a bit easier to change (lighter, easier to grip).
Also, if your summer wheels are 17" or larger, if you get rims, you can downsize to 16" which means your winter tires will be cheaper.

[sd11ke]

Looking at a set of used toyo tires on kijiji, does anyone know if 205/55 R16 94T will fit my car??

[S.F.W.]

Looking at a set of used toyo tires on kijiji, does anyone know if 205/55 R16 94T will fit my car??

The tires will fit fine. Are wheels part of the package or are you putting them on your stock wheels ?

[sd11ke]

yea, the guy said they come with alloy wheels... but those ones are nicer than the stock wheels I have now, so I might consider swapping them if possible. Still not 100% sure if I want these Toyo GSi-5 tires or the Blizzak WS80s.

[S.F.W.]

yea, the guy said they come with alloy wheels... but those ones are nicer than the stock wheels I have now, so I might consider swapping them if possible. Still not 100% sure if I want these Toyo GSi-5 tires or the Blizzak WS80s.

I would suggest getting the specs of the wheels. The tires may be the correct size, does not mean the wheels are the right bolt pattern or offset.

[unknown]

I've got the ws80s on steel wheels(seemed nice to have the extra weight last year) and they're great. But probably overkill if on a budget. I got them new as I haven't a clue what to look for and it was just easier in terms of time.

[Telomain]

I am in the same situation- recently bought my first car, 2011 GX and now I need to buy a winter tire. All I know my tire size are 205/55R16 Alloy.

I want to buy both tire and rims. Should I downgrade to smaller size? I read somewhere its better to downgrade to 195/65 R15 for winter size

[kimy27]

I got a set of winter tire in Costco.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 (205-55-R16)

I think it is really good winter tire.

[Telomain]

I got a set of winter tire in Costco.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 (205-55-R16)

I think it is really good winter tire.

Does Costco sell Tires on the Wheel or I should buy it separately? I checked their website but I am not sure if these prices are only for one tire or a set of tire

[Jackal]

^^ Check out Simply Tire
http://www.simplytire.com/products.html

[sd11ke]

I ended up buying the blizzak ws80 tires at costco this weekend! sadly they do not come with wheels but if you bring wheels they will install them on the new tires for you... but I just tossed them on my current wheels because I am going to buy new ones for my summer tires anyways. It ended up coming to around $650 for the set and installation. In the end costco's tire warranty won out and the fact that their installation fee also includes other benefits (tire lifetime flat repair and other things I can't remember)

[sd11ke]

Does Costco sell Tires on the Wheel or I should buy it separately? I checked their website but I am not sure if these prices are only for one tire or a set of tire

woops I posted a response to you but forgot to quote you