Mazda3Club.com : The Original Mazda3 Forum - Rishie's FITMENT RECIPE (IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHEELS, READ THIS THREAD FIRST)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkay816 (Post 410716)

I have a 2008 mazda 3 sport package, 17"wheels. This car can't be driven in any amount of snow. I nearly killed myself 75 times last winter. Tires have 0 traction. Also, they are wearing out at 10,000 miles and are far too expensive to keep replacing!!
Any suggestion on how I can fix these two problems? Smaller wheels? Better year round tires?
I don't really care how it looks anymore, I need the damn thing to function as a car.
Please help!

depending on where you live, winter tires may or may not be a good option. if you do get harsh winters regularly, it would be beneficial to invest in a set of steel wheels and winter tires. narrower and higher profile tires will generally drive better in the snow vs. wide low profile tires. the tread on winter tires are generally designed for snow and studded tires give you better traction on ice. keeping a set of winter tires mounted on steel wheels in the garage may be a hassle but when winter hits all you have to do is take off the regular wheels and bolt on the winter wheels. you could even buy a used set of 16" mazda wheels from someone if you don't like the look of the steelies. however if winters are mild and you do not regularly get large amounts of inclimate weather, winter tires may be over the top. in that case a good set of all-season tires would be fine.

most tuner shops stock summer perfomance tires and manufacturers do not recommend usage in near freezing temperatures (below 35 F). winter tires are usually made from a softer compound so they provide enough give for the cold weather where as a summer tire is usually pretty stiff. your national tire chains are more likely to carry all-seasons because most customers in passenger vehicles will never need anything else. look for M+S rating, although ive owned a few sets of all-seasons that are not marked as so. recommending a good set is very iffy. tire rack has customer reviews so you can get an idea of how a tire performs but your mileage will vary. all-seasons tend to sacrifice a bit of dry grip for more well rounded performance but winter traction isn't its strong point. summer tires are designed for grip and high heat.

regular tire maintenance is important too. rotation at recommended intervals (ex. if you change your oil at 3000 miles do a rotation every other oil change), alignment at least once a year. a lot of times if you pay for a rotation at the national chains they include free realignments for the year, so stop in twice a year to take advantage of it. keep tires at recommended pressure (always check and fill air on a cold tire -- one that has sat overnight or stopped driving for at least 4 hours). all this will help keep the tires from wearing out prematurely. of course driving habits are the most important way to save tires. goes without saying that slow and cautious driving will keep your tires lasting longer and you'll get an added fuel savings as well.

finally some tires that have done well for me in the past are falken ze-512 and kuhmo ecsta ast. but like i said recommending tires is iffy because its also somewhat of a subjective task. hope this helps, winter is around the corner.