Snow specific or all season for MS3

[mc866]

So I got a pretty good deal on my ms3, at least I would like to think so, but the tires are shot and old man winter is coming, what is the best option for the speed3, is anyone running all seasons on the stock wheels?

I got a reasonable quote for some 16" steelies and winter tires but I also need to replace the oem's and the wife isn't in favor of two sets of wheels/tires at this point. I'm like what's wrong honey, I can't get a car AND spend $2200 on two sets of tires and a set of wheels????

For all season's I was looking at the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S PINNA, anyone have any experience with these?

 

[Workdawg]

I think most of the MS3 owners here have 2 sets of wheels. I bought my car in April, so I haven't had it through a winter yet, but I bought some 2001 17" Mazda MP3 wheels for cheap and put some Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3Ds on them.

The wheels were about 180 and the tires another 600 mounted and balanced.

 

[keke]

Go with winter tires, you won't regret it. Steelies are going to be nice and cheap. They get the job done.

 

[LASERBLUE135]

having done 2 winters in all season tires I can tell you it is a HUGE advantage to get snow tires. the difference is soooo big I can't even tell you. All season tires are scary. For years and years I lived in northern wisconsin and drove fine with all season tires on my cars, never even considered snow tires. Then I got my msp and let me tell you that low profile all season tires are not made to be driven in winter. The day I bought my car brand new I traded in the stock summer tires for all seasons thinking that I'd be fine in the winter. I made it thru 2 winters by "survival mode luck" is all I can say. Got stuck many times, skiding/sliding all over the place. The last 2 winters I've driven with just the FRONT wheels in snow tires even though I had bought 4 wheel/tires. This is not recomended but I found it perfectly fine and litterally 10 times better than an all season setup. Words just can not define the difference. I drive the car every day of the year and even the worst icy days, the biggest snow days, this car was a tank! Clawing past everything you could throw at it. This year i'm finally biting the bullet and putting on all 4 as snow tires and i believe that it will even be better. This should help with turning which has been my only problen the last 2 winters (the car wouldn't turn as tight as I wanted), but goiing straight should be no different.

GET SNOW TIRES. It is insane not to, just pure stupidity. Today's low profile all season tires are not like the regular all season tires of yesterday. Manufacturers make them very hard and sticky to get the magazines to give them the performance testing numbers so people will buy them. They don't even consider snow when making those tires.

Again, I plead with you to get the snow tires. Not doing so could very easily cost you your insurance deductable or much worse.

 

[YSOSLO]

tirerack.com has reviews of all of their tires posted by the individuals that have purchased them and you can sort by car manufacturer and model to help see what other Mazda or 3, even MS3 owners thought of the different tires. I had Blizzaks on my '99 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS and it felt like the car would drive up a tree if I pointed it at one. With a 2-wheel drive the fronts are obviously the most important, but having all 4 wheels wrapped in winter rubber will help a lot. Granted, MN winters have been pretty wimpy for the last 5 years or so, and most of the time the roads are so heavily salted and sanded that there's basically dry anyway, but if you're concerned, then snow tires definitely can't hurt.

 

[Big Nate]

well I am not sure I share his enthusiasm. Snow tires are nice they are not a must. If you don't have the funds then just roll with what you can till you have the funds. I went through all last winter with parada spec 2's witch are summer only high performance tires. Granted I have AWD it is just as much of a drive to your conditions kinda thing. This year I have Goodyear Eagle GT all seasons and would expect to be just fine. On ice all tires are the same, Pure shit, in the snow is the only time you may notice. But i guess i am just a cheap ass.

 

[YSOSLO]

I agree with Nate on the statement that snowtires aren't a must have item, so don't go charging up your credit card for them if you can't afford to, but I'll have to respectfully disagree on the statement that all tires are shit on ice. I drove through Nebraska the morning after an ice storm and while the Jeep Cherokee driving 15 mph in front of me wiped out when a little gust of wind came along, once he was out of my way I was flying down the road at 60 mph without the slightest slip of a tire (yeah I was an idiot to be driving like that, but the Blizzaks felt so connected to the road that it never crossed my mind that I shouldn't be going as fast as I was). Granted, there was some snow blown across the highway so it wasn't glare ice so that makes a difference, but there's no way regular tires would have performed the same. The key is the siping of the tires, which are the little cuts in the tread blocks. Some tire places will cust sipes into your regular tires too, which would be a lot cheaper than all new tires if you have some spare or cheaper all season tires around.

 

[dmention7]

Yeah, my 2 cents is that all seasons are fine on cars that use a higher profile tire (>50 series). We have the cheapest tires we could find on our ford focus, and it plows through the snow easily as well as my MSP on blizzaks (granted they were pretty worn). Same with my first 2 cars.... a mercury tracer (70 series tires, IIRC) on crappy all seasons was far superior to my escort gt (45 series) on more expensive all-seasons.

Bottom line, I don't think you're going to be too impressed with even spendy all-seasons wrapped around 18" wheels. For the money, you would almost be better getting some cheap all-seasons on 16" steelies.

 

[2BAR4WS]

well I am not sure I share his enthusiasm. Snow tires are nice they are not a must. If you don't have the funds then just roll with what you can till you have the funds.

I said the same thing last year....




Untill I crashed my car because of it:signs066:




The difference in FWD cars with winter tires vs all-seasons is a night and day difference. You can get away with all seasons a lot better with AWD, but FWD suffers a much worse fate.

With a 2-wheel drive the fronts are obviously the most important, but having all 4 wheels wrapped in winter rubber will help a lot

You will notice if you dont have the backs wrapped in snpw tires too. I got away with cheapo all seasons on the back for a little while, but before too long the ass end started sliding everywhere:bling:




With how light the winters have been the past few years, you might still be able to get away with all seasons. I still may try to myself this year. Id still reccomend the snow tires, since it's always better to be safe than sorry.

 

[DrWebster]

I went through the same dilemma when I replaced my tires last year. I decided that snow tires weren't worth it for me, as there are only so many days in the metro area per year when we get snow and the roads haven't been plowed/salted yet. I picked up a set of excellent all-seasons, Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S's, that were rated on Tire Rack as being best in their class and very god at handling snow for their class. Yes, they were spendy (about $180/tire), but I ended up saving money as I didn't have to buy another set of wheels and tires too. YMMV, of course, and it also depends on your commute and driving habits.

 

[LASERBLUE135]

So far I've bought 2 sets of snow tires AND rims (4 tire/rims EACH) for less than $200. Start searching now, you'll probly find some cheap ones.

 

[dmention7]

Good point. If you're looking to lower the cost of entry to snow tires, a used and partially worn set already mounted on steelies is a good way to go. They will get you through a winter or two, and delay having to make a more expensive purchase.

The only downside with the MS3 is that not all 16" steelies are going to fit, so you might have to try a couple sets before you find one that works.

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

Also, keep in mind that you won't have to replace either set of tires as frequently as a single set of tires, so the long run cost is little different.

 

[mc866]

Good points guys, I've had experience with both, snow tires and all seasons that is on my previous two cars, but both were AWD.

I had a set of snows for my 99 RS and they worked great, on my 330XI I went with the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S's, but again both these cars were AWD which helps.

After talking with the wife all season look like the way that makes more sense for us financially. Do the 17" wheels from the mazda 6 fit on the ms3?

 

[dmention7]

Do the 17" wheels from the mazda 6 fit on the ms3?

Yep!

 

[mc866]

How about the RX8?

 

[Slim]

RX8 wheels fit.

I roll all-seasons with a great snow rating (tirerack) on my stock wheels in winter. Continental ContiExtremeContacts 225/45R18. They worked great for me in the snow as they have a deep tread and pattern that grips well. Not as good as a true snow tire, but a nice compromise. Oh and they were only $118/tire. I also wrote a review in the reviews section here.

 

[dmention7]

How about the RX8?

They will fit, but they are wider than the stock MS3 wheels. Wider generally means you end up with a lower profile sidewall (even with the same size tire), which is a negative in the snow. If you're looking for new wheels anyways, I'd go smaller, since they will generally be cheaper, use cheaper tires, and use a taller sidewall.