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Tires for a 2007 Mazda 3

Ryland

Ryland

Platinum Member
I have almost bald 205/50R17's on my Mazda 3 and need new tires before winter hits. Im currently using Michelin Pilot's but was wondering if anybody had experience with any other tires on this car. I am staying far away from the original Goodyear Eagles that were on it.

Edit: I am looking for tires that are decent in the snow but I dont want snow tires.
 
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I can't wait to get my conti DWS. I'm probably getting them right before winter hits or when my stock Eagles hit 25K, which ever comes first.

Side question, not to hijack the thread, what's the typical mechanic cost to mount and balance tires? I'm pricing out tirerack + mechanic vs America's Tire.
 
Sid59 said:
I can't wait to get my conti DWS. I'm probably getting them right before winter hits or when my stock Eagles hit 25K, which ever comes first.

Side question, not to hijack the thread, what's the typical mechanic cost to mount and balance tires? I'm pricing out tirerack + mechanic vs America's Tire.
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It cost me $15/tire to have my Pilot's installed a few years back at the Mazda dealer.

I just called my local dealer and it is now $20/tire for mounting/balancing.
 
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I got the Conti DWS 5000 miles ago for my 2011 Mazda 3. Great so far! Very good wet traction, quiet and I'm very satisfied with dry grip. If they wear like their warranty suggests I'll be looking at running these as long as I've got the car.

Still waiting to see how snow traction is. But considering they are leaps and bounds over my stocks tires in wet they should fair better.
 
saratoga172 said:
I got the Conti DWS 5000 miles ago for my 2011 Mazda 3. Great so far! Very good wet traction, quiet and I'm very satisfied with dry grip. If they wear like their warranty suggests I'll be looking at running these as long as I've got the car.

Still waiting to see how snow traction is. But considering they are leaps and bounds over my stocks tires in wet they should fair better.
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Rubber bands stretched over the rims would be better than the stock tires....
 
JCH13 said:
Mazda sacrifices tire wear for dry performance in my experience. I have gotten about 13-14k out of my MS3 stockers.
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The Eagle's that came with my '3 were utter crap in anything other than perfectly dry pavement which was useless in the north east.
 
Depending which Eagles they were, they were probably summer tires. They're not made for anything other than best performance on dry pavement. You're better off with a set of all seasons. I have no experience with Mazda 3 tires but I'd say go with something inexpensive that has good ratings. Tire rack is a good source for tire reviews, even if you aren't going to buy from them. You can read what others have thought about the tire and they all have a satisfaction rating.
 
This question has been brought up so many times now. But I'll add in my 2c as someone who's had a set of DWS since January 2010.

They're nice tires. I'd highly recommend them for someone looking for good AS tires at a decent price (vs Michelin and Goodyear competitors). They do run a little soft, so I keep the pressure a little higher than the stock tires that were replaced.
I have about 14-15k miles on them and am still very happy w/them.
 
A friend of mine with is going to check with a friend who is a manager at TownFairTire but I will probably end up ordering my tires from Tire Rack and having the mazda dealer install them like I did last time.
 
Ryland said:
The Eagle's that came with my '3 were utter crap in anything other than perfectly dry pavement which was useless in the north east.
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I live in the NE, I use summers and winters, I love having a real performance summer tire for the warm months.
 
Ryland said:
Rubber bands stretched over the rims would be better than the stock tires....
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Mine weren't half bad. They got me through the winter just fine with a few very snowy days. Had to be careful but that goes without saying.

They were loud though and wore very quickly. And I could tell wet grip dropping off after 7-8k miles. That and road noise got louder and louder.
 
JCH13 said:
I live in the NE, I use summers and winters, I love having a real performance summer tire for the warm months.
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I havent had a vehicle that I needed a set of winter tires for but I might get a set next winter depending on how these are.
 
Ryland said:
I havent had a vehicle that I needed a set of winter tires for but I might get a set next winter depending on how these are.
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It is rare to truly need winter tires, one can just stay home the few days a year that there is appreciable snow on the road, and be very careful to avoid ice. I like knowing that I can get just about anywhere I'd ever want to in almost any conditions in the winter. I also like having excellent wet/dry performance in the summer. Thus I have winter wheels/tires and summer wheels/tires and not all-seasons.
 
JCH13 said:
It is rare to truly need winter tires, one can just stay home the few days a year that there is appreciable snow on the road, and be very careful to avoid ice. I like knowing that I can get just about anywhere I'd ever want to in almost any conditions in the winter. I also like having excellent wet/dry performance in the summer. Thus I have winter wheels/tires and summer wheels/tires and not all-seasons.
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I might pick up a set of snowtires/rims next year but have to replace my tires before winter this year since my current set is almost bald.
 
JCH13 said:
If you're going to go that route, you should buy winter tires now.
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And then buy summer tires come spring time. Thats an idea, only problem is that Im not 100% positive I will have the cash to do that even by next winter since Im trying to finish an addition on my house.
 
Ryland said:
And then buy summer tires come spring time. Thats an idea, only problem is that Im not 100% positive I will have the cash to do that even by next winter since Im trying to finish an addition on my house.
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Craigslist is your friend. In NH I can find a couple sets of good winter tires in roughly your size for $200-$300 a set in a few minutes.

FWIW I did a set of 16's for my winter wheels/tires. I got the wheels for $100, four tires for $250 (both from CL), and TPMS for $150 from mazdas247.com, complete winter setup for $600. The tires are going on their 3rd winter and still have lots of tread.
 
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JCH13 said:
Craigslist is your friend. In NH I can find a couple sets of good winter tires in roughly your size for $200-$300 a set in a few minutes.

FWIW I did a set of 16's for my winter wheels/tires. I got the wheels for $100, four tires for $250 (both from CL), and TPMS for $150 from mazdas247.com, complete winter setup for $600. The tires are going on their 3rd winter and still have lots of tread.
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I hadnt thought of that but a quick check shows no snow tires in 205/50r17 but a few in 205/55r16 (which TireRack shows as compatible) for $300+. Why is Tirerack showing their rims as not accepting TPMS's?
 
Ryland said:
I hadnt thought of that but a quick check shows no snow tires in 205/50r17 but a few in 205/55r16 (which TireRack shows as compatible) for $300+. Why is Tirerack showing their rims as not accepting TPMS's?
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I do not think that your car needs them, nor has them. If memory serves model year 2009 and newer cars are required to have them.

Don't forget that other cars' wheels work fine on Mazdas, my winter wheels are from a Hyundai Tiburon.
 
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