New Tires for 2014 Mazda 6 - my research...

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So, I like to stick with TR for our tire purchases, and have been very satisfied so far.

Wife's 2014 Mazda 6 has 35k miles right now, and the OE Dunlops (summers) are terrible in wet weather and wife complained several times how bad they hyrdoplane, and overall bad in rain. Dry weather performance is good. I have had horrible experiences with them in rain, so I can confirm wife's info.

Anyway, before winter starts, I am thinking of replacing them with a good A/S tire (Don't need TOP of the line, but want "good" bang for the buck).

Due to the weird size, not many available but one of the new tires that I have been very interested in / been curious about, General GMax AS03 is one them
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So, I thought I'd post all A/S choices for this car on TR, and then post a direct TR survey comparo of the OE (Current) Dunlops VS the Gmax below:

FIRST, THE 7 CHOICES (A/S). (2 pics):





NOW the OE Dunlop Survey VS the GMax:
(Pay attn to wet weather performance differences)

DUNLOP:



GMAX:


The Gmax, with a smaller price, beats the Dunlops out of the water, at least according to the surveys, IMO. I am very inclined to go with them.

2 more pics of Gmax tests vs some other tires:
(GMax is RED on the 1st test, BLUE in 2nd test)



Should I go with the Gmax AS03 ?
 
Given those options, and in the NC climate, I would go with the G-MAX. Looking at that tread pattern, they should be exceptional in the wet.

If you go that way, let us know how you like them!
 
I kind of like the Kumhos here. I suspect that those Generals will become loud and rough after some miles on them. They have large and rigid tread blocks without a lot of siping. They're also directional, meaning that you can't cross-rotate them (which generally increased wear-induced noise).

The Generals are the cheapest by far, and this is a new tire with (inflated) new tire pricing. The price will come down over time to what they're probably really worth. I'm not saying that they're a bad tire, but I suspect that you get what you pay for. These Generals present too many disadvantages to suit me.
 
I dont have a Mazda 6, but I did have a Volvo S40, and when the totally for [censored] Michelins gave way, I got a set of Yokos and ADORED them, they are now my go to tire on all my cars: They offer the comfort of the Michelins, and the liveliness of a far more 'Summer only' tire, truly the best of both worlds. Every Yoko model is like this, so get the one that you fancy.
 
From everything I've read, the Pilot Sport A/S 3 is a game changer in that segment and is head and shoulders above all of the other choices.
 
Any reason you're tied to Tirerack? Discount Tire Direct has the Yokohama YK580 in your size which seems like a good match. These Yokos also have a $60 rebate. Otherwise, given your options, I'd wait for a $70 rebate on the Pilot Sport A/S 3 which by all reports/reviews I've read, reflect what The Critic said; it's heads above other tires and perfectly warrants the higher cost.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
From everything I've read, the Pilot Sport A/S 3 is a game changer in that segment and is head and shoulders above all of the other choices.

I just put AS3s on my 2007 Mazda3 and can't recoomend them strongly enough. I heard the tipping point is snow, in which the Continental DWS would be your top pick for an all-season.
 
I replaced the Goodyear LS2s on my 200 with AS3s and am very satisfied with them. The wet and dry performance is outstanding and the winter performance is acceptable, considerably better than the LS2s.
 
Well, they are also Z-rated tires in case TBird wife's car has runaway acceleration!!

Why are you shopping for z-rated tires?
 
Michelin A/S!
As for Kumho's LX. Got them when I bought CC used. Brand new on a car.
Do not touch them even with remote control!
Lasted 12K, after 5K will behave in the wet like Dunlop's after 35K, but they will still look new.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
From everything I've read, the Pilot Sport A/S 3 is a game changer in that segment and is head and shoulders above all of the other choices.


Ditto.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Well, they are also Z-rated tires in case TBird wife's car has runaway acceleration!!

Why are you shopping for z-rated tires?

I am not - I just searched for tires by tire size and vehicle model and that's what came up. I don't care what rating it is, ALA it's not below recommended.
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About the Michelin A/S 3:
I am sure they're superior tires to Gmax and all else, and I've heard nothing else, really.

But what I am wondering is, are they $300 better than the Gmax? I didn't want to get the top or the bottom tire in the pack, but go with something mid-range or upper middle range; although the Gmax has a bottom range price, I have read on several car forums that they perform like a much higher priced tire - i guess that's why I was drwan to them. From the TR tests that I posted, (NOT the consumer survey, but the TESTS with the bar graphs) looks like they beat some of the other tires that were priced higher than them.

Any thoughts on THAT angle?

Wife is NOT looking for extraordinary handling; just wants a safe, dependable tire that especially has good wet weather performance and decent tread life.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Well, they are also Z-rated tires in case TBird wife's car has runaway acceleration!!

Why are you shopping for z-rated tires?

I am not - I just searched for tires by tire size and vehicle model and that's what came up. I don't care what rating it is, ALA it's not below recommended.


They look like W rated tires. Mazda didn't do you any favors putting W rated tires on from the factory. You're not going to get many options that aren't performance oriented.

Out of the options you posted the only tire that is a grand touring tire and not some sort of high performance model is the Kumho.

General makes good tires and I've been satisfied with the 2 sets that I've had in the past. Personal preference and AWD dictates that I steer clear of directional tires though.
 
I know that the Cooper Zeon RS-A gets slammed for its country of origin, but I run that tire year round on my son's X3 and I also use it as the winter tire on my MS3. Great tire.
 
For the price, I'd be tempted to go with the Generals, but I try to avoid direction tires in general. Some cars I've owned don't have an issue with them but some tend to wear tires in a way that if I can't cross rotate, they get incredibly loud over time due to the wear patterns.

I think generally Yoko's are good tires, but I had a terrible experience with one of their performance tires in the past and I can't quite forget/forgive it. My wife would kill me if I bought another set and they didn't turn out perfectly. She hated the tires as well.

The Michelin's would really tempt me if I were in your shoes. If you're willing to try directional s, I'd go with the Generals.
 
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