Guys - I'm sick of the factory wheel/tire size (P205/50R17) our 2009 Mazda 5 came with. The great handling does not make up for the harsh ride, extra wear and tear on the suspension and steering components, and not being able to do a quick visual check of tire pressure. I actually prefer the winter tires - P205/55R16s on steel wheels. (Outer diameter and circumference are so close that there's no significant speedometer/odometer error.)
With that in mind, I bought four used Mazda 16" alloy wheels today, and plan to buy new all-seasons or 3-season tires for them. I'll continue to use the 16" steelies with the Nokians for the winter.
What brands and/or specific tire lines do you recommend? Bear in mind these tires will be used Spring/Summer/Fall only.
I've had several sets of defective Goodyears (separated belts) over the last 25 years or so, so they wouldn't be my first choice. We also had a bad set of Michelin winter tires (again, separated belts) c. 2001. The Nokian winter tires have been excellent. Presently we have Uniroyal Tiger Paws on the 17" alloys. They've been OK, but I probably would like them better if they didn't have such a short sidewall. That is, I might really like the same tire in 55-series.
We put about 20K km on the car annually. We typically drive at the speed limit, so no more than 110 kph here and 75 MPH on the interstates in ND and Minnesota. A lot of our local city roads are badly potholed.
Thanks in advance!
With that in mind, I bought four used Mazda 16" alloy wheels today, and plan to buy new all-seasons or 3-season tires for them. I'll continue to use the 16" steelies with the Nokians for the winter.
What brands and/or specific tire lines do you recommend? Bear in mind these tires will be used Spring/Summer/Fall only.
I've had several sets of defective Goodyears (separated belts) over the last 25 years or so, so they wouldn't be my first choice. We also had a bad set of Michelin winter tires (again, separated belts) c. 2001. The Nokian winter tires have been excellent. Presently we have Uniroyal Tiger Paws on the 17" alloys. They've been OK, but I probably would like them better if they didn't have such a short sidewall. That is, I might really like the same tire in 55-series.
We put about 20K km on the car annually. We typically drive at the speed limit, so no more than 110 kph here and 75 MPH on the interstates in ND and Minnesota. A lot of our local city roads are badly potholed.
Thanks in advance!