I need new tires

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Good evening,

My 205/65-16 Michelin MXV8 Energy tires on my 2011 Mazda6i Sport are at 4/32" and after last nights snowstorm I realized how awful the traction is in 2" snow and wet roads. I have noticed the traction has gotten really bad when starting out from a sloped hill if the road is wet and I feather the clutch to get started. I am looking to replace them soon before winter rears its ugly head.

I am looking for an all-season tire. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Available Tires

I like the Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires but they don't have higher speed rated (the only available are rated T and my tires are H).

Tiger Paws

I am partial to Uniroyal and BF Goodrich but unfortunately the 205/65-16 tires are only made by a handful of manufacturers.

Any suggestions? Thank you.
 
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You're kind of limited with that tire size for all season traction. If snow traction is a major concern, I'd bite the bullet and get the Michelin Primacy MX4.
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
You're kind of limited with that tire size for all season traction. If snow traction is a major concern, I'd bite the bullet and get the Michelin Primacy MX4.


+1 They are great tires and the best in snow that I've ever had a set of all-seasons perform.
 
I am a big Michelin fan myself, but last year, we put a set of Conti ExtremeContact DWS on my niece's Infiniti G35. They have been great tires. She got around fine last winter (though not a lot of snow here) and they are wearing great. I think they are Z rated. I though they were reasonably priced for what they were.

OOPS. Looks like they're not available in your size. I should have checked first.
 
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If you're looking for inexpensive A/S tires, check out the Cooper CS4 or General Altimax.
You are right in that there isn't a lot of selection in this somewhat oddball size.
I'm not sure that the Michelin Energy Saver would be very good in winter conditions, but then the MXV8 isn't either.
 
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
My vote goes for the Cooper CS4 tires.



Coopers are a good choice...


So are the tiger paws. T rated should be fine, unless you race the 6....
 
I couldn't find Cooper CS4 in my size. I don't believe Cooper makes them.

daves87rs, I meant to ask folks opinion on putting lower speed rated tires on my car. T rated are good for 118mph and H are rated 130mph. Is this difference negligible?

I did some research and some sources say higher speed rated tires are also better handling due to stiffer sidewalls and such. Does anyone think it is a BAD idea to put the T rated Tiger Paws on? The Tiger Paws are really great tires which has me leaning in that direction.
 
Originally Posted By: GMFan
I couldn't find Cooper CS4 in my size. I don't believe Cooper makes them.

daves87rs, I meant to ask folks opinion on putting lower speed rated tires on my car. T rated are good for 118mph and H are rated 130mph. Is this difference negligible?

I did some research and some sources say higher speed rated tires are also better handling due to stiffer sidewalls and such. Does anyone think it is a BAD idea to put the T rated Tiger Paws on? The Tiger Paws are really great tires which has me leaning in that direction.


Depends on what CR says, but I'm thinking with a 65 sidewall would be better than say, a 40 sidewall. There is a bit more meat on those tires...Heck, I think a Cruze runs a 65 sidewall, and GM lets it run anywhere from S to V rated tires. I would think it might give you a slightly softer ride, but unless you plan to really "run" it, I can't see a T rated tire hurting you there....Uniroyals tend to be the softer running tires in the big M's family anyways...

I would consider Tiger Paws for mine, but they are quite hard to find, or too pricey to ship. May head up to some BFGs myself.....
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
You're kind of limited with that tire size for all season traction. If snow traction is a major concern, I'd bite the bullet and get the Michelin Primacy MX4.
MXV4, right? I agree.

On the other hand, the cheapest snow tires you can find are much safer on snow and ice than the best so-called all season tires out there. I choose studless snows.
 
Originally Posted By: GMFan
daves87rs, I meant to ask folks opinion on putting lower speed rated tires on my car. T rated are good for 118mph and H are rated 130mph. Is this difference negligible?


It's not the top speed, it's the tire construction. An H-rated tire will have better construction than a T-rated tire. H-rated tires (and above) generally have additional cap plies that reduce the tire's failure rate in service. H-rated tires in general will offer better structural integrity. Many people only buy H-rated tires and above, for the safety aspect, and I think that's a good policy in general. Especially if your car originally came with H-rated tires, and there are GOOD H-rated tires available for your car, it's a no-brainer to me.

(Plus, many shops won't downgrade tires for you, even upon request. This is dependent on the actual shop, though, so you may see varying policies on that.)

Either way, I think it's a moot point because you have some decent choices in your size and speed rating:

Continental PureContact EcoPlus ($111)
Firestone Affinity Touring ($111)
Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum ($95)
Kumho Solus KH16 ($97)
Michelin Primacy MXV4 ($135)

With the possible exception of the new (and relatively untested Continental), the Michelin will be your best choice of those...but they're all good tires with proven track records.
 
Of the tires that Hokiefyd recommends, I think Michelin Primacy MXV4 is the best if price is no problem, otherwise Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum at $95 is the best value.
 
Continental PureContact, $111/tire on TireRack.

Friend had them on his 2012 Prius. Excellent handling for an all-season, great steering response and good tracking - which are important attributes for highway commuters.

The Energy Saver A/S will get hard during cold temperatures, even in 50F temps. Don't ask me how I know this...
 
Originally Posted By: pbm
I'd get the Hankook 727s for $95 apiece.


I put these on the Wife's 09 Subaru and we've been very happy with them! No snow yet but based on what I've read, they do quite well in snow. I have General Altimax on my BMW and another car we have and I was very pleased with it, except for in snow. It's outstanding in rain and in dry conditions but I felt it was only fair in snow.
 
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