Tires for the Mazda... slightly used Pirellis or new Nankangs?
 

Sigh... those 17" wheels looked so cool on the Mazda5. But at 30K miles the original Toyo's are almost done. 205 50 17s are expensive! I'm torn between a set of Pirelli P6s from Craigslist with 8/32" of tread remaining (10/32" is new) for around $200 or a new set of Nankgang for around $350.

Costco suggested Michelin Pilots at >$200/tire! :eek:

Can you get the Yokohama Avid TRZ for that size. They are about 100 apiece and have grip like wouldn't believe and 700 tread wear rating. They are what I have on the 944 and I am not disappointed.

I put slightly oversized Kuhmo Ecsta ASX 215/45/17 on our Mazda3 (was originally 205/50/17). They were $91 each from Tirerack, and another $10 or so each mounted locally. They have twice the stick at LEAST as the factory tires.

Don't buy used tires. They are a pig in a poke. They can have internal damage from running over curbs, can be old and hard as rock etc. Tires are the only thing connecting you with the pavement, only a few square inches - money well spent, IMHO.

George

The single biggest thing that influences your handling, ride quality, and safety is your tires. If you can afford a Mazda5, you can afford decent tires. Crap Chinese tires or sketchy used ones should not be an option, unless you are living in poverty. I've bought a lot of used car parts over the years, but tires are one area where I will not skimp.

Check Tire Rack. There's no reason you should have to pay more than $100/tire, and I'm sure they have plenty for less. That is a VERY common size. Check the reviews, they're normally pretty accurate. Trust me, those tires are NOT expensive. Had I gone back to the OEM staggered 18" Michelins I would have paid in the $1400 ballpark. THOSE are expensive tires.

Edit: If they're available in the right size, the Avon Tech M550 A/S tires that Tire Rack sells are excellent, and very cheap. I put them on my 540 and was VERY impressed. The next owner of the car liked them so much that he replaced them with another set when they wore out.

I've got these on my Audi and will put a set on the 911 when the time comes. I know a few other people who have nothing but great things to say about them (especially the price). General "Exclaim" performance tire. http://www.generaltire.com/tires/T1/Exclaim-UHP

These tires are quite the rage over on the M3forums right now. Guys are putting them on the M3 when the stock pilot sports are gone

Nankangs are pretty decent tires....I've had them on my M5 for the past 4k miles. They are substantially cheaper than even the General UHPs.

Not only are the P6 Pirellis crap, they are used! Just get the new tires...

Btw, the elitist attitude of buying "the best tires I can get" because "I want to be as safe as possible" is found on the M5Board too. ;)

Nothing wrong with buying the best tires. You just have to remember, best doesn't always mean most expensive. In fact, normally that is very much not the case.

It's interesting the range of review for P6s. There is a group of folks who describe them as the best tires they've ever owned... and another group describes them as the worst.

Maybe a used set of Nankangs will pop up on Craigslist. They should only cost around $12 for the set! :D

How about Riken Raptors? I understand they are actually made by Michelin. I had a set on my car, they were great.