Mazda 3 Tires

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 30, 2012

These tires were on my car and slightly used when I purchased it a year ago. About 12,000+ miles I've added. Dry traction is very good. My 95M Miata handles extremely well with these. Dry traction is very good. These tires loosen up quite a bit when wet. Actually just loose enough to make wet road driving alot of fun at about the speed limit on spirited scenic drives. If your up for that. They reject hydroplaning rather well. Was forced to drive all winter with these in nothern WV. They performed better than expected in the snow on a rear wheel drive vehicle, but you better be a good driver to avoid getting stuck. However, even my spouse could handle snow under 1 inch and plowed roads. We did burn up our rear tires in >3 mild months of winter, we contend with many hills to climb. And we did climb them in the snow with these tires all winter. I'd reconsider using these if being used on a true performance vehicle with muscle. My stock 95M Miata can spin them at will and powerslide with mildly spirited driving if just a little wet. Fun for me, but dangerous at higher speeds/horsepower. These are one of the very few all-season tires available for the stock 95M Miata BBS rims. 195/50 15. Upon an inspection today I did find an outward bulge the one of my sidwalls about 2" in diameter. QC may be an issue? Overall for the price, I'm quite pleased with the performance of these tires. Can't completely say how much of it is the car and how much is the tire. But these tires are giving me exactly what I expect from my Miata and I can afford to burn them up having a little having fun. Also, they look good enough. I'm buying 2 more rear tires. Zoom-Zoom

Note: these are directional tires

Dry Traction = very good+
Wet traction = ok, safe at moderate speeds, good highway, easily pushed to fun limit
Snow traction = just good enough
Hydroplaning rejection = very good
Braking = good

Initial Review, 1,200 Miles on Tires
May 05, 2012

I bought this tire for one reason, dry traction, and it has unbelievable stick. I have yet to break this tire loose from the pavement unless there was gravel/sand present on the roadway. I've been upgrading my tires over the last several purchases one pair at a time, replacing only the fronts with stickier rubber and moving the old set to the rear. My car is front wheel drive and doesn't have much horsepower but the suspension and chassis are built for the twisties. I have taken sharp right handers and broken the rear loose with BFG KDW's while the Kuhmo XS didn't even get fazed in the front. One of my favorite loops (banked merging ramp) I could exit no higher than 56 with the KDW's before the front would scrub and understeer. With the Kuhmos, I've attained 63 with no tire scrub and the speed is limited by my lack of horsepower, not traction.

I didn't rate the ride comfort or noise level of the tire because, frankly, if that matters, you probably shouldn't be looking to purchase this tire. I also have not had to drive on them in the rain yet but when I do I'll be taking it easy as it isn't rated for wet use. It is purpose built for dry traction and doesn't disappoint. Traction is great when they're cold and amazing once they're warmed up. Looking forward to testing them at the track.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
May 08, 2012

CRAP - horrible treadwear! The developed a defect (uneven treadwear) on 2 of the 4 tires that were stored in a heated garage all winter............I will never buy a tire from this manufacture ever again! Always drove Michelin, you pay for what you get in life! OE tires are usually not that good with soft compounds, this is the worst OE tire I have ever had in my life (I flip cars every 2 years)! Stay away from these!!! CRAP!

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
May 04, 2012

This is my 3rd set of tires for my Miata and they were by far my favorite. They have the best combination of ride, handling, wear and steering feedback out of the 3 I've had. Prior to that was the OEM tires which only lasted 14k miles, had a rough ride and were loud. The second set I had were BF Goodrich G-Force Sport. They lasted 24k miles but rode a little rougher and didn't handle as well aas the RE760's. My RE760's are almost worn out after 20k miles. So they lasted longer than the OEM tires but not quite as long as the BFG's. However, they were the best combination of everything. Once again the steering feedback on these tires are incredible. I'm going to replace these with the exact same tires!

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
April 24, 2012

So far the tires have performed to my expectations. If I had it to do over again i would have gotten the same tire in a 245 section as there was hardly any price difference. They were good at the last Autocross, we had nice weather and they felt responsive and predictable, good overall grip level. Wear has been unnoticeable at 3000 miles. I started Autocrossing on All seasons and these are a good stepping stone to the higher class Continental ExtremeContactDW max performance summers I plan to move on to. But I don't regret these, I may buy again, but in the 245/40R18 size.

Initial Review, 5,500 Miles on Tires
April 28, 2012

Have had the RE760's on my Mazda3 for ~12mo now and really am impressed. I previously had been using General's, but had several sidewall damage issues - upstate NY, lots of potholes, caused sidewall damage. The General's were just too soft, and wore relatively too quickly for my taste too. The RE760's though have been outstanding. Excellent road feel in the city and highway. Cornering is excellent, though not quite as aggressive as some of the very sportiest tires - still more than enough for me. Moderate road noise, but very tolerable (granted I'm mostly driving in the city at low speeds). They've been very durable on upstate NY's pothole strewn roads, and I've definitely hit a few big ones with no signs of damage on the RE760's. Wear has been very even and extremely minimal so far. I can't nail down a single characteristic, but in all these tires just made the car feel must more confident and sure footed than my previous General's and the stock Goodyear RS-A's. Although the RE760's are slightly more expensive than the others, I've been truly happy wit them - would buy them again in a heartbeat, and would absolutely recommend them to friends and family.

Initial Review, 14,000 Miles on Tires
April 29, 2012

This tire was OEM on my Mazdaspeed3. In dry conditions the tire performs acceptably for a stock tire. When it's cold out, these tires have a tendency to get out of round where they've been sitting. It takes a couple blocks to warm them up and work out the noise. These tires are pretty terrible in the wet. The car goes from poised and predictable to an understeering, hydroplaning mess. In my mind, that kind of disparate handling is somewhat dangerous. I don't think it's a safe thing on a daily driver.

Bottom line: look elsewhere when it's time to replace them, unless you live in the desert.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
April 27, 2012

Great tire. So much quieter than the OE Bridgestones that came on the car. Not sure why the same manufacture makes such varying tire levels, but anyway. This tire handles really well, cornering is great, wet traction is very good and what little snow they have been driven in they have performed very well. I would highly recommend this tire for anyone looking for a well balanced all season tire.

Initial Review, 28,000 Miles on Tires
April 27, 2012

These tires handle great. Get them hot and they are super sticky, even impressed some friends with how well I was able to keep up carving through mountain passes. Almost have 30k miles on them but will be replacing them early as the road noise is simply unbearable. They have been rotated every 5k but they have steadily gotten louder and louder, so much so that it is difficult to carry on a conversation in the cabin.

Initial Review, 29,000 Miles on Tires
April 17, 2012

I bought a set of these for my 2007 Mazdaspeed 3. I use this car as my daily driver. My commute is 35 miles each way. I don't do any track days and my driving style is very conservative compared to most people that drive this car. This was my 3rd set of tires in 50,000 miles. I chose them because I wanted something that would last longer than 22-25k miles. When it's cold it takes a long time for them to warm up and they ride like Flintstone rock tires until then. I did get 29 k out of them and they looked like they'd go another 5. The weren't to the wear bars yet but I suffered a catastrophic failure on one of them. The tread separated from the tire. The dealer said the alignment and rotation was not the problem, all the tires were worn the same. I understand tires fail but there was no way I was going to get to 50k miles on these so I don't trust their mileage ratings and I surely won't buy another set.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 20, 2012

These tires have saved my life. I wasnt a believer in winter tires untill I bought my first set. I live in a city where we're known for winters, Winterpeg. I bought my car in 08 and the all season tires that came with the car were horrible... Goodyear eagle RS A weren't gonna get me through my first winter with my car. So I decide to buy winter tires and what a experience, Hugh difference in attraction, I could bend corner easily without slipping. Great on ice, very quiet on the road. I have also bought these tires for my honda civic and I refuse to drive without have this tires.

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
April 16, 2012

While I have low miles on these tires and have a lot more testing to do to update this rating, they have GREATLY improved the ride quality of my Mazda 3 Grand Touring which had rubber band Toyo's that made my kids sick. Cornering seems equivalent amazingly enough and the AA traction rating is reassuring. This is the max size you can put on this car and I had only one rubbing incident while turning very hard. Ride quality and build quality seem to rock.

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
April 14, 2012

Bought these to replace 3 year old (39,000) Perelli P6's that began to cup. These Conit's are impressive. I started to feel the same tell-tale shaking that I associated with the failure of the P6's. Replaced shocks and struts with some higher end Koni's. The combination of the Conti's and the new suspension has proven to be the best investment that I have made since the car was purchased new. I highly recommend these to any Mazda 3 lovers out there.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
July 07, 2009

I bought these in the OEM size to replace the stock Goodyear Eagle RS-A's that came on the car. The Goodyears were well worn, with nearly 36K miles on them, so anything was naturally going to feel wonderfully better. The RS-A's are universally panned in all the Mazda Forums, so I expected a big improvement, but to be fair I bought the car used with 33K on it, so I can't comment on the Goodyears when new. The s.drives do ride a bit harsher, which is not a surprise considering their higher load rating, and that Mazda probably selected the RS-A's for ride/noise reasons. The new Yokohamas are really not that much quieter than the worn RS-As, but Mazdas aren't known for being really quiet on the freeway. Cornering grip is certainly up, especially when you lean on them, as the Eagle RS-As would simply give up at the slightest bit of hard driving. But the s.drives are not up there with RE-11's and other such autocross choices for the street-tire classes. Acceleration seems a bit slower, possibly from the larger diameter of full tread depth vs nearly bald, or perhaps the s.drive is just a heavier tire. Being in Las Vegas, rain has yet to be a factor, so any wet performance ratings will have to wait. I was torn between this tire and the Kumho SPT. The free Griot's car-care bucket was really the only deciding factor.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
March 25, 2012

This purchased a set this tire a few years ago, I only use them during april-november. I have a set of winter tires on different wheels for the cold months. Just like other summer tires, you CANNOT use them in snow or freezing temps.
These tires are the best i have ever used on my 03 Protege5. These tires love curves and I love pushing them to its limits. The dry traction is awesome. In wet weather they perform better than most other tires I have used.

The pros....
1. tractions, best I have ever used for dry weather
2. cornering, best i have ever used for dry and wet weather
3. steering responsiveness, the best I have used. keep in mind, when this tire is new, the response might not be as good as your old tires if they had a little bit left of tread on them. But after 1k miles, you wont notice it anymore. This is true for any new tire.

The cons about the tires do not bother me, I understand that this type of tire will not have as good tire wear and have more road noise.
Cons......
1.If road noise bothers you, do not get these tires! They are very noisy. Sounds like a constant hum while driving. just turn up your radio.
2.The wear isn't that bad compared to some other summer tires I have used, but they wear a lot quicker than all-seasons.
3. These tires are not very comfortable. You feel everything on the road, every bump, stick, pebble and crack.

I highly recommend these tires. If you prefer performance over comfort, then you will probably enjoy them too..

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2012

Quickly - RX-8s aren't known for their snow skills. They reek, in fact. I had a '05 Shinka that got stuck on my drive way. It's as flat as an ironing board. But, with Blizzaks, my newer RX-8 actually passed a Toyota Fourrunner that was STUCK. Of course the Yota driver was probably doing something ridiculous, but here I am...driving along, 5" of wet, thick snow...like it was nothing.

I tell you, there's some voodoo going on with Blizzaks. I'm a believer.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2012

First time I have ever bought dedicated winter tires, and it definitely won't be the last! These have been an eye opener, with better than expected performance in all conditions. I bought tire and wheel package in -1 sizing.
This winter has been unseasonably warm and snow-free in my home locale (southern NJ), but I had the (mis)fortune to travel through some other snowy regions. I can report that these tires never quit in even the toughest of situations, on road conditions I wouldn't have dreamt of driving my RX-8 in past winters. Short of having all wheel drive, I think I could now drive through anything... OK, within reason for a lightweight rear drive sports car. (The past 4 winters have been nightmares of impossible driving with anything white on the roads in this car. Stock/OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE040 all seasons were pathetic in cold/snowy conditions.)
But the biggest surprise has been their performance in non-snow conditions. When the temperature hits 40 or below, they don't lose any grip or responsiveness. When it's slushy or rainy, they refuse to hydroplane unless I drive like an idiot. Very confident treads in all conditions. I sometimes swear they have better wet grip than the all seasons had! Even in some mild 60 degree days, they have not been unduly squirmy as I had worried they would be. Only 3k on them but no noticeable excessive wear...
I cannot believe I waited so long to get dedicated winter tires! HIGHLY recommended winter tires, especially if you face clear roads often during the winter.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2012

I installed these in size 265/70/17(non-studded)for winter mountain pass driving in a lifted 4Runner. Being in Seattle, we don't get much snow, but we've got our few occasional snow storms where we'll get 8-20" over a couple days. During these storms, the roads are poorly maintained as the city lacks the plowing equipment for these days.

First and only major storm we got this year - I was out trying to get stuck on steep hills in 2WD to see how a rear wheel drive vehicle handles snow/ice with winter tires. Like all 2WD cars, you obviously still have to take it easy from a stop to not get excessive tire spin, but these tires do an excellent job at grabbing for whatever traction is available. The only places I got stuck in 2WD were the steepest of hill grades in the Ballard area. We're talking neighborhood hills that people push their bicycles up and kids would sled/snowboard down when its snowing. Once I kicked the truck into 4WD, there was absolutely no slippage and I climbed right up and could go back down safely without ever engaging ABS. In fact, the ABS almost never turns on when I'm in snow/ice unless I'm trying to lock up on purpose. When 4WD is engaged, I could accelerate from stoplights as if it were dry pavement. All in all, I will say my favorite aspect about these tires is the ability to maintain control at all speeds and to stop a car on a dime on compact snow/ice in a fraction of the distance of what my Destination All Terrains can do.

Deep snow traction - I've taken my 4Runner snow wheeling into 1-2ft of powder in eastern Washington and Idaho. They are superb, but definitely have to be careful to go into bumper deep snow as these tires will dig as far as they can go to get traction which can cause me to high center and get stuck.
I've also used these tires in 205/55/16 on a 2005 Mazda 3 Hatch with the same great results.

After 4000 miles, treadwear looks minimal for driving down mostly wet streets/highways.

Initial Review, 3,600 Miles on Tires
February 29, 2012

I kind of wished that it would've snowed more so I can see how well these tires would perform, but alas, Mother Nature didn't want to cooperate. So, I can't comment on it's snow performance, but the dry and wet performance is amazing. Hydroplaning resistance is great. I can't even tell that I'm driving on a wet slick surface. I do recommend these tires. Hopefully we'll get some snow before the winter season is over with so I can update this review. But I am very happy with these tires. Great purchase.

Initial Review, 3000 Miles on Tires
January 27, 2012

Great tire for the money. Loses some traction in accelerating high speed turns. Good tire in snow conditions. I would buy this tire again. Its a great improvment over the stock Mazda3 tires. Totally changed the ride on my car. Very smooth riding tire. Thanks Tire Rack..