Winter Driving Experiance - Tire Recommendations
 

Yesterday I finally was able to test out our 2016 CX-9 Touring in snow. The Yokohama Geolandar 18's performed pretty terribly. The car on the other hand did feel pretty tight and responsive on the road despite the tires. The tires had difficulty stopping even at a slower speed. I also didn't have much confidence making turns since the tires felt like they were breaking loose easily.

The Yokohama's do feel like pretty good tires, just horrible in snow. If you will be driving in snow country I'd highly recommend swapping in a set of winter tires.

So does anybody have recommendations for winter tires for the CX-9? I'd like to change out the Yokohama's before it snows again. Thanks!

I drove on snow base yesterday coming home from skiing. My Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 tires were secure. No problems at all. A test hard braking on snow base threw us forward in the car with just one bump in the pedal from the ABS. I recommend these. I also think the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV would be very good. And, as always, the worst real snow tires are far better than the best so-called All-Season tires.

We live in Alaska and have Blizzak tires, they are money. The stock tires were fine on snow but HORRIBLE on ice.

We drive from NJ to VT most winter weekends for skiing. I have always run dedicated snow tires and wheels during the winter months. Regular all season tires just don't perform well in true winter conditions on mountain passes. In the past I have used Bridgestone Blizzaks, Michelin X-Ice 2, and Goodrich Winter Slaloms, all with good results. On my 2016 CX-9 AWD, I bought a set of Yokohama IceGuard IG51V on dedicated alloy wheels. So far the tires have performed very well. Slightly louder than stock on the highway, but not at all objectionable. Also, slightly worse fuel economy, but not significant. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.


The initial purchase price is significant, but it all eventually evens out as the winter tires save wear on the stock tires. Plus not having to remount tires on a single set of wheels is well worth the cost. I purchased from Tire Rack and am very happy with their customer service. Picked up the mounted tires and wheels at their CT warehouse during a business trip and save a lot of money on shipping. Plus got an $60 Yokohama rebate.


Let me know if you have questions. Good luck.