Snow Tire Setup
 

My wife just bought a Mazda 3 over the summer. She has the 5 door with the stock 17' rims. We just got hammered with snow on the east coast. It is one of the worst cars I have ever driven in the snow. What kind of snow tires set ups are your running? I was thinking about getting a set of 16" steel wheels with a narrower tire. I am just trying to see what people are using on your 3's. Any info would be great. I would just like to get some advice on a better snow set up. Maybe there is a tried an true set up that will perform better than what we have now.

TIA
-Gota

RE: Snow Tire Setup
 

I wish i could help you but i know exactly what you mean about it in the snow. I live about an hour and a half north of NYC and when i took the car out for the first time in the snow the thing would not turn no matter how slow you went and just driving on the snow going straight it would fishtail a little. i need to know the same info because the car is not meant for snow at all. You would think because its front wheel drive it would be descent but its not. I've driven a rear wheel drive car in the snow and it did a lot better. I have noticed if you leave the car in second gear it somewhat improves its ability in the snow. When you start off, start off in second so your wheels dont spin and when you brake you wont have to put as much pressure on the brakes becuase the car slows down quicker in 2nd gear. I'm sorry i couldn't answer your question but i hope my little info will help you out.

RE: Snow Tire Setup
 

Dunlop Wintersports in a 205/50R17 would cure your problems......

RE: Snow Tire Setup
 

drove our car for the first time in the snow today and it was horrible would a little traction control kill anybody

RE: Snow Tire Setup
 

whats wrong with jus stomping on the gas and beat'n the piss out of the car. Sliding round turns and power braking in empty parking lots there is no better feeling.... ok maybe 1

RE: Snow Tire Setup
 

yeah the problem with that is no visablity, probably end up smashing into someone, or flip over losing control, and powerbraking in a EMPTY parking lot maybe fun but if you dont do it right you might blow your tranny (R.I.P my KIA).

I remember driving my first 2005 Mazda 3 with stock tires and was shocked how awful it handled in the winter. One time I thought a tire flew off. I actually got out to check and saw an icy puddle nearby, where the tire must have slipped.
Once I changed to Michelins I drove my car 20 miles in 4 inch snow without problems. I actually really enjoyed the drive. There were barely any roads on the car and I was cruising through a winter wonderland. Also managed to get over ice ruts and icy surfaces left behind from an awful snow storm another time and did okay.

Mazda 3 has a few issues that cause snow driving problems:

1. Low clearance. It rides a bit low so watch those snow drifts
2. Light car with good torque. That combo will make a tire slip everytime.
3. Low profile stock tires. Ugh, the bane of tread depth and grip.
4. limited slip diff? probably not. So watch that one wheel slip.

To fix the above:
1. Avoid deep snow.
2. Like grandpa says "toe on the gas" slow accel, use low rpm and reduced torque, drive like grandpa, walk like a penguin.
3. Get a set of steelies with Blizzak tires. Get a higher profile so the tire has maximum tread depth. Don't be cheap, get front and back or enjoy spin outs.
4. Carry a snow shovel (and a burly man to push) in the car when it gets stuck.

Or, move south, like me.
RGAZ

Interesting, we live in snowy New Hampshire and have had both a Gen 1 (stock 17" wheels) and a Gen 3 Mazda3 (stock 18" wheels) and have never had a problem driving in the snow. That said, the Goodyear Eagle RSAs which came on our 2009 Mazda3 were so bad I replaced them with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport All-Seasons after only 400 miles.

Will a Mazda3 negotiate snow like a Jeep? Not a chance. Will a Mazda3 be able to navigate from point A to point B in snow up to say, four to six inches, with a little caution? Yes.

We have a set of Blizzak WS90 on 16" wheels on our 2019 CX-5 AWD and they worked unbelievably well in snow and ice conditions in Colorado, got home in a snowstorm one night on an "ungroomed" snow covered road up a mountain to a cabin while several 4WD could not make it.
I have had a horrible experience with so called M/S tires on a 4WD GMC Tahoe.
Drove the CX-5 over 2000 miles on these tires including mostly dry roads in Texas, and they did not measurably wear. If we lived in a cooler region I might be tempted to run these year round.