connor@tirerack

Preferred Packages are the easiest way to outfit your vehicle for winter -- the ideal winter solution!



I can assist you in selecting a winter tire that best meets the performance level of your vehicle and add an affordable wheel option. Shipped to you mounted, balanced and with all the installation hardware you'll need, your preferred Package is easy to bolt right on.



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Take a look at The Tire Rack's Preferred Winter Tire & Wheel Package for the 2006 Mazda RX-8 6-Speed Manual:



http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...&autoYear=2006




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Preferred Packages are available for other Mazdas as well. Or, you can build your own by selecting from the various tire and wheel options that we have.



Read more about or build your own Winter Tire & Wheel Package here:



http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...changeover.jsp

timisw

After trying to drive my 8 last winter a couple of times in the snow, I am going to have to 100% agree with you!

It was quite an experience! I ended buying a $1500 Integra as my rat car for the winter months. No matter what tires you put on the car, there will still be salt on the exhaust, bottom and sides!

RX Renesis

i find having those traction control, ABS, all wheel drive stuff just BS in the snow... they only thing they help u is accelerate.... but in snow... it's stopping in time that counts.... and none of those help at all other than maybe ABS but if u do skid while stopping then u skid until u stop somehow...

swoope

iTrader: (5)

snow is bad, it should be avoided at all costs. if you must deal with snow get a mid 80s subrau 4wd wagon. it got me through 9 years of pro skiing.

funny i am getting ready to order nero all weather tires and i live in fla now. god does have a sense of humor.

beers

myfuncar

Here in St. Louis, we get snow, slushy snow, icy snow, and ice. No car or truck can go or stop on the ice, so not to worry about that.
I called Tire Rack and got a set of four ASC rims with Bridgestone Blizzak's mounted on them. They look nice, not quite the same as the factory rims, but definitely a good look.
It was $1,000 delivered. I put them on myself - easy even for me. Handling seem less crisp, and the ride might be a little smoother, no big deal. My question is, based on what you all know, will the car go in the snow or was this a $1,000 donation to Tire Rack?

grapes

It will go in the snow.

bean438

Floridians are not qualified to make any comments on snow.
My city received 50 cm over 3 days with temps around -32 celsius.
:D


I chuckle when some people who live in cities that get an occasional dusting of snow or a "cold" snap of 0 degress.
They wonder if there battery is up to snuff. Lol.
If you have never heard of a block heater, or plugging your car in, then you dont know what winter is. :p

swoope

iTrader: (5)

what if i was a pro skiier for 9 years and lived on top of the mountian i worked out of. my car back then was a subrau 85 4wd wagon with 330k miles on it. i was there for the epic blizzard of 93, 63 inches in 18 hours.

fla is beter, snow is bad. nice to look at.

beers
temp now is 78

bean438

I can appreciate the mountain thing but you havent experienced a winter until you live through a Canadian prarie winter.
The Minnesotta, and North/south dakota people know what I am talking about.
Where did you work? 63 inches in 18 hours sounds a little unbelievable.
But if you ski, thats what you want.
You still probably experienced -40 weather.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

yep look it up epic blizzard of 93. we had 40 below and after the 5th day i was walking to work at 16 deg below singing having a heat wave tropical heat wave. but this is not celcius.

this was not the norm but happens.

beers

ExtensiveRX8

Yokohama Ice Guards 225/45/18's


By far the Best winter tire I have ever used!!! I have Zero Problems driving in a Montreal snow storm!!

They work just as good in snow as on ice.. My buddy has a G35 Coupe he used to keep it in storage for winter.. After driving with me in a bad snow strom in the RX8 he got his car out of storage purchased the same set of Yoko's but with 245/45/18 for the rear and is loving his G in winter!!

They cost me $1200 Tax In!

Feras

iTrader: (1)

im loving my blizzak lm 22s....pricey but you get your money's worth

juikster

just so happens ,I've set up my vehicle for those days when hell starts to freeze over and getting to work is all thats on my mind,(well those days when my alarm clock doesn't get me up) heh,heh..."RX8ers,beware,after my first cup of joe" :p

dejesus

i just purchased my 8, i pick it up next week. from talon tires here in montreal, i got toyo 255/55/17 on mags for 1600 taxes in.

i was warned off of the yokohammas. anybody ever hear thatyokos weren't spectacular?

formatsee

bump, connor@tirerack, when are you getting the dunlop wintersport m3 in for the rx8

connor@tirerack

All snow tires start showing up around September. The sizes i will have to fit the 8 for the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 are listed below. The prices listed are the current prices and will most likely change when the manufactures set up their seasonal pricing.

215/55R17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 135.00 out of stock
225/50R17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 146.00 out of stock
225/45R18 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 176.00 out of stock
235/45R18 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 197.00 out of stock
245/40R18 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 200.00 in stock

crisis

Does anyone just put all season tires on the factory rims and just deal with the snow? Does anyone who's posted in this thread live in the MD area? It usually only snows a few times during the year here and even then, the major roads are usually cleared at the very latest, by the next day.

skierd

Not on an 8, but a miata...

On a rwd car all-seasons should really be called "3-seasons". Any accumulation on the road and there's no traction to be had. Then again, I had no real issues in the two "snow storms" I experienced in Maryland with my miata, but then again I wasnt trying to start up a hill ever really either. I ended up living in Michigan with my miata for a good bit, making snow tires 100% needed, but found them to be overkill here so its a washup untill I went out to western MD and the mountains.

Personally, I'd still get winter tires, just not super aggressive ones like Blizzaks WS-50's like I had.

crisis

Thanks for the reply. I just purchase my 8 on monday, but won't be picking it up for a few days, cuz they're installing the minidisc player for me. I'm probably going to be buying a set of snow tires and rims in september just to be safe, and I'll put them on sometime in November or December, depending on when it actually cools down around here and when it is actually going to snow. Any recommendations on snow tires? I've heard lots of people talking about the dunlop m3's.

arattle

Snow tires in MD are probably not the best idea. They will wear out very quickly on dry pavement, and that's exactly what you're going to get about 80 of the 90 days of winter, if not more. I got some all-season Mazda 6 wheels and tires last year, and it worked great - decent wear and performance on dry roads, and enough traction to drive in snow. If your tires are still new (considering you just bought the car), you may want to consider selling them (here or elsewhere) and buying all-season high performance tires such as Pirelli PZero Nero M+S, or Avons, or Toyos. All three got good reviews. That's what I'm doing after Potenzas wear out sometime next fall. Good luck.

crisis

What makes the all-season high performance tires like Pirelli PZero's better than the stock tires? How are the Mazda 6 wheels different than the factory rx8 wheels, is one wider?

djgiron

Several people here in CO are getting by just fine with Pirelli Nero M&S all year around just fine

connor@tirerack

The OE tires are summer only and are not designed to be used in the snow. The difference between a summer only tire and an all season tire is the type of tread compound and the level of sipping the manufacturer cuts into the tread face. Summer only tires tend to have large continual tread channels whereas all season tires the same large continual tread channels as well as smaller lateral sipping to provide more biting edges. The DOT also requires an all season tire to have a minimum of 25% void (tread grooves) in the tread face to qualify for an M&S rating and use in minimal amounts of snow. Also an all season tire will use a tread compound that doesn't stiffen up in cold weather as much as a summer only tire would.

The Mazda 6 wheels come in 17" and are an economical wheel that your can buy used. They make a great wheel for use in the winter time so that you do not damage your factory 17 or 18" wheels.

connor@tirerack

You can use either 215/55/17 or 225/50/17 and still maintain the overall diameter. There are several tires you can use in these two sizes but in my opinion the best tire is the Bridgestone Blizzack LM-22 (161.00 each). I have also listed several other snow tires in thes fiitment.


215/55R17 Bridgestone BLIZZAK WS-50 -- 112.00
215/55R17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 135.00
215/55R17 Dunlop GRASPIC DS-2 -- 97.00
215/55R17 Pirelli Winter 210SZ -- 151.00


225/50VR17 BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK LM-22 -- 161.00
225/50QR17 BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK WS-50 -- 136.00
225/50HR17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 -- 146.00
225/50QR17 DUNLOP GRASPIC DS-2 -- 106.00

Vazoom

I've read the thread and would appreciate any definitive advice for purchasing tires/wheel for use in a Missouri winter. It seems like snow tires might be overkill here, but has anyone driven successfully through a winter on all-season tires? My commute just changed from 3 miles to 37 miles. I can't walk to work if it snows. My Potenzas are worn. Please help me decide.