I had those on my M3 and on my RX-8 last year. I prefer the Dunlop M3s I put on this year but still a good snow and ice traction tire.

 

Here are mine:

Bridgestone LM-22's on stock rims

...so far they have worked quite well.

 

I've finally gotten my winter rims and tires on order. Part of the deal when I got the car 3 months ago was that they would get me the wheels at cost - they didn't feel like trying too hard at it, but I was finally able to get Macpek black steel 17" rims and Hankook Icebear W300 235/45/17s.

I get the feeling the guys at the Mazda dealership really don't know as much as they should - does anyone know if this combo is going to work (ie. fit over the rotors?)

 

Here are a couple pix of 17" Mazda 3 wheels with 205/55/17 Dunlop Graspic DS-2 tires on my 6spd RX-8.

 

I just had my first experience with my RX8 and 1.5 inches of snow/ice... Basically, I would have done better if I iceskated to work. I backed out of the driveway and cautiously put the Rx8 in first gear ...It did a 180 degree turn in front of my house...Right back in the driveway...

For those who have snow tires,,,is it truly worth the expense? I am looking at Pirellis 240..Please advise.

 

If you need to use the RX-8 for your winter commute, then it's definitely worth the expense. In fact, you don't really havea choice in the matter. You're lucky you made it at all with the stock tires. Any snow tire will be a huge improvement over the stock tires. Get whatever fits your budget (18" tires on stock wheels, or a new set of 17" wheels and tires).

 

I did basically the same thing monday morning, except mine was downhill toward traffic going by on the road. Thankfully i was going toward the side and hit the curb before I went into the road. I"m using my other car in the snow from now on.

 

I just put Pirelli SnowSports on mine. No snow yet, as it's been one of the weirdest, warmest december/january's ever here - strangely the heat wave started the same day I ordered my snow tires. But I digress...

I'm shocked at how much better the SnowSports are in the (cold) rain vs. stock tires. The car was getting downright twitchy with the OEM tires in the wet - touch the throttle in a wet corner, and out the rear would step. Now I can barely budge the rear end, even when punching it.

People have said the winter compound really makes a difference. I'm a believer now too

 

Ok, so I don’t actually own an rx-8 yet, but I hope to come the fall. What I was wondering is how people who purchased their tires from the TireRack got them on the car. I just replaced the tires on my civic and thought about getting them from the tirerack, but in the end just went to a local Firestone garage because they were just as much money and they installed them for me. I’m worried that when it comes time to get tires and wheels for winter on an 8 I won’t be able to go back to them if I don’t buy the tires from them. I guess I need a reputable garage around me here in central New Jersey, but I know of none. Reading what some have said here about being told incorrect information by chain garages has me worried about bringing such a car to a place like Firestone or STS by me.
Oh, and what do the 17” rims from the Mazda 3 cost? That looks pretty good.
And one more thing; I have some rugged rubber floor mats in my car now and find them to be a necessity for the 15+ inches of snow we just had. Does anybody here use these kinds of floor mats in the 8? Are they available? I’d hate to muck up the interior but this would be my daily driver and it seems like something that can’t be avoided.
I think I’m just worried about having a lot of issues with the NJ winters if I get an 8, despite my utter lust of the car. As I’ve been told, a few days of inconvenience with snow are a small price to pay for having a car you love to drive the rest of the year…
Thanks

 

I had the dealer mount my snow tires. $180. Absolutely outrageous, I know, but I also knew they'd do it right. Three other shops turned me down because of the tire pressure sensors.

I'm in eastern PA, so you know the weather we've both been having lately... and I gotta tell ya, the 8 is a blast in the snow. The stock-sized snow tires aren't very good in slushy stuff (it floats), but on hard-packed snow, the car is fantastic. Excellent traction, even on hills (gotta love the LSD).

It's so predictable, it's downright fun to toss around. Gun it a bit, and the rear does move out... but lift off, and it snaps right back in line. Perfect.

The dry-weather reflexes translate over nicely in the snow too... especially when trying to make a turn. Turn the wheel and the car WILL rotate... you might not change the direction of travel, lol, but it will rotate.

It's all very confidence-inspiring. You can't trust the road conditions of course (ice under the snow, etc.), but you can trust the car.

 

It is advised to get rims along with the tires so you do not have to deal with getting tires mounted 2X a year. My rims and tires LINK cost under $1,000 and when it came time to put them on all I needed was my cheap floor jack and torque wrench. They way you should go is buying 17” rims with the tires mounted on them. If your stuck on the Mazda 3 rims your best source would be the board devoted to that car, there has to be Mazda 3 owners looking to get rid of rims. Then you can get the Mazda dealer to mount the winter tires to them. Once mounted you should be good for the next 3-4 years. I have a garage so my stock crappy mats are ok but in this weather there isn’t much you can do about keeping the car clean.

 

I also recommend going with 17" wheels and tires that come mounted and balanced if you can afford the up-front cost. However, plan to spend at least an extra $150 if you don't have access to the tools to perform the tire/wheel swap. Many people have purchased 18" tires for the stock wheels and are perfectly satisfied. This might be a better option if you plan to keep the car for a short period of time (like a 2-year lease or something), or simply do not have the funds to buy a whole new set of wheels and tires.

I'd have to agree that even with 17" snows, don't look for great performance on deep, loose snow. The car tends to float, and ground clearance becomes an issue anytime there is more than 5" of accumulation. Other than that, the car does great. It hasn't failed me yet here in Michigan--although the 12" of snow we just got came on a Friday and Saturday, so I didn't have to leave the house in my car. We took the SUV.

Regarding the floor mats--I got the all-weather rubber mats for Xmas and I like them. It feels good to know that I'm not ruining the carpeted mats, and I don't have to worry about knocking the snow out of the treads of my shoes/boots when getting in the car. I would definitely recommend getting the mats.

 

Tirerack will drop ship wheels or tires or a tire/wheel combo to service centers that work with them. I had four or five different garages around me to choose from; the service center I chose charged me $12 to remove the stock wheels and install the winter wheels last year. Unfortunately, they screwed up and used an air gun on the winter wheels, ruining the special lug needed to remove and install the wheel. Tirerack replaced the lug the following spring, when I discovered that I couldn't easily remove the winter wheels.

The wheels should be removed and installed only with a hand torque wrench or a gun with a special torque-limiting fitting. I think if I has simply asked them to do it that way they would have accomodated me... I just didn't know to ask and they installed the wheel the way they do all the other cars they service. I've removed/installed the wheels myself twice now, and it's one of those things that is simple, once you've done it once. It's that first time that generates the anxiety. The long story of how I learned to do it is included in this thread. (For those will less time, jump here.) I've since learned that my cheap jack can lower the car very slowly, if you are careful to turn the release screw very, very slowly. That was the final piece of the puzzle for me.

I totally agree with those who've noted that the 8 in snow is quite good, with the proper tires -- provided, of course, that it doesn't get too deep. You also want to make sure that ice from the wheel wells doesn't drop off and refreeze under the car. I rolled over a chunk of ice the the other day in my garage. Ugh! Nasty.

 

I hadn't thought about just getting the tires to swap out as a good option before. I was actually only planning on keeping the car for 3 years so I guess that might make more sense for me. Then I wouldn't be able to do the swap myself though, that's the only problem.
I'm not necessarily "stuck" on the wheels from the 3, i just thought they looked pretty nice and would be pretty cheap to get.
I was worried about how well the 8 would do in deep snow, but I imagine it would be similar to how my civic is now as they're somewhat close in regards to ground clearance. I had a nissan 240sx back in the day which was rwd and somewhat low. I never bought snow tires for it and always thought it was more fun in the snow than a difficulty. and that thing didn't have any fancy abs even. i'm looking to get the base 6-speed 8 though so lsd or yaw control wouldn't be something I'd have. again though, I didn't have anything like that in my 240 so maybe it wouldn't be an issue if i have snow tires. at any rate i feel better about getting an 8 at least. now i just need to decide if i want to invest extra in 4 wheels or just pay a little extra every season to have the tires swapped out. it may work out to be of equal value over 3 years huh?
how much are the winter mats from mazda and do they give you rear seat ones? I have some heavy duty ones i ordered from a magazine (don't remember the name, but they have ads in every car mag), and they were somewhere close to $100 for fronts and backs...
Thanks for all the info!

 

Tramahound, as others have mentioned, check out the Mazda 3 forums for deals on a set of wheels. I was patient (and lucky perhaps) and found my set on ebay for $277 delivered. I ordered my winter tires from Tirerack and had them shipped directly to my local trusted mechanic who installed them on my 3 wheels. I stacked them in my garage until the first snowfall and then swapped them with my oem 18 inch wheels using the jack and tools Mazda provided with the car.

Regarding the winter mats, yes they are sold in a set of four. The driver mat is a really weird shape so I don't think any aftermarket mats will fit well in our cars.

 

Im thinking of buying winter wheels/tires wondering if 18x7.5 with 35 offset fit?

 

Form this link http://toy4two.home.mindspring.com/offset.html not sure if a 9mm extend will rub on the front, 17" winter tires would be a better pick.

Your new wheel will have the following chracteristics:
The clearance from stut housing to the inside of the wheel will be 21mm MORE
The outside edge of the wheel will EXTEND an extra 9mm

 

Here are my 5Zigen RX6 18x7.5 +35 with pirelli 240 snowsport 225/45/18... I test fitted it today to see how they will look like here are the pics...

 

slllygrl10-
Can you post a few more from the side? This one of the wheels I was looking at along with the Enkei RS-7. I think these look great.

 

Here's my winter setup. Got a good deal on these wheels & made them my winters cause they're heavy as hell! Watcha Think? Yeah, I know, I need to paint my rusty rotors, etc...

 

Are you guys using the tpms with your winter rims/tires or no?

 

No; black electrical tape on the indicator for me November to April... Tirerack didn't have the tpms rims in 2003. I think they may have them now, but you can get by without 'em. Just check the pressure from time to time.

 

Will 17" Mazda 3 wheels fit on a manual RX-8?

 

Test fitting the new winter set up. Doesn't look too bad, but will definitely miss the 18s.