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Thank you! Good reminder about the temps. That's what makes this decision so hard for me where I live- there are only a few days a year where we have both conditions at the same time: below freezing & Ice/snow. Probably good peace of mind to go with winter tires
Here is my recent winter adventure on all season stock tires. Outside temp was around 33 degrees and it had snowed the day before. Roads are plowed & sanded. I think deicer is used as well (saw a decider truck next day). Drove over the pass at Mt Hood at 3,900 feet elevation and the traction sign was on. Car was a champ. I do always take it slow in these conditions, 30 mph would be a bit fast for me. No slipping no sliding, all very stable and non scary trip up to my snowshoe adventure. I forgot to take a picture on the way up in morning, but my passenger took this snapshot on the way down around 1.30 pm. The left snowy lane is what road looked like in the morning.
2018 AWD CX-5 Grand Touring
I also drove the car in icy and snowy conditions on two other conditions at sea level in early morning hours. Again, no slipping, no sliding. A car stopped next to me at a traffic light seemed to be "wiggling" a bit when trying to take of at the green light, while I was taking off without a hitch.
For piece of mind, and to be able to go on more hard core adventures, I will very likely upgrade to winter tires for next season. However, in my neck of the woods at 300 ft elevation, where temps hover around freezing level in early morning and daytime temps are above 40 in the winter, the stock tires together with the tricked out AWD have been doing great so far.
Drove my 2018 GrandTouring AWD with stock tires on a snowy&icy forest road. This road gets plowed only. No deicer and no sanding. Gentle slope, nothing steep. 26 Degrees Fahrenheit outside temp.
Car did great. Just took it easy and slow, no slipping no sliding. The parking lot was especially icy and even there the drive felt grippy and sturdy.
Well here is my first post on this forum. I am 72 years old and an ole gearhead. I can't tell you all the discussions I have had on tires and AWD and AWD vs 4WD etc. The only comment that I ever heard that stuck was this. All season tires have a specific rubber for average driving temperatures that are ABOVE freezing. They very some but ALL all season tires have rubber that remains flexible above freezing temperatures but NOT below freezing. Winter tires have a soft rubber compound that remains soft well below freezing so that they infect stay supple in freezing temps. Easiest way to check is try to bend the rubber on all seasons with your fingers and then do the same with the winter tires. You will see a difference. And lastly I would be remiss if I did not mention that the SOFT COMPOUND where's dramatically compared to harder compound summer tires. Hope that makes sense and didn't sound to ignorant from an old redneck. Happy New Year and stay war!
Not sure where you heard that, but All-Season tires are more than pliable enough for temperatures well below freezing; in fact, most high quality All-Season tires remain pliable well below -20°F.
The last time I felt flat-spotting (a sure sign of hard rubber) on a set of All-Season rubber was when I was in a locality which experienced -35°F, and even then the tires warmed up within a few miles.
Edit: I've been thinking about your post for a few minutes and I think you're confusing Summer tires with All-Season tires; for Summer tires, yes, they are exclusively for ABOVE freezing conditions; no such a criteria exists for All-Season rubber.
Not sure where you heard that, but All-Season tires are more than pliable enough for temperatures well below freezing; in fact, most high quality All-Season tires remain pliable well below -20°F.
The last time I felt flat-spotting (a sure sign of hard rubber) on a set of All-Season rubber was when I was in a locality which experienced -35°F, and even then the tires warmed up within a few miles.
Edit: I've been thinking about your post for a few minutes and I think you're confusing Summer tires with All-Season tires; for Summer tires, yes, they are exclusively for ABOVE freezing conditions; no such a criteria exists for All-Season rubber.
Well Thanks shipo, you may be right about the summer all season but I WAS RIGHT ALSO. I'm blaming it on I'm 72.
Does anyone have experience driving in snow with the CX-5? I have a 2018 Mazda CX 5 Grand Touring with AWD. The car is exempt from chain and traction tire chain laws where I live because
the Toyo tires have the M+S (mud and snow) symbol. Am looking to drive up 1x on the weekend into the mountains for winter sports. I am convinced that winter tires are best, however we rarely get ice and snow in the valley
The winter season in the mountains varies and may short. It is often intermittent between until March, if even that. I have good chains. Can I get by with stock tires?
Be advised that in any National park in Wash state in the winter chains are required to be carried and if deemed necessary when chains are required !!!! This is different on state mountain passes where if you have AWD/4WD and winter tires you do NOT have to chain up when Chains required !!! I have a 2015 Mazda CX5 Grand Sport AWD and use studded snow tires in the winter abd the CX5 is unstoppable !!! Great little car !!! ZOOOOOM ZOOOOOM !!!!
This is my first winter season with my new CX-5, and after a couple of snow events I have observed no issues driving the automobile. Temperatures have been down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit with snow on the roads especially near where I live. With traction control defaulting to on, I don't even need to think about that.
02-18-2019 | 11:03 PM
more winter driving...
