I’m from just outside of Vancouver BC where we get some snow/ice but most winter driving is wet. Rain or slush. I do travel mountain highways so I need a tire that is good in extreme conditions but still decent in wet or dry.

Any recommendations?

Also my CX5 came with 225/55/19’s but I’m wondering about downsizing to 17’s. Anyone have advice?

 

Tires are like oil you'll get a different answer from everyone you ask.
Plus, actual tire performance is based on driving abilities and habits which vary greatly among drivers.
I have several brand models I particularly like but they fit how I drive and where I drive.
Cost is also a serious factor as some folks have unlimited funds and others are on a budget.
Do a search on professional tire review websites, people who test tires for a living, there are many out there.
Then narrow down the choices that point to how/where you drive then purchase the best ones you can afford that have the best rating and warranty.

 

if you want dedicated snows go nokian hakkas. If you want all weather go nokian WRG4 or michelin crossclimates2s

 

On my own 2016.5 CX-5, it's got the factory 19-inch rims. I went with the Nokian WR G4 SUV all-weather tires, which are basically a proper all-season that's got siping and tread blocks more similar to a winter tire, but with an all-year-'round compound that does well in winter but can survive the summer heat. Am about to go through my third winter season on them. They've been stellar, from a winter point of view, providing about ~90% of the outright snow+ice grip that, say, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires deliver. Went with the 235/55-19 sizing for the WR G4 SUV set. The 19x7" rims could be wider, but they've been very good in 3-season weather as well, including on long highway trips, twisty mountain roads with temps in the 80-100 degree range, and for normal around-town driving. Avoids the need for a second set of wheels+tires.

In the 17" rim, this tire is also available in several sizes. 225/65-17, 235/60-17, and 245/60-17. Depending on the width of rim you get, I think they'd be quite good for your region's conditions. Particularly if you don't want to go to a second set of wheels+tires to handle the different seasons.

Won't provide quite the 3-season grip of a high-performance "all-season" tire, let alone a summer-oriented tire. But it'll do well enough, and it'll handle any of winter's crud or rain that Nature throws at you. Has a winter- and summer-capable tread compound that allows the tires to be run year-'round. It's almost like having a winter set of tires that can cover the whole year's weather and conditions. (In my own view, more what an "all" season tire should be, which nearly no all-seasons are.)

https://www.nokiantires.com/all-weat...res-wr-g4-suv/

Of course, if you prefer a higher-performance tire, there are a few others you might consider. Possibly at the cost of losing a bit of winter grip. The tire search tool on TireRack is a pretty good resource for narrowing-down the choices, in a given category of tires. Won't show all possible tires in a category, but it can be a good start.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/revie...surveyComments

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...sp?type=W&VT=C

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve....jsp?type=GTAS