We are looking to purchase a Mazda 5 and I have gotten some great information from these boards on it. My question is this : I am in S/W Michigan. We get decent amounts of snow from the lake effect off of Lake Michigan (Not like in the dakotas or anything) but a good amount. Most winter we are driving around with 1 - 2 foot of snow around and when the storms occur it can be more that has not been plowed yet. How is the Mazda 5 driving in the snow ???

 

A few comments:

• I've lived on the Plains, in and around Chicago, and in and around Detroit; trust me, you get WAY more snow on average than the Dakotas.
• The Mazda3 and the Mazda5 are both built on the same basic platform, and I can tell you with some authority based upon my Mazda3, that depending upon the tires you are running in the winter, the Mazda5 can be one of the best or one of the worst cars you've ever driven in snow.
• If you opt for a Mazda5 and then shoe it with a good set of winter tires, you'll fine you're almost instoppable in snow, even when your front bumper is doing its darndest to imitate a snow plow.

Keep us posted.

 

We have a 5 with good winter tires. I also have chains, although I have never had to use them. The 5 is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned for driving in the snow. Its no 4x4, but I do not hesitate to go out in it when there is snow on the ground.

 

I live in CT and I read that the all season tires that came with it are not that good. I ordered new steel wheels with snows and mount these every winter on the vehicle. I have not had any problems with it last season with all the snow we received. I drive 35 miles one way to work each day and I did well with it. Hope this helps.

 

Ok that is good information - but how are the tires that come with it for the snow ? Thanks zrtmatos - I do not normally change out the tires between all season and winters - like this winter it has been fest or famine as snow goes. I was hoping to hear that the all seasons were good in the snow.

 

The factory tires which came on my Mazda3 were downright dangerous in the snow.

 

Generally speaking, factory tires installed by most/all manufacturers leave something to be desired. It's the first thing to consider replacing when buying a new car.

If yours came with or has the Good Year RS-A's still on it, yes, please for your own safety, replace them ASAP. They aren't all that good in the rain either and get worse as they wear.

 

Most all season tires are 3 season tires. Below 40 degrees Fahrenheit they start to get hard and lose traction. Winter tires have a softer compound for colder temperatures (not just for snow). I am finally at the stage where I have a good summer/rain tire set and a winter tire set.
Today's new cars, vans and light trucks are originally fitted with either summer or all-season tires as they leave the factory. Summer tires are designed to enhance traction in dry and wet warm conditions, but were never intended to encounter winter's cold, slush, snow or ice. And while all-season tires are intended to provide traction in a wide variety of weather conditions, we've found they can behave like a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

 

From what I've read and what I've experienced, a good all-season will still have better traction and handling characteristics and a good winter tire on dry roads down to about 0°F. Granted said all-season won't have as much traction as it does above 40°F, but they still are more capable than winter rubber in most dry winter road environments.

 

Winter Tires vs All-Season Tires paragraph 4.

PLUS

A common misconception is that you don't need a winter tire if there is no actual snow. That is not true. Winter tires have been created to perfectly suit the cold temperatures in winter, even if these temperatures aren't associated with snow. According to existing research, as soon as the temperature drops below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), a winter tire performs much better than an all-season one. The lower the temperature, the better the winter tire performs. The exact opposite happens with all-season tires.
FROM: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/wi...ons-27190.html