Winter tyres.

[Retiredrover777]

Hi. I'm having a hard job getting winter tyres up here in the Highlands of Scotland. I have tried all the local dealers & even the Mazda garage in Inverness, where I purchased my car this year. Seems 205/50r18s are very scarce. The Mazda parts dept advised using 235/45r18s but not sure if in the case of an accident that my insurance would stand. Having retired early I thought I could do without winter tyres & just sit in front of a cosy fire until the bad weather had passed. But found that even in the light winter road conditions the CX3 was sliding all over the place. So I thought I would bite the bullet & put on a couple of front winter tyres. Problem is supply. Can't believe Mazda would be selling cars in the Highlands with our normal wintery weather every year & not be able to supply winter tyres. Help.....

[st3v3cx-3]

Have you checked out this online site? (Note - I haven't used them nor am I recommending them)

https://www.mytyres.co.uk/

They show a few winter tyres in the exact CX-3 Sport Nav size 215/50/18 (it is 215 for petrol models, not 205), which can be fitted at one of their fitting partners for a small additional cost that can be selected when choosing the tyre sizes. Depends where you are located in the Highlands as to the distance to the nearest partner - you can enter your postcode and check it out.

Some owners on this forum have bought separate 18" wheels, either the standard alloy as fitted to the Sport Nav CX-3 (check the Mazda UK accessory website, they are very cheap for alloys) or another make - or even steel wheel - and then had winter tyres fitted to those rims. It will be a lot easier - and owner doable - to just change complete wheels and tyres between winter and summer than removing and fitting different types of tyres with all the equipment that requires. It is also possible to buy suitable 16" wheels - either steel or alloy - and the appropriate higher profile tyre with a far great choice of makes and at a lot less cost.

I personally wouldn't choose to go with winter tyres on one axle and summer ones on the other, either at the front or back. I'd be wary of any insurance complications along with grip implications.

NB: Some tyre manufacturers recommend when fitting two new tyres that the new tyres should be fitted onto the rear axle as placing greater grip on the rear axle is generally recommended to prevent a possible over steer condition and loss of vehicle stability on slippery surfaces. Not sure how that stands with fitting just two winter tyres.

[Retiredrover777]

Hi. Thanks for all the info. The main reason for just having 2 winter tyres is obviously keeping costs down. I had a focus for 3 yrs & had 2 front winter tyres fitted each year. I live 300ft up a hill & had no problems getting around. I love everything about my CX3, apart from the fact that it is lousy on the road with even just a little bit of snow or ice. My main issue is not being able to get a supply of 215/50s here in the Highlands & maybe having to shell out a lot of money for new wheels. Think I will be having a conversation with my Mazda salesman. What's your thoughts on a different size of tyre (225/45s) on the same wheels that some suppliers have suggested.

[Handy Andy]

Hi. Thanks for all the info. The main reason for just having 2 winter tyres is obviously keeping costs down. I had a focus for 3 yrs & had 2 front winter tyres fitted each year. I live 300ft up a hill & had no problems getting around. I love everything about my CX3, apart from the fact that it is lousy on the road with even just a little bit of snow or ice. My main issue is not being able to get a supply of 215/50s here in the Highlands & maybe having to shell out a lot of money for new wheels. Think I will be having a conversation with my Mazda salesman. What's your thoughts on a different size of tyre (225/45s) on the same wheels that some suppliers have suggested.

Years ago when tyres were less sophisticated or not so wide you might have got away with it. But nowadays with more defined summer and winter tyres, by fitting winters just to the front (I assume) you run the high risk that under braking the car may want to swap ends as the grip is so radically different. You may argue that two are better than none but with all summers you will have the same handling characteristics as all winters although the winters will be much better in winter (obviously). Doing a mixture can really upset the handling and what you save by only buying two could end up spending more on new body panels. The wider the tyre, the more important to have them matched.

[Retiredrover777]

Ok. Will bite the bullet cost wise & buy 4 . Hopefully my insurers will be ok with the different spec. Many thanks.

[jtonline]

Why not send your insurers an email before you purchase? If they reply to say they have no issues you'll have that in writing at the time of any subsequent insurance claim.

[Retiredrover777]

Thanks for that. My insurer says as long as it meets the manufacturers spec. Nowhere in the manual does it specify that you can use a different size tyre . So I would need written assurance from my tyre supplier. Meanwhile the roads in the Highlands are still not great. Spoke to the salesman who sold me the car, & he even admitted that it was a problem with supply for that size of tyre. He then went on to say that he had to put different size tyres on his wife's Mazda. Bets he doesn't tell customers about that when he makes his sales. I'm at the stage of writing on social media for people in the Highlands not to buy a CX3 if they want to get about in the Winter. Oh how I'm starting to miss my good old reliable Ford Focus. And yes the forecast for up here is for more snow showers & icy conditions.

[Gus]

I’m bamboozled at how hard it is for you, looking at the link above there where a couple of snow tyres available for 18” (including in my opinion the excellent Vredstein) but if I remember correctly last year folks brought the Mazda 16” steel wheels supplied with the non Sport Nav CX-3 and put winter tyres on them with a good choice of winter tyres.

[santa]

I’m bamboozled at how hard it is for you, looking at the link above there where a couple of snow tyres available for 18” (including in my opinion the excellent Vredstein) but if I remember correctly last year folks brought the Mazda 16” steel wheels supplied with the non Sport Nav CX-3 and put winter tyres on them with a good choice of winter tyres.

That's what I did, bough a set of 16" steels with 215/60-16 winter tyres when I bought the car.
Much greater choice in 215/60-16 than in 215/50-18.

[st3v3cx-3]

Here is a site who can supply steel wheel and tyre packages in 16” size - with 215/60 winter tyres of various makes fitted and balanced etc - via post to anywhere in the UK mainland.

https://www.mytyres.co.uk/Steel_wheels.html

Assuming of course you had somewhere to store the alloys with their summer tyres or steel with their winter tyres as appropriate.

If the snow problem in the South of England was anywhere like it can be in the Highlands, then this is the option I would have taken. If only the UK versions of the CX-3 came in a petrol 4WD configuration then that could have been another choice, although maybe heavy snow would still necessitate winter tyres..