Best Mazda CX-5 Tires

The CX-5 has long been Mazda’s most popular model, riding the crossover wave and injecting some driving enjoyment into it.

Sporting the expressive and sophisticated styling you’d expect on a European brand, with the interior trim and driving dynamics to match, it’s surprising more folks don’t drive Mazdas.

If you’re in need of new tires for your CX-5, we’ve compiled a list of different options below based on everything from performance, to price to warranty. And to hopefully make your life a little easier, we’ve added an overall top pick as well.

Mazda CX-5 Tire Size

  • 225/65/17
  • 225/55/19

The tires below are all available in the two basic fitment sizes above.

Best Mazda CX-5 Tire

Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3

Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 Review

Pirelli has long made fun-to-drive tires, but they often come with a reduced tread life, making them hard to recommend for practical daily-drivers.

But now the Italian tire manufacturer has just debuted an all-new model, the Scorpion AS Plus 3, designed specifically for crossovers in the North American marketplace.

As a result, it’s quiet and comfortable. It also has impressive all-season traction, with great grip in the wet and competitive winter traction (for an all-season).

Dry grip is excellent and this Pirelli tire is a fantastic match to the natural handling dynamics of Mazda vehicles.

All this said, Pirellis normally come with a “but” when it comes to tread life. But not here. This new tread compound has been engineered to last 70,000 miles, matching many of the top performers in the segment.

   

Best Mazda CX-5 Tire (alternative)

Michelin Defender T+H

Maintaining high-levels of driving dynamics in your Mazda while significantly prolonging tire life, the Michelin Defender T+H has a lot going for it.

In addition to excellent dry, wet weather grip is also impressive, as is overall braking performance regardless of the road surface. Mazdas are known for great driving dynamics, and this tire pairs nicely with the CX-5.

With plenty of sipes and biting edges this tire also offers above-average performance in colder temperatures and mild winter conditions.

Pricing is on the high end, but that’s expected for this level of performance and a long tread life warranty of 80,000 miles.

   

Best All-Season Tire for Mazda CX-5

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady Review

There’s really only one drawback abut the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady tire and that’s its tread life. But before you cross this tire off your list, you should understand why. And why it might not matter.

The 60,000 mile tread life warrant is certainly less than the top tires in this class, however, unlike those other all-seasons this tire is actually built to handle real winter driving. So when the temperature drops and the snow starts to fly it doesn’t freeze up on your, but instead grips the ground with ease.

On top of all that it delivers solid summer driving dynamics, with tread blocks that lock together under braking and hard cornering to give the tread more stability. Plus, in the wet, this tire retains its grip over the full life of the tire thanks to deep channels in the tire that actually become wider as the tire wears, to offer more water-evacuation capability.

It’s a bit more expensive than your average all-season tire, but it offers something those others don’t. And when you consider the cost and hassle of dealign with a set of winter tires, this tire could very well be worth it.

   

Longest Lasting Mazda CX-5 Tire

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife Review

If you search for the longest lasting tire for pretty much any vehicle, you’re going to wind up with this tire, the aptly named Assurance MaxLife tire from Goodyear. Going just a touch beyond what other tire manufacturers have, this tire offers an 85,000 mile tread life warranty.

Overall performance is above-average with solid braking performance in both the wet and the dry.

Some users complain that the harder tread compound makes it slightly less comfortable than some of the competitive set. We don’t suspect many owners will notice, however, if you are it’s likely to be on the larger 19-inch wheel with the lower profile 55 aspect ratio sidewall.

   

Best Budget Tire for Mazda CX-5

Cooper Endeavor Plus

Cooper Endeavor Plus Review

Priced on the lower end of the scale the Cooper Endeavor Plus doesn’t perform like it.

The tread design here is built with plentiful siping enabling impressive wet grip and above-average winter grip as well. Shoulder tread blocks that are joined together by a smaller rib of rubber make for outright handling capabilities that are well above what you’d expect for this price point.

One of the few drawbacks is braking performance, which suffers somewhat as a result of the heavy divisions on the tire – a trade-off for all that wet and snow traction.

There’s also some road noise at lower speeds. Thankfully it does away once you pick up the pace.

Tread life is 65,000 miles which is also above what you’d anticipate for a more affordable tire, specifically one that performs so well in other areas.

 

Cheapest Mazda CX-5 Tire

Laufenn S FIT AS

Amplify the handling dynamics of your Mazda CX-5 and save a bundle while you’re at it. That’s the philosophy behind the Laufenn S FIT AS.

This high performance all-season tire makes use of a grippy tread compound, aggressive design features and reinforced shoulder blocks to deliver not just outright grip, but impressive predictability. Wet weather traction is decent, though dry performance is really where it shines.

Winter grip drops off pretty dramatically though – similar to most budget-focused all-season tires.

The big trade-off for all this grip is a lower overall tread life of just 45,000 miles. Still, for the price that’s not a bad trade off at all.

 

Best Performance Tire for Mazda CX-5

Pirelli Scorpion Strada All Season

Pirelli Cinturato Strada All Season Review

OK, we’ll admit this isn’t the best outright performance tire for the CX-5. If you’re really serious about grip you’ll want to opt for some high performance summer tires or perhaps some performance all-seasons. The Pirelli Scorpion Strada All Season is what’s known as a touring tire, meaning it does offer performance, but in equal parts with comfort and quietness for your crossover sensibilities.

The wider center rib gives an excellent planted feel on the highway and immediate responsiveness on turn-in. The shoulder tread blocks are actually joined together making for a larger external contact patch and a tread design that’s better able to hold up against the demands of performance driving.

Making use of a modern silica-enhanced tread compound, this also allows the tire to retain its grip in wet conditions.

Tread life is a bit lower than some others on this list with a 65,000 mile tread life warranty, but the price is comparably lower as well.

Best Winter Tire for Mazda CX-5

Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2

We don’t see this every day, but if you head on over to Discount Tire and check the user reviews you’ll see that the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 is recommended by 100% of the people who bought this tire. That’s quite the endorsement!

The reason for such high praise is due to this tire’s relentless capability in the snow. The ultra-wide center section with massive amounts of siping means that not only does this tire grip the snow incredibly well, it also offers next-level handling and responsiveness on it, giving you capability and confidence.

   

Mazda CX-5 Tire FAQ

What tires come on the Mazda CX-5

17-inch tires

Yokohama Geolandar G91A

19-inch tires

Toyo A36

How Long to Mazda CX-5 Tires Last?

Mazda tends to equip is vehicles with more aggressive tires to maximize the handling dynamics it is known for. As a result, expect roughly 50,000 miles on a set of tires like the Yokohama Geolandar G91A that came on the CX-5 from the factory. This tire has a very low UTQG rating, offering plenty of drip and performance, but not terribly long life.

Tire Buying FAQ

Where can I find the best price on tires?

There is no one answer to this question unfortunately. Sites like Tire Rack and Discount tire offer deals all the time on specific brands. You can also find deals on Amazon though they are much harder to find and often only apply to a specific size or group of sizes. Visit our Tire Deals page for more info.

When is the best time to buy tires?

It’s common that many shoppers buy tires once its already too late. At that point you don’t have a lot of choice and can often over-pay. If you’re planning ahead, generally, retailers offer significant tire deals around major holiday weekends (especially in the summer), as well as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

How much is Shipping?

Shipping is often included when you purchase tires online. Many retailers offer free shipping if you get your tires shipped to an installer that they recommend. Even if you ship to your home, Tire Rack offers free shipping on purchases over $50. And if you’re buying new tires, that won’t be hard.

How long does shipping take?

Shipping can take just a few days, or over a week in the worst cases. Often it depends on where you live. anyone in a larger urban center or living closer to a tire distribution center can get them quite quickly.

Does anyone offer mobile tire installation?

Depending on where you live, there may be numerous local mobile tire installers available. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of tracking one down, TireRack offers its own service. You don’t even have to purchase tires from TireRack to use it.

While it’s more expensive than bringing your tires to the shop, it’s also a lot more convenient. Prices start at $25 per tire.

How much does it cost to install a tire?

Generally you’ll pay between $25 and $50 per tire for installation services. This includes mounting and balancing, while using the latest tools so your rims don’t get scuffed or scraped.

Do I need to replace the tire pressure monitoring system when I change tires?

It’s not necessary to replace TMPS sensors when you change tires, but you may want to consider it. The units can fail over time due to damage or corrosion. Also, most units contain a battery and as a sealed unit, they must be replaced when the battery wears down. While most tire installers will handle sourcing these parts for you, you can also buy your own here.

Do online tire retailers offer rebates?

Absolutely! In fact, rebates are offered by most brands (even premium ones). Often these incentives are offered with other deals including up-front discounts and credit card offers.

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