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A/S tire choices for 2014 Mazda6 - thoughts / my research

88K views 200 replies 83 participants last post by  TalonTsi90 
#1 ·
So, I like to stick with TR for our tire purchases, and have been very satisfied so far.

Wife's 2014 Mazda 6 has 35k miles right now, and the OE Dunlops (summers) are terrible in wet weather and wife complained several times how bad they hyrdoplane, and overall bad in rain. Dry weather performance is good. I have had horrible experiences with them in rain, so I can confirm wife's info.

Anyway, before winter starts, I am thinking of replacing them with a good A/S tire (Don't need TOP of the line, but want "good" bang for the buck).

Due to the weird size, not many available but one of the new tires that I have been very interested in / been curious about, General GMax AS03 is one them :)

So, I thought I'd post all A/S choices for this car on TR, and then post a direct TR survey comparo of the OE (Current) Dunlops VS the Gmax below:

FIRST, THE 7 CHOICES (A/S). (2 pics):





NOW the OE Dunlop Survey VS the GMax:
(Pay attn to wet weather performance differences)

DUNLOP:


GMAX:


The Gmax, with a smaller price, beats the Dunlops out of the water, at least according to the surveys, IMO. I am very inclined to go with them.

2 more pics of Gmax tests vs some other tires:



Should I go with the Gmax AS03 ?
 
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#2 ·
My 2014 has less than 5k on the odo, but if I were buying new tires today the Gmax AS03 would probably be the one I'd go with. Doesn't look like they would be great in snow or ice but I'm covered there. (I'll be running General Altimax Arctic's on dedicated rims in the winter.) The Yokohama ADVAN Sport looks interesting but too new to have meaningful feedback yet. Hopefully a few more 19" choices will appear over the next year or so.
 
#5 ·
I'm still torn on this.. I've been putting it off for 5K miles because I can't make up my mind. I'm stuck between the Nitto Motivo, Pirelli CintuRato P7, A/S3 AND the michelin primacy (dealer recommending that one heavily.. but at 1K.. sheesh)
 
#6 ·
I ran Michelin on my motorcycle (3 sets and i know apples to oranges) and we run the defender tires on my wife's car and have been fantastic. I loathe Dunlops in general and Goodyear due to past experiences.

Wife had stock Kumhos and i was not a fan in anything other than dry conditions be they seem to have good reviews. My money will be on the Michelin Pilot Sport.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Generals are perfect if you don't care about road noise. Good grip cheap and lightweight. They are kinda loud out of the gate and only get louder from their. The current dunlops are considered loud too so if it hasn't bothered you yet, the Generals probably wont bother you either.

Continental Extremcontact DWS are good too as long as you don't mind a soft sidewall whcih has the tradeoff of less responsive stearing for better ride, but it's all relative to other ultra high performance tires. They are also cheap light and have good grip.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thanks for all the feedback.

A few points:


-Yoko Advan Sport A/S looks good but no reviews or surveys on tire rack... how do I REALLY know they're good when they're so new?
On the other hand the Yoko Avid Envigor has pretty good reviews and enough data to have surveys on TR; Why would one choose Avid Sport over Advan Envigor?
--Generel is "cheap"? The Altimax HPs have been great on a different car - and isn't General owned by Continental? I am just curious as to if the General GMax is automatically BAD because their price is low compared to others...
--Conti DWS is not available in OE size.
 
#12 ·

-Yoko Advan Sport A/S looks good but no reviews or surveys on tire rack... how do I REALLY know they're good when they're so new?
Honestly, you don't. That Yoko model is relatively new, so I'm guessing TR hasn't had a chance to test it yet.
On the other hand the Yoko Avid Envigor has pretty good reviews and enough data to have surveys on TR; Why would one choose Avid Sport over Advan Envigor?
I'd take a risk on the Sport BECAUSE the Envigors are so good. I had a set of Envigors on my last Mazda, and LOVED them.
--Generel is "cheap"? The Altimax HPs have been great on a different car - and isn't General owned by Continental? I am just curious as to if the General GMax is automatically BAD because their price is low compared to others...
That's a TERRIBLE assumption, and a LOT of good tires are dismissed because of it. I've heard nothing but great things about the Generals, and they tested well at TR. They're more of a Touring tire compared to a High Performance tire, which means it gives up some ultimate traction for a smoother, more quiet ride, and better wear.
 
#10 ·
You said you were looking for A/S tires. If you are going to run them during the winter, you really do not want a wider tire. Not that 235 is especially wide, but fat tires are more prone to riding on top of snow/water so grip is always an issue with non-optimal road conditions. Just something to consider.
 
#16 ·
Haha yea.... but when you do it is a complete cluster F. I remember laughing when Georgia got half an inch of snow and there were pileups everywhere on the highways. Best entertainment I've seen on TV in the past 5 years.
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
Yeah - I really was set on the GMax AS-03 after reading so many good reviews, even in higher end car forums and TR, but look how it was slammed when I opened this same thread (same contents) on another forum: (and it has totally put me in doubt / confusion now)

New Tires for 2014 Mazda 6 - my research... | Tires & Wheels | Bob Is The Oil Guy
You should try discounttiredirect.com instead of Tire Rack. It's usually cheaper here after the free shipping. Also, they're doubling all rebate offers right now for their Labor Day sale. Most Yokohama's have a $60 Yokohama rebate and a $50 DTD rebate, PLUS they double that rebate so you're getting $220 rebates for a set of 4 tires! Keep in mind, they're Visa Debit Card rebates, not cash rebates.
 
G
#18 ·
Mileage on OEM Dunlops?

Just bought a 2015 Mazda6 Touring MT Snowflake White on Sand Leatherette (quite rare), and I LOVE it! But, because of the poor OEM tire choice, I am considering trading them in right off the bat for something else, as Discount Tire is offering me $300 for the new OEM Dunlops. Should I take that? Seems generous for a 'used' tire, although only a couple hundred miles on them. How many miles could I expect on the Dunlops? I am also thinking of the Yokohama ADVAN Sport A/S. It is new, but the first 3 reviews on Tirerack are promising. I had the Avid Envigor on my older Mazda3. Loved them, but they only lasted 33K (had a 60K mileage warranty), so that was dissapointing, although they did give me $200 towards my next set. Also considering the Michelin A/S 3. Any thoughts?
 
#25 ·
I have put 33K on my EOMs so far. I should change them now (getting close to bald) but I am so undecided. One the one hand Michelin A/S 3 gather rave reviews, but they are expensive and with low tread wear. On the other hand you have the Generals that get great reviews, but are noisy (according to many) and wear is just OK. So, here's to hoping that my dealer will run a discount on the Michelins next month. They have a special by 3 tires get the 4th for a buck, on selected tires... I do not know which ones yet...
 
G
#26 ·
Michelin generally has a $70 rebate on their tires every 3-4 weeks, although that is usually through a major tire retailer, not sure if they have those rebates available through a dealer. Unless you live in a very wet climate, I would steer away from the General, as that tire is directional, which is the reason why it is noisy, and also part of the reason why the wear isn't great, as you can't cross rotate them. I think that the Yokohama ADVAN Sport A/S is the most intriguing choice, just too new to get a good read on it. But, from initial observations and its 50K mile warranty, I would probably take a chance on them if I were to buy today.
 
#29 ·
GTI racecar? whaaaaa.. pick either of my 2 toys and let's test that theory, LOL.

Solar with a drive like yours I would love my 6 to death.. but probably use the miata more haha.



As for tires.. I'm at 30K and down to 5/32". Basically in need of replacement before bad weather season hits or I'll be up a creek... or more literally stranded at the bottom of a hill. Granted I have the 17" oem's... I can't decide on a tire. Likely going with the Pirelli CintuRato P7 or the Nitto Motivo
 
#30 ·
GTI racecar? whaaaaa.. pick either of my 2 toys and let's test that theory, LOL.

Solar with a drive like yours I would love my 6 to death.. but probably use the miata more haha.
My commute is also accross a valley so it even comes with hills. My miata was the PERFECT car for this commute!

But it was getting long in the tooth for my F1 driving style at 125k miles, and I couldn't justify buying a new two seater for our two car garage with 2 little ones at home.
 
#31 ·
Solar365: Over in the VW GTI forums a common answer to a given question is "because racecar". We know our cars aren't racecars; it's more a term of endearment. Anyway, the point of my original post was that the OEM tires are treating me VERY well. I feel they can do the same for others as long as your driving style is geared towards maximum tire life.
 
#33 ·
GTI seem like a cool car, but VW...no way.

The only european car I'll ever consider buying is a porsche, because I've had enough of european reliability over the years.
 
#36 ·
In my experience, and from what i have learned here and with earlier forums I have been with, is that that any brand or type of tire will wear faster in a lower profile. My last three cars were on 45-series tires, which for me and others in my group, rarely went past 25k miles. I've had cars with 50 to 60-series which lasted beyond 40,000 miles.
 
#43 ·
Duro EVOs, anyone?

A shame that the tires available to us for the stock wheel have such a small field of (pricey) candidates. I (thought I) heard that 245/35 R19 can fit, but barely, and are NOT recommended. Since that was the case I decided to upgrade to 20s. The tires I have on now are an A/S Tire w/ a 480 Treadwear Rating and Traction / Temperature of AA/A. They are called DURO DP8100 Performa EVO, and my first impressions are they are AWESOME! They look more expensive than they are and have a WONDERFULLY Aggressive-looking Tread pattern. They grip effortlessly on dry roads, and add significant stability when taking corners. At first I thought noise levels were the same as the Dunlops, however my wife commented on how good the tires felt, and the noise levels seem to be slightly less (especially when I rolled down the window to listen to them). I will UPDATE when the weather changes to wet, and provide my impressions at that time. Also, I got a set of 4 (255/35 R20) for $383.00 w/ Free Shipping from eBay! They appear to be more prominent "across the pond" than here, and had a 5-star customer rating, and ranked #8 in a UK Tire Shootout when I was researching them. So far, so good! I'll keep you guys posted.

All that stated, IF 245/35 R19 can fit on stock wheels w/o a problem, I could easily recommend adding these tires to your short list.

 
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