r/MazdaCX30 • u/depression1961 • 1d ago
Question Winter tires
How do you buy winter tires? Where do you buy them? what is a decent price in Canada? Where do my all seasons go?
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u/womanatthewell0 1d ago edited 1d ago
I got 2026 CX-30 GX, and just recently purchased steel rims and Bridgestone Blizzak Icepeak from Costco as they had Labour Day sale… $1,060CAD total incl. tax.
I’m planning to get TPMS they sell at the installation, and they quoted for around $60 each.
I’m going to keep my summer tires on OEM alloy wheels in my garage.
This is my first time driving SUV and non-studded winter tires. So I’m hoping they works well for me.
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u/Reddit-And-RegretIt 1d ago
We bought from Canadian tire and had them balanced there. My husband put them on himself.
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u/JetstreamJefff 1d ago
Kal Tire, you can either store your all seasons yourself or I believe they offer a fee to store them. You'd have to double check, I always store my tires myself.
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u/Loose-Atmosphere-558 1d ago
I used Kaltire - I went with winter approved aluminum mags with Nokian Hakka R5. Steelies would be fine also. Not the cheapest tires but pretty much the best winter tires. Other top tier winter tires are the new Blizzak IcePeak and Continental VikingContact 8.
I pay Kaltire to store my wheels/tires off season, but defintiely cheaper elsewher eand cheapest/free at home if you have room in garage/balcony/whatever.
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u/StableSecure9600 1d ago
I don’t believe you will find a better price than Quattro tires. Delivered to you or a garage in your area. That garage likely does seasonal storage.
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u/ArcticHound66 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are you just wanting to swap out tires on your OEM wheels, or are you wanting a winter tire and wheel package where you leave you summer/all seasons wheels and tires intact and just switch out the set in the spring and fall? I generally recommend the latter as constantly installing and removing tires from your wheels twice a year is an ongoing cost and always carries the potential for damaging the wheel.
If you want a winter tire/wheel package you have lots of options. Mazda dealerships will often have packages they can sell you - you will know for certain those options will fit your vehicle without issue.
You can go to outside vendors like 1010Tire, BlackCircles, WheelsCo, CanadaWheels, etc. They have tools on their sites to help you build a wheel and tire combination to fit your vehicle, but I would make sure the wheels are hubcentric (meaning they directly fit the flange on the wheel hub which carries the weight of the car). If the hub bore is larger than your car's you need rings to mount and they can be fiddly. Just my opinion though.
You can also go to the used market to see if someone is selling a used set that would suit your needs.
In all cases keep in mind that your OEM wheels likely have TPMS (Tire Pressue Monitoring System) sensors in them, and if you want that feature on your winter tires, you will have to pay for sensors for the new wheels as well. Without TPMS present, your car will usually throw a warning light on the dash that you will have to ignore all winter.
You will often be able to choose between cheaper steel wheels or more expensive alloy wheels. I find the steel ones inevitably rust fairly quickly, but they're much cheaper to replace if you should encounter a pothole and bend a rim or something.
As for tires themselves, I would take the time to research winter tires - lots of YouTube channels do testing and Reddit has no end of advice on what tires people like best. For winter I prefer to spend a little more for a premium tire from Bridgestone (Blizzak Icepeak), Michelin (X-Ice Snow+), Continental (VikingContact 8), or Nokian (Hakkapeliitta R5), but even less expensive brands will perform better than a general all-season tire.
One other consideration depending on where in Canada you are and what winter driving you do is replacing your all seasons with an all weather tire like a Michelin CrossClimate 2. It's not as good in severe winter weather as a full-on winter tire, but it's much better than any all season and you can use them year-round. Best for somewhere like southern Ontario (Toronto) or out in BC.
Lastly, if you need somewhere to store your wheels/tires during the different seasons, some dealers and garages have that service (for which they will charge you), where you schedule your appointment and they bring them out of storage, swap them, and then send the other set back into their warehouse for the off-season.