Best Tires For Mazda CX-5

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‍Mazda CX-5: Best Tires

When going out tire shopping, it is quite common to be overwhelmed with the number of available options. It is all too easy to get duped with the first set of cheap tires that catch your eye or to be intimidated by the exceedingly expensive price of some of the high-end options. The truth is that you can get yourself an amazing tire for a great price for the Mazda CX-5, but you don’t want to choose one that has been tested with lackluster results. At the same time, you can find yourself a high-end tire that will meet all of your performance needs without breaking the bank.

Before you begin weighing out your options, you should first reflect on what kind of budget you have for your tires and what your primary driving needs are. If you want to keep costs to a minimum there are some great bargain options to take advantage of. However, if you are interested in maximizing your Mazda CX-5’s capabilities and money is not an obstacle for you, then you really can’t go wrong with a high-end tire.

With that being said, many Mazda CX-5 drivers, do not want to get into the technical aspects of tires or driving and simply want something that they can throw on their wheels that will last a long time. If that is the case, then you are going to want to select a tire that is well-rounded and designed for longevity. These will most commonly be All-Season tires, as they are regarded for their dynamic range and practicality above everything else, which is exactly what the majority of Mazda CX-5 drivers are after when tire shopping.

However, given the nature of the Mazda CX-5, you may want a tire option for your vehicle that is going to give you the best of both worlds - High-Performance capabilities with All-Season practicality. As you consider your options, you should recognize that you often need to sacrifice performance capabilities for practicality. The key is to find a balance between the two that serve you and your CX-5 the best. Keep reading to learn more about the best tires for the Mazda CX-5.

All-Season Tires

These days, the most common tires that you see on the road are All-Season tires. This tire classification was first launched back in the 70s, but it failed to reach huge popularity at first due to performance issues. All-Season tires are intended to offer drivers a well-rounded driving experience, as the ‘All-Season’ title implies. However, the faulty rubber compound of the initial releases of All-Season tires resulted in lackluster dynamic capabilities.

In the last 20 years, All-Season tires have seen some major improvements - with them now becoming the on-road standard for the majority of drivers out there. This improvement was due to the incorporation of silica into the compound of All-Season tires, which resulted in their performance becoming exceptional. Since this upgrade, All-Season tires have been highly regarded as being a tire that is capable of handling just about every type of common driving condition that you throw at it.

Whether it is dry/wet performance, adverse terrain capabilities, or comfort that you are after, there are a lot of All-Season tires on the market that tick all of the boxes for Mazda CX-5 drivers, which is why so many people opt for this kind of tire for their vehicle. In addition, All-Season tires are highly praised for having an incredibly good tread life. You will find that the bulk of the All-Season tires on the market which are made by reputable manufacturers will have an impressive tread life that lasts at least 60,000 to 75,000 miles. This means that you will only need to change your tires everywhere 5 to 7 years.

With that being said, an All-Season tire is not going to give your Mazda CX-5 optimal performance, but rather well-rounded on-road capabilities. All-Season tires are not going to match up to the capabilities of a High-Season tire - with cornering and handling abilities generally being mediocre. In addition, these tires are typically not ideal for extreme weather conditions such as dense snow and ice, which is why you want to carefully assess the specs of every tire that you are considering. Let’s dive right into the best All-Season Tires for the Mazda CX-5.

Laufenn X Fit HT

This All-Season tire from Laufenn is a very popular option among Mazda CX-5 drivers. The X Fit HT was designed specifically for SUVs like the Mazda CX-5, as it has exceptional durability.

So many Mazda CX-5 drivers purchased their vehicle because they wanted a car that was going to be able to perform well on rugged terrain. A lot of All-Season tires on the market have great durability but the X Fit HT excels in this department. This manufacturer designed this tire with an extra protective layer to prevent issues when driving on rough roads.

This means that if you are the kind of person that wants to harness the full SUV performance of their Mazda CX-5 by taking it out on dirt and gravel roads without worrying about flats, the X Fit HT is going to be a great option for you to consider.

With that being said, durability is not the only area that the X Fit HT comes through. This tire also has very solid dry and wet performance - with traction being very dependable in both conditions. We also really enjoyed the grip that this tire offers the Mazda CX-5. Although this vehicle was not designed for sports performance, it does still have 167 horsepower under the hood.

You will enjoy the increased cornering performance that your Mazda CX-5 will get with this Laufenn All-Season tire. On top of that, Laufenn designed this tire tread to offer fantastic ride comfort, which is something that many All-Season tires sometimes lack. When driving (even at high speeds), you will be very pleased with the smoothness that you feel on the road. In addition, the amount of noise that you hear when driving on the highway is also very soft for an All-Season tire.

Furthermore, the X Fit HT has an excellent tread life of 60,000 miles. Although this is not the absolute best that you can hope for, it still trumps just about anything that you can expect to get out of a High-Performance tire. If you happen to run into any technical issues with the tire during the first 60,000 miles, the manufacturer has backed the tread life with a warranty. The only real issue that we found with this All-Season tire is that it did not have optimal snow performance - with light snow capabilities being decent and dense snow being lackluster.

Lastly, we were very impressed with how reasonably priced this tire was, as you can currently get yourself a set at Discount Tire for a mere $98.00 per piece! This is by far one of the best-priced tires that you can get for your Mazda CX-5. For the performance specs and the price tag, this is a bang for your buck deal.

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

One of the most trusted names in the tire manufacturing industry is Michelin, as they have been producing high-quality tires for well over a century. With that being said, they naturally have one of the best All-Season Tires for the Mazda CX-5 on the market.

There are a number of solid All-Season tire options from Michelin available for the Mazda CX-5, but the one that we liked the most was the Defender LTX/MS. This tire model from Michelin has received significant improvements from its previous generation - which was already an excellent tire. The new tread design that Michelin used for this All-Season tire gives it an increased tread life, which shatters most of the competition out there.

With the Defender LTX/MS equipped to your Mazda CX-5, you will have an impressive tread life of 70,000 miles. This means that you will only need to change your tires every 7 to 8 years, which is an excellent feature for drivers that want to have longevity.

However, the new tread design combined with Michelin’s highly advanced rubber compound also makes this All-Season tire very durable. The Defender LTX/MS was created specifically for SUVs so that they can be driven on a variety of different road conditions - especially rugged terrain. If you live out in the countryside or simply enjoy taking trips on backcountry roads, then you can drive with confidence with these equipped to your Mazda CX-5.

Michelin’s rubber compound is tough as nails and it can withstand some serious impact from adverse terrain. So, rocks and gravel are not going to be a problem on your next road trip. In addition to impact durability, the Defender LTX/MS also enables your Mazda CX-5 to support more weight. The rubber compound was designed to increase the payload of your Mazda CX-5, which means that you can pack in more without worrying about experiencing performance issues.

All in all, this is an All-Season tire that will truly elevate the SUV capabilities of your Mazda CX-5, which makes this a perfect option for someone who wants to push their car to its limits in adverse terrain. With that being said, the Defender LTX/MS also has a great dry and wet performance - with acceleration and stopping power being very well-rounded. The cornering abilities of this Michelin tire were also great, as it has a very solid grip.

Lastly, we were very impressed with how well this Michelin All-Season tire could handle snow conditions. A Mazda CX-5 equipped with these tires will have exceptional traction in light snow and ice. We would not advise relying solely on these tires if you live in a region that gets exceedingly cold weather, but for many winter drivers out there, this is the answer to so many of their problems.

With all of these performance capabilities in mind, this tire is not going to be ideal for a Mazda CX-5 driver on a budget. You can get yourself a set of the All-Season tires from Michelin for $142.00 per piece at Discount Tire. If you factor in the dynamic performance of this tire, you really do get what you pay for with this option.

Continental TrueContact

Continental has been producing world-class tires for over 150 years. With that kind of a lifespan and track record, you better believe that they are doing something right.

This tire manufacturer is highly-regarded for releasing the latest of what tire technology has to offer and for pushing the boundary of tire performance capabilities. That is very much the case with the latest release of their TrueContact model.

This is an All-Season tire that truly delivers on ‘All-Season’ performance. We found that the dry and wet performance of this tire was exceptional. So much so, that you could easily confuse it with a High-Performance tire. The grip to the road, acceleration, and stopping power was all on point with the TureContact.

However, what we were really impressed with was how well the Mazda CX-5 was able to perform in snow conditions. Continental designed this All-Season tire to not let drivers down even in the worst weather conditions. The performance capabilities of this tire in light snow and ice were through the roof, as the Mazda CX-5 will breeze through winter roads with no issues.

With that being said, we were also very amazed by how this All-Season tire performed in dense snow. Although the handling was not quite as ideal in these conditions, the TrueContact tire could still pull through, which is great for Mazda CX-5 drivers that truly want to rely on a single tire to take care of their driving needs all year long.

Furthermore, the advanced tread design of these All-Season tires will ensure that your Mazda CX-5’s fuel efficiency stays optimal. It is often the case that certain All-Season tires will fail to deliver the best fuel economy possible for your vehicle, but that is not the case with this Continental tire. This is going to be a great fit for drivers out there that want to curb the rise of increased gas prices.

This continental tire also has very solid durability. However, when compared to the previous All-Season options that we mentioned, the TrueContact could not match up to the ware and tare capabilities of its competition.

If you are still not sold on these incredible All-Season tires from Continental, you will be pleased to hear that they boast a very impressive tread life of 80,000 miles! This blows just about all its competition out of the water, as there are very few tires out there that can match this tread expectancy. For the very reasonable price of $111.00 per tire at Discount Tire, this is an option that you should not overlook for your Mazda CX-5.

Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia (Grand Touring All-Season)

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Bridgestone is widely considered to be one of the leaders in tire innovation and they continue to prove themselves with impressive releases like the Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia. This is a Grand Touring All-Season tire that has been optimized for on-road driving performance - especially for highway driving.

When designing this Grand Touring All-Season tire, Bridgestone put a focus on giving drivers the best fuel economy possible. For an SUV, the 24 mpg city and the 30 mpg highway rating that the Mazda CX-5 has is very solid. However, you will find that a lot of the tires on the market are going to fail at ensuring that you get the most out of your tank. With gas prices constantly going up, many Mazda CX-5 drivers are looking for any edge they can get to save on fuel.

Bridgestone has answered the call, which is why they designed the Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia to be one of the most fuel-efficient tires that money can buy. The manufacturer was able to achieve this thanks to the unique silica compound that they used in the design of this Grand Touring All-Season tire.

However, fuel economy is not the only feature that Bridgestone's silica compound enhances. Mazda CX-5 drivers will enjoy an increased performance on the road in both dry and wet conditions. The tread design will also enable better handling abilities and grip on the road. On top of that, this Grand Touring All-Season tire performs very well in light snow and ice. We did find that its capabilities in dense snow started to become lackluster, but if you live in an area with moderate winters, this is still going to be a very solid option to consider.

In addition, the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia tire is going to be an excellent choice for Mazda CX-5 drivers that want to have an optimum amount of comfort. Bridgestone designed this tire to be smooth as silk so that drivers can enjoy the open road without a constant highway hum in the background. Furthermore, there are virtually zero vibrations or bumps when driving - even at high speeds.

Lastly, this Grand Touring All-Season tire has a very solid tread life of 65,000 miles. If you happen to have any issues within this tread life expectancy, Bridgestone has backed this tire up with a warranty. The only major drawback of this tire is that it is rather pricey - with a price tag of $230.00 per piece at Discount Tire, which puts it well outside of reach for most budget shoppers.

Michelin Premier LTX (Grand Touring All-Season Tire)

Another fantastic tire for the Mazda CX-5 from Michelin is the Premier LTX. Michelin designed this tire to be ideal for crossover SUVs like the Mazda CX-5 which is why its specs are so well suited to the driving style of the vehicle.

To start, this Grand Touring All-Season tire has a highly-advanced tread design that adapts to wear and tear by opening up new grooves as the old ones begin to bald. The dry performance that this tire offers Mazda CX-5 drivers is excellent with acceleration and braking power being on point.

However, where the Premier LTX excels is in its wet performance. Michelin’s clever rubber compound uses sunflower oil to greatly increase traction in wet conditions. This tire is one of the best in the industry for wet performance, which makes it a must for drivers that reside in rainy parts of the country.

In addition, this Grand Touring All-Season tire has superb winter capabilities. If you want a dependable tire for moderate winter weather, this is going to be one of the best options for you to consider - you will get through light snow and ice without any issues! Although we found that dense snow driving was not as precise, you should still be able to pull through severe winter conditions with no problems.

Michelin also designed this tire to be durable so that it can handle adverse terrain. If you want to take your Mazda CX-5 off the beaten path and make use of its SUV performance, these Grand Touring All-Season tires are going to open up some backcountry roads for you.

You will also find that this tire is very quiet - even when driving at high speeds on the highway. We were also impressed by how soft the drive felt when on the highway, which is usually hard to come by with a tire that has such stellar All-Season capabilities.

Lastly, the Premier LTX has a very solid tread life of 60,000 miles, which is backed by a warranty from Michelin. All in all, this is one of the most well-rounded tires on our list for specs, versatility, and performance. However, for a tire of this caliber, you can expect an increased price tag, as you can currently get yourself a set of these Grand Touring All-Season tires at a starting price of $184.00 per piece at Discount Tire.

Continental CrossContact LX20 (Grand Touring All-Season Tire)

Continental is back with their latest release - the CrossContact LX20. This is a tire that was specifically designed for compact SUVs like the Mazda CX-5.

The advanced tread design and silane rubber compound of the CrossContact LX20 enable you to have better fuel efficiency so that you can save on gas and make the most of your tank. This is going to be a particularly good tire for Mazda CX-5 drivers that have to deal with long commutes and extensive highway driving.

Much like with the TrueContact All-Season tire from Continental, this option is also designed to perform optimally for All-Weather conditions. This is not going to be a replacement for a winter tire if you live in extremely cold parts of the country, but for light snow and ice, the CrossContact LX20 had fantastic traction.

With that being said, this is an excellent tire for dry and wet performance as well. Your stopping power and acceleration response will be on point with this tire equipped to your Mazda CX-5 - regardless of what kind of road conditions you are driving in. However, the advanced rubber compound and tread design also enable increased performance for cornering and handling.

For the most part, the comfort level of this tire is very solid. We found that there was virtually no highway hum and that bumps were rarely if ever, felt while driving at high speeds. However, we did find that there could be some very slight shakiness when driving on the highway, but this was not a major problem all in all.

One of the best features of this Grand Touring All-Season tire is its phenomenal tread life. You can expect to get at least 70,000 miles out of these when equipped with your Mazda CX-5. If you have any doubts or issues within the first 70,000 miles, you can rest assured that Continental has backed them up with a warranty.

The biggest drawback of this tire, however, is that it is rather pricey compared to the TrueContact. You can get yourself a set of these Continental tires from Tire Rack for $213.00 per piece. If you are after All-Season capabilities then the TrueContact may be a better option for you. However, if you want increased on-road performance and better fuel economy, these are going to suit you better.

Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus (Grand Touring All-Season Tire)

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Pirelli is widely considered to be one of the biggest names in the business when it comes to tire manufacturing and there is a reason for that. They have been producing world-class tires for over a decade and continue to solidify their position within the industry as being a tier 1 manufacturer.

There are a lot of great tires from Pirelli on the market but we particularly liked this Grand Touring All-Season tire for the Mazda CX-5. What really stands out about this tire is its unique tread design, which makes it highly versatile for a wide variety of different road conditions.

This Pirelli tire has excellent performance for wet and dry conditions - with traction being world-class. This not only enables precise acceleration and stopping power but also cornering abilities. You will also enjoy how crisp your handling will be with these equipped to your Mazda CX-5.

With that being said, this Grand Touring All-Season tire also has great winter performance. Much like with most All-Season tires out there, this option is not going to match up with the capabilities of a pure winter tire, but it will get you through light snow and ice very well.

Much like with most Grand Touring All-Season tires, Pirelli designed this model to perform optimally on highway roads. You will enjoy a ride that feels exceptionally smooth and comfortable - regardless of how fast you like to drive. In addition, this Pirelli tire boasts a great tread life of 65,000 miles which is backed by a warranty.

The only real issue that we had with this tire is that it was not designed to perform optimally for adverse terrain. You will be able to drive through most light terrain roads with no issues with these equipped, but if you are the kind of Mazda CX-5 driver that likes to hit moderate terrain levels, you may want to consider a more rugged option.

You can get yourself a set of these Grand Touring All-Season tires from Pirelli at a starting price of $154.00 per piece at Discount Tire.

High-Performance Tires

Although a lot of Mazda CX-5 drivers like to go with All-Season tire options that are reliable and well-rounded, some people prefer to choose a tire that is going to increase their vehicle’s on-road driving performance. Drivers that want to have this be a priority tend to go with a High-Performance option.

Traditionally, High-Performance tires were designed for vehicles that wanted increased sports capabilities. However, it has become commonplace for manufacturers to design High-Performance tires that are more dynamic and versatile. These can be seen in the form of High-Performance All-Season tires. Given that the Mazda CX-5 is not a sports car, a summer tire is not going to be an ideal fit for the specs of the vehicle.

With that being said, there are plenty of Mazda CX-5 drivers that chose the turbo option, which has an impressive 256 horsepower. If you want to make the most of your vehicle’s power, then a standard All-Season tire is not going to do your Mazda CX-5 any justice.

However, you should note that although High-Performance tires are designed to increase your vehicle’s performance on the road, they can come with some drawbacks. These tires may have a worse tread life than a lot of All-Season options and they may also not be as versatile for handling a wide variety of different road conditions. Let’s dive into the best High-Performance tires for the Mazda CX-5.

Yokohama Parada Spec-X (High-Performance All-Season Tire)

Yokohama is a highly-reputable tire manufacturer from Japan and they have some very solid tire options on the market. However, the one that we liked the most for the Mazda CX-5 was the Parada Spec-X.

If you want to make the most of what sports performance your Mazda CX-5 has to offer, then this High-Performance All-Season tire is going to be the way to go. The unique rubber compound and advanced tread design will enable you to maximize how well your vehicle will handle performance driving.

You can expect a world-class dry and wet performance that surpasses any of the tire options that we mentioned. You can count on having absolute precision when braking and accelerating with these equipped to your Mazda CX-5. In addition, your cornering abilities will be fantastic, which is why so many CX-5 drivers that opted for the turbo model choose to get these High-Performance tires.

The traction that you have on the road is going to be superb for driving in wet conditions. The tread design was intended to mitigate the chances of hydroplaning at all costs. This makes the Parada Spec-X a great option for Mazda CX-5 drivers that live in parts of the country that get a considerable amount of rain.

Yokohama also designed this High-Performance All-Season tire to be as comfortable as possible. You will really enjoy how smooth your Mazda CX-5 will drive with these equipped - on both city and highway roads. In addition, the highway hum that you get with a lot of All-Season tires will be virtually non-existent.

The one issue that we did have with this tire is that it was not ideal for winter driving. We found that the Mazda CX-5 was not able to perform to our standard in light snow and ice, which makes this a poor option for someone who experiences even moderate winters.

You will also find that a tread life expectancy is not listed for this High-Performance All-Season tire, which is often the case for tires of this classification. Although you can expect to get a tread life that is better than a typical summer tire, you should not expect it to meet the standard of a reputable All-Season option. You can currently get yourself a set of these Yokohama tires for $155.00 per piece at Discount Tire.

Nitto NT421Q (High-Performance All-Season Tire)

Nitto is another praised tire manufacturer from Japan - with their NT421Q model being a particularly good fit for the Mazda CX-5.

Unlike Yokohama, Nitto designed a High-Performance All-Season tire that aimed to deliver both excellent on-road driving as well as stellar All-Season capabilities. The dry and wet traction of this tire is exceptional and on the level of the best high-end tires on the market for pure performance. We found that the car was able to brake and accelerate with absolute precision.

In addition, the tread was designed to prevent any chances of hydroplaning from occurring, which makes this one of the safest options for Mazda CX-5 drivers who find themselves constantly in wet road conditions.

However, what we were really impressed with was how well this tire was able to perform in winter conditions. When tested in light snow and ice, this Nitto High-Performance All-Season tire had world-class snow performance which could match just about any winter tire on the market. The tire was then tested in dense snow and even in intense winter conditions, with the performance capabilities being very solid.

With that said, All-Season performance is not the only thing that Nitto’s tire delivers on. The tread design and rubber compound also enable excellent cornering abilities, as well as precise handling, which makes this also a great fit for Mazda CX-5 drivers who chose the turbo option.

Another feature that we really liked about Nitto’s tire was the fact that they put steel belts inside to give it increased durability. Nitto made this tire specifically for SUVs like the Mazda CX-5 so that they can be driven on rough and rugged terrain with total confidence - your chances of getting a flat are going to be seriously mitigated with these equipped to your vehicle.

In addition, these tires are very comfortable. You will find that there are virtually no bumps or vibrations when on highways and that the ride will be very quiet compared to a lot of standard All-Season tires out there.

If you are still not sold on this fantastic High-Performance All-Season tire, it has a very impressive tread life of 75,000 miles, which is backed by a warranty by the manufacturer. This is practically unheard of for a tire in the High-Performance category. You can find this tire at Discount Tire for $147.00. If you consider the specs, versatility, and longevity that you get out of this option, this is a fantastic deal.

About The Author

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.