Winter tires. 18" or get new wheels?
 

Trying to hook my gf up with some good snow tires for her Mazda 6. Currently the car has Pirelli 215/45R 18 tires on it.

Should I grab some blizzak tires in the 18" size or try and get a used set of 16" wheels and some tires? I was kinda hoping I could do this all for under or around $500.

get some cheap 195-205s

Did the base Mazda6 come with 16's? Check fit before you buy, 16's might not clear the brakes. Cruise the Mazda6 forums, might find someone selling a set of OEM wheels on the cheap.

$500 isn't much of a budget for both wheels and tires. I've got Kumho kw19's on my Mazda3 and am impressed with them, cheaper than a blizzak.

Thanks for the idea Jay. I didn't even think about that, don't know why. I was looking all over eBay for shit and once I registered to the mazda 6 forum I saw a ton of shit. Then I found out the RX8 wheels fit, so then I registered at club RX8 as well. :)

I'm going to a couple local places today to get some pricing. The 215/45/18 Blizzak LM-22's are $618 shipped to my door from tirerack. That still leaves a mount and balance fee. Not to mention I wanted to get it aligned for her as well.

I was trying to only spend $500 so I could still get her something else to open on Christmas day, but that might not happen.

I'm not sure if I should keep scouting for 16's or 17's for sale on the cheap, then get snow tires for those, say fuck it and just grab the snow tires for her 18's, or say fuck all that and get her something completely different. I just would feel better knowing she was on snow tires, rather than the shit that's on the car now.

528.00 before tax and shipping for
16" dunlop graspics and NEW steel wheels from tire rack... Mounted.

Snow tires? Who needs those?? :giggle: