[lpost]

Hello,

I believe I've finally made the decision to purchase my first Mazda. I like the Mazda 3 Hatchback but in order to go beyond the base model, I have to get the 18" Wheels. I do not want 18" Wheels, I want 16" Wheels. I believe the 16" Wheels will give me a more comfortable ride by adding cushion between the rims and the road surface. I'm also learning that 18" Wheels wear faster and cost more money to replace.
I was told by a local Mazda dealer that they will sell me a New 2017 Mazda 3 Hatchback in the Touring Package, 2.5 Liter, 6-speed manual with 16" Wheels. This would be exactly the way I would want to configure my new Mazda, essentially, this would mean the best of both worlds for me... I would get all the options that I want i.e. power moon roof, heated seats etc but with the 16" Wheels that are normally available only on the base "Sport" model.
My concerns are how this change would affect the Touring model... Will switching from 18" Wheels to 16" Wheels affect settings on the cars computer system? i.e. Odometer, braking, cruise control, stabilization, tire pressure monitoring etc.

Please advise.
Len in Ohio
4/8/17

 

[arathol]

Won't change a thing. The wheels will be the same size overall regardless of rim diameter, and tire pressure monitoring has nothing to do with the size of the rims.
Just FYI, the OEM 16" tires are terrible to the point of dangerous. You might want to have the dealer put decent tires on that car.

 

[Valor_X]

I disagree with the post above at least when it comes to the Yoko Avid tires, I can't say anything about the dunlops.
Nearing 33k miles, they have worn extremely well and still have plenty of life on them.
I have never had a case where I felt they had inadequate traction. However, I live in Texas so they have never seen snow/ice, but wet/dry grip has been excellent.
I get 40+mpgs on the highway and I'm sure they play a huge role and I'm expecting to see a drop whenever I get new tires.
My only complaint is that they are starting to get unbearably loud on the highway, and it doesn't help that our cars lack good sound deadening.
Strangely, they get really loud at highway speeds but anything below 50mph they are pretty quiet.

 

[arathol]

I disagree with the post above at least when it comes to the Yoko Avid tires, I can't say anything about the dunlops.
Nearing 33k miles, they have worn extremely well and still have plenty of life on them.
I have never had a case where I felt they had inadequate traction. However, I live in Texas so they have never seen snow/ice, but wet/dry grip has been excellent.
I get 40+mpgs on the highway and I'm sure they play a huge role and I'm expecting to see a drop whenever I get new tires.
My only complaint is that they are starting to get unbearably loud on the highway, and it doesn't help that our cars lack good sound deadening.
Strangely, they get really loud at highway speeds but anything below 50mph they are pretty quiet.

Actually it is the Avids I am referring to. There have been numerous complaints about poor traction, excessive noise etc. I drove mine once in the rain and that was enough for me. At 500 miles they were replaced by real tires made of real rubber. In case you didn't know, those Blue Earth tires are designed for minimum rolling resistance:sleep1:, are traction range B :confused1 1: and are made of an orange oil based compound instead of rubber. :surprise:. Perfectly awful in the rain, pretty bad even in dry weather. Take a look around, I'm far from the only one who has experienced this. I tried to sell them, no one wanted them. I tried to give them away, nobody wants them. Even the used tire dealer has no interest in them even though they are pretty much brand new. :crying: That alone tells me all I need to know about those Avids.

 

[Valor_X]

Actually it is the Avids I am referring to. There have been numerous complaints about poor traction, excessive noise etc. I drove mine once in the rain and that was enough for me. At 500 miles they were replaced by real tires made of real rubber. In case you didn't know, those Blue Earth tires are designed for minimum rolling resistance:sleep1:, are traction range B :confused1 1: and are made of an orange oil based compound instead of rubber. :surprise:. Perfectly awful in the rain, pretty bad even in dry weather. Take a look around, I'm far from the only one who has experienced this. I tried to sell them, no one wanted them. I tried to give them away, nobody wants them. Even the used tire dealer has no interest in them even though they are pretty much brand new. :crying: That alone tells me all I need to know about those Avids.

Yes I know they are low rolling resistance, all I'm saying is that besides that I personally haven't had any issues with traction at all - and the tires are nearing 3 yrs old.
I also drive on the highway during huge rain downpours, no problems whatsoever.
I've also never ever had the tires chirp or lose traction when driving spiritedly or taking a corner hard in dry weather.
Perhaps it's the Texas heat, or maybe we just have better paved roads and highways... or the fact that we don't use salt down here
But I 100% agree on the excessive highway noise!