Snow tires for Matrix XRS 2009

[d0nd]

whats everybody getting?

Rim
Tire Size
Brand

I'm looking at 17" steels i think would be best but what do you guys think?

I'm located in Toronto was thinking about hitting wheels - direct or costco

thanks in advance

[nmehes]

Originally Posted by d0nd

whats everybody getting?

Rim
Tire Size
Brand

I'm looking at 17" steels i think would be best but what do you guys think?

I'm located in Toronto was thinking about hitting wheels - direct or costco

thanks in advance

15" rims from regular Corolla work great and you'll have better traction and pay way less than 17 steels.

[Sundance_XR]

I have an XR with the "B" package, so I got the 17' rims with 215/45R17 tires. I went with 215/60R16. I know that my spedo will be about 6KM/H off, so when my spedo says 100KM/H I will actually be doing 106KM/H. I dont see it as a big deal though Im used to it from the winter tires of my Accord which were about 5KM/H off.

Josh

[d0nd]

Originally Posted by Sundance_XR

I have an XR with the "B" package, so I got the 17' rims with 215/45R17 tires. I went with 215/60R16. I know that my spedo will be about 6KM/H off, so when my spedo says 100KM/H I will actually be doing 106KM/H. I dont see it as a big deal though Im used to it from the winter tires of my Accord which were about 5KM/H off.

Josh

Josh where do you get your tires?

toronto?

let me know when you get a chance

warren

[Sundance_XR]

Originally Posted by d0nd

Josh where do you get your tires?

toronto?

let me know when you get a chance

warren

I got to make an edit. I went with the 205/55R16 tire so my spedo will only be about 1 or 2KM/H off. I got my tires at North Bay Toyota. I shopped everywhere here and they actually gave me the best price for Mechelin X-ice, which are on back order for 3-4 weeks so they gave me the best price for Bridgestone Blizzacks(?) I think they are called.
I was quoted $189 per tire for the mechelins, which were $250 per tire everywhere else. Hope this helps.

Josh

[jonherve]

I ordered the 205/55R16 Gislaved NordFrost 5 (CDN$153/tire) with 16" Toyota steel wheels from my Toyota dealer.

I did not want to get 215/45R17 tires for winter.

I hope this winter with Gislaveds and AWD is gonna be much more fun than the last one with my base '04 Matrix with 4-year-old cheap Nordic IceCraps I got at Canadian Tire.

I had the choice between Nokian and Gislaved, the reviews I read praised both. A friend of mine had a great experience with his Gislaveds on a Mazda3, so I decided to go with these too.

I'm hoping for a looong winter with lots of snow!

[TRXR4KDS]

Does anyone know if 15" steelies will fit on the 09 base like they did on the 1st gen Matrix?

[imEric!]

I have another set of 17" rims and bought a set of Hankook W409 215/45r17 for $650CDN inclusive...I think it's a really good deal

[Jeff Lange]

Originally Posted by nmehes

15" rims from regular Corolla work great and you'll have better traction and pay way less than 17 steels.

Originally Posted by TRXR4KDS

Does anyone know if 15" steelies will fit on the 09 base like they did on the 1st gen Matrix?

No, Corolla wheels and/or base model Matrix wheels will NOT fit a 2.4L Matrix (which is what this thread is about), which has a different bolt pattern.

Jeff

[TRXR4KDS]

I'll try this again. Will 15" steelies with a 5 x 100 bolt pattern fit on a base 1.8l Matrix?

[Jeff Lange]

Yes, the 1.8L Matrix models have the same brakes/rotors, etc as the 2009 Corolla which has 15" wheels in base model form.

The 2.4L Matrix models have larger brakes and require at least 16" wheels with a 5x114.3" bolt pattern.

Jeff

[TRXR4KDS]

Thanks Jeff, that's the answer I was looking for!

[Capt_P1card]

I own a brand new 09 Matrix with sports package. Beautiful 17" rims....what do you do about the TPMS (tire pressure monitor system) when changing out to snow tires? do you get an new system for the snow tires or have dealer move them over from original tires to snow tires?

[TRXR4KDS]

There's no cheap way around this. The sensors are over $100 each plus they need to be reprogrammed at every switch at about $90 a pop. Either put skinny tires on the 17's or run separate steelies in 15 or 16" size and just run all winter with the light on. There's a real ghetto fix that involves making a pipe with 35 PSI air pressure in it with the sensors in it. You will no longer have the assisatnce of the TPMS but you also will never be bothered by the light again. You can see it here:
http://matrixowners.com/?showtopic=78561

[Capt_P1card]

Hey, thanks for the quick response. My local tuneup shop also had the same response. Again, many thanks.