Finally got around to installing them late last night, turning a 1/2 hour job into a 2 hour ordeal because of lost tools and trying in vain to jack the front of the 3 up, only to give in to a scissors jack much later.
Didn't get much driving in with them yet, having only taken the car for a short shakedown drive, but so far the Kumho KW17 tires don't feel terribly different (driven moderately), which is a good thing. Best of all, noise levels were low, on par with the stock RS-A tires.
My mother actually did want snow tires for her new Mazda3, having had some bad winter experiences in the past, but money, or rather the lack of it, had torpedoed that idea. So, I just decided to buy a set FOR her, handily making up for years of my being cheap... ;) I liked giving this as a gift because it's both useful and something that can only help my mom's safety and sense of security. Too bad it blew such a big hole in my Christmas budget though - oh well!
