Good Tire Shop/Good Tire Brand?

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actionstan

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Hello All,

Just kind of wanting to start a discussion about buying tires. I currently have Hankook H426 on the KIA Forte and I am really disappointed on how they have lasted.. they are the factory tires, and the car just now has 30k on the odometer, and they are about due for replacement.. I MAY have 10k more out of them if I am lucky. Originally I was going to go with the same tires that are currently on it because they ride so nice, but I cannot afford to replace expensive tires every 30k. So the KIA will need new tires soon.. the size runs 195/65/15

I have Nexens on my Saturn which have 10k on them so far.. they seem to be wearing nice, but not such a good ride..it also seems like they do not like to balance completely.

Also I typically buy my tires from Tire Discounters which is a localish chain, because they include a free alignment in their out-the-door price, so even if they aren't the cheapest, by the time you consider the alignment they beat everyone.

So what say you? Recommended Tire Stores/Brands? Looking for something inexpensive that will ride decent and last a while as well.
 
Originally Posted By: geneslaw
There are so many mechanical factors that determine how and how long a tire will last I would think twice before assuming rapid wear is solely the fault of the tire


It is a newer car, It could be an alignment issue but it does drive ok. But that's why when I get new tires I plan to also get an alignment to verify that is not the cause.
 
On a new car with many miles yet to run?
Michelin.
Any Michelin A/S is good under all conditions in my experience and will last for many miles of actual use.
$70.00 reabte on a set of four now as well.
 
They can screw up the alignments on new cars during shipping. Usually throw a chain over the lower control arm which can bend them.

Check the treadwear rating on your OE tire vs the same one in a catalog before you condemn them. They are kinda like the half full toner on a new printer.
 
I am interested in Michelin but they are pretty expensive. The H727 Hankooks listed have me interested in Hankook again, 100,000 mile treadwear warranty.. thats pretty good for the prices I am finding them at.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
On a new car with many miles yet to run?
Michelin.
Any Michelin A/S is good under all conditions in my experience and will last for many miles of actual use.
$70.00 reabte on a set of four now as well.

I don't think across the board a Michelin is always the ideal. Some people want performance car handling, and many of the longer wearing Michelins are poor in that category. A lot has to do with your expectations though. My parents wouldn't be happy with a tire that I might consider. They want quiet with a smooth ride. I'm willing to give up some of that for something that doesn't squeal down a hard turn. Now a new set of Pilot A/S 3 did turn out to be a good choice, but it wasn't a matter of favoring Michelin but rather that these seem to be best in class at this time. That may change in a few years when I'm ready for new tires.

I remember the first car I ever bought was a '95 Integra GS-R with OEM Michelin XGT V4 tires. They were theoretically all-seasons but weren't very good when it got cold. Their handling performance was poor compared to the Pirelli P6000 and Dunlop SP Sport 9000 tires I got later. Of course those were summer tires, but frankly the Michelins were sort of what I'd expect from an OEM tire. Although they had a treadwear rating of 240, I did manage to get about 30K miles on them, but rotated and almost down to the tread bars before I replaced them.

For the most part I'm brand agnostic. There are a lot of good tires out there in different price ranges and for different applications.
 
I have Hankook H727's on one of my Vw's. They are dead silent and ride very well. Can't judge if they will last 100k since I have only put about 10k on them so far, but they still look brand new. We had an absolutely horrific winter and they held up very well. Had no issues driving on them in some serious amounts of snow. Have Hankook 725A's on my other Vw and they ride rougher than the 727's and traction is nowhere near as good as the 727. On the other hand the 725A is a 40k mile tire and I have two that are approaching 60k and still are at about 50%. Handling on both Hankooks is about the same, if I had to give one a slight advantage it would probably be the 725A for handling but much noisier than the 727. I think the 727 is a good over all tradeoff, quiet, great traction in all conditions. If they end up lasting many miles then I will be pretty pleased with them. I imagine they will if the set of 725's I have is any indicator of tread life.
 
I was looking on ebay, I can get a full set of tires on there relatively cheap. I wonder if tire companies will back their tires sold on ebay in a new condition.
 
Originally Posted By: geneslaw
My tire man, who I have been dealing with for many years with great success, believes Bridgestone to be on a par with Michelin for a lot less money.

Bridgestone seems to have some best in class tires in certain categories, like extreme performance street tires for exotic cars and A/S tires like the Potenza RE970AS. I've tried some of their tires. I couldn't stand the RE92A that came OEM on my WRX, but the RE960AS weren't too bad and were at a decent price. But now I've got a set of Pilot A/S 3, and frankly I'm blown away by how much dry grip they have. I used to hear tire squeal at reasonable turning speeds with the Bridgestones and Contis (ExtremeContact DWS) but not with these Michelins.

I don't think Bridgestone quite has anything in the class of Michelin's long-wearing touring tires like the HydroEdge/Harmony or the Defender that's replacing both. Of course a tire that's likely to last 10 years isn't what I'm looking for. I think the Goodyear TripleTred might have been the closest in the market.
 
After my awful Bridgestone Turdanza EL42/EL400's, I'd say no on them
After my horrid encounter/warranty issues with my Goodyear Eagle LS's, Assurance Fuel Max's/Comfortread Touring's, I'd say no on them too.
I've been happy 1 year in with my Michelin Primacy MXV4's, but I dislike the "Michelin makes the best" mentality that's around the web, they've made/make some true stinkers in the past.
I remember the whole Firestone 500/721 fiasco, the Wilderness A/T Explorer fustercluck, so I'm turned off of Firestone's.

......Pirelli's new Cinturato P7 A/S +'s are turning in pretty good reviews lately.
 
a 600 dollar set of tires that last 40,000 miles will cost you 1.5 cents per mile. Compare that with maybe 10-15 cents per mile for fuel, then the cost of insurance, etc. Tires are cheap by comparison yet one of the most important safety and comfort factors in your ride.

Yes the cheap OEM Hankook tires on your fine imported car probably seem a little lacking, so don't replace them with even cheaper tires like NEXEN or something. Firestone, the originators of rubber vulcanizing, or Michelin, inventing the radial tire, or Goodyear, Continental, Uniroyal, etc will get you the best ride for the long run.

Don't forget if you hit a road hazard hard enough you may have to replace a tire at any mileage, so don't worry entirely about tread life, a lot of it depends on the use regardless of the rating. Also, any tire brand can have it's clunkers, so get a warranty (not from eBay).
 
Originally Posted By: actionstan
Hello All,

Just kind of wanting to start a discussion about buying tires. I currently have Hankook H426 on the KIA Forte and I am really disappointed on how they have lasted.. they are the factory tires, and the car just now has 30k on the odometer, and they are about due for replacement.. I MAY have 10k more out of them if I am lucky.



40K miles is GREAT for an OEM tire...no rational reason to be disappointed at all....
To get more miles on a tire you'll have to sacrifice either traction/performance/money...take your pick...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Originally Posted By: actionstan
Hello All,

Just kind of wanting to start a discussion about buying tires. I currently have Hankook H426 on the KIA Forte and I am really disappointed on how they have lasted.. they are the factory tires, and the car just now has 30k on the odometer, and they are about due for replacement.. I MAY have 10k more out of them if I am lucky.



40K miles is GREAT for an OEM tire...no rational reason to be disappointed at all....
To get more miles on a tire you'll have to sacrifice either traction/performance/money...take your pick...


Yes, the more I read it seems the tires have held up extremely well for OEM, or at least on par with others.

Currently looking at cooper CS4's too.. they seem like REALLY nice tires, I really like the tread pattern in them too.
 
Why pair alignment with buying tires?

If the tires show uneven wear or the steering pulls to one side, get it aligned, new tires or not.

If the tires show even wear and the steering doesn't pull, why get alignment with tires?

And, there are good alignment jobs and mediocre alignment jobs. Demand the adjustments get set at the middle of the allowable range, not just anywhere "in spec."
 
When I got an OC 12k miles ago I got the alignment checked and it was fine...got new tires since (5k miles ago) and didn't do anything re: alignment...but at the next OC (1000 miles from now) I'll be getting the alignment checked again, a "freebie" the dealer does with the OC...

I don't expect any change as the car runs smooth and straight like it did before the tires were replaced.
 
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