I have a new tire buying strategy

[123Saab]

I care less about how long tires last.

I dont mind paying top dollar for tires that stop well in the winter.

I live on a steep mountaintop in PA and the roads are terrible, The township plows whenever they get to it.

I consider a set of tires that run me $600-$700 a good investment for my family's safety.

Up here we go thru tires and brakes fast, Both on my 03 Ranger and the wife's 08 Liberty.

Fronts go faster on steep winding roads it seems, So I rotate when I see uneven wear.

I will add, PA Highways and roads have gotten really bad lately and it shows on your tires, brakes and suspension components.

Saving even $200 for a set of tires means nothing to me if they don't perform the way I need them to.

And yes, I do care about the safety of other drivers too.
So I try do my part.

 

[RedOakRanch]

I've never regretted buying an expensive tire but I've regretted buying cheap tires a few times. I now find middle of the road tires last long and perform well. I have to rotate or my tires will have no outside tread!

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: RedOakRanch
I've never regretted buying an expensive tire but I've regretted buying cheap tires a few times. I now find middle of the road tires last long and perform well. I have to rotate or my tires will have no outside tread!


I have found, with a few exceptions of course, that generally speaking, the expensive tires don't do anything better than the cheap tires do...I see no reason to pay for a premium that doesn't exist...

 

[y_p_w]

You're mostly paying for the quality of the ride or the performance aspects of the tire.

I recently got a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. I could have spent less but chose to get these because I was tired of my old tires squealing on a hard turn. They stick like crazy. Don't care about the treadwear (to some degree) nor the ride. But that they bring out the performance of my car is important to me. I'm not exactly a huge Michelin fan either. This is the first set of Michelins I've bought for my own car.

My wife is actually kind of peeved that I cheaped out when I got tires for her car. The only issue with her car is the lack of options. America's Tire only shows 4 tires in that size - 185/70R14 for a 2002 Honda Civic LX. Nothing terribly great. Maybe the best in the size is a Michelin Defender, and I'm not paying $100 each for such tiny tires. $50 each for Falken Sincera SN-828. I actually bought two and was planning on getting another two when the current tires are no longer suitable (they're getting there and it's pretty near time to toss 'em). They're nothing special, but they do the trick. If it were something like a Civic Si, then maybe we're talking spending more.

 

[RedOakRanch]

People can define cheap in many ways. I'm sure we all have a different idea even within this thread. I refuse to buy Chinese tires altoghter and will pay more for US made vs Canada or anywhere else. I hate seeing abandoned manufacturing facilities across this great country!

 

[The Critic]

The OP's tires are so cheap that I cannot agree with his principle. It's far more important, at least to me, to have well-performing tires that are matching on all 4 corners.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: y_p_w
$50 each for Falken Sincera SN-828. I actually bought two and was planning on getting another two when the current tires are no longer suitable (they're getting there and it's pretty near time to toss 'em). They're nothing special, but they do the trick.


Did you notice where they're made?

Nothing I've read online says where they're made.

 

[123Saab]

Well, I guess some people re-use paper coffee filters too....

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
$50 each for Falken Sincera SN-828. I actually bought two and was planning on getting another two when the current tires are no longer suitable (they're getting there and it's pretty near time to toss 'em). They're nothing special, but they do the trick.


Did you notice where they're made?

Nothing I've read online says where they're made.

Could be different depending on the size. The ones on my wife's car were made in Thailand - probably at a Sumitomo owned factory.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The OP's tires are so cheap that I cannot agree with his principle. It's far more important, at least to me, to have well-performing tires that are matching on all 4 corners.


I have at one time or another had 4 different brands of tires on my car at the same time and never experienced any degradation of performance whatsoever. As long as the tires are the same type (all season touring, performance, snow, etc), I can't see how it would create a problem...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: 123Saab
Well, I guess some people re-use paper coffee filters too....


What's this got to do with the price of beans in China? Buying the least expensive NEW tires has nothing to do with reusing paper coffee filters...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: y_p_w
You're mostly paying for the quality of the ride or the performance aspects of the tire.


A few years ago I bought a set of Michelins because I wanted to see what all the hype was about (and because they had a pretty good rebate going on at the time). These tires did absolutely nothing any better than any other tires I've had. Nothing. They didn't handle any better, or last longer, they weren't any quieter, and snow and wet traction wasn't any better. So I see no reason to spend the extra money...

 

[rfeir]

I look at as many tire reviews as I can. First comes wet traction, handling and light snow performance. Then I look for the tire with these characteristics that last the longest at the most reasonable price. Sometimes they are Michelins sometimes not.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
$50 each for Falken Sincera SN-828. I actually bought two and was planning on getting another two when the current tires are no longer suitable (they're getting there and it's pretty near time to toss 'em). They're nothing special, but they do the trick.


Did you notice where they're made?

Nothing I've read online says where they're made.


Last Falkens I saw were from Thailand.

 

[eljefino]

Good for you!

The one caveat in this philosophy is that there is a rubber preservative (against UV) that is expensive and you don't know how much is in any given tire/brand. If Michelin lasts 2.5x as long just sitting in your driveway but costs 1.5x as much, this could affect your cost metric.

Or not, depending on how you drive.

I'm finishing up with my stash of $10 used tires and going to have to start paying $20. One blew out, no reason, on a hot summer day. Full of air, no cracks. I dismounted it and found no clues there either. Just, bang. So? Never lost control. Stuck another on and kept

As for Chinese tires, rubber grows in Southeast Asia. So it makes sense they make them.

 

[JustinH]

I buy cheap name brand tires and replace every few years.

If you can go 80k-100k on tires and get no sidewall cracking from Texas heat, I'd like to see that.

The tires on my matrix are 70 dollars each, they are goodyear eagle something.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
You're mostly paying for the quality of the ride or the performance aspects of the tire.


A few years ago I bought a set of Michelins because I wanted to see what all the hype was about (and because they had a pretty good rebate going on at the time). These tires did absolutely nothing any better than any other tires I've had. Nothing. They didn't handle any better, or last longer, they weren't any quieter, and snow and wet traction wasn't any better. So I see no reason to spend the extra money...

Depends on the tire. I wouldn't pay the asking price for a set of Defenders. I do have a set of fairly new Pilot Sport A/S 3 and these are the most awesome tires I've every had on any car. I'm not a huge Michelin fan either. I thought the OEM XGT V4 on my '95 Integra GS-R were a poor choice for the car.

I'm not a big fan of Michelin's touring tires; I don't see the point of their high prices for a tire where the main selling point is a smooth ride and long treadwear. At one time I didn't think much of their performance tires. Back with the Pilot Sport A/S and A/S Plus, I didn't think they were worth the price of admission. But the A/S 3 is another matter. It's rightly called a game changer.

 

[mrsilv04]

I just walked away from the most expensive set of tires that I've ever bought... a set of Michelin LTX. I'd had enough of the total absence of any traction in the wet and snow.

I spent way less than I did on the LTX's, and got a set of Cooper Discoverer CTS. Was able to stack some rebates (buy 3, get 1 free on the tires, plus an $80 Cooper rebate, along with a 5% store discount) and got them for a little over $100 each installed and out the door.

They're rated at 65,000 miles, and have wet traction that I never saw with the LTX... even when it was new.

For what I spent on them, if I get a good honest 40,000 miles out of them, I'll be happy. A lot happier than running a set of LTX's that were a white-knuckle terror ride at 6/32".

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Good for you!

The one caveat in this philosophy is that there is a rubber preservative (against UV) that is expensive and you don't know how much is in any given tire/brand. If Michelin lasts 2.5x as long just sitting in your driveway but costs 1.5x as much, this could affect your cost metric.

Or not, depending on how you drive.

I'm finishing up with my stash of $10 used tires and going to have to start paying $20. One blew out, no reason, on a hot summer day. Full of air, no cracks. I dismounted it and found no clues there either. Just, bang. So? Never lost control. Stuck another on and kept

As for Chinese tires, rubber grows in Southeast Asia. So it makes sense they make them.


Seeing that I drive 25K-30K a year, age is not a factor to me...even a set of 80K mile rated tires would be done in 3 years...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
I just walked away from the most expensive set of tires that I've ever bought... a set of Michelin LTX. I'd had enough of the total absence of any traction in the wet and snow.

I spent way less than I did on the LTX's, and got a set of Cooper Discoverer CTS. Was able to stack some rebates (buy 3, get 1 free on the tires, plus an $80 Cooper rebate, along with a 5% store discount) and got them for a little over $100 each installed and out the door.

They're rated at 65,000 miles, and have wet traction that I never saw with the LTX... even when it was new.

For what I spent on them, if I get a good honest 40,000 miles out of them, I'll be happy. A lot happier than running a set of LTX's that were a white-knuckle terror ride at 6/32".


That's not possible - Michelin is the end-all-be-all of tires!

I am pleasantly surprised with Cooper tires. I almost bought STT a few years ago but they were too expensive. My next set of snow tires may be Cooper Weathermaster.

The CS-4s were ... not that impressive in the snow. However, a friend replaced 2 of those with the [now discontinued in most sizes] Lifeliner GLS and those were great in the snow for an all season.

So I bought a set for my Focus. I probably don't need an all season as I run dedicated winter tires, but I do drive on seasonal highways now and then. Plus, at $48 a tire ... Can't go wrong!