Need help selecting decent tires

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Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
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This sounds like a great vehicle for some Hankook Optimo H727's. They are an excellent passenger car AS tire and do really well in the snow. They last a long time with proper care, the ride is decent, and they are quiet.

They will do just fine in your NY winters so don't let the snow tire police try and bully you into something you don't want to do and can't afford.

The H727 is available in your size( 205/60R16 ) for under $100 a tire but with shipping will run a bit over that( DTD deal though is hard to beat with free ship and a discount ). Not sure what shipping will be when it applies as I don't know your town's zip to check? Here are some prices though FWIW...

Tirerack = $93 each + shipping
DTD = $105 each + free shipping + $25 web savings = $395 set of 4 delivered
Performance Plus Tire = $98 each + free shipping
Tire Crazy = $92 each + shipping

Just a few examples for you. WalMart, NTB, PepBoys and a lot of other tire/parts stores have them. Check around. Definitely would be my go to tire. Been very happy with them on passenger cars up here in NH all around and during bad weather.


Thanks. I've lived in NY all my life, lived Upstate since '05 and never had snow/winter tires. We live in a suburban area that is well plowed so I've never had a problem driving front wheel drive cars in the snow. The Buick is another story, but I keep that off the road in the winter for the most part. I've had the Honda for about 4 years. When I got the car the dealer put 2 new BFGs on the front as the backs were still decent. The first time I drove the car in snow, I noticed my ABS kicking in at stop signs, when driving slow through my neighborhood. This last storm I found I was having trouble making it up hills on the main road which is a heavily traveled state highway. So while I realize A/W tires aren't going to give me the traction of a snow tire, I still need something that is going to perform better then what I have now.

I thought the Contis were good. But prices vary and I read some reviews saying they were done by 20,000 miles even though treadlife is in the 700s. P7 reviews on TR were glowing, especially in snow and ice, but people on here say they aren't good in the snow. The only places I can buy these tires for a reasonable price is online, then Walmart will install for $56.

Local tire place gave me a price on the Cooper C4 Touring. $109 installed. A buddy of mine has them and likes them. Of course the guy I spoke to on the phone has them on his car and has a buddy there right now having them installed on his car. He said they are great in the snow. (I don't know if I believe that.) I've seen solid reviews on this tire but also some claiming tread life is bad.

Tripe Treads got very good reviews on TR except in the noise category, and for some reason, the Will Buy Again category. I couldn't understand that. Also, the more websites I look at, it seems like the price keeps going up. I just saw them on one site for $160 per tire.

I am hearing more and more about Hankook and I am considering it.
Seems like everyone agrees about their bad weather ability. The warranty is 100K I think I read...Any experience with their customer service?

Shipping is an issue with some of these websites as they add about $60 to $100 to the price.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
We had a set of Altimax HPs on a Subaru over a couple of winters and they seemed okay in snow.
They're down to $76.00 on TR in your size, so others will have them on sale as well.
We have a set of Pure Contacts on the Forester and they seem very good in snow.
The '02 Accord came on a set of nearly new Firestone Affinity Tourings and they've been fine over the last two days of snow and ice.
I've had Michelin Primacy tires on our old '99 Accord and they were pretty good in winter driving.
My experience has been that Michelin AS tires are generally good for winter driving.
The old Hydroedge is available on some sites very cheaply and would be a pretty good long wearing choice.
I picked up a set from tires-easy for one of the fleet cars at work for $66.00/tire.
Most AS tires are okay for winter use, although there are some exceptions, like the nearly new Primewells on the Focus, which are hilariously weak in grip on snow and ice.
OTOH, a few decades back, most AS tires were like that.
The tread looks like it would be okay, so it must be the compound.


I like Generals. The reviews I read about these were kind of mixed, which I never understand about reviews...5 people will say they're great in the snow, then the next three reviews say noisy, terrible in snow, feels like the tires have grease on them theyre so slippery, treadlife terrible...lol. Who do I believe? I did notice treadlife was a bit lower then some of these other tires.
 
Originally Posted By: Valueline
P7 reviews on TR were glowing, especially in snow and ice, but people on here say they aren't good in the snow. The only places I can buy these tires for a reasonable price is online, then Walmart will install for $56.


Analysis paralysis

By my count, you have one person on here who made a comment about the P7's in snow.
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: Valueline
P7 reviews on TR were glowing, especially in snow and ice, but people on here say they aren't good in the snow. The only places I can buy these tires for a reasonable price is online, then Walmart will install for $56.


Analysis paralysis

By my count, you have one person on here who made a comment about the P7's in snow.

I don't think I overstated it. I said people on here... I also read a few other reviews that said they weren't that good. There's a P7 thread on this forum that for the most part said they were untested because they are new and basically turned into a discussion about the P4s. T/R ratings were very high for light snow, heavy snow and ice.

But you're right, I do have analysis paralysis...my questions about oil were probably worse.
 
Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred (sic)...I had them; never again. It took seven to find four round ones. After about half their wear they were hard, rode like bricks, very noisy.

Nothing wrong with directional tires. Rotation front to rear is the most important. Rotation side to side is less important.

If you get the Coopers, get at least the H-speed rated version for the superior carcass.

I'm a fan of real snow tires, even cheap ones on junk yard wheels. The added traction gives me the advantage of being able to dodge someone sliding toward me.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred (sic)...I had them; never again. It took seven to find four round ones. After about half their wear they were hard, rode like bricks, very noisy.

Nothing wrong with directional tires. Rotation front to rear is the most important. Rotation side to side is less important.

If you get the Coopers, get at least the H-speed rated version for the superior carcass.

I'm a fan of real snow tires, even cheap ones on junk yard wheels. The added traction gives me the advantage of being able to dodge someone sliding toward me.


Most of the reviews I read on Triple Tread complained of noise. Some felt it was a trade off for safety and handling. Did you feel they handled well? I'm guessing no, if they felt like bricks.

Is it worth it to get studs when buying snow tires?
 
Originally Posted By: Valueline

Is it worth it to get studs when buying snow tires?


If you are in area where you often drive on really hardpack snow or glare ice then yes. If not then a studless version is better. The studs make it much noisier and often drive people away from getting/using snows. You can OFTEN find what you want on Craigslist. Many people get them and then trade cars etc. Given a 1 tire choice I would get Nokian. I had WRG2 as my first winter tires for Sonata. Much better than the Michelin All seasons (which were decent when new). When the Nokians wore to 1/2 they became my summer all seasons. I got 40k out of them but I'm not the easiest on tires.

When you read the reviews and recommendations see WHERE they are especially at TR. Great snow rating from the people even DC and south I ignore. I've experienced the difference of good A/S and real snow. For me and my family, I get the snows, mounted on rims so I can change in my driveway. Once snows wear to 1/2 they lose a lot of snow performance so I might wear them off into summer and get new for the next winter. I usually get 4-5 seasons on my snows. They will be noisier but pending on tire not bad. I currently run Continental ExtremeWinterContact on the Sonata. They are the quietest snows I ever used. They handle well in dry and wet and have a smooth ride. They get me through 7-8 inches unplowed if needed but given a choice I'll take my Sequoia with Altimax Arctics at that point (also for the piled up plowed ramps etc.)

What is great is when you can start on a hill in your FWD vehicle when the guy in the 4WD SUV next to you is struggling to move. Bigger smile for me is when I can stop and get out of the way of those that can't stop. My deductible is the same or more than then cost of the tires/rims not counting personal injury etc.

Watch the winter test videos at TR and others on youtube etc. To some people being able to stop 3+ car lengths shorter is important. Others say it's an unnecessary expense and they can just drive carefully/avoid the problem/stay home.

My fire dept just bought a new 2WD drive ambulance (because they save money). Guess what got stuck in the 8 inch snow we just got? At least they were only responding to a minor car accident not a cardiac arrest.
 
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Originally Posted By: Ken2
Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred (sic)...I had them; never again. It took seven to find four round ones. After about half their wear they were hard, rode like bricks, very noisy.

Nothing wrong with directional tires. Rotation front to rear is the most important. Rotation side to side is less important.

If you get the Coopers, get at least the H-speed rated version for the superior carcass.

I'm a fan of real snow tires, even cheap ones on junk yard wheels. The added traction gives me the advantage of being able to dodge someone sliding toward me.


You do realise that the original Tripletreds were discontinued in 2011 and the current redesign addresses most if not all issues. Yes they are not as smooth or quiet like the Comfortreds but that does not stop me from driving my gf's Mazda ( Tripletred All Season shoes ) and leave my Acura ( Comfortred Touring ) at home in bad weather. Ive had both and the ride/noise characteristics of the new version are far IMPROVED over the older model.

BTW, I agree with everything you said about the original Tripletreds, had a set on our older Civic and man they rode rough and loud, phenomenal wet/dry/snow traction though.
 
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Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I have been interested in the General Altimax Rt43 (not RT), a brand new tire that is reviewed better at Tire Rack than the highly revered Hankook H727's. It is priced very low.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=178

Unfortunately, the tire is too new to have survey results for winter capabilities.


The RT43 will probably be at least as good in snow as the RT it replaces.
 
Originally Posted By: sparky123
Did quite a bit research on tires when I looked for our Focus and Protege. Snow, wet and winter concerns were a greater concern w/the Focus b/c the wife is really needed at her job. Choose the Cooper CS4's for her car. (Previous had the General Altimax HP's which handled better but were not quite as good in the little snow we get her in Va.) The CS4's are good tires. They inspire confidence. Another tire which I strongly considered were: Hankook H727. Mixed reviews for both, but generally favorable. For the $ the Uniroyal Tiger Paws seem like a very good buy. (I believe the parent company for these tires is Michelin.) Another tire I considered were Toyo Extensa's. Had the Pirelli P4's on the Mazda but I exchanged them out for Kumho KH-20's. Much quietier and better riding tires. Also, IMO have a much lower rolling resistence. So don't rule out Kumho's as well. Let us know what you decide on!


I am going to agree here, although my two cars don't have cooper cs4's the older infiniti my wife drives that is my former car is on its second set of them with about 40-60% tread she just drove fine 25-30 miles to work in the storm PA just had. The size on hers are 205 50 16 it is an h-rated tire but your car using a higher aspect ratio you might have the t rated treadwear.

I did work for a cooper dealer and not overly impressed with some coopers I really do like the cs4 hands down with out a doubt. Even when i used to drive my old infininti with the cs4's i liked them and great wear as long as alignment is kept up on.

further more as a fyi once the brand new 14 inch tires on my old 95 infiniti wear out i will be looking for 16's to put these tires on for winter/[censored] weather time.
 
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Originally Posted By: Valueline
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI


This sounds like a great vehicle for some Hankook Optimo H727's. They are an excellent passenger car AS tire and do really well in the snow. They last a long time with proper care, the ride is decent, and they are quiet.

They will do just fine in your NY winters so don't let the snow tire police try and bully you into something you don't want to do and can't afford.

The H727 is available in your size( 205/60R16 ) for under $100 a tire but with shipping will run a bit over that( DTD deal though is hard to beat with free ship and a discount ). Not sure what shipping will be when it applies as I don't know your town's zip to check? Here are some prices though FWIW...

Tirerack = $93 each + shipping
DTD = $105 each + free shipping + $25 web savings = $395 set of 4 delivered
Performance Plus Tire = $98 each + free shipping
Tire Crazy = $92 each + shipping

Just a few examples for you. WalMart, NTB, PepBoys and a lot of other tire/parts stores have them. Check around. Definitely would be my go to tire. Been very happy with them on passenger cars up here in NH all around and during bad weather.


Thanks. I've lived in NY all my life, lived Upstate since '05 and never had snow/winter tires. We live in a suburban area that is well plowed so I've never had a problem driving front wheel drive cars in the snow. The Buick is another story, but I keep that off the road in the winter for the most part. I've had the Honda for about 4 years. When I got the car the dealer put 2 new BFGs on the front as the backs were still decent. The first time I drove the car in snow, I noticed my ABS kicking in at stop signs, when driving slow through my neighborhood. This last storm I found I was having trouble making it up hills on the main road which is a heavily traveled state highway. So while I realize A/W tires aren't going to give me the traction of a snow tire, I still need something that is going to perform better then what I have now.

I thought the Contis were good. But prices vary and I read some reviews saying they were done by 20,000 miles even though treadlife is in the 700s. P7 reviews on TR were glowing, especially in snow and ice, but people on here say they aren't good in the snow. The only places I can buy these tires for a reasonable price is online, then Walmart will install for $56.

Local tire place gave me a price on the Cooper C4 Touring. $109 installed. A buddy of mine has them and likes them. Of course the guy I spoke to on the phone has them on his car and has a buddy there right now having them installed on his car. He said they are great in the snow. (I don't know if I believe that.) I've seen solid reviews on this tire but also some claiming tread life is bad.

Tripe Treads got very good reviews on TR except in the noise category, and for some reason, the Will Buy Again category. I couldn't understand that. Also, the more websites I look at, it seems like the price keeps going up. I just saw them on one site for $160 per tire.

I am hearing more and more about Hankook and I am considering it.
Seems like everyone agrees about their bad weather ability. The warranty is 100K I think I read...Any experience with their customer service?

Shipping is an issue with some of these websites as they add about $60 to $100 to the price.



NH all my life for me and never needed snows either.

Yeah, shipping is a killer usually on tires. However, as I posted DTD has free shipping and the tires are $395 a set of 4 delivered( $98.75 each ). You could get them right from DTD or use that price to get a local Hankook dealer to match/beat it.

Haven't dealt with Hankook on tire problems but "usually" you deal with the retailer. So if you order them from DTD as an example you deal with DTD. They have good CS.

I do believe the Hankook's are 100K rated yes.
 
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Originally Posted By: Valueline
I never considered the Kuhmo or Dunlop but I will look into them. I've read good things about General Altimax.

I heard about Walmart's lifetime rotation and balance. Does that apply to any new tires they install or only tires purchased at Walmart?

For some reason I never gave much thought to snow tires. I realize they would be beneficial but the upfront costs are a little beyond whats in my budget.


Every tire that I have purchaced online from DTD, TR, TD, I have had installed at Walmart. And yes, W*M does include their LIFETIME Balance/Rotation in the cost of the tire installation. Valve stems($3/ea). My total with NYS Tax was $69 for 4 installed tires. Knock off $12 if you don't want Valve Stems.

PLUS: When bringing your own tires to W*M for the installation, they don't charge the NY State Tire Disposal Fee($2.50/tire) for throwing away your old tires(here in Rochester). They only charge this NYS Fee when purchacing their tires. H'mmmmm! Good Deal
smile.gif


It may be different at your local W*M
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: Valueline
Most of the reviews I read on Triple Tread complained of noise. Some felt it was a trade off for safety and handling. Did you feel they handled well? I'm guessing no, if they felt like bricks.


I've run Goodyear Assurance Triple-Tred All Season on two different vehicles.

They are noisy. They are not as noisy at Michelin's discontinued Hydroedge.

The upside is very good handling, especially wet.

They also wear very well.
 
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