New tires on used cars

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: nthach
Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
On every single one of the used car dealership sold Elements we've looked at, if new tires have been installed they are either Indonesian or Chinese made. Used Elements sold by new car dealerships always have new tires made in either the US, Japan, or the EU.

I used to work at a Honda dealer, even Honda CPOs we sold got Prime Wells. The only exception was a Land Rover LR3 we took in as a trade. We ordered Kumhos via Tire Rack for that. We had the local Firestone store make weekly runs to us every week.

My parents both of their cars used - their van had a set of OEM-spec Dunlops installed by the dealer. Their other car has a set of Chilean-made Goodyear Eagle RS-As. I think unless there's really a penny pincher working as the used car manager, it's easier for a dealer to get a "cheap" tire from their distributor(Tire Rack's dealer arm or Dealer Tire) than to have an account with a local tire shop. The local Lexus dealer pushes Milestar for the cheapskates, and I assume Dealer Tire carries them out of ease for the dealers.


1) Not one of the cheapest you can buy

2) Milestar one of the better Chinese brands.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Used car sales 101, cheap cars get cheap new tires! Atleast the dealership has to make sure they are mostly round and balanced, although I'd also carry a pencil gauge to see if the tires are inflated properly. A soft tire can make the car feel smoother and hide out of round issues.


I know you weren't throwing stones with your "cheap cars" comment, but used Elements really command a price premium! A nice Element with 150K miles on it can fetch $10K or $12K easy.

Just based on the new purchase price and what I think I could sell it for today, our Element has cost us 9 cents a mile. I've never owned a car less expensive to operate. I drive the heck out of it, it's got 175K on it now. I love that thing.

Scott


I see cheap tires on Mercedes too. Dealers just throw on cheap tires on a used car to sell it, doesn't matter the price. Most of the time they had Continental or Michelin as a new tire and even when the mileage is high you still find those brands on them as owners tend to replace them with the same brand or that's basically the brands the dealer carries. But sometimes you just see no name tires that the used car dealer throws on.

 

[Dave1027]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Used car sales 101, cheap cars get cheap new tires! Atleast the dealership has to make sure they are mostly round and balanced, although I'd also carry a pencil gauge to see if the tires are inflated properly. A soft tire can make the car feel smoother and hide out of round issues.


+1 to that. With "mostly round" being the key phrase. I once thought I'd go cheap and try some Kum-ho's. Tire dealer could not balance them. After multiple attempts gave up and installed a different brand.

 

[newbe46]

I can understand they do it to keep costs down and to me depending on the car, I don't really that much as long as they meets the speed and load rating. Sure Michelin and Continental are nice but if I'm buying a 10 year old beater, the tire brand is not a priority. Doesn't matter if it can generate multiple Gs in a corner.

If I'm buying a few years old BMW or Merc, I'd rather they just leave tires alone and let me do it myself if they were going to put some far eastern tires.

 

[rtrdad]

Sams in my area never checks and inflates the tires properly. I have slung both a center cap and a hubcap on the way home from a rotation.
It's 50/50 if they get my balance right. We are getting a new Costco next to the current Sam's I use and as soon as it opens Sam's is fired.
I've had great luck with Costco and I'm glad i'll have one close by again. One thing is for certain however you can't beat big box
pricing on tires but it does come with some aggravation.

 

[Rmay635703]

Because my cars take “undesirable” sizes
used tires with full or nearly full tread, especially LRR treads are cheap

I rarely spend over $25 for a nearly new tire.

Heck I’ve even gotten brand new tires off the rack at wallland on clearance for $25-$35
Just because the OEM brand and size isn’t popular

Treads have always worn well and coupled with $5-10 tire mounting it doesn’t take much to keep my cars on the road with the stock name brand OEM treads

 

[Carmudgeon]

Don't forget to check the spare as well, at least for vehicles that have them.

Could be a ratty tire, or the factory alloy on a fancy model swapped for a steelie. Dealer then gets to assemble sets of nice "take offs" for sale.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

I guess you might also have to define "Chinese" tires because a recent set of Hankooks I had made in the PRC were probably one of...if not the best...wearing tires I've had and performed adequately elsewhere. I don't necessarily come from a perspective that a US, Japan or EU sourced tire will always be better if that's what's inferred. Cheap tires go together with used cars just as OE tires are often cheaper/different spec'd versions of their aftermarket tires.

Cheap "Flying Dragon" or "Eternal Wang" off-brand names aren't the same as a Chinese or Indonesian-made tire from one of the majors. I believe most of the Pirelli P7 Plus tires for the NA market are made in Mexico and are very highly rated. If production was switched to the PRC would there be a noticeable difference?? It's an honest question...independent of whatever preference someone has.

 

[DONWATERS]

I think China or INdonesia made tires are better than brand name US because they have no unions there, so no caps on solvent use, so they don't dry rot near as quick as Micheleins. Here in FLorida Micheliens Goodyear and other US made tires start cracking just over a year old. If you look at the consumer complaints they are all over those boards. And they complain to the tire stores who do nothing.

But I don't like the prime wells, or westlake. They are just cheap crap, the belts always seem to come loose.

 

[dishdude]

People buying used cars either don't have a lot of money to spend or are cheap. This is why used cars get limited amount of reconditioning and the cheapest parts possible.

 

[supton]

There was a recent thread here where (Consumer Reports? forget who) tested a bunch of new tires against used tires. In the end, the lowest/cheapest all season beat moderately worn high end all seasons for wet traction. I forget if the test was at 2/32's or 4/32's but the new cheap tires clearly beat well worn tires.

Dealership puts on those cheapo tires and they know there won't be issues for 10k+.