OE Tires Done @ 16,000 miles... Recommendations?

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The Bridgestone Turanza EL-400-02's that came with my Civic just got their last rotation. The front tires that were moved to the rear have 3/32" of tread remaining (state min.), and the ones moved to the front have 5/32" left. There's no cupping or uneven wear; they just wore VERY FAST. I'm a really laid-back driver when there's an open road, but put me in rush hour traffic and I do my part to keep up--accelerating at a green light, taking turns a bit fast, and braking quickly. I do most of my miles in traffic. That's probably why I'm looking for new tires at 16,000 miles.

Anyone get long life from tires on a compact car? What tires might be a good match for me and my city driving? Here's how I rank what I'm looking for, in descending order of importance.

1. Treadlife. This is the most important characteristic for me. I don't expect to get 100,000 miles out of new tires, but 60K would be wonderful.
2. Handling. Something that doesn't wander on the highway too much or squish into turns. Good dry traction is a must; decent wet traction is a plus. I'll sacrifice a bit of ride comfort to have something that corners decently.
3. Mechanical Soundness. A tire that doesn't fall out of round, doesn't throw belts, doesn't need to be rebalanced every 1,000 miles, and doesn't need to be replaced because I brushed a curb.
4. Price. Of course price is a concern, but since I want a high-quality tire I suppose I'll have to pay for it.
5. Ride Comfort. I prefer a stiffer ride, actually. Road noise can be rough in a Civic, but it doesn't bother me too much as I'm usually listening to the radio.
6. Fuel Economy. Not a concern. I wonder what tune I'll be whistling in 2010.
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So what's doable for me? I've looked around a bit and really like the following:

Michelin HydroEdge: 800AB, 90,000 mile treadlife warranty, and impressive performance according to user reviews. I was surprised to see people complimenting the ride quality and lack of road noise. Currently a $70 MIR on a set of 4. Honda says the T speed rating is a no-no. OTOH, I can probably restrain myself from exceeding 118mph between stoplights.

Goodyear Assurance TripleTred: I've had these before and never liked a tire better. I got more than 80,000 miles out of a set on my previous car. Traction and handling were great on wet and dry roads, and they were as good in winter as any non-snow tire I've tried. Currently offering a $40 rebate on a set of 4.

Suggestions are most welcome!
 
I got 55,000 on a set of Firestone LH30's on my 2003 Civic. They were discontinued so I put on a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4's. After 15,000 miles the wear has been negligable. I'd go with the Michelin Harmony or X radial since you don't need an H speed rating.
 
I would go with either Michelins or Goodyear with the 80k/90k miles warranty. IMO

I have both on my Nissan Frontier as kind of a test, both are running neck and neck.

Michelin: Destiny

Goodyear: Assurance
 
Wow... 16k on the factory skins?
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I got only 100k+ more on my factory stuff on the Corolla. It's amazing how something simple like a tire can be so different...

But back to your question.

I'd go with the Triple Treads. I've NEVER been a big spender on tires but the Triple Treads on the Outback have been amazing. They just plain work. Everywhere.
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I replaced my factory tires with P4s and while they are a excellent tire, they are not in the same class as the Goodyears IMO.

The cost of the P4s vs Triple Treads was about $150 total more.

I'm not sure if I could get that back in performance but the Triple Treads are a excellent tire.

The P4 is a 80k tire also and judging on how they are wearing so far, I think they will make it.

Bill
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
T rating will be just fine for your Civic.
I don't disagree with you, but some tire place won't sell you a tire that doesn't meet OE specs. That said, I put Yoko Avid Touring's (S rated) on an 01 Civic EX and got about 70k out of them with no issues. Good wearing tire.
 
Thanks for all the wisdom you guys contributed. I visited Discount Tire Co. today determined to buy either TripleTreds or HydroEdges. Discount had no qualms selling me a T-rated tire, so I ended up with the less expensive Michelins.

They were nice enough to waive the fees for most of the additional items (certs for free replacement, TPMS service kits, disposal fees, lifetime balance / rotation, etc.). Cost after tax was $545, and Michelin's rebate should take off another $70. I'm sure other BITOGers could have pulled a better deal, but I think the tires are worth what I paid. I'll only have to hit 20,000 miles to get a better cost/value ratio than the OE tires. Hopefully they won't be too noisy.
 
An afterthought you probably don't want to hear: My 09 Camry Hybrid came with the same tires, and it looks like I'll be getting more than double the life out of them. If you haven't done so already, you might want to get your alignment carefully checked. Hope you enjoy the new tires.
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The car tracks straight on the highway, but I'll have the alignment checked to make sure I don't kill these tires off prematurely.
 
When you get new tires they will normally check your alignmet for free. I have hydro edge and triple treads on different cars because hydro edge are not available in lower profiles. I have more then 18k miles on my hydro edge tires with almost no wear. Last rotation using a tread depth gauge there was virtually no wear what so ever from new. Both sets have been outstanding in the rain
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which is most important to me along with treadlife.
 
Kumho Solus KH-16 is a very decent all season tire for the civic. I've also had Sumitomo HTR200 and it is also decent but a summer tire. Bridgestone HP50 is decent and has high trendwear rating, but not as great handling as other tires I've seen like Dunlop SPA2 or the HTR200 mentioned above.

One tire that I like and has surprised me a lot is the Wynstar Phaser R23. Made in China, T rated, 380 Trendwear, lasted me 60k, and only cost me $220 a set mounted and balanced. I like them a lot and it behaves much better than the Goodyear Invicta I used to have. If you are on a budget try to find them.
 
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