Third Tier Tires becoming increasingly popular

[andrew_j]

My used 2015 Pilot came with brand new Kelly tires . They were mediocre in snow , okay in wet and quiet. They lasted 20k miles and completely worn out.

Next I tried Michelin CrossClimate which are superior tires in all aspects and barely worn at 30k miles….

Kelly quote was $600 and Michelin was $1050 and well worth it given I’d be on 2nd set half worn now on Kelly white knuckling snow storms.

 

[hrv]

My used 2015 Pilot came with brand new Kelly tires . They were mediocre in snow , okay in wet and quiet. They lasted 20k miles and completely worn out.

Next I tried Michelin CrossClimate which are superior tires in all aspects and barely worn at 30k miles….

Kelly quote was $600 and Michelin was $1050 and well worth it given I’d be on 2nd set half worn now on Kelly white knuckling snow storms.

You get what you paid for....

 

[97K15004WD]

Made by Giti tire - a huge global tire company. I have never owned them but wouldn't hesitate to try them if the price was right.

GITI has a plant in Chester, SC.

Continental has a plant in Sumter, SC.

Michelin, made in Greenville, SC.

 

[fdcg27]

There has been very few documented cases of this-in the last few years. It's all paranoia-that runs rampant on here.

While outright failure may be rare, poor wet grip and nonexistent snow grip are pretty common in cheap tires, as a number have noted in this thread based upon their experience, along with short tread life.
Another factor to consider is how the tires might behave if the driver is in a situation where he inadvertently reaches or exceeds the limits and has to take corrective action. How predictable is the tire's response as the limit is reached and how easily can control be recovered?
Finally, if a set of cheapies is half the cost of a set of Michelins and the cheapies last half as long, what have you saved?

 

[ZZman]

When the politician thieves steal your income and redistribute it to others we have less purchasing power

Let's not make this political.

 

[ZZman]

I guess choice would depend on many things like cost, performance, long life, noise, If it is a daily driver or rarely driven. I would have no problem with 2nd or 3rd tier.

 

[MBBW]

Don't all new vehicles have low profile tires?

I have no idea. What percent of cars on the road have a low-profile aspect ratio? What aspect ratio is that?

ChatGPT says, "Estimates suggest that low-profile tires could account for around 10-20% of vehicles on the road, though this can fluctuate based on trends in vehicle design and consumer preferences. "

 

[camrydriver111]

People the cost of insurance, housing, cars, and so much else has gone up. They are making cuts wherever they can. Some third tier are decent, others are not. Some first tier are worth every cent spent, some are no better than third tier.

There is a second factor. Premium tires are difficult to market.

When a customer sees an iPhone in the showroom they immediately see the difference between their budget phones. Apple is still the best selling phone brand in the US, despite being a premium product.

When they look at a Michelin tire versus a Chinese tire, they both look exactly the same, a big rubber black circle with tread.

If someone is not a car enthusiast it's difficult for them to know there is any difference, apart from their pocketbook.

I sometimes see brand new luxury cars kitted out with Chinese winter tires. So obviously the customer sees the value of purchasing a luxury car over a standard car, but they don't see the same value in the premium tires, and it is not a cost issue because they just bought a brand new luxury SUV.