Tire Decision Help for Caravan

[doitmyself]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some opinions for tire replacement on my '05 Caravan, short wheelbase, 4 cyl.. Probably will sell within 2 yrs. due to Michigan wear (rust/potholes). OEM tires were Goodyear Integrity (mediocre ratings at Tire Rack (TR),that IMO had mediocre snow/wet performance but lasted an incredible 72,000 miles. S rated. 215/70R15 First replacement tires were Yokohama Avid TRZ (top 3 at TR 3 yrs. ago). Improved snow/wet performance, but nearly worn out at 50K....T rated, "80,000" mile tire??? I'm contemplating going back to S rating, with hopes of better longevity....Yoko Touring S (rated better than Avid at TR), but wonder about performance drop. Looking for tire under $100. Snow/wet traction is important. Current contenders (In TR rank/price) are: Hankook Optimo H727 @ $84 Yokohama Touring S @$68 Yokohama Avid TRZ @ $76 Other tires I'm interested in tend to be above $100 (Cooper CS4, GY Comfort Tread/Triple Tread). Any opinions? Especially about going with the S rated Yoko Touring? Other contenders? Incentives/rebates besides DT? Thanks for any help?

 

[jcwit]

Check Craigs List.

 

[bullwinkle]

You may laugh, but I had a set of Kumho Power Star 758s that I got 40K out of before one tore a belt-best cheap tires I ever had!

 

[kozanoglu]

If durability is a concern for you I would choose Yokohama Avid TRZ.As far as I know they are made in the USA. They should last 80K miles with periodic tire rotations if the steering and suspension system is healthy.

 

[jorton]

Last week I bought 1 sticker new 14" Nexen tire at a tire repair shop for $75. $75 includes tax, labor and balancing. Do you have small tire repair shops up there? Traction is priority so with your new tires spring for a new alignment.

 

[Lead Shoes]

I have the Hankook h727's on my Civic, when it snowed/rained 6 inches in 4 hrs in MN last week I was the only car I saw on the road, and one of the only going the speed limit with out sliding.

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah Id go with the yokos again. Wouldnt be against trying the S tires if the rating is acceptable for the van.

 

[fdcg27]

Check out the General Altimax RT on tires-easy.com. $75.00 in your size. We have RTs on one car and HPs on another. Really decent tires that seem fine in the rain and should be as good as any other all-season for winter use.

 

[doitmyself]

Thanks for the input. Jcwit - I checked Craig's list. It's really looking for a needle in a haystack. Many tires are junk, overpriced, etc.. kozanaglu - my current Yoko Avids were only good for 50K+, no where near the 80K rating (excellent care on my part). THIS SEEMS TO BE COMMON AT TR REVIEWS WITH MANY BRANDS...WHY?? JHZR - my OEM's were S rated. fdcg27 - the Altimax are on my radar too. What's the difference of RT vs. HP? TR gives them a lesser wet/snow rating IIRC. Thanks again. Any more opinions on the S vs. T idea above? Char Baby?? Capri Racer? Anyone? EDIT: JUST NOTICED, TR SAYS HANKOOK h727 ARE 97T WEIGHT RATING. MY OEM IS 98 WEIGHT CAPACITY. HMMMMM??????

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself

JUST NOTICED, TR SAYS HANKOOK h727 ARE 97T WEIGHT RATING. MY OEM IS 98 WEIGHT CAPACITY. HMMMMM??????

According to this link, that makes very little difference. Load rating 97 1609 lbs. 98 1653 lbs. Also, the T in "97T" is the speed rating.

 

[fdcg27]

The HP has a significantly lower treadwear rating, so it may be better in winter conditions. The Yoko Avids don't seem to hold up well. I've bought them for a couple of the fleet vehichles at work, and they don't seem all that great, although they're pretty cheap.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666

Originally Posted By: doitmyself

JUST NOTICED, TR SAYS HANKOOK h727 ARE 97T WEIGHT RATING. MY OEM IS 98 WEIGHT CAPACITY. HMMMMM??????

According to this link, that makes very little difference. Load rating 97 1609 lbs. 98 1653 lbs. Also, the T in "97T" is the speed rating.

Tire Rack list the H727 as a suitable tire for my Caravan. Discount Tire does not list it. The Hankook warranty says that to be valid, the new tires must be the correct size,and meet or exceed speed rating, AND load index. I will have to check with Discount Tire to see if the warranty is void in this case....97 vs. the OEM 98. Details!

 

[AstroTurf]

Ya know, in all my life I have never used a tire warranty. And as cheap as they are, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[Hokiefyd]

If you're going to sell the van in another two years anyway, and if you otherwise liked them besides the quick tread wear, I'd buy four more Yokohama Avid TRZs. I'd much rather have a safe tire than a long-lasting one.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

If you're going to sell the van in another two years anyway, and if you otherwise liked them besides the quick tread wear, I'd buy four more Yokohama Avid TRZs. I'd much rather have a safe tire than a long-lasting one.

The deal is done and I ended up with the TRZ's. This all came about due to a large embedded nail I found while rotating the tires yesterday. But, I was also within 1 to 2 / 32nds. from the wear bar with winter approaching. If it was summer, I would have stretched another 5K out of them to 55K. Took the tire to the shop I purchased from and he said it was repairable. BUT, he offered to pro rate the tires $100 off due to 50K life vs. 80K rating. He also said I could apply this to the TRZ's OR Hankook H727. BUT, he contradicted the the Tire Rack survey and said in our Michigan weather, the H727 have not outperformed the TRZ's. He seemed sincere, but maybe he was pushing what was most profitable for him....who knows. I went prepared with prices from Discount Tire Direct ($50 or $100 off today) and he even beat them. I am satisfied, but was curious (and decided) to try the Hankooks out to see if they were as great as everyone says. Thanks for all the input everyone.

 

[CharBaby]

All of your tire choices sound very good and according to their ratings, any of them should serve you well. But, no one will know except you...I would certainly use the tire that has worked best for you. If the AVID TRZ's worked well in the snow for you on your particular Caravan(you now have that under your belt), I don't really know if I would nessessarily try the H727's but, the H727's are a good choice of tire and are known for doing well in snow/ice as well as being a nice all around tire. I did once have the G/Y Integrity's and although I thought they sucked in just about every catigory, they did last a long time and still had decent tread when I chucked 'em at 60+K miles. It's hard for any of us to tell you what will work best on your Caravan unless we have personaly experienced a particular tire on a 4cyl, short wheel base '05 Caravan. Your choices seem to be in the area of better rated tires that "SHOULD" do well on your Caravan for how you want to use 'em. I do very much like the H727's and folks in our circle do as well. IMHO, they just lack a bit of soul and direct feel of a Pirelli P4 or a Cooper CS4 for a "T" speed rated tire(especially the P4's as I have personal experience with'em). But, how much soul are you searching for? Just kidding! I do recomend the H727 if your looking for a nice tire that just goes about it's business without calling attention to itself. This is the only way that I have been able to describe the H727's. I'm not sure how else to describe them. And their priced right too! The P4's, e.g., woke up my '04 Altima compared to some larger sized "H" speed rated tires that I have used. They skinny looking 205-65-16 P4's have a higher performance feel with better drivability and cornering without being harsh or noisy...than do the summer only G/Y' Eagle LS 225-55-17 "H" rated(BEEFY looking) tires that I use. The difference in the General AltiMAX RT's and HP's(both good choices as well) are in their tread design and performance rating(the HP's being "Directional") amongst other things. I beleive that both tires can also be had in other speed ratings too. The RT's i.e., can be had in "T" & "H" rated and the HP's can be had in "H" & "V" rated, IIRC! At this point in the Carvan's life and for as long as you plan to keep'er, I would be inclined to shop by "price/performance" and I don't mean High Performance but, all around performance including foul weather but with "price" & "snow/ice" being the major factor(s). That's just me!