Tires and brakes....your key to safe driving. I wish I could get out the door for that cheap.
What happened to cheap tires for a cheap car?
- Thread starter faramir9
- Start date
- Status
$200 total out the door for 4 tires mounted and balanced? The tires for my truck cost more than that EACH...not including mounting and balancing.
Even the little 12" tires on my ATV trailer were 50 bucks a piece....and they're made in China.
Even the little 12" tires on my ATV trailer were 50 bucks a piece....and they're made in China.
Cheap car + cheap tire + big blow out = big lawsuit
The recaps of old are not around for consumers anymore.
The closest thing are some of the Pep Boys offerings and house brands like Primewell.
Still I'd rather run cheap oil instead of cheap tires.
The recaps of old are not around for consumers anymore.
The closest thing are some of the Pep Boys offerings and house brands like Primewell.
Still I'd rather run cheap oil instead of cheap tires.
Pretty soon you will have to special order 13 and 14 inch tires because even the new econoboxes have 15-18 inch tires.
People like big wheel / tire combo on a 4 cylinder vehicle.
People like big wheel / tire combo on a 4 cylinder vehicle.
Most places seem to charge $60-$100 to mount/balance/install/dispose a set of 4 tires. The $140 tire I just installed on my car costs as much to do all that as a $30 tire. You're not going to be able to get lower than $200 because a substantial amount is going to the labor.
I looked at the first tire you listed, the GT Radial Champiro VP1 - at America's Tire near where I work. $35 each. Sounds good. But it's not the tire price that's ballooning the total cost.
Environmental Fee (State Required) $7.00
Tire Disposal Fee $10.00
Valve Stems, Lifetime RotationsFREE
Installation & Lifetime Spin Balancing $64.00
Subtotal $221.00
CA 8.75% Sales Tax $13.13
Total "Out the Door" Price $234.13
Seems pretty reasonable to me. About $100 of that is going into sales tax and all the labor that's needed for any tire. Plus on top of that they offer a $30 rebate in the form of a VISA gift card.
I looked at the first tire you listed, the GT Radial Champiro VP1 - at America's Tire near where I work. $35 each. Sounds good. But it's not the tire price that's ballooning the total cost.
Environmental Fee (State Required) $7.00
Tire Disposal Fee $10.00
Valve Stems, Lifetime RotationsFREE
Installation & Lifetime Spin Balancing $64.00
Subtotal $221.00
CA 8.75% Sales Tax $13.13
Total "Out the Door" Price $234.13
Seems pretty reasonable to me. About $100 of that is going into sales tax and all the labor that's needed for any tire. Plus on top of that they offer a $30 rebate in the form of a VISA gift card.
$200 for a set of FOUR, out the door?????
Wow, that's cheap. That's less than I've paid for ONE tire BEFORE installation and tax and everything.... on my last 3 tire purchases. Two were 17" sizes and one was an 18".
So that's about 15% of my out the door total.
And you know those 13" tires you're buying have more than 15% of the raw materials, more than 15% of the engineering, and more than 15% of the installation costs.
Sounds like you're getting a screaming deal.
Sorry - not trying to be a jerk - just adding some perspective. We live in a world where a new compact car can be optioned over $30,000 these days.
Are you sure there isn't a LARGE reputable used tire dealer with some 13"s locally? A local wrecking yard perhaps???
Wow, that's cheap. That's less than I've paid for ONE tire BEFORE installation and tax and everything.... on my last 3 tire purchases. Two were 17" sizes and one was an 18".
So that's about 15% of my out the door total.
And you know those 13" tires you're buying have more than 15% of the raw materials, more than 15% of the engineering, and more than 15% of the installation costs.
Sounds like you're getting a screaming deal.
Sorry - not trying to be a jerk - just adding some perspective. We live in a world where a new compact car can be optioned over $30,000 these days.
Are you sure there isn't a LARGE reputable used tire dealer with some 13"s locally? A local wrecking yard perhaps???
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: FowVay
You're getting a tire, mounted and balance, the old tire disposed of, the taxes paid on the tire, shipping of the tire to your house,, for 50 bucks each and you're complaining?
Maybe a bicycle is more in line with your expectations.
+1. I remember going with my father to get tires on his 89 corolla, which were P155R13 size. He was always happy because he could get tires at $20-25 each.
So that was early 1990s, four tires for around $100.
Fast forward to early 20-teens... 20 years later, and price has doubled.
How many other things have only doubled in price since then? Gas for example has tripled roughly... I remember when it was first over $1 around the time of Desert Storm. Im sure insurance has gone up a ton. I think they paid around $10-11k for a stripper corolla in 89, so that hasnt even doubled I guess, but I think that's the case for most cars, that they are actually cheaper these days... Look at the old MBs that were >$100k back in the late 1980s...
You're getting a tire, mounted and balance, the old tire disposed of, the taxes paid on the tire, shipping of the tire to your house,, for 50 bucks each and you're complaining?
Maybe a bicycle is more in line with your expectations.
+1. I remember going with my father to get tires on his 89 corolla, which were P155R13 size. He was always happy because he could get tires at $20-25 each.
So that was early 1990s, four tires for around $100.
Fast forward to early 20-teens... 20 years later, and price has doubled.
How many other things have only doubled in price since then? Gas for example has tripled roughly... I remember when it was first over $1 around the time of Desert Storm. Im sure insurance has gone up a ton. I think they paid around $10-11k for a stripper corolla in 89, so that hasnt even doubled I guess, but I think that's the case for most cars, that they are actually cheaper these days... Look at the old MBs that were >$100k back in the late 1980s...
In PA you should be able to find a set of 14" 4x100 rims with 1/2 worn snow tires(maybe even quite nice ones)for maybe $100-140 right now.
Run them year round and when those are near done, start looking for another mounted set and sell your old set for $60-80 just for the rims... You might end up only spending $20/year if you time things right.
Some of the studdable snow tires wear quite well and you might get 2-3 years out of them. I had a used set on the Tracker for 30k miles in both summer and winter and they still had lots of tread, but had age cracked enough to be replaced.
Run them year round and when those are near done, start looking for another mounted set and sell your old set for $60-80 just for the rims... You might end up only spending $20/year if you time things right.
Some of the studdable snow tires wear quite well and you might get 2-3 years out of them. I had a used set on the Tracker for 30k miles in both summer and winter and they still had lots of tread, but had age cracked enough to be replaced.
What about the one, who bought a level entry basic vehicle and finds he has H rated tires with a higher than necessary load rating? Most honest tire shops won't put a lower rated tire on those vehicles for liability reasons. Ed
Some 14's off a '93-'97 Corolla/Prizm at the boneyard and a set of good used ones mabye?
15" Saturn wheels are plentiful at the junkyard and the bolt pattern is the same IIRC, but I dunno if the center bore is. They still look good on other cars since they were always unbranded
15" Saturn wheels are plentiful at the junkyard and the bolt pattern is the same IIRC, but I dunno if the center bore is. They still look good on other cars since they were always unbranded
Originally Posted By: FowVay
You're getting a tire, mounted and balance, the old tire disposed of, the taxes paid on the tire, shipping of the tire to your house,, for 50 bucks each and you're complaining?
Maybe a bicycle is more in line with your expectations.
If only it were that easy with bicycles. A middle of the line bicycle tire is $35US. It's only so much rubber and most people can mount them themselves. We don't even get balancing. Per pound of rubber it sure isn't a great deal for us cyclists.
I remember when a 13" tire was less than a decent mountain bike tire........
You're getting a tire, mounted and balance, the old tire disposed of, the taxes paid on the tire, shipping of the tire to your house,, for 50 bucks each and you're complaining?
Maybe a bicycle is more in line with your expectations.
If only it were that easy with bicycles. A middle of the line bicycle tire is $35US. It's only so much rubber and most people can mount them themselves. We don't even get balancing. Per pound of rubber it sure isn't a great deal for us cyclists.
I remember when a 13" tire was less than a decent mountain bike tire........
Last edited:
the tires on my jeep were $1000 as were the ones on my truck,
cheap tires, cheap candy, and so on is long gone..its been over 20 years since 13 inch tires were 4 for a 100 bucks...my 67 beetle tires new were 16 bucks each,,,wayyyyyyyyyyy back...the New World Order got in the way....gas was 25cent a gallon in 67 in Pensacola fl. my rent on a 2 bedroom house with living room and dining room and kitchen was 60 bucks a month and it was nice,,a real nice place was 90 a month a long time ago to most of you.. but are not things better now,,a car is 25k when they were only 3400 sometime back and you got Mr. Ob now and his gang to help you out.......
Hello, Is the "New World Order" what you call increased demand for the world's resources coupled with the severe watering down of our money?
Be glad you can get a set of 4 good tires for 240 of our rags.
Practical point (without knowing the details of your situation): When you go to sell this car you intend to keep for a year 2-3 years from now, won't you feel better selling a car with reasonably good rubber on it?
I'm saying you'll get it back in price and ease of sale. Kira
Be glad you can get a set of 4 good tires for 240 of our rags.
Practical point (without knowing the details of your situation): When you go to sell this car you intend to keep for a year 2-3 years from now, won't you feel better selling a car with reasonably good rubber on it?
I'm saying you'll get it back in price and ease of sale. Kira
For another twenty two bucks a tire, go with the RT-43.
I'd want my lady on something decent, although I'd be tempted to fish the bottom if I were going to drive the car myself.
If you poke around online, you can find cheaper thriteen inchers and you can always check out the local yards and CL.
Good online sites for obsolete sizes and models are treaddepot and tires-easy. If you could find Cooper Trendsetters in your size, they'll be dirt cheap and are decent tires. Our old '97 Accord came on a new set of Trendsetter SEs, and they were okay under all conditions and lasted 68K.
The winter beater Focus I bought last September came on nearly new Primewells and they aren't bad either.
A yard might be your best deal, but be sure to learn how to decipher the date codes and avoid anything more than seven years old.
Around here, yards will sell you a tire mounted and balanced for twenty-twenty five dollars, while anything bought from a private party on CL will mean that you pay for mounting and balancing.
If my wife were going to be using the car, though, I'd bite the bullet and pony up for the Generals.
If you end up using the car over the next winter, the Generals are also reportedly pretty good in the snow.
I can tell you from personal experience that the Primewells are like AS tires of a few generations back, but they'll work in snow if you work with them and if you're an experienced winter driver. Living in PA, you and your lady probably both are.
If this old 'rolla is really well cared for, you might find it useful for at least a couple of years, so it might pay you to put decent tires on it now.
There are better places to put your money than a car, after all.
I'd want my lady on something decent, although I'd be tempted to fish the bottom if I were going to drive the car myself.
If you poke around online, you can find cheaper thriteen inchers and you can always check out the local yards and CL.
Good online sites for obsolete sizes and models are treaddepot and tires-easy. If you could find Cooper Trendsetters in your size, they'll be dirt cheap and are decent tires. Our old '97 Accord came on a new set of Trendsetter SEs, and they were okay under all conditions and lasted 68K.
The winter beater Focus I bought last September came on nearly new Primewells and they aren't bad either.
A yard might be your best deal, but be sure to learn how to decipher the date codes and avoid anything more than seven years old.
Around here, yards will sell you a tire mounted and balanced for twenty-twenty five dollars, while anything bought from a private party on CL will mean that you pay for mounting and balancing.
If my wife were going to be using the car, though, I'd bite the bullet and pony up for the Generals.
If you end up using the car over the next winter, the Generals are also reportedly pretty good in the snow.
I can tell you from personal experience that the Primewells are like AS tires of a few generations back, but they'll work in snow if you work with them and if you're an experienced winter driver. Living in PA, you and your lady probably both are.
If this old 'rolla is really well cared for, you might find it useful for at least a couple of years, so it might pay you to put decent tires on it now.
There are better places to put your money than a car, after all.
Just to expand on the point Kira made.
China's growing economy has been causing all kinds of issues. When the folks who analyze such things tried to understand what was going on with tire raw material costs, China was always near the top of the list. Their ability to consume is just enormous. Oil, rubber, food, steel, water, air, etc. It is all a problem when your population is huge and you are trying to elevate your living standard to that of the rest of the world. They are competing for the same resources and the result is rising prices.
So plan on their being further problems. India is next and they have a similar situation.
China's growing economy has been causing all kinds of issues. When the folks who analyze such things tried to understand what was going on with tire raw material costs, China was always near the top of the list. Their ability to consume is just enormous. Oil, rubber, food, steel, water, air, etc. It is all a problem when your population is huge and you are trying to elevate your living standard to that of the rest of the world. They are competing for the same resources and the result is rising prices.
So plan on their being further problems. India is next and they have a similar situation.
EXACTLY MY POINT. If, out of inescapable processes only, we are to avoid a further diminution of our lifestyles, we need to upgrade our shared facilities and it needs to be done QUICKLY.
We NEED public transportation all over the place. Private vehicles are great but they're going to do nothing but get more expensive. We can hook up easily with all the communication capacity we have. If you need to call them Jitneys-go right ahead.
Subways, light rail and busses are going to be used all over the place. Use 'em, share 'em police 'em.
Can you imagine how much this threatens the "traditional man"? And this is only for transportation. Kira
We NEED public transportation all over the place. Private vehicles are great but they're going to do nothing but get more expensive. We can hook up easily with all the communication capacity we have. If you need to call them Jitneys-go right ahead.
Subways, light rail and busses are going to be used all over the place. Use 'em, share 'em police 'em.
Can you imagine how much this threatens the "traditional man"? And this is only for transportation. Kira
Used to have a car with 13" tires in the early 90's. Even then, it was usually about $250 for four tires mounted and balanced, and these were bottom of the line goodyears or firestones.
These days my 13" boat trailer tires, made in china, run over $60 a piece...
My pickup truck tires start around $150 a piece for anything reputable.
I'd not complain about it costing what it does.
These days my 13" boat trailer tires, made in china, run over $60 a piece...
My pickup truck tires start around $150 a piece for anything reputable.
I'd not complain about it costing what it does.
- Status
