Foreign made tires - Chinese vs. Korean etc.
- Thread starter silverrat
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My Optima came with Kumho's and they seem to work great
Until an allignment problem ripped 2 of them apart.
When I get my tax return I'll probably order the Kumho's from Tirerack and get those put on there, and sell these Douglas' Sport GTs in the newspaper
Eh, they were only $35/each and couldn't ride on the donut any longer (to wait for Tire Rack shipping).
When I get my tax return I'll probably order the Kumho's from Tirerack and get those put on there, and sell these Douglas' Sport GTs in the newspaper
Let me tell you this, Kuhmo tires are made in China and they are great tires. Look at the reviews on TireRack or other sites.
Not all Kuhmos are made in China. Sears had some on sale and yes, they had China stamped on the side, but just purchased some for another car from Tirerack and made in S. korea. So it depends. Must ask before ordering . I don't wish to purchase Chinese made tires. I must note that the Kuhmos at Sears were different in their thread wear index etc and that model could not be found anywhere on an online warehouse deal. they may have been made for Sears specifically, definitely a cheaper tire from what TireRack was selling if one just compared the specs to those sold at sears
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Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
I guess I'm lucky with my Wynstar Phaser R23, they were Chinese and are pretty good. Last time I heard the factory that made them were acquired by Michelin, so they probably also make Michelin for the Chinese market hence the good quality control.
What the heck are those?
175 65 14 T rated, Traction A Temperature A, forgot load rating.
It is for the corolla, and runs a lot better than the Goodyear Invicta used to be on it (that's Invicta got to be the worst tire ever made in History other than the Firestone Wilderness).
Of course, for this price it can't compare to the Sumitomo HTR 200 that's on it right now.
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
I guess I'm lucky with my Wynstar Phaser R23, they were Chinese and are pretty good. Last time I heard the factory that made them were acquired by Michelin, so they probably also make Michelin for the Chinese market hence the good quality control.
What the heck are those?
175 65 14 T rated, Traction A Temperature A, forgot load rating.
It is for the corolla, and runs a lot better than the Goodyear Invicta used to be on it (that's Invicta got to be the worst tire ever made in History other than the Firestone Wilderness).
Of course, for this price it can't compare to the Sumitomo HTR 200 that's on it right now.
Originally Posted By: fsskier
I also really wonder about the integrity of Tires Plus!!! Instead of contacting other dealers, informing their purchasing managers, pushing data back up stream to their corporate structure, they instead chose to go into total denial and pursue what must be their corporate policy.....
The customer is always wrong!
That's quite a tale fsskier! How disturbing that Tires Plus did not stand behind what they sold. I've gotten bad vibes (and lies) from them just getting quotes. Happilly I've not purchased anything from them.
With the main topic of this post, I've had excellent experiences with Korean made Nittos and Kuhmos. I think they are a great value for the money and would not hesitate to buy any Korean tire. Chinese made ones are NOT in the same category....I tried a set (Nankeng brand), and would not get any Chinese made ones again.
I also really wonder about the integrity of Tires Plus!!! Instead of contacting other dealers, informing their purchasing managers, pushing data back up stream to their corporate structure, they instead chose to go into total denial and pursue what must be their corporate policy.....
The customer is always wrong!
That's quite a tale fsskier! How disturbing that Tires Plus did not stand behind what they sold. I've gotten bad vibes (and lies) from them just getting quotes. Happilly I've not purchased anything from them.
With the main topic of this post, I've had excellent experiences with Korean made Nittos and Kuhmos. I think they are a great value for the money and would not hesitate to buy any Korean tire. Chinese made ones are NOT in the same category....I tried a set (Nankeng brand), and would not get any Chinese made ones again.
I though Nankang is a Taiwanese brand (Nankang means south bay), not Korean.
Nexens are awesome tires. i have the low profile 235/35/19 and 265/30/19 setup. They wear well and are more quiet than my $325 a piece Yokohama AVS that I had before the Nexens. Definitely buy them again.
We have experienced Kumho KH14 (so, so, nothing special, but nothing horrible either, but too soft), and Kumho Solus KH16 (very decent tire, Lots better than KH14, no troubles, good grip - still on my Tbird, but nothing about the tire "excites" you - and they look meh)
Both above tires were better than Michelin MXV4 (old gen) that came with my wife's Elantra from factory.
Since getting the Altimax HP though, i don't think I will get a different tire for that price. the Kumhos were "decent" and reliable, but the Altimax is just phenomenal.
Both above tires were better than Michelin MXV4 (old gen) that came with my wife's Elantra from factory.
Since getting the Altimax HP though, i don't think I will get a different tire for that price. the Kumhos were "decent" and reliable, but the Altimax is just phenomenal.
Originally Posted By: Thomas34
Nexens are awesome tires. i have the low profile 235/35/19 and 265/30/19 setup. They wear well and are more quiet than my $325 a piece Yokohama AVS that I had before the Nexens. Definitely buy them again.
Which Nexen model did you have ? N3000 ?
Nexens are awesome tires. i have the low profile 235/35/19 and 265/30/19 setup. They wear well and are more quiet than my $325 a piece Yokohama AVS that I had before the Nexens. Definitely buy them again.
Which Nexen model did you have ? N3000 ?
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Since getting the Altimax HP though, i don't think I will get a different tire for that price. the Kumhos were "decent" and reliable, but the Altimax is just phenomenal.
After we got a flat on my wife's car and its very mediocre Firestone FR710s, I was hoping to try the Generals due to their great reviews. Sadly they weren't available, so we ended up with Falken ZE-912s, and we both like them very much so far. Falken is Japanese but these tries were made in Thailand. I wasn't too crazy about seeing that but I figure as long as they aren't made in China, I'll give them a try. I don't recall where the Firestones were made. Looking around the tire shop, I also saw some Bridgestones that were made in Brazil. I'm guessing only the higher-end sizes (low profile, wide widths) are made in the company's home country.
All that said, I have no problem whatsoever with Korean-made products. Kumho, Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc. All good stuff!
Since getting the Altimax HP though, i don't think I will get a different tire for that price. the Kumhos were "decent" and reliable, but the Altimax is just phenomenal.
After we got a flat on my wife's car and its very mediocre Firestone FR710s, I was hoping to try the Generals due to their great reviews. Sadly they weren't available, so we ended up with Falken ZE-912s, and we both like them very much so far. Falken is Japanese but these tries were made in Thailand. I wasn't too crazy about seeing that but I figure as long as they aren't made in China, I'll give them a try. I don't recall where the Firestones were made. Looking around the tire shop, I also saw some Bridgestones that were made in Brazil. I'm guessing only the higher-end sizes (low profile, wide widths) are made in the company's home country.
All that said, I have no problem whatsoever with Korean-made products. Kumho, Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc. All good stuff!
I've got Kumho Solus HP4s on my Jetta and they have been great the past 2 years. Balanced out with a minimum of weight and are wearing great. I'd buy Kumhos for this car again based upon my experience with these. Let's not even get into the hideous original Continental Conti-Contacts that were OEM on the car.
First of all, I think many of you think of China as a company. It's not.
There are good tires and bad tires, good companies and bad. About 2 years ago I needed to buy tires for my daughter's Mazda Protege. I was talked into buying some "Nanking" (not sure on the spelling). Well, less than 20K later, there is NO TREAD AT ALL left on those tires! I was convinced that with a fairly lightweight car, this would have been the last set needed for it. Boy, was I wrong. Those Nanking wore down way too soon.
In the interim, a new Costco has opened in our town, so perhaps the next tires I buy will be Michelin or Bridgestone.
There are good tires and bad tires, good companies and bad. About 2 years ago I needed to buy tires for my daughter's Mazda Protege. I was talked into buying some "Nanking" (not sure on the spelling). Well, less than 20K later, there is NO TREAD AT ALL left on those tires! I was convinced that with a fairly lightweight car, this would have been the last set needed for it. Boy, was I wrong. Those Nanking wore down way too soon.
In the interim, a new Costco has opened in our town, so perhaps the next tires I buy will be Michelin or Bridgestone.
I doubt American tires are any better than Chinese or Korean tires.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Thomas34
Nexens are awesome tires. i have the low profile 235/35/19 and 265/30/19 setup. They wear well and are more quiet than my $325 a piece Yokohama AVS that I had before the Nexens. Definitely buy them again.
Which Nexen model did you have ? N3000 ?
yes n3000
Originally Posted By: Thomas34
Nexens are awesome tires. i have the low profile 235/35/19 and 265/30/19 setup. They wear well and are more quiet than my $325 a piece Yokohama AVS that I had before the Nexens. Definitely buy them again.
Which Nexen model did you have ? N3000 ?
yes n3000
"Made in China" does not mean inferior quality - tires are more on raw material used and tire technology, which unfortunately are not quite up to standards we have experienced. The "chinese" brands are not really marketed at people who want the best - but i think if they are DOT rated it should be ok though.
Usually Japan and Euro tires are the best in this field. I personally prefer made in Japan tires - Goodyear RS sport, their compound is most suited for my climate.
If you want cheap - don't demand the best.
I would personally would not risk my family's lives on a safety product which keeps the car on the road.
P.S: My "China" commercial friends always buy Japanese/Euro tires for a reason- though chinese brands are far far easier to buy in China and much cheaper.
Usually Japan and Euro tires are the best in this field. I personally prefer made in Japan tires - Goodyear RS sport, their compound is most suited for my climate.
If you want cheap - don't demand the best.
I would personally would not risk my family's lives on a safety product which keeps the car on the road.
P.S: My "China" commercial friends always buy Japanese/Euro tires for a reason- though chinese brands are far far easier to buy in China and much cheaper.
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