Opinion on tires

[notanexpert]

I need a set of new tires for my car. I found a very good brand-name tire with great ratings and even better opnions for about $700 for the set. I will drive the car probably for another 5 years, so I should be able to get full use out of these tires. However, I can also go for an el-cheapo tire that is some no-name brand, made with plasticky rubber, copy of some name-brand's design from a decade ago that is about half price. What would you do? Get the best tire, the el-cheapo one or something in-between? There is almost limitless choice in that size with tires from pretty much every manufacturer available! If I get the el-cheapo I could in theory change tires twice as often as the top of the line tire, and still come out to the same cost.

[KorruptioN]

If I get the el-cheapo I could in theory change tires twice as often as the top of the line tire, and still come out to the same cost.

I'd go with the good tire. You're only thinking about the monetary cost. Safety should be one of your main concerns. The same old adage goes, "do it right, or do it twice".

What tires were you looking at anyway?

[notanexpert]

What tires were you looking at anyway?

The Michelin Primacy MXV4 or the Thingamajig Something-or-other (I don't actually remember) 195/60-HR15. The no-name brand are not actually H rated - T I think, although the OE tires on the car were H rated.

The thing is, the tires I have on it now are el-cheapo Cooper tires and I really hated a lot of things about them, but they gave me absolutely no problems for 100k km, never even needed re-balancing. So even some of the cheapo tires can be quite decent quality which makes me hesitant about getting the expensive tire that a lot of people rave about.

[KorruptioN]

Then perhaps you got lucky with your Cooper tires. Are you willing to gamble again? My dad cheaped out on getting tires for my mom's Altima... and they're terrible tires. They wear fast (my performance summers have a better treadwear rating), they hydroplane in the rain, the sidewalls are soft, and dry grip is very poor. They're not performance tires (I don't expect them to be), but I genuinely don't feel safe with them on the car. He didn't even save a lot of money on them...

I'm not saying the expensive tires will be immune to defects... but I'd rather go with something that's known-good. Peace of mind with tires is a pretty big thing for me.

[Jucius Maximus]

Get the good tire.

What if the el-cheapo tire failed and caused a car accident, resulting in injury to one of your family members? No thanks!

[bizzyseller]

I need a set of new tires for my car. I found a very good brand-name tire with great ratings and even better opnions for about $700 for the set. I will drive the car probably for another 5 years, so I should be able to get full use out of these tires. However, I can also go for an el-cheapo tire that is some no-name brand, made with plasticky rubber, copy of some name-brand's design from a decade ago that is about half price. What would you do? Get the best tire, the el-cheapo one or something in-between? There is almost limitless choice in that size with tires from pretty much every manufacturer available! If I get the el-cheapo I could in theory change tires twice as often as the top of the line tire, and still come out to the same cost.

I'd be interested in knowing the name/brand/model of the el-cheapo tires. Might be a good service for RFD to let everyone know...

[Tennoh]

So long as it's not your only set of tires for all year. Myself I've cheaped out on all-season tires for spring-fall and then I switch over to Nokian winters at a premium cost. On the 4th year or so I then drive my Nokians during the year as they've pretty much outlasted their winter grip usefulness by then. This has worked well for me.

[notanexpert]

I do have a separate set of wheels with winter tires on them. So these tires I'm buying would not be used in the winter. But my current cheapo Coopers are a little too loud for my taste, a little too harsh riding for the 60 profile that they are and never were great in the rain. I had to live with those issues for many years because they lasted so damn long!

[Evil Baby]

I bought el-cheapo tires for my cavalier. Never again. The car shakes like crazy. I got a wheel alignment and it still does. I assume it's the tires, or perhaps I just have a bad mechanic

[macnut]

If you buy cheap, no-name brand tires you are probably maximizing your chances of having a very undesirable tire failure on the highway.

If you buy expensive, brand-name tires you are probably minimizing your chances of such an outcome, but there is always some risk.

Sounds like a no-brainer?

Might make sense to also rule out any tire maunufacturers that have had a large number of NHTSA investigations, recalls and private law suits against them (e.g. Firestone and Cooper).

On the other hand, some manufacturers who had a mediocre track record in the past, could now be making very good tires under new corporate ownership (e.g. General tires made in Continental facilities in Germany).

So the brand name is only part of the story. The country the tire is made in often determines its overall quality.

Between the two extremes of el-cheapo and expensive, there are plenty of acceptable options, such as private label/house brand tires that are made by a respected manufacturer.

It takes a bit of research, and studying of reviews covering not only the size you are interested in, but also relating to your specific vehicle.

Closeouts of a particular line can be inexpensive, but if you need to replace one due to road hazard, you might lose out in the end.

Retail markup on tires in Canada has always been high, and though it can seem a smart move to buy them in the US, it's not always the case these days.