How do you guys choose tires for your car?

[LakerGod]

I need to get my tires changed and I have no idea what kind to get. They come in all types and prices. Preferably, i'd like to get the cheapest tires, but I wouldn't know if that would be the wisest choice. What do you guys think?

Oh yeah, how do you find out the original tires that came with the car. I bought my car used, so I have no idea.

 

[Kadarin]

What kind of car do you have, and what size tires are currently on it? Those facts will have a huge bearing on the answer..

 

[LakerGod]

1996 Nissan Maxima
205/65-15

Thanks.

 

[Linflas]

With the ancient POS I drive it is whatever is cheapest that fit.

 

[LakerGod]

Originally posted by: Linflas
With the ancient POS I drive it is whatever is cheapest that fit.

Hehe. I just want something that is safe, will last a while, and will give me a smooth drive. I have no idea what else there is to look into tires.

 

[UltraQuiet]

This is from Consumer Reports about a year ago. Tires followed by price followed by a short description. They rated these as economy tires. They listed higher end tires that I can paste here if you want.

Uniroyal
Tiger Paw ASC - 33 - A very good tire, with very good dry cornering and excellent wet cornering. S speed rating.

BFGoodrich
Momenta S/E - 49 - A very good choice where winters are mild. Very good dry cornering, good wet cornering. S speed rating.

Dunlop
SP20 A/S - 55 - A very good all-around choice. Very good dry cornering, good wet cornering. S speed rating.

Cooper
Trendsetter SE - 40 - Good dry and wet cornering. No speed rating.


Kelly
Explorer - 40 - An especially comfortable ride, but fair dry cornering and poor wet cornering. No speed rating.

Futura
(Pep Boys)
Euro-Metric - 35 - A good winter performer. Good dry cornering, fair wet cornering. T speed rating.

Sears
Guardsman 40 TE - 35 - Good dry cornering, fair wet cornering. No speed rating.

Bridgestone
SF-402 - 45 - An especially good winter tire. Very good dry cornering, good wet cornering. S speed rating.

Goodyear
Integrity - 50 - A compromise. Poor braking on wet pavement without ABS. Very good dry cornering, good wet cornering.

Firestone
FR360 - 35 - There are better choices. Fair dry cornering, poor wet cornering. S speed rating.

 

[BooneRebel]

Consumer reports and most auto rags do tire comparisons. If you're looking for cheap, long lasting tires most of the outlets have 4 for $100 (or $150, whatever) specials for no-name tires made of the hardest rubber imaginable. They won't ride really smoothly and you give up some traction in the rain, etc., but they last forever. If you're really looking to get your money's worth I'd go that route. However, if you do want good year-round traction look for an all-weather tire. Michelin makes some of the quietest, best handling tires that I've seen. For most of the cars I've owned I put up with whatever tires were on it when I bought it until they finally wear out and then replace them with Michelins. Unfortunately this means that in the past I've put tens of thousands of miles on 'bad' tires that spin when the roads are wet and make a lot of road noise, then finally replace them with 'good' tires, usually only enjoyed for a year or two until I've decided to sell the car as my tastes or needs change. One of these days it will be a big enough deal for me that I'll put Michelins on the car as soon as I buy it instead of waiting until the other tires wear out.

In general, the larger the 'lug' on the tire the better traction you will get in mud/snow but the noisier it will be while driving down the highway (like the humming you hear when driving over a bridge). If you get a lot of rain where you live or have noticed a problem with your tires slipping when the roads are wet then you'll probably want to look into one of the newer tires designed with the rain grooves running the circumference of the tire to improve traction. Driving a Maxima you probably aren't taking it to the strip every weekend so you don't need to worry about speed rated tires. Depending on your wallet and where you live I'd suggest either an all-weather or mud/snow tire by one of the major manufacturers in the stock size for your car. Unless you have an unlimited budget (few in these forums do), I wouldn't bother with getting custom rims or changing tire profiles.

 

[kherman]

HERES THE SKINNY
Price is determined by:
performance and milage.

If you don't rac eyour car, and face it, n one really needs performace tires:
you're down to a price/milage relationship.

Brands don't matter. The only difference is how much of their advertising you are paying for (see BOSE, in regard to speakers)

HERE's the breakdown:
lower milage tires are softer and provide a smoother ride.
higher milage mean a stiffer ride.
Just take your cahs and go by any tire.

UPDATE:
Just noticed you want a smooth ride. Go by some 30K mile tires. Don't buy into stupid gimmicks. Go with your budget in mind

 

[kherman]

ALSO:

Do a search for "magazine complementary copy" at your favorite search engine (no quotes though).

Just so EVEYONE here realizes it, the better ranked items also go to the advertisers that put food in the magazines employees mouths.

It's funny, I actually met one of the executives of BBDO. Friend of fiance's parents. He used cat food as an example. he said more expensive food for your cat is more of an indication of what type of person is buying the food than any benefit the food provides. He pointed outhtat the FDA sets standards for cat food (or something like that) so all cat food, regardless of price, provides the same nutritional benefits. The only differences in cat foods is pallete and price. OK, that was unrelated, but keep it in mind. Moral of hte story: You're just paying for the advertising.

 

[AU Tiger]

I like Toyo tires for price and performance reasons. Cheaper than Michelin and they are quality tires.

 

[Moonbeam]

Since other people ride in my cars from time to time, I buy the best a shop has to offer. I probably waste money for peace of mind.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: kherman
Just so EVEYONE here realizes it, the better ranked items also go to the advertisers that put food in the magazines employees mouths.

Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization. They don't accept ads, and they buy all of their products through consumer channels to insure that companies don't give them review-tailored products.

Consumer Reports: Mission and Methodology

And to stay on topic, I checked their reviews of tires and wound up getting a set of Yokohama Avid Touring Radials to replace the original equipment. I can't speak for the road noise or ride smoothness relative to other tires, but I had to brake hard on fairly wet pavement a couple months back and did so with only minor skid, so that's good enough for me. They're 75K rated, though, so it's not a budget tire.

 

[BooneRebel]

Originally posted by: kherman
ALSO:

Do a search for "magazine complementary copy" at your favorite search engine (no quotes though).

Just so EVEYONE here realizes it, the better ranked items also go to the advertisers that put food in the magazines employees mouths.

It's funny, I actually met one of the executives of BBDO. Friend of fiance's parents. He used cat food as an example. he said more expensive food for your cat is more of an indication of what type of person is buying the food than any benefit the food provides. He pointed outhtat the FDA sets standards for cat food (or something like that) so all cat food, regardless of price, provides the same nutritional benefits. The only differences in cat foods is pallete and price. OK, that was unrelated, but keep it in mind. Moral of hte story: You're just paying for the advertising.

An interesting perspective, but Consumer Reports has no advertising. Yes, it is true that adverstising is added to the cost of a product but you cannot say that price is solely an indication of markup and not quality. I can buy a Kia for 20% the price of a Mercedes but after 10 years which is more likely to be on the road? And the quality of life kitty experiences is a shallow comparison to my own life. If I buy generic cat food and kitty doesn't like it life goes on. If I slide through an intersection or have a blowout (think Firestone) I think there is a little more on the line.

 

[PG]

Sam's Clubs near me have good deals on tires and road hazzard is only about $7 per tire. Run over a nail and they either patch it for free or give you a new tire. And with Sam's Clubs being all over the place it's even somewhat convienent if you need to get tires fixed when travelling.

You can also special order tires from Sam's Club. Visit the web site and look around.
They have some Nailguard tires from Uniroyal that are relatively cheap and last quite a while...75,000 miles I think....and you get peace of mind since they can usually handle running over nails and stuff like that.

 

[AdamK47]

I usually go for 275/40/ZR17. Even the cheapest of those is around $160 a piece.

 

[RossMAN]

Two words: CostCo & Michelin

 

[Hammer]

I had to replace my tires recently. I went with these, and I can feel a big difference over the factory tires.

Yokohama

AVS ES100
Reading the tire size

235/40ZR-17 90W BSW

$114.00 each
Free Shipping Now Included!

Ultra-high value and performance. W-speed rated.


Treadwear: 280 Traction: A
Temperature: A Speed Rating: ZR

? Comparable Tires
? Wheels That Fit



Add on a set of wheels, and we'll mount and balance them for free!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This uniquely designed tire delivers a truly Ultra-High Performance look and handling at an exceptional value. The long continuous shoulder block reduces tread squirm and enhances stiffness for better handling. The rim protector bar provides expensive wheels an added level of protection against curbside scuffing damage. The jointless nylon cap construction maintains the tires shape even at speeds.

 

[Aves]

$

 

[PsychoAndy]

Originally posted by: aves2k
$

Its a cavalier for crying out loud. Every time you fill up with premium the resale value doubles!

-PAB

 

[ElFenix]

bling bling hammer... what do you drive? 235/40 ZRs are pretty big


i like "wet traction" tires myself, having no ABS.

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: PsychoAndy

Originally posted by: aves2k
$

Its a cavalier for crying out loud. Every time you fill up with premium the resale value doubles!

-PAB

The manual reccomends that I only use 87 Octane.

 

[Moonbeam]

LOL at Psycho and his doubles in value

That's the ticket for me RossMAN, Costco and Michelin.

 

[Rallispec]

i usually go for the best i can afford

 

[Ornery]

I'm with BooneRebel and everything he said verbatum. Michelin no matter what. I don't have the patience to screw with two bit tires anymore. Buy Michelins right off the bat and save money and time in the long run. If they save you from a single accident, they've paid for themselves twice over!

 

[BooneRebel]

Originally posted by: AdamK47 - 3DS
I usually go for 275/40/ZR17. Even the cheapest of those is around $160 a piece.

Discount tire has one for $140. But buying ZR rated tires is a waste of money. When is the last time you drove over 186mph? There are few production cars that will travel that fast, and even if you build one up you're not going to drive it that way unless you're on a track. If so, spend a few less bucks for standard 'street' tires and go ahead and buy a spare set of rims & mount/balance your 'race' tires. That way you're not chipping away at $200 ZR rated tires just to drive back and forth to work.