Need some suggestions for replacement tires...

[Insane3D]

Hey all, I was hoping my fellow AT'ers could help me decide on what replacemnet tires to get for my mother. Knowing I'm a car nut and all, she asked me for some suggestions, but since I mainly buy "Z" Rated performance tires for my Mustang, I have no idea what tires are good for normal passenger cars.

She lives in New England (Cape Cod) and drives a 1999 Toyota Camry. I'm not sure of the exact tire size, but I will find out. I'm assuming they are 15 inchers. She needs a good all-season tire that will handle our NE winters and still be a good "all around tire". I appreciate any suggestions...


Thanks in advance!

 

[Kadarin]

For a car like that, it's hard to go wrong with a current version of the Michelin MXV4. Excellent all-around all-season tire, super quiet, good handling, nice ride.. Only disadvantage is that they're a bit pricey. Another good choice would be an H or V-rated Bridgestone Turanza, which is roughly equivalent to the Michelin.

 

[Insane3D]

Thanks for the suggestion.... I've heard of the Michelins, but they do seem a bit pricey. Anyone else?

 

[Freejack2]

Firestone Firehawk SH30
Great all around tires. Good on dry pavement, rain, or snow.

Edit: Another good one is the Bridgestone Potenza RE950.

 

[LittleWolf]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
Thanks for the suggestion.... I've heard of the Michelins, but they do seem a bit pricey. Anyone else?

Yup, they stock Michelins are quite pricey for what they offer. I would suggest the Dunlop A2. Good bang for buck. I am planning to buy the A2s myself.


-j

 

[Ornery]

I second the Michelins suggestion. Pricey? In this case, you get what you pay for. Besides, they actually are about the same price as other manufacturers better tires. Never had a problem with Michelins and their traction is tops. Buy a cheaper tire, two years down the road it has a belt shift or ply separation. You take it in for an adjustment and charge you $50.00 because of proration. What have you saved? And that's only if they can match the tire, since they drop models all the time.

Edit: See what you can find out at The Tire Rack. That link is to some popular tires for your mom's car.

 

[LittleWolf]

Originally posted by: Ornery
I second the Michelins suggestion. Pricey? In this case, you get what you pay for. Besides, they actually are about the same price as other manufacturers better tires. Never had a problem with Michelins and their traction is tops. Buy a cheaper tire, two years down the road it has a belt shift or ply separation. You take it in for an adjustment and charge you $50.00 because of proration. What have you saved? And that's only if they can match the tire, since they drop models all the time.

I don't necessarily agree. My OEM tires (I am talking typical 195/65/15 OEM tires on the likes of Camry, Accord, Passat) are Michellen and they suck big time. They are decent for economy, but track is barely average. Thread life is also not that great. The Dunlop A2 has almost everything better in all specs and also cheaper. Look it up on tirerack...


-j

 

[Ornery]

I did see that on Tire Rack, which is why I linked to the others. The last passenger car tires I bought from Michelin were EVERYTHING you could want in a tire, but that was ten years ago. The LTX M/S we purchased for our van ARE AWESOME! If they don't make a comparable passenger car tire to that, it's a damn shame!

 

[d33pt]

for the most part, unless it's a high performance car, OEM tires come from the lowest bidder, so it's not surprising that the michelins that came on your car were crappy. that doesn't mean that more expensive michellins won't be good...

 

[LittleWolf]

Originally posted by: d33pt
for the most part, unless it's a high performance car, OEM tires come from the lowest bidder, so it's not surprising that the michelins that came on your car were crappy. that doesn't mean that more expensive michellins won't be good...

Oh no. don't get me wrong. I am not bad-mouthing Michelin. They make some pretty good tires. What I am saying is that, the stock Michellins which usually come with these passenger cars aka Camry, Honda etc are kinda weak and the cost (e.g. 80+ $ ) doesn't justify their price. There are better tires for lesser money in the same typical OEM type range.


-j

 

[LittleWolf]

As a typical example, compare the Dunlop A2 vs. Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus.
See their specs and price...

BTW, mine are the same Michelin as above. :disgust: I know the Michelins are sold as touring, but heck the A2 beats it all categories...:Q


-j