Tirerack has fundamental problems with their review process

[beer]

So I'm looking at tires for my Mazda3 and quite frankly, tirerack seems to be questionable at best. I think there is a fundamental flaw with a reviewing system when all the reviewed products perform the same functionally and the delta is only evident when you compare different products.

A $200 pirelli tire is rated nearly the same as a $90 Khumo which is rated the same as a $60 Sumisutrero tire. how is this possible?

I like reading the 'lowest rated' reviews to see what people complain about, and nearly always it's a soft sidewall. Great.

I wish they took a hint from amazon and pulled something along the lines of "statistically improbable phrases" to allow you to at-a-glance determine what the most common complaints about certain tires are, rather than reading through hundreds of reviews. For example, the Pirellis have low rating for excessive treadwear but the Kuhmos and general tire had been critisiced for soft sidewalls. OK. So why don't they offer some kind of comparison?

But then again, 205/50/R17 is an akward size.

 

[FlashG]

You need to ask around a dedicated Mazda forum. I had the same problem when I had to re-shod my TL. I eventually chose Michelin Pilots and am very happy.

 

[spidey07]

Their comparison is decent. It gives you a ball park.

The reason pirellis wear more is they are generally a soft tire. Great grip, but don't last as long.

I've settled on the Falken ZE115 after going through a set of tires every year, on my second set. It's just a great all around tire. I really didn't like the two sets of kumhos I had, too noisy and not as much traction.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Tirerack is great for prices...but you find what to buy on a dedicated forum.

 

[randomlinh]

mazda3forums.com

I will tell you I loved my KDW2's when I had them on my mz3 (loud as hell though). It's just too pricey for me w/ a 60 mile round trip commute+autocross I have reverted to trying out the Kuhmo SPT's. They seem alright considering the price so far. We'll see after tomorrow's autocross.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: beer
So I'm looking at tires for my Mazda3 and quite frankly, tirerack seems to be questionable at best. I think there is a fundamental flaw with a reviewing system when all the reviewed products perform the same functionally and the delta is only evident when you compare different products.

A $200 pirelli tire is rated nearly the same as a $90 Khumo which is rated the same as a $60 Sumisutrero tire. how is this possible?

I like reading the 'lowest rated' reviews to see what people complain about, and nearly always it's a soft sidewall. Great.

I wish they took a hint from amazon and pulled something along the lines of "statistically improbable phrases" to allow you to at-a-glance determine what the most common complaints about certain tires are, rather than reading through hundreds of reviews. For example, the Pirellis have low rating for excessive treadwear but the Kuhmos and general tire had been critisiced for soft sidewalls. OK. So why don't they offer some kind of comparison?

But then again, 205/50/R17 is an akward size.

If you are talking the stars on the main page that is just wear criteria and is based on the class of tire...a 5 star rated Ultra High Perf will wear faster than a 5 star rated touring usually.

THe customer reviews and their road tests are pretty accurate.

There are some great bang for bucks out there though so you can't always compare price.

 

[thomsbrain]

how do you tire rack folks get the tires on your wheels? do you do it yourself, or do you take it to a tire store and have them charge you a mounting fee?

 

[Captante]

Tire reviews on Tirerack are a lot like pc/electronics reviews on Newegg ... useful for seeing if theres a serious problem, but not much help when it comes to specific facts.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
how do you tire rack folks get the tires on your wheels? do you do it yourself, or do you take it to a tire store and have them charge you a mounting fee?

Just take them to a place and have them put them on. Normally around 8-12 bucks per tire.

 

[mitaiwan82]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
how do you tire rack folks get the tires on your wheels? do you do it yourself, or do you take it to a tire store and have them charge you a mounting fee?

they can provide a list of local installers and you can get your tires drop-shipped there

 

[V00DOO]

I just ordered a set of front tires online. Forget about DIY, you don't have the equipment. My local tire company charges $20 per tire which include new stem valve, balancing and tire disposal. It's still cheaper then buying locally.

Edit: Check discounttiredirect, they offer free shipping. Maybe cheaper if they have the tires you're looking for.

 

[Platypus]

beer is fundamental problems with the English language

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Platypus
beer is fundamental problems with the English language

So that explains this thread's 1 star rating.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: Platypus
beer is fundamental problems with the English language

So that explains this thread's 0 star rating.

Fixed

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
how do you tire rack folks get the tires on your wheels? do you do it yourself, or do you take it to a tire store and have them charge you a mounting fee?

You mail them your wheels and in 4-6 weeks they send them back with tires installed.

Seriously, mitaiwan82 and spidey07 were right. Or you could find a tire store that will pricematch to Tirerack.com - but they almost definitely will include shipping in the total cost for the pricematch. Shipping tires is kind of expensive. I looked at Tirerack.com when I was buying my last set of tires, but concluded that with shipping and installation I could get the tires for about the same price locally. And if Costco had carried them at the time, it would have been a lot cheaper to get them there with their $60 off coupon.

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: Platypus
beer is fundamental problems with the English language

So that explains this thread's 2 star rating.

Fixed

Again. I gave him 5 for fixing it.

 

[Caesar]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
how do you tire rack folks get the tires on your wheels? do you do it yourself, or do you take it to a tire store and have them charge you a mounting fee?

You mail them your wheels and in 4-6 weeks they send them back with tires installed.

They changed it. Now you have to mail your car and they send it back with new tires.

 

[Shortcut]

Originally posted by: Captante
Tire reviews on Tirerack are a lot like pc/electronics reviews on Newegg ... useful for seeing if theres a serious problem, but not much help when it comes to specific facts.

yeah, that's how i use tirerack's reviews, as well. the ratings are fine and dandy, but what i want to find out is if there' are recurring issues observed by the consumers.

 

[0roo0roo]

consumer reports for tire reviews ftw! use the paysite or go the library. only place with consistent testing.

 

[BillGates]

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3