Evel

To: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Based GS AWD Owners,

I'm reaching out to GS AWD owners in this area who are familiar with our weather.
The OEM Dunlop run flat tires that came with the '06 GS430 18"wheels I got as part of my deal when I purchased the GS300 AWD are near the end of their life & due to inside tread wear, won't pass safety inspection due in Feb. So I'm shopping around for a good set of all-season non run-flat tires. Again, I do not want anymore run flat tires. Tire size is: 245/40-18 93v.

Looking for a good treadlife warranty, decent handling (I know I loose a bit of handling vs runflats), & wet/dry/snow traction, & of course, a quieter ride. I won't miss the noise from the run flats.

Suggestions welcome & if you reside in the northern VA area (Fairfax & Loudoun County) the tire dealer I should check out.

Happy Holidays!!!

HomieG

Check out the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum KU27's....though personally I think your out of luck expecting good snow traction on te same tire that would be used for other seasons/road conditions...there's a compromise in there! If you want/need good snow traction, think about a separate set of snow tires. Otherwise, these Kumho's are darn good tires (and yes, they are "all-season"). 60K Mile treadwear warranty. Should be about $800 for a set of four 245-40/18's out the door.

stvincent

iTrader: (5)

if $$ is not an issue, Michelin pilot sport A/S plus or Bridgestone potenza RE960AS pole position probably are the best all season tires you can buy.. i usually get all my tires from tirerack and install them locally..

twylie

iTrader: (3)

My wife is on her 3rd set of Pilot A/S and I have them on my new to me GS430. I am very impressed with them in wet and dry (I live in GA) and was actually driving in the storm last Fri/Sat on my way to central VA. Obviously, they are not a true winter tire, but did remarkably well for a 3 season tire as long as you use common sense in the snow.

Modeler

Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position! I've tried couple other tires (Pirelli P Zero and Continental ContiExtremeContact) before and they sucked. The Pole Position has been great, and they are wearing off very slowly compared to ANY Ultra High Performance tire I have tried over the last decade.

Evel

Thanks for the feedback received & recommendations received, thus far. The Bridgestone & Michelin tires seem to be a favorite. Thus far I have quotes from Tire Rack & various local tire shops (who partner w/Tire Rack) for the following tires:

TIRE RACK QUOTES:
Bridgestones "Pole Positions" @ $191/ea or $896.72 (shipping & hazard ins): 5yrs & 40K mile mfr warranty.
Michelin "Pilot A/S Plus" @ $226/ea or $1,055 (shipping & hazard ins): 6 yrs & 45K mile mfr warranty.
Continental "Xtreme DWS" @ $135/ea or $581 (shipping, hazard ins not offered): 6yrs
& 50K mile mfr warranty.

MERCHANT TIRE QUOTES: (They Partner w/Tire Rack)
Goodyear "Eagle F1 A/S" @ $199/ea. No treadlife warrranty: $882 + taxes approx total
Goodyear Eagle GS A/S @ $171/ea. No treadlife warranty: $769 + taxes approx total
Falken "ZE 329" @ $176/ea. 30K mile warranty: $789 + taxes approx total
Michelin "Pilot Sport AS Plus" @ $274. 45K mile warranty: $1,182 + taxes approx total

VA TIRE AUTO QUOTES: (They Partner w/Tire Rack)
Toyo "Versado LX" @ $240/ea + (install, taxes, hazard ins): 40K mile warranty & 30-days/500 mile test drive trial period. $1,211 Total
Goodyear "Eagle F1 A/S" @ $243/ea + (install, taxes, hazard ins): no treadline warranty. $1,222 Total

NTB QUOTES: (They Partner w/Tire Rack)
Goodyear "Eagle GT @ $171/ea + (install, taxes, hazard ins): 65K mile warranty - $912.09 Total
General "Exclaim UHP" @ $157/ea + (install, taxes, hazard ins): 60k mile warranty - $853.29 Total
Falken "FK-452 Reinforced" @ $140/ea + (install, taxes, hazard ins): 50K mile warranty - $783 Total

BinaryJay

I've heard good things about Kumho Ecsta LX (KU27) for the price.

raptl1985

I live in Philly, and last weekend we got 23 inches of snow and my tires did great. The rain traction is not the greatest but I had no problems in the snow. I have Goodyear RS-A's, but I currently have 245-45-18.

anaq110

I have General Exclaim UPH All seasons and in my opinion are amazing tires for the price. I tested them in light snow and ice conditions couple weeks back and they handled very well. I want to really see how they handle in 3-4 inches before I go out and buy a set of snow tires for them.

Modeler

Two words: Sam's Club. Pilot Sport A/S plus for $256 per tire and $15 install per tire. $70 off 4 Michelin tires promotion until Jan 6. Costco has similar pricing buy no $70 discount right now.

The beauty of buying from Sam's or Costco is the lifetime free rotation and balancing plus free real road hazard warranty.

I bought from Tire Rack and other discount tire dealers on the net before, but then regretted it later because I had to pay for tire rotations and balancing. The way I look at it is I would save on tire wear by doing regular rotations, hence saving more money in the longer term.

Evel

I am a Costco member & dropped by for a quote last week. I only received a quote for Michelin "MXM4" for $295 each. Perhaps this was all they had in stock & the guy did not understand I did not need immediately.

I see your point about Tire Rack & other online retailers. The per tire price is less, but after you factor in $40+ in shipping cost, & $90-$120 in Tire Rack Road Hazard Ins cost, do you really save any money; especially if you have to go thru a reimbursement process when you need a tire repaired/replaced. You'd do better to get a local retail to simply match the online tire rack price & at least save the shipping cost.

Am I missing something?

Modeler

No, that's exactly right. I bought three previous sets of tires through online retailers like TireRack and Roadway Tire. You end up paying additional money for shipping, installation, and Road Hazard Warranty to start with.

Then, over the life of the tire you will continue paying for tire rotation and balancing. And because you have to pay, you will probably do it less frequently than you should, reducing the life of the tires.

I now firmly believe that the best way to buy tires is through Costco or Sam's Club due to the above-mentioned benefits. I would not recommend buying tires from traditional tire stores however, since you would pay more at every turn.

Modeler

That's probably the reason. The Pilots are special order at both Costco and Sam's. You can check out the prices at their respective Web sites.

Evel

Modeler,

Thanks for the quick reply. I will definitely check out Costco again this week to see what the cost for either sets (Bridgestones or Michelins) via special order will cost.

I just spoke w/a hook-up I was referred to at a local tire dealer who push Goodyear, but sell other brands; & his best offer at this time, including install, tire protection w/lifetime balancing, rotation; and alignment for Toyo "Proxes All Season" for $1110 total & Eagel F1 All Seasons $1114 respectively. I'm not a big fan of any Goodyear Eagle tires & know very little about Toyo tires.

Man, buying tires should not be so difficult.

Modeler

As far as I'm concerned tires is the worst product as far as availability of high-quality information. Yes, Consumer Reports reviews tires, and so do occasionally some of the car magazines. And, yes, there is the TireRack user report. But I find these sources of information to be deeply unsatisfactory when it comes to comparison to my personal perception. I have purchased highly rated tires (based on the above sources of information), and have been deeply disappointed before.

I do recommend you stay away from both the Good year and Toyo tires in this size. They are towards the bottom of the TireRack ratings for UltraHighPerformance tires.