matts6887

Just curious; What would you guys recommend for a good inexpensive tire(s) that might help get a bit better fuel mileage but yet still also have a decent mileage warranty on them. A week ago I had to immediately get 2 new tires that are on the rear because the old ones were totally bald and one of them was leaking and could not be repaired. Now the front ones are almost bald but not quite there. Discount tire recommended and what we had put on was a brand that unfortunately only has a 35-40,000 mileage warranty called prodigy which is entry level yokohama tire from what i understand. The thing that sucks is because we went with something so inexpensive its just gonna have to be done again in 2 years.

trhs75

I bit the bullet about nine years ago and put Michelins on my daughter's RX300. In 45,000 miles since, treadwear is minimal but the tires are cracking and I should replace them. I've wondered about Kumho. They are inexpensive, looks like $82.25 each plus shipping from Tire Rack. Walmart has one by Antares (never heard of them) for $67 each, no shipping cost, half the price of Michelins.

matts6887

Thanks trh; anyone else have suggesstions?

salimshah

Tire discussion is a never ending one like oil.

Bottom line is .. see how much money you can spend and then look for the best tires. Check professional reviews and personal reviews. TireRack has personal reviews. Just a quick note about posted opinions by general public ,,, they tend to compare the worn out ones to the new ones and when they trash talk the worn out ones, you can understand why.

Tires make a huge difference in ride and braking. The really good ones (traction) will wear out the fastest and consume more fuel.

A good compromise are the integrity [oem] (specially looking at the $$), but they suck as they wear down and they wear down fairly quickly. Their traction is also not phenomenal. Just cheapest compromise.


Salim

Drcoffee

The worst Yokohama is better than most other tires. The rubber holds traction all the way down unlkie other brands which get harder in a very short time..

While we are talikng about tires, what tire pressure do you set your tires at. The door label says 30 psi but the tire sidewall shows a max of 44 psi. I noticed that I had a front end shake at 70 mph with 38 psi in the tire but when I lowered it to 31 psi the shake went away. So what is everyone else using for tire pressure?

salimshah

Max psi on the side of the tires is what should not be exceeded as the integrity of the tire will be compromised beyond that point. For the daring ... when tires explode, the flying rubber and steel cables can be fatal .. I am not taking about the blow out when you are riding the vehicle.

Salim

hsmac

interesting so even the more expensive, "better" tires did not last not because of tread but because of dry rot. i've actually been doing a lot of research on tire dressings and conditioners after noticing my tires were cracking. it's probably a good idea to apply uv protectant as needed -- perhaps that would allow the more expensive tire to last.

how important would you guys say it is to change tires? all mine have dry rot and one has a rip on the side about 1/2" - 1" in size. i didn't know tires could burst and the subject has caught my attention from what i've read, but how serious or likely that is i'd like to know from people i can trust. i've also never had a mechanic tell me my tires needed to be replaced (including pep boys when they fixed a flat) over the past couple years and i'd figure they'd bring it to my attention if it were that serious.

fastnoypi

proper inflation that shouldn't exceed the car's recommended inflation by a few psi helps alot over the long run. Over the years helping people i've observed most people with rips and cracks mention that they use the max psi on the tire as a inflation reference

As far as tire rot and care, here's an article that maybe of interest http://car-storage.com/article/tire-dry-rot/

Drcoffee

Have you considered looking on Craigslist? I bought a set of $900 tires for my IS300 from a guy who just bought a new Subaru and took these off for all season tires. I paid $125 for all 4 tires. I bought them in November when nobody was looking for performance tires. Otherwise they would have been gone within hours.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Get the Prodigies on the front too. They are a decent tire and can't be beat at the price. I got a set of 4 for $300 and am happy as a clam!

Lexmus

Good article. I have some of the 303 aerospace protectant they recommended to protect the tires from the sun. All 16 of my tires (sidewalls) will be getting treated this weekend.

hsmac

good tip. the factory size tires for this car are harder to find though for some reason. is there anything in particular to check for when buying used tires? i wouldn't want to get screwed over somehow.

hsmac

i'm sure it helps as does other things but i think age and exposure to elements without protection is the leading cause for dry rot.

2KHarrier

Matt... What did you decide on?? FWIW, I installed a set of Kumho Solus KH25s. They were a decent tire that had good tread wear and was not noisy.

Drcoffee

Its hit or miss but a matching set of 4 is a must when you have AWD. Low miles. Keep in mind that you will be charged $25 per tire to install. So unless there is a good amount of tread, its not worth it. I routinely scan craigslist for a list of things and sometimes its fruitless. But so many tires after 10,000 miles become hard and slick. Whenever I look for tires, I will research reviews on that tire for consumer reviews. Trust me, there is no greater mistake than buying a noisy tire. You will quickly hate your vehicle.


I have never regretted buying a Yokohama tire. They always price around $100 per and last and perform until the tread bars are worn. I find myself using www.Tirerack.com and having NTB install them. They have an arranged price for installation and Tirerack will ship directly to the NTB you choose. Sometimes Discount tire will price match.


Keep an eye out for a great sale from Discount tire. Its usually once a year and they knock $100 off a set of 4 tires. I just put a set of Yokohama tires on my mothers town car for $400 installed. They also sell on ebay and offer the same deal of $100 off.