Tires for 1999 Toyota Camry V6?

strgrl

Hi - I just bought my first car, a 1999 Toyota Camry V6. It needs new tires at 36k miles, and I'm totally confused about what type to buy. I was quoted a couple of prices but I feel as though I'm being directed to high-end prices ($600+ for 4 new tires and installation) because I'm a woman. What is does brand of reasonably priced tires (not cheap, but good reliable tires)go for. What type do you suggest?

I've done research and I see that Dunlops and Michelin are good. I'd like to spend about $300-400.

Right now my tires are Goodyear P205/65 R15. I love the way these ride, would it be easier just to replace them with the exact same type of tires?

ed_swansfeger

The Michelin X-Ones have the best ride and warranty in the business. The warranty is for 80,000 miles and the tires were recently rated by Consumer Reports as the best premium all season radial you can buy.

You can check prices out at:

http://www.tirerack.com

gasguzz

Verify the right size tires for your car (as specified in the glovebox/o-manual/doorjamb).
Yes, Tirerack is a good source for basic info on specs and consumer feedback. If you have (significant) snowfall, some add a second set of snow tires.
Don't forget about tradeoffs. What you may gain in Treadwear you may lose in Traction, as what you may gain in Traction you may lose in Treadwear. Tires are car-shoes, and are not perfect in ALL situations. If you have 4-seasons, all-season tires are the middle ground if you're using a one-set setup.
Good luck.

bretfraz

Not in any particular order:

Michelin X-One
Pirelli P400 Touring
Goodyear Regatta 2
BFGoodrich Control T/A M80 or M65
Toyo 800 Ultra
Yokohama Avid Touring
Cooper Lifeliner SLE

It is important to be specific about tires brand and model as there can be big differences in design and performance.

I'm curious as to exactly what tire costs $150 each and what that dealer was including in that price.

There are not too many independent tire reviews available. Tire Rack solicits ratings and comments from website visitors but you've got to take that with a grain of salt - it's mostly anecdotal commentary.

The Nov 2001 issue of Consumer Reports has a big tire review in it. I think the issue is still on newsstands.

Feel free to ask questions.

sebring95

I've owned three V6 Camrys (same size tires you have) since 1992 and I don't remember ever paying more than $400 for a set of tires installed. 40K miles was pretty normal if you stay with the same type of tires (h-rated all-seasons) although some advertise more I never made it that far. I had several sets of Brigestone Potenza RE92's that did everything pretty well. They didn't handle as well as some other more aggresive tires I tried, but they wore well, rode nice, were quiet, and handled the snow/wet very well. You should be able to get a set for $350-$375 installed. Those were original equipment on two of my Camrys and seemed to be a nice combination especially for the money.

I burned a set of Dunlop D60A2's within 20K miles and they were terrible in the snow. Heard good things about them too, but 4 tires wearing out (evenly) that quick kinda makes me wonder. Michelins are good tires too, but I never bought them for my Camrys because there are too many options that are better bang for the buck IMHO.

armtdm

Bridgestones have been terrible, two sets and both stunk, especially mileage. Also, you can step down a grade in speed rating and get a higher tread wear indicator if you wish. Ie: from AA to AB will get you indicators well over 400 for mileage. If you have speed rated tires the best you may be able to do is in the 300-400 rating range.

My best luck so far for mileage and handling have been Michelin and now a set of Goodyear Eagle GT??? I believe. Great handling and getting great mileage so far. Should be well over 50,000 miles

I highly recommned Tire rack, saves a bundle even with shipping and mounting/balancing. Plus, the variety and database is exceptional.

sebring95

I'm not sure what you mean by stepping down from AA to AB speed ratings. Speed ratings are H, S, T, Z, etc. AA, AB, etc. are temperature and traction ratings. As far as treadwear ratings, those are independant of manufacturers, so a 400 rating from one, could be the same as a 300 from another.

The Camry V6's are supposed to have an H-rated tire and those typically don't wear as well as a normal S-rated tire (like the 4 banger Camrys have). I once put Z-rated Pirellis on my 94 V6 coupe and they were terrific for handling, but burned the tread in about 20K miles which is what I expected. I've had S-rated tires on V6 Camrys also, and they last forever but handling is bad and the steering feels vague.

My wife had the good luck with the Bridgestones. They seem to do pretty good driving conservative (her). They seem to burn if you drive aggresive. Strgrl didn't sound like an aggresive driver (mentioning she liked the ride, but nothing about the handling) which is why I recommended them.

armtdm

I meant that you can step down a grade on the speed rating if you wish and get a higher mileage tire and probably never notice any handling difference. Also, if you step down a rating the Temp/traction usually changes from AA to AB. Sorry about the confusion in my previous post. Although the tread wear numbers are manufacturer specific I found that they are indicators of sort. Remember Bridgestones are Firestones.

Plus, all season tires do not handle as well as touring and of course different from performance tires I have also had great luck with Yokohamas.

Bad luck with Dunlops and Bridgestones. The Goodyear LS on my Buick truly suck but again the Goodyear Eagles GS on my Camry are great.

bretfraz

Oy vey.

Bridgestone owns Firestone, along with Dayton. But that does not mean they are all the same with different names.

While there is some technology crossover between brands, like Bridgestone's UNI-T, that does not mean everything else is the same. Each brand does most of its own design, development, and mfr'ing.

The primary reason Bridgestone bought Firestone was to have access to Firestone's extensive U.S. distribution.

ryanbab

$600 for a set of car tires seems expensive to me

My truck tires (LT285/75/R16 bfg's) were like $850 and they are alot larger than car tires.

Id shop around if i was you

sebring95

That's what came on my wifes newest car (galant V6) and I totally agree about them sucking. So far the only complaints about the car are tire related (ding, ding noise over expansion joints, and they squeal too easily). She doesn't drive much anymore so in 5K miles hasn't complained enough for me to replace them. She does say they handle the wet very well so we'll see what happens when the snow flies. If they suck we'll replace them. Not sure with what, but I'll figure that out later. Trying to figure out what to replace the Goodyears that came on my Cherokee as they suck worse the Galants. I wish you could buy a car without tires and just get what you want from the get-go. It would be OK if you yanked them when new and sold them, but most tires feel pretty good when brand new. It's after the new wears off that they start annoying the heck out of me.

ksargent

I have X-1's on my Camry and love them. If you decide to gothis way, keep in mind that the X-Plus (sold by Sam's) and the T-Plus (sold by Sears and some Toyota dealers) are the same tire (I verified this via Michelin customer service). I got the best price at Sam's, but ended up buying mine from my toyota dealer (for about $40 more). I had just purchased the car as a certifeid used car from them and they gave me $80 credit for the Generals that were on the car. So - my out-of-pocket expenses were less as a result - less than $350 for the whole thing installed, including tax. The Dealer also gives lifetime free rotations; it would have been worth the extra $40 just to have the convenience of having the tires rotated when I get the oil changed. Note: in order to get this price from my dealer, I spoke to the service manager and told him what the Sam's quote was. You will likely have to do the same.

The X-Ones are superior tires and I believe you will be very happy with them.

bburton1

Compared Sam's version to the real McCoy at a franchise chain-the tread design is different. Sam's version maybe better but given this chain's track record on deceptive packaging, I do not trust them. Also the chain tire store came within $5/tire of matching Sam's price. I have also had trouble with the tech's at Sam's balancing tires-they barely let the balance unit spin up before hitting the stop button. Had to have one set rebalanced. The poor tech's at Sam's had too many tires to balance and took short cuts. I still am a Sam's member but buy my tires elsewhere. Sam's is a great place to save money on lots of things but IMHO not tires.

I am a traveling sales person and drive in all sorts of nasty weather in the Chicago area and swear by my X-One's. Wet and snow performance are incredible. Have a little over 50K on this set and will probably get another 20K.

mikegold_1966

Without a doubt, the best all season radial tires you can buy for "ANY" car. I own a set on my Accord and they are absolutely fantastic. Best warranty and tread wear rating in the industry.

http://www.michelin.com

jeslin79

whats a the better brand for 16 * 7 inch wheels???
my old 15 inch wheels had Goodyear sport5000's
i want to change my wheels and switch to BFgoodrich wheels 'cause people say they give a better ride and are a better brand. What do u people think??? What is better???

heng

I won't bore strgrl with the techno babble.

You will get a consistent high quality product. Tires that roll with out vibration,long tread life, good handling, etc.

You don't have to run all over town finding the tire dealer that carries brand XYZ. X-ones are available at BJs and SAMs, Costco, etc. for competitive pricing which should be ~$100 per tire.

sky33

I am also looking for a set of tires to replace the ones on my V6 camry. I've looked at consumer reports mag and they recommended a number of tires. The problem is most of the tires they recommended are S or T speed rated. I don't really want to go with an S or T rated tire so does anyone know of any H rated tires that are pretty good in the snow? I may consider the BF Goodrich Control TA, the Yokohama Aegis LS or Avid or possibly the Goodyear Regatta. The Regatta may be the better choice because it comes in a T speed rating which is closer to the H rating.

bretfraz

H rated tires are tilted towards wet & dry performance and not so much towards winter traction. Most all H rated tires (and higher ratings) come in low profile sizes that are not well suited for snow driving.

Your Camry has, what, 205/65-15 size tires? The Regatta would be a good choice for what you want as long as you're willing to give up the superior performance of a speed rated tire. Yoko never seems to be highly regarded for their snow traction; neither does Bridgestone for that matter. I have heard good things about the BFG Control T/A M65 and M80 so look at those closely.

Consider this tire: The new Cooper Lifeliner Touring SLE. They come in T, H and V speed rating and Cooper tends to design a very good 4 season tire. This might be your best all-around choice as they offer your size in all three speed ratings.

sky33

Thanks for the feedback. I have been talking to a couple of tire stores who have recommended a couple of brands. 1. The Yokohama YK420 as an all season choice and they also said that it does not matter if I went with an S or T rated snow tire because it would simply provide better traction in the snow. They recommended a snow tire from Medalist (supposedly the same as B. F. Goodrich). At this point I am still looking into other possible brands but I may have to go with two different sets of tires.