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Tires, tires, tires

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Comments

  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    Being in the "Deep South", I'd imagine the Sumitomos would be your best bet. If, in the off chance, you ever get rain, just stay home until noon or so.

    The price can't be beat, and unless things changed drastically, the tires are great too.
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    Just returned from a 450 mile drive, much of it in a driving rain on 2-lane state highways, and the Sumitomo Srixon 4's performed great. No hydroplaning, and good lateral and stopping traction. The first 2 days I had them they tended to break away on hard acceleration in the wet, but that stopped after they broke in a bit.
  • tronsr1tronsr1 Member Posts: 149
    I have a 2001 Ford Escape 4x2 {front wheel drive} and now have the Firestone HT 16" above size but was informed by my Ford dealer that I am about ready for new tires. (30,000 miles on same. I checked the Michelin site and Consumer's report. The dealer wanted $645.00 for the Michelins and I am looking for something for less money. Consumers magazine recommends a Dunlop Sport A2 and a Continental Conti. I am looking for something for on-road use, all weather type{N/E, light snow sometimes area}.I drive back and forth to Florida about four times a year.
    Would appreciate any comments from our website experts.
    Thanks,
    TRONSR
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Am within 10K of replacing X-One's. Been very happy with wet/snow performance of X-One's-have them on a 97 LX Accord and quieter would be nice.

    My local tire dealer suggested Bridgestone Turanza LS-T's. He said they perform better than X-One's in snow/rain and the results from Tire Rack support that statement. But the Tire Rack results suggest they are noisey. Anybody have these tires and an opinion. They are fairly new with only 71K miles reported versus almost 10 million for the X-One's. Oh the Bridgestones are a lot cheaper also 60 vs 87/tire.

    Can get mounted X-One's delivered to me for about same price as tires alone from local chain store-getting rid of used tires would be a pita though.
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    I was looking to replace the RE92's on my Mazda with Kumho Supra 712 tires. Size 195/55/15.

    Does anyone have an opinion on these tires? Can someone suggest a good replacement for my RE92's?

    TIA,
    Mark.
  • dardson1dardson1 Member Posts: 696
    I have an 02 Tahoe 2WD with Firestones. I have noticed that after driving through even a small amount of water when approaching an intersection the rear tire will lose grip briefly when the light turns green and I hit the gas. At first I thought it was the transmission, but eventually realized the tire was losing traction.
    I've been driving a long time and it reminds me of the one pickup I've owned......with all the weight up front and a tightly sprung rear end....but the Tahoe weight distribution isn't anything like as extreme as a pickup.
    I'd happily spend 4-5 hundred on new tires if I thought it would make a noticable difference. I see nothing but negative comments on Firestone. Any opinions?
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I had some Goodyear's do that on my '78 Magnum.

    It always spun in the rain.

    Once I got other tires, it stopped ("hooked up better"). And that car was pretty heavy in the back as well as the front. It had some pretty saggy rear springs. 215/75R15 I think.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    I've got some recent experience with this specific application. A good friend of mine has a '01 Tahoe LT 4x4 that is primarily his wife's vehicle. It came OE with 17" wheels and Firestone Wilderness LE tires.

    He had two sidewall punctures of the Firestones when driving his Tahoe along the property next to his house. While he lives in the country and the terrain is a little rocky, it ain't the Rubicon Trail. Any 2WD truck could manage this easily.

    But after the two punctures and subsequent replacement for new Firestones, he got fed up with their modest puncture resistance and bought a set of Michelin Cross Terrain's from Tire Rack. They weren't cheap and TR charged him $16 each for shipping. But after he had them mounted he was raving. The performance of the Tahoe was better in all respects; quieter, smoother, better braking and handling, better traction on dirt. I rode in the Tahoe a few days ago and can attest to the smoothness and the off road traction. I was very impressed.

    Cross Terrain's are darned expensive but they seem to be worth every penny. I can't think of a better tire for most SUV uses than that. Look at the Goodyear Fortera and the Bridgestone Dueler HL for comparisons purposes.
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    Does anyone have any experience with Bridgestone Turanza LS-H, V or Z Grand Touring All-Season tires? I'm thinking of replacing the 205/60-16 MXV4's on my 2000 ES300 with the Bridgestone Turanzas in a 225/55-16 size. I'm looking for a smooth, quiet ride, but I'm also hoping that going to the 225s over the 205s will improve the performance characterisitics a bit. I've read that these are really quiet, comfy, long-lasting tires.

    I recently put 225/50-16 Donlap Sport 8000's on my wife's car. They are pretty good tires, and I considered them for my car, but they are more performance than I need. They wear a bit fast and are a bit "twitchy" as the deep vertical treads tend to get stuck on road imperfections.
  • ronmajorronmajor Member Posts: 4
    I'm in the process of buying a 1999 Lexus RX 300 for my wife and it will need new tires. The car takes 225/70R16 and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I've been quoted prices for the Michelin LTX CT, Bridgestone H/L and Goodrich LT. Of course, the Michelin is more expensive and I'm wondering if they're worth it. Thanks a lot for your help.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Nissan owners and potential owners are starting to express concern about 18" (even 20") tires becoming standard equipment. With the general quality of OEM tires (especially the OEM Generals that came on my Quest), people are going to be looking at replacing $200 tires in the first two or three years of ownership.

    Taller (& skinnier) tires are supposedly better for snow - any performance reason to go with 20" inch tires on, say the 2004 Quest, other than looks?

    Steve, Host
  • phillyglsphillygls Member Posts: 20
    Semperit Tires Co is owned by Continental tires. They're an Austrian Company that specialize in winter tires-- they also have performance tires. Have they had a presence in the US market before?
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    Semperit tires have been available on and off in the US for over 30 years. I had a set of them on an MG1100 back in the early 70's.. Very good tires back then but who kinows what they are today.. Another great unknown tire was the Kleber brand (pronounced clay-bear), a subsidiary of Michelin. I had a set of them on a Fiat Spyder back in the mid-80's and they were awesome. Wore really well, gripped great, and NO squeal on corners at twice the posted speed.. Again, haven't seen them advertised for years now.
  • phillyglsphillygls Member Posts: 20
    These tires are awesome (so far)! STS tires had a sale on these tires and I picked up 4 for my 01 Hyundai Elantra & they are performing great. I have grip that I didn't have with OEM Michelin MXV4 tires. I will see how these tires hold up under my agressive driving.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    I put these on the wife's Altima last november and they are much better than the standard Generals that were oem. With about 13k on them, they show no wear and are pretty quiet. I also rotate them with every oil change at between 3.5k and 4.5k miles. Tires Plus here in Florida gives a free rotation with every oil change, which makes it easy for the customer to remember.
    The 4000H's are also unidirectional so can only be swapped front to back. Very pleased so far!

    The Sandman :-)
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    There are quite a few good choices in that size. That price on Michelins seems rather high - the Cross Terrain (an excellent choice for you) should run about $125 per tire. Mount & balance should be about $50. So shop aggressively for better pricing.


    The Dunlop SP Sport A2 is a car tire not a SUV tire. I'm not a big supporter of car tires on light trucks as they tend to upset the handling a bit and some can wear too quickly. But it is a good tire if you go that route.


    Tire Rack has a screaming deal on Continental Contitrac SUV's in that size. Have a look at http://www.tirerack.com


    Also good choices would be Goodyear Fortera HL, BF Goodrich Radial Long Trail T/A, Yokohama Geolander H/T or Bridgstone Dueler H/T. All these should run you under $100 per tire.


    Good luck. Let us know what you decide.

  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Just looks like a "too new" tire to get much commentary. But it does look promising. And the pricing seems competitive. It's certainly a tire on my short list.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Yeah, those Cross Terrain's are pricey. At least we know what the top-of-the-line product costs.

    Have a look at the Michelin Symmetry if you want a smooth quiet tire. I saw that Tire Rack has them on closeout for under $100 each.

    The Bridgestone Dueler H/L is a very good choice; better for a RX300 than the Mich LTX M/S which might be a little too "trucky" for a Lexus. The Bridgestone Dueler H/T 687 might be a good consideration too as it would be a smoother tire than a real LT one.

    Those luxo SUV are kinda hard to advise because their owners want them to ride and drive like luxury cars but they need some of the characterisitcs of LT tires too. Not too many "luxo LT" tires out there.

    Let us know what you decide to do.
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Just ordered a set of Michelin LTX M/S for my GMC Jimmy. Yes I wanted 'trucky' tires because that's what I bought my truck for and how I use it. B'fraz you are right in that you have to select tires for 'your' intended purpose of the vehicle.

    I didn't go with the Cross Terrains, they have a 25% price premium over the LTX M/S and like I said, I use this vehicle as a truck. By the way, the cost at Sam's Club came out pretty close to online prices if you consider shipping plus mounting and balancing.

    Goodyears I've shied away from over the years because of quality problems showing up as belt failures. I hope they got the Forteras right.

    The BFG long trails only strong characteristic is braking which CR seems to love above all else. The majority of people buying replacements for their BFG long trails lambast them for numerous reasons but CR loves them.

    The Yoko Geo HTs aren't made in my size. I would have tried them since they are much cheaper than the Michelins. (but I still believe you get what you pay for)

    Continentals? You should see tireracks collection of comments. Lots of complaints, mostly related to belt failures.
  • lesliejoylesliejoy Member Posts: 62
    Sddlw,

    I just put the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z's on my 1998 XJ8L Jaguar. The size was 225/60/16. I paid $135.99 per tire.

    Had them for about 5 days now. The ride is really quiet and smooth. I travel on the highway to get to work here in Atlanta and also drive around town. (Not a real speed demon - just regular type driving).

    I did a lot of research on tirerack.com
    You might want to check the reviews on various tires there.

    The things that impressed me with the Turanza LS was that the technology is the newest, the traction is superb even after the tires wears (read an article where they trimmed the tire to half it's tread and the traction was still good), and that Bridgestone warranties the tread for 40,000 miles.

    You need to check if they come in your size.

    When you do decide on a tire, shop around. The quote someone gives on the phone is usually a "retail" price. If you actually go in, you get a better price. Tires Plus will beat any price, as will Firestone places. I went between Tires Plus and Firestone twice, having them compete on the lowest price and finally had Firestone install them. Firestone was more expensive with regard to the road hazard. Tires Plus was great and I would have had them install, except I may be moving and there weren't any Tire Plus stores in the state I may be moving to. I took out the road hazard and lifetime balance/rotate program which really adds to the price. I ended up paying $713.00 for everything including tax.
    It was more than what I had wanted to pay, but I don't do more than 5,000 miles a year. I figured with a 40,000 mile warranty, they should last me 8 years!!!

    Good luck with tire shopping! Hope this helps in some way.

    Leslie
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    I was quoted $484 installed for 215/55-16 Turanza LS-H at Firestone. They don't make Z rated in my size, only H rated.

    Still, it is smart to shop around.
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Tire Rack has some info and the ratings appear to be very good. Only negative appears to be noise-anyone have any input?

    Tire Rack has dealers which will accept shipment of the tires from TR and mount them. Got the best prices this way and no sales tax.
  • tomcivilettitomciviletti Member Posts: 207
    They tend to run a bit narrow. The 205/55-15 is closer to the tread width of the RE92 195/55-15. Or you can use 205/55-15 which will be a bit shorter than stock. From what I have gathered, they are good for the price.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    http://www.unimogcanada.com/XL_tire.GIF


    and


    http://www.unimogcanada.com/XML_tire.gif


    I wish they were available in 15" sizes (31,32,33). Anyone know if they will be in the future? Bretfraz?

  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    I can look for them at SEMA if you want me too. All kinds of weird stuff there.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You're going to the trade show in a couple of weeks? That's fun....

    Steve, Host
  • dardson1dardson1 Member Posts: 696
    thanks, folks, for the responses.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    Not sure what SEMA is, but sure, please do check them out.

    :-)

    [Oh, and thanks!]
  • tronsr1tronsr1 Member Posts: 149
    Thanks for the advice on my Escape tires. Will give a follow-up after I decide which way to go. Again, THANKS>
  • pmt3pmt3 Member Posts: 2
    Are Kelly brand tires sold by any of the online or mail order tire outfits? There are few Kelly dealers in my area and their prices seem high for Kelly tires vs. comparable competitor tires.
    So why am I interested in Kelly? In their Nov' 2001 issue, Consumer Reports rated the Kelly Explorer as having "an especially comfortable ride."
    Thanks in advance for any help.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Check it out here:

    http://www.semashow.com


    It the auto aftermarket industry trade show. It's combined with the Int'l Tire EXpo and a few other industry-related events. I think only Comdex is a bigger trade show in Vegas.

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The sema.org site has some useful stuff for consumers, like who makes those aftermarket mudflaps or tire covers you are trying to find. Plus good shots of hopped up minivans :-)

    Steve, Host
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I once worked at a photo lab. A guy came in one night and we did a series of enlargements for him. He had the fastest minivan in the country! He took me out to the parking lot, and it looked pretty normal. It was a Chrysler product with the turbo 4 cylinder. It had no muffler, maybe no cat, and other odd items (shortened wires...), but looked fairly stock.

    He even showed me the trophy and plaque.

    Kinda funny, but neat just the same.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Those pics are probably linked in the Where are the high performance minivans? discussion.


    Steve, Host

  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    about one year ago were the price brand from Firestone-might be a good tire but be careful out there. Years ago Kelly Springfield tires could be regrooved-used to watch the guys with the regrooving tools cutting new groves in them.

    check out tire rack-lots of good info.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Now majority owned by Goodyear NA, like Firestone is by Bridgestone. Kelly is now fully integrated into Goodyear NA as is Dunlop.

    In large metro areas big chains stick with the major brands or the cheapo off brands. I've seen Kelly more in rural areas, like Cooper. Have you done a dealer search on Kelly's website?

    I don't know any website selling Kelly, sorry.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "Now majority owned by Goodyear, like Firestone is by Bridgestone."

    Like Sumitomo owns Dunlop...and on and on and on...

    :-)

    "...I've seen Kelly more in rural areas, like Cooper."

    I see Cooper everywhere. Back country places in Vermont and big cities in Massachusetts, and Florida.
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    I'm pretty sure Goodyear owns Dunlop, not Sumitomo.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    Goodyear Allies With Sumitomo Rubber


    http://www.transnationale.org/bd/1099369855.htm

  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I was going to post some more links, but you can look here at them yourselves:


    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=dunlop+sumitomo+own

  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    ...they owned Dunlop. The Sumitomo's were supposed to be the same as the D40M2 (I think that was it), only WAY WAY cheaper.

    I liked them.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    OK, I'll put 2 more links! :-)


    a review:

    http://www.carreview.com/Tires/Sumitomo+HTRZ/PRD_1012_1577crx.aspx


    and a followup on the ownership:

    http://www.wwne.demon.co.uk/ww2000/d00-86.htm


    "...Goodyear struck a deal with Dunlop's owners – the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation – which effectively merged the two companies' operations in America and Europe..."

  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    To Goodyear's investor relations index. You can look back at what they've done and who they've acquired since 1996.


    http://www.goodyear.com/investor/index.html

  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    I was 'misled' by Dunlop's own history page, http://www.dunloptire.com/history/index.htm, which at the bottom says it is part of Goodyear and doesn't mention Sumitomo.
  • tronsr1tronsr1 Member Posts: 149
    I ordered the 4 Continental Contitrac 235-70R/16" tires from TireRack yesterday for a price of $46.00/tire.As you stated they were on sale. Total price with shipping and handling is $225.28 which is about the same price as "two" Michelins.To top it off, this higher speed rated tire was 30.00/tire less than the lower speed rated tire. I asked the tire advisor why so much "less money"?? and he stated that they purchased a "load" of the 16" and that is why they are on sale.
    Again "THANKS". WOOPS, I forgot to mention....60,000 mile warranty packet with same.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    Do they have any more deals like that?

    How about 235/85R16?

    How about 31X10.50R15?

    255/75R15?

    Sounds like you got yourself an AWESOME deal!
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Glad I could help. That's an awesome deal. I hope the tires work well for you.
  • phillipmphillipm Member Posts: 32
    Wife's Toyota Sienna van is in need of tires. Living in a rural area not a lot of choice as to competeing dealers. WalMart has a 80,000 mile tire in an all weather M&S tire. It's their "house brand" tire named Douglas. Does anyone know who manafactures the Douglas brand and has anyone had any experience with them? Either good or bad. Thanks.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Kelly-Springfield aka Goodyear.

    Concur Bret?

    Steve, Host
  • dgaines2dgaines2 Member Posts: 1
    I would like suggestions for good quality tires for P195/65/15 for my 2001 Honda Accord EX. I have Michelins and are not opposed to having Michelins but the ones that came with the car are wearing out too quick.

    Thank you!
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