Tires, tires, tires

zeen · December 2002

I bought some 16" Nitto tires on the web and they are the wrong size and I don't want to start with the return process. Is there a place on the internet where one can sell tires other than EBay? If I can sell them locally, I can avoid the whole shipping thing.

tboner · December 2002

Do you have a local Nitto dealer? Maybe if you tell them "your folks got them for you for X-Mas" and they were the wrong size, maybe they'll swap them if you let them install.

Just a thought

malachy72 · December 2002

my guess is your going to take a beating, but a local auto parts place or garage might have interest.

zeen · December 2002

I contacted Discount Tire and they are arranging to pick up the Nitto's and ship them back to the warehouse at no cost to me. The couldn't have been more accomodating.
Instead of the Nitto's they recommended 225/55-16 Kumho 712's. I was thinking more in terms of a touring tire like the Dunlop A2 or the Continental CH95. But the consultant advised that if I am upgrading my wheels from 15" to 16", I should get a performance tire. I would probably be ok with a touring tire (with better snow traction) but the better performance of the VR Kuhmo will be nice. Does this sound like the right decision?

bretfraz · December 2002

Well, I think Kumhos are a better choice for a BMW that Nittos but they are a "summer" tire and not as well suited for 4 season driving as other tires are.

There are plenty of excellent choices for HPAS tires depending on what you want the tire to do. My fave is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Yep, expensive but a fantastic tire.

Have a look at the Bridgestone Potenza RE950, Pirelli P7000 Supersport, Continental ContiExtreme Contact, Dunlop SP Sport 5000 (better choice for a BMW than the SP Sport A2), Yokohama Avid V4 or dB, or the BFG g-Force KDWS. All would be fine choices for a 5 series.

zeen · December 2002

Thanks Bret and Mike. I will look into all of those options.

sandman46 · December 2002

I e-mailed you earlier. Went with the 205/65/15's after talking to 3 different people at the tire store. Even did a comparion of the 2 sizes side by side. Only about a 1" difference in height between the 60 series and the 65 series. All 3 told me there should be no height problem even with my 3 teenagers in the back seat.
They had no Pirelli's in stock so settled on the Continentals for the same price, which they matched. So far the ride is way better than the performance tires we had on the Alty. Right now, I'm glad I went with the touring tires with the slightly larger sidewall.
How about some positive feedback so I can feel better about this purchase.
Happy New Year to all at Edmunds and to those like myself, that are truly addicted to these forums. May every day of 2003 be better than the one before!

The Sandman :-)

bretfraz · December 2002

You've got mail!

waymoresblues · January 2003

I finally decided to get rid of my Firestone HT's that were on when I bought the vehicle new, selecting another brand name...only to return from eating lunch to discover THEY COULDN'T FIND the fourth tire that showed in their inventory on the computer! So they went ahead and put a comparable tire on (they said upgrad) and they were, you guessed it, FIRESTONE'S!

"Firestone Supreme Si" to be exact. They charged me the same price and acted like I was getting a deal...hmmm...$291 on the rim and out the door for 4 of 'em...including Warranty & free rotation, etc. I like 'em and all but part of me wonders if I got ripped off. ?

sensei1 · January 2003

HGILES, thanks for the response on the RE730's. So how many miles did you get out of your set?

For the price they better be good. I only checked Tire Rack for prices on them so far. I'll be scouting my local dealers here when I'm ready to buy. Thanks again.

sandman46 · January 2003

Bought a set of the Touring C95's for our Altima and they ride great, much better than the Semperit performance tires we got rid of. Went with a 205/65/15 size instead of the 205/60/15's which came on the car. Wanted to go to 195/65/15's, but the dealer steered me away from that size. Tires only seem to be maybe an inch higher in height than the originals.
Bretfraz was a real lifesaver as he helped me through this decision to change sizes a bit. Thanks Bret!
Happy Holidays all!

The Sandman :-)

hgiles · January 2003

I have heard that 30-35K miles is average with these tires. I had to take mine off, and put Pirelli P7000 Supersports on after only 15K miles. Judging by the tread, I have another 15-20K miles of wear left. I removed the tires because I moved from the Southeast to the Midwest, and the RE 730 tires ABSOLUTELY should NEVER be driven in snow. I am glad I am still alive after I tried to drive in the snow. (Yes I know they are not rated for snow.) Nevertheless, the RE 730s are awesome at their respective price for great wet and dry handling. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again for nonwinter use.

mehulj · January 2003

Hello All,

I'm in market to buy tires for my Altima. I'm in Boston / NH area and I want to buy tires which is good for all seasons as well as give good ride.

Please help me in deciding. I was looking at Michelin, BF Goodrich & Bridgestone. Which one should I choose. This is my first tire change so i dont know much about it. My car is having manufacturer tires and it is reaching now 50K.

thanks

MJ

mehulj · January 2003

I forget to put one more thing, I've 60USD coupon from Costco for buying tires. Is Costco a good place compared to BJs Club and Sams club for buying tires ?

Thanks

MJ

jrdh23a · January 2003

I am ready to pull my hair out! I have a 2001 Lexus gs430. I am not an aggressive driver, but I do want safety in the event of an emergency handling situation. The car came with Michelin Pilot MXM W rated tires that were so noisy at 12,000 miles that I took them off and replaced them with W rated Yokohama AVS db's. Now with 12,000 miles on them they sound like gumbo mudders. Both sets of tires were cupping badly but had lots of tread left. I have rotated properly and had 4 wheel alignment twice. The tire store says the Lexus factory sets the rear tires at a slightly negative angle so the rear tires are cupping on the inside edge. Apparently when you get up to highway speed they actually run straight. They showed me the factory recomendations for my car and they have placed them where the recomendation says. This is a really good tire shop and one that all the dealers take cars to when they have a problem. I bought this car for a smooth quiet ride and it does ride quietly for the first 3,000 miles on new tires. Somebody out there give me some suggestions. I can't take much more of this. Do I just need to buy some cheap tires and expect to change them every few thousand miles. That really goes against my grain. Thanks for any help!

hpulley4 · January 2003

The trouble is that W rated tires have to have a soft, sticky compound with good heat dissipation at high speeds. It will wear easily. Perhaps you want a hard-compound, T-rated tire instead?

Michelin X Ones have a very hard compound, good for 90000 miles of tread life. This also makes them good for cars known for funny wear. They are a fairly quiet tire to begin with and stay that way -- some other luxury touring tires may be quieter to start but I doubt they'll have as hard a compound. I use them on my 2001 Saturn LW200 which is known to cup the factory Firestone Affinity tires quite badly and so far I see no funny wear at all. They aren't the best gripping/handling tire around but they are very good considering that they are an all-season tire with such hard rubber.

bretfraz · January 2003

I'm betting that car has OE 17" wheels on it which rule out the X-One. And its the wrong tire for that car. Fine for a 4 cyl commuter car with a simple suspension like the Saturn but way off the mark for a Lexus GS.

Throwing money at the symptoms is equally silly. I'm glad you've sought answers from a well-known tire shop but I think you need to keep digging. Search Town Hall for Lexus GS topics and find out if other GS owners are having the same problems. Discover their solution to the problem. Search the web for Lexus forums (I know they're out there, just can't recall the URL's).

The GS430 is a high performance V8 sport sedan designed to compete with the BMW 540i, among other cars. I'll bet the suspension is set up like that to provide high performance handling and traction. The fact that you expect the car to be a luxo-cruiser instead of a hot rod may be part of the problem. I don't know the Lexus GS well enough to speculate what is going on but I think it's best to examine this issue with all cards on the table.

Other cars like the GS such as the Infiniti Q45 are also notorious tire eaters. Its the nature of the high performance beast. If you find more answers I hope you come back and post them here so we can expand the information base.

bretfraz · January 2003

Costco is fine for buying tires. I'll probably buy my nest set of tires there too. Thanks for the reminder about the discount.

You didn't tell us what size tires are on the car now or what year your Altima is so its hard to be specific with such minimal info provided. But a couple tires to look at are the Michelin X Radial Plus (high mileage, well made tire), Bridgestone RE910 (kinda sporty) and the BFG Touring T/A (also sporty). The Michelin will probably offer the best 4 season traction while the other two are better for the driver who wants a more responsive feel.

Hope this helps.

mehulj · January 2003

Hello bretfraz I've 01 Nissan Altima GXE. On tire it shows me 205/60r15 but i'm planning to put 205/65r15. Will it be okay ? If you are intereseted right now then BJ's club is also offering 40USD off on 4 tires.

I want to know which brand will be better BF Goodrich or Michelin ?

thanks

MJ

pluto5 · January 2003

IMO Costco is a not so great place to buy tires due to lack of turnover in some stores. Batteries seem to suffer from the same fate at Costco although they are probably more affected although I don't want tires that have been sitting in a warehouse for a year. I would go with Tirerack. Costco OK for mounting IMO; they do carry in tires for $15 apiece in my neighborhood.

Instead of Mich many of which are highly overrated IMO try Kumho for value. I would rather have a lower priced tire and change it frequently so there's lots of tread than an expensive one that's down to 3-4 32nds!! Just my opinion.

ashutoshsm · January 2003

... don't buy the tires from Costco, go online but install them at a local Costco. $9 each gave me lifetime rotation and balancing.

And I have been very happy (incredibly impressed, really) with my smaller-brand high-quality Falken Ziex 512 tires ($55 each, 30K warranty, similar size with less warranty and substantially worse handling from the big manufacturers was over $80 each). Consider Falken, Kumho, Nitto, Sumitomo etc from an online source. You'll get equivalent (to Dunlop/Mich/BFG/Fire/Bridgestone) or better tires fo less

mcadrecha · January 2003

I would like to know what the difference is between having 15" wheels on the Mazda MPV versus having 16" or 17". The larger diameters look better but what do they do for the car from a technical standpoint? Compared to the 15" alloys and tires...

Is handling better in the larger diameters?

Do you get more road noise in the larger diameters?

Is the ride bumpier, smoother, or about the same with the larger tires?

I have the 15" alloys on my 02 MPV and think the larger ones will look better. If I make that change once I need to replace my original dunlops, what would I be getting besides a better-looking MPV?

microrepair · January 2003

jrdh23a:

I can sympathize with you. I had exactly the same thing happen with the AVS db's on my Mercedes E320. And I traded them at the same mileage; 12,000..!!
Yokohama gave me a direct tread wear rebate and I put their Avid V rated tires on. They have been much better, staying quiet up to 11K miles so far. And I haven't noticed any reduction in handling or traction capabilities compared to the AVS db. Also they seem to be just as quiet as the AVS db's were when new..

Good luck with finding a solution.

sandman46 · January 2003

I just put tires on out '01 Altima GXE Ltd. Ed. and went with the 205/65/15's and they are great! They are a bit taller then the 205/60/15's that came with the car but the ride has been greatly improved and weare quite happy! Bret was a great help in this matter.
I ended up getting Continental Touring LX tires and am very happy!

The Sandman :-)

bretfraz · January 2003

If you would scroll back a few posts you will find ones by Sandman46 who has a similar Altima and did the same thing as you want to do. Based on what Sandman said, going to the larger tire is not a problem but discuss this with the installer first, just in case they balk.

Michelin North America owns BFGoodrich. BFG is positioned as a more value priced tire with an edgyer street image. If you are interested in quality then Michelin is your brand. If you want a lower priced tire then BFG is fine.

As for tires that have been sitting in inventory I agree that is an issue any place you buy tires, not just at Costco or the warehouse clubs. At my local Costco's all the tires are stored indoors which is much better than outdoor storage. Also each tire is stamped with a date code at time of mfr. All you have to do is look at the code and decipher it. First two digits are the week of production, second two are the year. For example, if a tire shows "3302" that means it was made in the 33rd week of 2002, or approx mid August. Look at the date code before you buy the tires and you'll be OK.

bretfraz · January 2003

If it worked for The Sandman it'll work for you too.

bretfraz · January 2003

I stopped by my local store and got some more interesting info for those considering tires at Costco. First off, these policies only apply to Costco so check with the other warehouse clubs for their tire policies and warranties:

*All treadlife warranties offered on Costco-sold tires are warranted by Costco only. If you want warranty service from a dealer other than Costco it is your responsibility to contact the mfr and ask.

*Costco will only sell you a tire whose speed and load ratings are equal or superior to the OE tire on that car. They have a pretty sophisticated software program that let's them check. So for example say you own a 1999 Nissan Altima. You will have to know what trim level it is for them to verify tire choices (XE, SE, GXE, GLE).

*If you want a tire with a lower speed rating than what came OE on your car, Costco will sell it to you but will not install it. You will not be eligible for their treadlife warranty or road hazard warranty.

*If you bring them tires to install they will do it for $9.00 each but you are on your own on the treadlife warranty. Costco will not honor the warranty that came with your tires.

Check with your local store for more details. I hope this helps those who are considering buying tires from the warehouse clubs.

monterey6 · January 2003

I am considering buying a 2004 Sienna XLE Limited with run flat tires...Does anybody have any experience with run-flats and what is the probability that these tires are readily available at tire shops?

hpulley4 · January 2003

My MINI Cooper came with runflats, no spare tire or jack&lugwrench.

When winter came I wanted runflat snowtires and was worried that only my dealer would carry them but I got a set for less at an independent shop.

Tirerack carries some too, for example the Dunlop DSST (Dunlop Self Supporting Tire) line, some Goodyear EMTs (Extra Mobility Tires) and some Pirellis. Michelin has their PAX system but it isn't widely available yet.

Runflats still aren't common so you may not find them at generic tire shops but they are becoming more widespread. As of November 2003 of this year (2004 model year) all new cars built have to have a tire pressure monitor according to the NHTSA. This should improve the acceptance of runflats as you can only use them if you have a monitor (it is tough to tell when you have a flat otherwise).

If you are worried about what to do when you get a puncture note that runflats can be repaired like other tires as long as the damage is in the tread, not the sidewall or shoulder.

I really like the peace of mind the runflats provide. No fears of changing a tire beside the freeway or in terrible weather.

dtownfb · January 2003

I've searched the last 100 posts and did not see anything on tires for 1996 V8 AWD Explorer. Looking to replace the 235/75 15" Goodyear RT/S currently on the vehicle. The owner's manual suggestst to stay with LT tires as opposed to all season (not unless someone can tell me it's OK to switch). I do very little off road driving and am looking for a decent tire that does well in the rain and snow. The Explorer has 132k miles on it so I'm not looking o spend a ton of money on these tires but would like for them to last at 40k miles. Any suggestons?

I've looked at Tire Rack for infomration but they only have 11 tires listed and 2 or 3 of them have duplicates. Any information is greatly appreciated.

ryoken · January 2003

My wife's 98 Grand Cherokee (I6, RWD) likewise gets 99.9% on-road duty. When the Bridgestone Dueler A/T's wore out, we replaced them with Dueler H/L's, a tire designed for trucks and highway use. I like them. They have a decent wet-traction rating. In addition, moving to a highway tire gives you a noticeably smoother ride. I don't know about snow traction though, it doesn't snow here.

bretfraz · January 2003

Just looked at Tire Rack's ad in Road & Track. Some good deals on 235/75-15's.

Dunlop Grandtrek - $57
Dunlop Radial Rover - $68
Dunlop Radial Rover A/T - $71
Goodyear Wrangler RT/S - $77
Goodyear Fortera - $99
General Grabber AP - $67
Yokohama Geolandar H/T - $61
Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S - $61 (new tire from Yoko)
Bridgestone Dueler H/L - $85
Bridgestone Dueler A/T - $74

There's 10 right there and I know I missed a few.

As for snow traction, according to Consumer Reports 11/01 the only LT tire to receive an "excellent" rating in snow was the Cooper Discoverer A/T. Firestone Wilderness AT, Goodyear Wrangler AT/S, and Toyo M410 Open Country all received "very good". The Toyo is the only all-season LT tire to get a decent snow rating from CR. Bridgestone and Yokohama were the worst in snow performance.

Hope this helps.

zueslewis · January 2003

I like the Dunlop Radial A/T - no noise to speak of, great wet weather and ice traction and 50,000 miles.

krzyss · January 2003

dtownfb wrote:
"LT tires as opposed to all season"

It should be read as:
"LT tires as opposed to Passenger tires"

LT stands for Light Truck.
The biggest difference is load rating. LT tires are supposed to carry heavier loads.
Maybe you were looking for wrong tires ?

Krzys

dtownfb · January 2003

NO I meant LT tires. Some of the all season tires (passenger tires) don't have the load rating that the vehicle requires. Not sure it makes a difference but I rather be safe then sorry.

Re: Tire Rack- I checked out Tire Rack and some of those tires received some bad reviews from consumers. Liked their "survey" method for narrowing down tires. Wish they had more professional reviews. Unfortunately I could not find any other site that has reviews of tires. (Help!!!)

I also subscribe to CR. I liked the Dayton Timberline and Kelly Safari. I also noticed the Toyo Open Country but wasn't sure if that had the required load rating for my vehicle. Can I use these tires on the 96 V8 Explorer. I've seen at one company gives you a free trial period, something like 500 miles or 30 days. has anyone had any experiences with these tires? You can also tell what price range i'm looking at..

thanks for the help so far.

bretfraz · January 2003

I looked at Toyo's website and the Open Country M410 and Open Country A/T in P235/75R15 have a load rating of 105 (2039 lbs). They also offer an LT version of those tires in load range C (6 ply) if you need a heavy duty tire. I think the P-metric tire is fine for your Explorer.

I've been searching for additional professional tire reviews for three years. I have a pretty big file of tire specs and a small stack of tire industry trade magazines. Short of this I know of no other source for tire performance reviews. If you find them, please post a link for us.

dtownfb · January 2003

I checked the load rating for the P235/15 Wrangler RT/S and the XL rating (which is the maximum) is 108. (I'll check tonight if I have the XL or SLnot. So it does sound like the Toyo will work. Whatis the difference between the LT and P-metric? The P-metric seems to have a higher load rating.

The only off-roading we do is when my wife goes hunting (that's another story). Even that is on dirt or snow covered roads.

I din't like the consumer reviews on Tire Rack. Everyone said the same thing about each tire. That is one reason why I like CR.

bretfraz · January 2003

What load rating does your Explorer require?

As far as the diffs between LT and P metric tires, I dug this little gem out of my tire links folder:

http://www.toyo.com.au/tech_info.html

capriracer · January 2003

This posting is a little lengthy, but I think the subject deserves the volume.

In the US, the tire standardizing body is called The Tire and Rim Association (TRA). They publish a book every year that lists the
sizing information (width, diameter, etc.), the load tables (the relationship between the inflation pressure and the carrying capacity), and other things that fall under their standardizing area. This book covers P metric and LT Metric tires and is about an inch thick, which is why you will only find parts of it reproduced on the Internet.

In Europe, the standardizing body is The European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO). There are other standardizing
bodies in the world, but TRA and ETRTO are the main ones and the others generally follow one or the other.

ETRTO has a different system and they don't use "P" or "LT", just the numbers. I like to refer to those as "hard metric", although some use "Euro Metric".

The load ratings of P metric tires, regardless of who manufactures them, should all be the same (for a given size) So a P235/75R15 SL (Standard Load) should say on the sidewall " Maximum Load 2028 pounds at 35 psi". However, there has been a recent change in the allowable maximum inflation pressure, because there are a few conditions where some overinflation is called for, (If you have to ask, you don't have those conditions) so you may see some standard load tires that say up to 44 psi. This does not change the relationship between the load and the inflation pressure - It is still a max of 2028 pounds at 35 psi.

But there is another item that can confuse things:

Extra Load tires (XL) - These are tires where additonal inflation pressure can be used for additional load capacity.

LT metric tires are a different breed than P metric tires. They are more like truck tires (You know, the big rigs!) and they use higher
inflation pressures. What you give up is the cushy ride, but what you get is longer durability and wear life. They use "Load Ranges" (LR)to distinguish between levels (similar to SL vs XL in P metric tires)

Also, the Europeans have come up with a "load index". It is supposed to give you an indication of the load capacity. It seems to take the place of SL and XL, but it really doesn't. It doesn't make sense except that it is easier to remember than the actual load. TRA has adopted this as a concession to the Europeans for standardizing purposes.

One last item: When a P metric tire is used on a truck or trailer (and this would include vans and SUV's), the load capacity has to
be derated by 10% without a reduction in inflation pressure. This is to account for the stiffer springs and generally higher loading that can occur on trucks (as opposed to cars).

Now for the comparisons:

P235/75R15 SL 2028 # @ 35 psi (derated to 1843 @ 35 for trucks) Load Index 104

P235/75R15 XL 2183 # @ 41 psi (derated to 1984 @ 41 for trucks) Load Index 110

LT235/75R15 LR C 1985 # @ 50 psi single (as opposed to duals) Load Index 105

LT235/75R15 LR D 2039 # @ 65 psi single Load Index 108

235/75R15 105 load Index 2039 # @ 36 psi (ETRTO expresses this in metric units, but I converted it.) Note ETRTO expects trucks to use "Commercial Tires" (their phrasing) and they have a set of standards for that. They do not make a provision for "hard metric" tires on trucks (or Vans or SUV's).

If I got this right, the placard of a 1996 Explorer might say the original tire size is P235/75R15 SL inflated to 26 psi. If you look this up on a load table, it would say the load carrying capacity is 1753 # @ 26 psi (derated to 1593 # @ 26 psi) If I recall correctly, Ford Explorers have GAWR's (Gross Axle Weight Rating) listed on the placard. I'll bet it says 3186 # (2 X 1593)

I know this is terribly confusing, which is why I always tell people to stick with the original tire size, including the P and the LT.

BTW, I think the Explorer's owners manual was recommending AT or all terrain tires (as opposed to all season).

Hope this helps.

dtownfb · January 2003

Thanks brettraz and capriracer. Based on your posing, I'm definitely staying with the P-metric since this is what came with the vehicle. Not exactly sure of the rating for the vehicle but the maximum payload is only 900 lbs. I did check the tires I have on now. they are the same brand but two different sets. (I had some problems with the tires cupping). 2 of the tires are 105 the other two are 108.

I read that I should stick with AT in the manual as well. What is the difference between all season and the AT?

leadfoot4 · January 2003

All Terrain.....

dtownfb · January 2003

I got that part.

But what are the fundamental differences between AT and All season? the Explorer manual made specific point that to only use AT tires on the vehicle. My question is why would Ford make a special note to put this inthe manual. Is it becuase there is a significant difference between the AT and all season tires?

capriracer · January 2003

All Terran tires, in theory, are supposed to have some off road capability, but in practice All Terrain means a little more aggressive tread pattern, usually a deeper tread depth. This usually translates into better wet traction, better snow traction, poorer fuel economy, poorer dry traction, but the same for all other properties.

I believe that Ford's thinking on adding the warning about all terrain tires is this: A sharp lawyer would say that "Ford failed to warn people about the use of all season tires and therefore that was why the Explorer rolled over".

This doesn't mean there isn't any truth to this, but you have to read past the rhetoric. And just so folks who read this don't get the wrong idea. We are talking about a 4 x 4, which would have come from the assembly plant with all terrain tires and what Ford was trying to say is "don't reengineer the vehicle by putting on different types of tires".

Hope this helps.

teachr · January 2003

The original tires on my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (225/75 R16 Goodyear Wrangler ST) need replacing (have about 30,000 miles). I live in the Boston area and would like to get a tire that is better in the rain than these Goodyears (which are terrible when in 2-wheel drive and not much better in 4 wheel drive). I was thinking about Michelins, but am not sure. Should I think about a snow tire for the winter months? I don't use the Jeep for off-road, mostly average driving conditions (some highway and lots of city/suburb driving). Overall, would like to get a tire that handles well, not too noisy, and much better than the GY's in the rain and snow. Any advice most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

tboner · January 2003

that an all season tire is too sticky compared to the All Terrain. So I could envision the vehicle being more prone to roll over with an all season tire, compared to the All Terrain. Perhaps most all terrain tires begin to skid at a lower lateral g-force value, helping prevent the vehicle from rolling over. A sticker tire would keep the bottom of the vehicle better planted, which may allow for the top to suddenly become the bottom.

The above is simply speculation, and full of all sorts of weazle words too 8^)

TB

bretfraz · January 2003

I think you're dead on. Capriracer offers some great insight as well.

bretfraz · January 2003

There is no all season tire that can come close to a dedicated winter tire for snow & ice traction. If you can afford to do so I highly recommend purchasing a set of winter tires. They will make a world of difference.

For all season tires I think that Michelin is a fine choice. They offer two models that will work very well on your Jeep:

Cross Terrain - Smooth riding, designed for 90% on-road use, quiet, long tread life, superb quality.

LTX M/S - Better all purpose traction, durable, not as smooth as the Cross Terrain on pavement but better than an all terrain tire, tried and true, warehouse clubs sell a private labelled variant of this tire.

I also like the Bridgstone Dueler H/L but only for 3 season use. The Goodyear Fortera is another good tire (a competitor to the Mich. Cross Terrain).

I hope this info helps. Let us know if you have more questions.

obyone · January 2003

Costco has them but not always in stock. Can be special ordered with a two week waiting period.

ofrakin · January 2003

Run flats just came to mind and I was wondering about how good a tire they are;cost- weather-, wear- and ride-wise. My wife will be driving 150mi.,roundtrip, on some days. I'm getting new wheels with winter tires and runflat replacements on our present 185/65-14's, maybe.For a better ride,I'd go to 195/70, but was told that would void our trans. warr.,damn loopholes.

hpulley4 · January 2003

I presently have Goodyear Eagle EMT performance summer and Dunlop WinterSport DSST winter tires on separate wheels in 195/55R16 size for my 2002 MINI Cooper. I find they both give a good ride and excellent handling and grip, obviously with a dry pavement edge to the Eagles and winter weather edge to the Dunlops.

Runflats are currently more expensive than non-runflats, mostly because of low sales volume. As more cars get tire pressure monitors (mandatory for 2004 model year cars) the prices will drop.

The runflat characteristic doesn't have much if anything to do with the tread lifetime. Right now many runflats are performance oriented tires since they came out first on cars which carry no spare for size and weight reasons. Performance tires have lower tread lifes but as runflats become more popular you'll see long treadlife runflats. There are all-season runflats available now.

The ride is a bit stiffer than with non-runflat 175/65R15 tires on the MINI Cooper but not by much. I think the suspension is the overriding factor in ride quality, whether firm or forgiving.

I like the safety factor of runflats which mean I won't be stuck by the side of the freeway trying to change a tire. Know, however, that they won't drive forever with 0PSI pressure. In the MINI, for example, you can drive 90 miles with no air in the tires, 300 miles if they will hold some air (7.5-14.5PSI) or 1000 miles if they'll hold a fair amount of air (more than 14.5PSI) where the normal operating pressure is 30PSI. So in your wife's case, she could drive home from work if she lost all air pressure but she would be ill advised to drive to and from work on completely airless tires.

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