Tire Question

[ironbut]

If you get heavy rains in your area, it's a good idea to use that as one of your primary considerations.

I've had a few sets of tires that are great for cornering/stopping power but just sucked when it started to rain. Nothing worse than feeling like your car could break loose at the drop of the hat!

And since I don't go up into the hills and "tear it up" anymore, I always check forums for opinions from folks who own the same model car I have and see what their experiences are with all weather tires.

 

I've always had good luck with Michelins but they can be a little more expensive. They own BF Goodrich now so some of the old Michelin tire lines are now labeled Goodrich but they're the same tire and sometimes a little cheaper.

[Pars]

^ Didn't realize they owned goodrich now...

[shellylh]

The tires are bought and on the car.  It is nice to have tires that aren't 9 years old.  They seem to have good rain performance based on reviews but we'll see.   The tire that kept coming up with better rain performance was the Goodyear Assurance Comfortred Touring but people had other complaints about that tire.  Plus, I didn't really want to get Goodyear.  It was raining today but not hard and I thought about trying to test them out but it was during rush hour and there were too many cars around.   I don't like crashing into other cars.  

Edited October 31, 2013 by shellylh

[Pars]

One of my favorite tires that we had on one of my wife's cars was a set of Goodyear Tripletreds. Great grip and handling, good snow performance, rain performance etc. They didn't last worth a shit, but the pro-rating when we replaced them paid for more than half the replacement tire cost.

[shellylh]

I'll have to remember that for next time.  

[Grahame]

Shelly do they have roundabouts / traffic circles where you are? When no one else is around see if you can get the traction/stability control active light to come on, on the dashboard ... (Note: it helps if the car has such systems installed ) I managed it a few times in the UK. Saying the phrase "POWERRRR!" Seems to help

[shellylh]

We have a big roundabout nearby but there are usually others around.  

[HeadphoneAddict]

Larry

I first suggested two different all season tires, including the ones she was considering which I've owned. I added the winter tire recommendation as a "PS:" for anyone interested, so that I didn't have to create a second post.

PS: when I lived in Houston we had many ice storms that left roads almost un-drivable without a winter tire to grip the ice better. So, it was still relavent.

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'd recommend Kumho tires.  Good tires, inexpensive, reliable.  You don't really drive enough, and that car isn't really demanding on it's tires, so you don't need a whole lot.  Their general touring tires are well regarded, especially for the price.  And, as an added bonus, they have great snow traction

  

I've had the Kumho 711 and 712 tires in the past, and they were fairly decent for 3-seasons, but not the best for winters in Colorado. They'd be fine in Houston.

Reading more about tires, I am wondering if we should get summer tires insteda of all season. It doesn't really snow here but we usually get a lot of rain (when we are jot in a drought).

 

Hubby want to stick with Michelin (and not go with some brand that he hasn't heard of) and since it is technically his car, we're going to have to do that.  I've gone ahead and made an appt with Discount Tire to get the Primacy MXV4 put on this afternoon.   Hopefully it'll be an improvement over our current tires.

You made the right choice. The Michelin MXV4 tires are good enough to do SCCA autocross in the street-touring division, and while not as sticky as a summer tire like Falken Azenis or Bridgestone RE-02, they last a whole lot longer and do better in the winter. The problem with summer tires is that winter's in Houston can still get really cold, and summer tires use a rubber compound that isn't likely to stick well in very cold weather.

[Wmcmanus]

Wayne:  The treadwear on these is better than the ones we have, it is rated at 620.  

 

That's outstanding.  They'll last for a long, long time.  As others have said, Michelin tires tend to be on the high side of the price/performance scale, but still great tires and if it gives hubby some peace of mind then you did the right thing in not trying to over analyze it, etc.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Wmcmanus

[Mr.Sneis]

My suggestions:

 

Make sure to read up on reviews - road noise with some tires is much worse than others and is horrible for long trips IMO.

 

Be an alignment nazi and don't go over curbs - will save you $ in the long run.  If the alignment shop says you need X bushings replaced you should do it; the more new rubber the better your tire life and handling will generally be.

 

Never overlook tire pressure and check frequently.  You'd be surprised how long you can get by on super shitty worn tires with proper inflation.  A brand new tire that is badly under-inflated won't last you long and is will blow out on the freeway.

 

As for pricing you can haggle somewhat with most tire places... try using online tools to search for lower prices.  They always get you on the warranty/disposal fee/mount and balance.  IMO the warranty isn't a bad thing if you have generally bad luck with your tires and drive all over the place.

 

Hope this was useful