OK, my turn to jump in here... I have two teens who have to support their
own vehicles. When they needed tires I told them that inexpensive tires were
safe as long as they knew what the limits were for them. My daughter
recently got a set (4) of 195/70/14 T-Metric radials from the Firestone
Store, mounted and balanced for $160 for her Buick Skylark. She drives it
like a Skylark should be driven and she knows that she may or may not get
the advertised 35K out of the tires.
Your car came with performance tires... The dealers and tires stores are
gonna try to sell you the same kind of tires claiming that anything else
would: 1) void the manufacturer's warranty, 2) expose them to liability
because they were not the right tires for the car per the manufacturer 3)
whatever other plausible sales tactic they have to bump you up to a higher
profit ratio tire!
Many, many years ago I sold tires... We had 4 price levels depending on how
much we thought you would pay. I don't know if tire dealers still have that
many levels but I'm positive that they have at least two! When Jenny got her
tires, the first price was just over $200. I talked to the guy and told him
we had recently bought the same thing in a larger size for another car and
he dropped the price after looking like he was fighting to get me a better
deal!!! He came back saying that the others were a "special one-time deal"
and that he was able to match it for me because I was a good customer...
Yeah, right! He wanted the sale and knew he wasn't gonna get the higher
price outta me.
In the old days there were only a few sizes and one type of construction.
Now there are 10 or more categories of tires! How can they be so sure that
THIS TIRE is the ONLY TIRE that will work on your car? Do you cruise at 112
MPH for periods of one hour or more all the time??? I didn't think so... Do
you really need the extreme speed rated tires? Dunno, depends on your
driving...
If you spend a lot of time on the highway, buy better tires. If you like to
challenge the corners on windy roads, buy better tires. If you drive your
car sanely and at low speeds, don't mind a softer ride and associated
handling changes, you can get by just fine with less expensive tires. If
most of your miles are under say, 45 MPH, the inexpensive ones will do if
you drive like they are designed. (Don't push their limits every time you go
somewhere.)
The other place to save is on the "lifetime" balance and roadside assistance
packages that the tire folks like to sell you. How many times would you
really use them? You can get roadside assistance much cheaper through your
insurance company. These items are extra profit centers for dealers... Maybe
I'm luckier than most but the last flat that I had was many years ago and
the tire was original to the truck with 50K on it! Ran over a large bolt
that punctured it.
HTH,
Kent
Subject: Re: Tire information
> Brakes, tires and steering are not items to be cheap on!!! But,
intellegent less
> costly alternatives abound!
> Bruce (TX)
>
> Charles Christ wrote:
>
> > ok breester!
> > never buy"cheap" tires or without very intelligent guidance ever change
tire
> > size or speed rating from manufactures specified sizes and ratings!
> > chuck.
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