Mark, you are at a point where you can change your approach to the the tire question. It's no longer the loyalty to a store and whatever they were doing, you can now look for a tire that feels like an upgrade to your suspension. That means you need to sort the information very well. So far you did not do that. I can tell because you say "Hankook Optimo something". It does not cut it. Hankook makes some real lousy tires and some very good ones. You need to know the model number and be specific about that. All Hankook tires are called "Optimo" the 3 digit number makes all the difference.Mark wrote:Well like I said my loyalty was more to the tire store than the brand. I don't think I ever had a set of Goodyear tires that I didn't get some warranty on, but the Triple Treds were the worst. But I always got the warranty without having to argue and usually without having to even ask. Plus they were within walking distance from work and would give me lift if the weather was bad, and were very honest and competant. Very good traits for your tire/repair shop. And the SilentArmors were the best tire I ever had on my truck.
I have Hankooks on a Corolla that seem to be wearing well, they came on the car but have held up well. Optimo something I think. Frosty came with Michelin's that seemed to wear pretty well. I'm pretty brand agnostic, just looking at lots of options. I'm not opposed to buying online, but it seems that even with a good deal once you pay shipping and then pay a local shop to mount and balance, it's not such a great deal anymore. Especially considering most shops give you lifetime rotate/balance on tires you buy from them.
I agree with that except I don't shop tires on-line. Find the best deal, print it out, then shop locally. I bet they come close.Do your research on Tire Rack and then shop other online stores for the best value.
I think you may mean B.F. Goodrich. Bridgestone is part of Firestone.vibrologist wrote:Honestly, I never really liked Goodyear tires. My preference is with Michelin. Keep in mind that Michelin produces Bridgestone
Yes indeed, my bad! i will correct it in my post.mbz321 wrote:I think you may mean B.F. Goodrich. Bridgestone is part of Firestone.vibrologist wrote:Honestly, I never really liked Goodyear tires. My preference is with Michelin. Keep in mind that Michelin produces Bridgestone
Not really. The Hankooks came on a 2000 Corolla that I bought as something cheap to insure that I could let my teenage kid drive. I don't really care what they are or anything about the number on them, they don't relate to the Vibe in any way. I also have a set of studded snow tires for the Corolla that I run October/November to April/May, and both sets will likely outlive the car itself. If I want to consider Hankooks for the Vibe I'll do some research, I simply stated that the ones on the Corolla seem like a decent tire that is holding up well.vibrologist wrote: That means you need to sort the information very well. So far you did not do that. I can tell because you say "Hankook Optimo something". It does not cut it. Hankook makes some real lousy tires and some very good ones. You need to know the model number and be specific about that. All Hankook tires are called "Optimo" the 3 digit number makes all the difference.
I also had Arizonians. They were SO much better than the Eagle RS-As that came on the car. As far as I'm concerned, the RS-As can all die in a fire. Worst tire EVER, you could slather bare steel wheels in butter and they'd still be better in every category than those tires.Mark wrote:Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like Kelly might make the Arizonian for Discount, wonder if they're the same quality.
The Goodyear store where I bought all my tires for the last 12 years always provided free lifetime rotate and balance on any new tire you bought from them.Caretaker wrote:As for lifetime balancing/rotation, there also seems to be a misperception here. No one gives lifetime balancing for free; free rotation yes, balancing no. You have to buy a package deal, normally at the time of tire purchase, even at Costco.
I bought it with 145k on the clock, from a guy who very likely put the cheapest tires he could find on it.Caretaker wrote:Mark: your car likely came with the Hankook H426, a pretty lame OEM tire, and flat out dangerous in the snow. As was mentioned, Hankook makes some pretty lame OEM tires, but their H727 is a MUCH better than average tire and should be on anyone's short list when needing new tires.
Hmm, that's definitely good to know.Caretaker wrote:As for the Kumhos, the LX Platinum is very good and the PA31 is even better, although it is made in China and some have reported higher than average blowouts due to the delicate side walls hitting the edges of curbs.
they will have to pry my H727's from my cold dead hands!Caretaker wrote: Mark: your car likely came with the Hankook H426, a pretty lame OEM tire, and flat out dangerous in the snow. As was mentioned, Hankook makes some pretty lame OEM tires, but their H727 is a MUCH better than average tire and should be on anyone's short list when needing new tires. ...
And they will probably last that long too!Chiadog wrote:they will have to pry my H727's from my cold dead hands!Caretaker wrote: Mark: your car likely came with the Hankook H426, a pretty lame OEM tire, and flat out dangerous in the snow. As was mentioned, Hankook makes some pretty lame OEM tires, but their H727 is a MUCH better than average tire and should be on anyone's short list when needing new tires. ...
I was curious what the 3% difference would do to the speedometer/odometer, so I asked The Google and came up with this ridiculously useful site:leemur wrote:Buy 205/60/16's instead. 3% bigger tire . Looks better by filling the wheel gap. Cheaper, $12-$15. Quieter, taller sidewall. Just isn't meant for the speed racer crowd.
I haven't run Kumho yet. I had Falken 9** something. They were nice but wore out fast. I like the fusion hri I ran but the price went up.
Lee
I came in to add to my earlier post and it agrees with this one. The Kumho's were pretty good for the price but don't seem to last real long.bull77 wrote:I've had RSA's, Kumho, Toyo, and now General tires on my 06. Kumho were okay but didn't last long -- neither did the Toyo's.
Everyone knows about the quality of the RSA's. So far the Generals are holding up well over 2 summers, great grip but a little loud.