Replacing Conti's and need help in picking good tires

[dolfnchk]

I have a Base 2004 Vibe, with Conti's (that suck), I have had my car for 7 months now and 14,000miles and my dealer is telling me my OE Conti's are excessively cupped (when I have rotated them 3 times), can't get any help from dealer, or dealer Rep., nor GM, and after reading alot of the posts in here I see that must be a common problem and I've read some posts that snow is an issue also with Conti's. So I am looking to purchase some new tires for all year round, but I want some that are great in the snow too. Anyone have some suggestions of some that are also great in the snow???? I drive 70miles a day to and from work all highway, so need some good ones. 205/55/R16 89H

[bud_one]

I bought a set of yokohama Avid V4S - and couldn't be happier.Compared to the Goodyears I took off, they are leaps and boundsbetter. From wet traction to dry corner grip. A great buy IMO. By the way - welcome aboard.

[goodvibe]

I never thought I would recommend a Goodyear or Conti but both of the Goodyear assurance models are very good depending on your needs. The comfort for quite and smooth and they stick OK but feel soft or the crisper triple thread. Both have 80K warranty and seem to be made well. The Conti Contact Extreme is a great all aroung tire for the money.

[fitness freak]

I just ordered 4 BF Goodrich TA's, H rated, for my 03 AWD Vibe. I have 26,000 miles on the Conti's. If it was spring I wouldn't replace them yet but winter, and snow, has settled in for the season in SW Michigan. 3 to 6 inches are expected tonight. It will cost me $453.00 out the door but that is cheaper then body work. Other Genvibe posters have recommened this tire.

[furrydogs]

Cooper Lifeliner SLE. 70k Mile warranty and about $78 a piece.

[ragingfish]

Kumho Ecsta 712....amazing traction, but summer only. No snow or ice with these babies!About $105 a tire -- comparable with Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires.For winter traction, running Green Diamond Icelanders...no snow or ice yet, so can't say how they handle, but they look sweet...

[ColonelPanic]

I killed one of my Contis around 26K due to smacking the right rear against a curb... Didn't realize it had done any damage until, well, later on down the road it went flat. There wasn't any tread left in the middle...I went to a Big O tire store here in town and just bought a whole new set... The remaining 3 were still in decent shape, but I decided to ditch them instead of just buying one new tire. Ended up with a set of their Euro Tour T/R tires (they said they were made by Cooper,) a bit spendy (~$400 for the set.) But they've been great - sticker than the Contis, a bit quieter, nicer ride, and much better in the rain. Haven't had them in the snow yet, so I can't say for sure if they will be better or worse than the Contis...The main reason I went with Big O was their lifetime replacement warranty, free repairs, etc. - handy for me, since I'm kinda hard on a set of tires. Free rotation and balancing for the life of the tires as well. Pretty happy with the tires I've got.Edit: Oh yes, they're somewhat worse than the Contis when winter comes... The tread pattern on these doesn't make for good winter driving! It is a good all-around tire *except* for winter driving, so I ended up buying a set of new wheels and 15" Blizzaks, hopefully they will do better...

[DavidPIL]

Hiya...I'll second the ContiExtremeContacts. Highest performance rating for All Season use. I have a set of these and I would highly recommend getting them from a local dealer/installer. They're touchy when it comes to installation and balance. I've had no problems with them other than a softer sidewall. Thought I had issues with one but the place I got new wheels installed the tire wrong (somehow) and one felt out of balance. Have 26,000 on mine and look like they can go twice that.Although I like my ExtremeContacts, I'll probably try the Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S which is in the same class as the Conti but slightly higher performance marks (less in snow though). I would look into those Pirellis as well if you're looking for an excellent all-season performance tire.Dave

[ragingfish]

I think every car I ever owned had some form of Goodyear tire on it...and I've never had major problems...I swear by Kumhos right now, but if I ever wanted to go with a more "traditional" tire, I'd likely stick with Goodyear...MAYBE Cooper or BFG, but I haven't had much experience with either of them...