Cheapest tires that are worth a damn?

[CraigLloyd]

I have a 2007 Vibe FWD and it's getting close to needing new tires, especially the rear. The fronts are Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 tires that have around 25K miles on them and still have some tread left (installed in 2015). The rears are 7-year-old Michelin Destiny tires that are starting to dry rot.

I'm not really a tire guy, so I'm not really sure which tire brands and models are good and which ones are bad. Basically, I just want the cheapest tires that aren't complete rubbish. I've been browsing Discount Tire and the cheapest tires I found are from Sentury at $49/tire.

However, I wouldn't mind getting some higher quality tires if they're worth it, especially since there's a $100 Off deal that looks pretty enticing, but I'd have to spend at least $400.

Any suggestions please shout them out!

Deal link for those interested: https://www.ebay.com/rpp/6506?_trkparms ... rmvSB=true

[Caretaker]

Thanks for posting that you live in Indiana. Otherwise, your question was totally loaded with buckshot. Assuming you don't own a set of winter tires and need your tires to "do it all," you are asking for trouble by getting cheap tires. It just won't work out for you living in harsh winter conditions. If you are still set on going down this path, 2 months ago I found some great tires on clearance at Walmart. I just put on a set of Mastercraft tires (made by Cooper that Walmart was practically giving away) on my Honda Fit. You may be able to find the Mastercraft 440 at simpletire.com and other outlets as well. For the 205-55-16 tire I found this at Walmart, although I cannot make any claim as to what they will do in snow/ice. I'm guessing they will suck, just like every other cheap tire:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Douglas-All- ... L/49021615

Othewise, Sears Auto now sells a Diehard Tire which is Kumho. This isn't Kumho's best tire, but it will help with winter's snow:

https://www.searsauto.com/offers/3246/2 ... dler-tires

When talking cheap tires, you need to be cognoscente whether it is a Chinese tire. They have dumped lots of cheap tires on our shores over the past year; I'd avoid them like the plague. I'd also suggest that you go into your local Sam's Club and talk to the tire folks there. Sam's Club is MUCH MORE accommodating at getting various brands of tires than Costco is. It is very possible that once you talk to their tire department, that it is well worth the cost of a basic membership to buy your tires there.

[CraigLloyd]

Yeah, forgot to mention that I prefer all-season tires. I guess that does makes a difference as far as the quality I should be shooting for. Don't really want to spend more than $100/tire if I can help it.

[vibrologist]

I found this website to be helpful: https://tirereviewsandmore.com/

Keep in mind:
1. how old are the TPMS sensors? You may want new ones or prepare to put a piece of tape over the #$%$!!! warning light. I ordered 4 new ones for my wife's car from Rockauto for about $150. My tire store would have been twice as much.
2. if you have alloy rims remove all corrosion at the tire seat and the valve seat. I refinished the wheels on my wife's car because the corrosion was bad and caused slow leaks. This could be an issue if you cannot afford a few days of down time. My wife's car was on winter tires while I repainted the other set.
3. how many miles per year do you drive? If you drive not very much you don't need a super long mileage guarantee.
4. Add up everything: mounting balancing, TPMS sensors, road hazard guarantee .....Lifetime balance makes sense for most people.
5. I like to go to a shop that uses a torque wrench on alloy rims and informs me that I should have it re- torqued after 100 miles of driving. ----If they do that I know they take care of their customers.

[Caretaker]

Great link Vibrologist; thanks for posting. After reading through their "best under $100 tire," I'd go with the Nokian Entyre 2.0. I'd feel a bit more comfortable verifying those reviews on Tire Rack, but TR does not rate Nokian tires. $83 at Simple Tire, and $84 at Walmart; $85 at Discount Tire

[vibrologist]

You are welcome, Caretaker.
+1 on the Nokian Entyre 2.0 and I like the Cooper CS3 as well.

[CraigLloyd]

Thanks for the input, Vibrologist! Do all Vibes come with tire pressure sensors? I've never once seen a dash light come on warning me about tire pressure.

As for the wheel material, I think it's just steel because they have plastic hubcaps covering the unsightly wheel itself.

After doing a bit of research, Cooper CS3s seem to be the ones I'm leaning towards at the moment. I can get a set of them for a little over $300 with free shipping. If I buy them online from Discount Tire through their eBay store ($100 off of $400+), will they offer me a discount if I go to them to mount and balance the tires?

Last thing, I swear: Is it recommended to get an alignment done whenever installing new tires?

[Caretaker]

Tire Pressure Monitors were installed on all vehicles starting with the 2008 model year. Your car does not have them. You can easily check this by going out and wiggling your black rubber stems. TPMS stems are rigid aluminum.
If you have a Discount Tire brick and mortar store near you, they will match the price on the Discount Tire website. In my case recently, the manager actually beat the online price by a few bucks. Moreover, the physical store will provide you with a bunch of freebies that you can read about on their website. Discount Tires do not have alignment machines. That is why they can get you in/out so quickly. Every store manager has business cards of their preferred alignment shop which normally offer a % discount off of any alignment within 30 days of purchasing tires at Discount Tire. As for you needing an alignment? Since you are in a snow/ice/freeze/thaw environment, I'm sure you are killing your front end with potholes. If you have not had one in awhile, you will surely have to. It also serves as an insurance policy on the money you just forked out on new tires.

[vibrologist]

Tire Pressure Monitors were installed on all vehicles starting with the 2008 model year. Your car does not have them.

My '05 has them.
Turn the key to "on" without starting the engine.That makes the whole Christmas tree light up. That's the easiest way to see what's in your car. Also to the left of the steering wheel there is a reset button for the TPMS in my car.

[RRich89]

I've had Cooper CS3s on my '06 Vibe for over a year now. I highly recommend them; much quieter and more durable for the PA pothole season than the Definity tires they replaced. They do pretty decent in the snow for all season tires.

[cptnsolo77]

The last 2 sets of tires have been Nexen for me. They have been the quietest tire for the Vibe in my 10 year ownership. I paid $350 at mt local tire shop.

[zbyers]

General Altimax RT43s. Good price, good treadlife, good handling. Great reviews on ConsumerReports too.

[PonchoGT]

I don't have good things to say about the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 tires I bought back in May.

They were nice and quiet for about the first 200 miles, but have since gotten uncomfortably noisy. I'm taking them back to my local authorized Hankook dealer to see what they say since they're still under warranty.

I've already contacted Hankook and learned their Ventus S1 Noble 2 tires were recalled in 2016 for quality control issues stemming from cracked sidewalls.

[ihaveavibe]

For whatever it’s worth, I got a set of Pirelli P4’s installed for about $100/tire at a local chain (Mavis). I negotiated the price on the phone, which I recommend vs just taking the advertised price. I wound up buying road hazard one year later after the babysitter shredded one. They gave me the 5th tire for the same price as the first four and since they had it all in the shop and saw the condition they were in went ahead with offering the insurance. Slight case of closing the barn door after the horse is gone, but these things happen, and may again.
As for the Pirellis themselves - they seem to be ok all-seasons. I’m not much of a tire guy.

[Mark]

+2 on the Cooper CS3. Running them on two Vibes and they've been great tires so far. Not sure that they'll make it 65k, but I haven't had any tire yet on the Vibes that has. I will need a new set this spring for Vibe #3 and will look at either the CS3 or the Firestone Fuel Fighter. I have those on my wife's CR-V and they seem like pretty decent tires.

I used to buy two tires at a time, front or rear, but gave that up years ago. I think in the long run you're money ahead to get four new tires and keep them rotated. Firestone and Cooper both offer pretty good rebates on a set of four a couple times a year, I just need to time it right.

[vibrologist]

Here is the updated pocket friendly list by tirereviewsandmore:
https://tirereviewsandmore.com/10-most- ... s-in-2018/

Interestingly the Cooper CS3 is no longer present. Cooper's Starfire RS-C 2.0 is listed now.

[Mark]

Yeah, the local dealer told me that the CS3 has been replaced by the Evolution Tour. They look like the same tire.

http://us.coopertire.com/tires/evolution-tour.aspx

[ihaveavibe]

Here is the updated pocket friendly list by tirereviewsandmore:
https://tirereviewsandmore.com/10-most- ... s-in-2018/

Interestingly the Cooper CS3 is no longer present. Cooper's Starfire RS-C 2.0 is listed now.

Good to know (the latest version of) my Pirelli P4's made #3 on the list of all seasons for winter! I feel better about them now.

https://tirereviewsandmore.com/top-10-p ... r-driving/

[ColonelPanic]

The Vibe needs tires soon. Mainly interested in finding something with a smooth and quiet ride (because Vibe) as well as good wet weather performance. Not as concerned with snow as the Vibe stays off the roads when they're salty. We put a whopping 3600 miles on the Vibe last year, so obviously any sort of mileage warranty is a moot point.

I'm curious about those new Cooper Evolution Tours, $77 on the Discount Tire site. Seems promising from what reviews I've been able to find thus far, anybody have any experience with these yet? If it is similar to the CS3 then it sounds like a great option.

Also under consideration is the RT43. I have those on my Sonic and they've been an excellent tire. They're a little more expensive though ($90.)

[Caretaker]

The General R/T 43 should be a top choice. I have them on the HET. The Vibe has Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus tires and they are amazingly smooth and quiet. In fact, I stopped rotating them over 15 months ago and also have not gotten an alignment in 2 years. They are wearing very evenly and still remain as quiet and soft as when they were new. With every owner agreeing with that last statement, Pirelli has raised the prices over the years. Still cheaper than Michelin and as good or better. I've had no problems cornering in rain (which is always laden with a year of oil residue since it never rains here), and I jammed on the brakes going 50 the other day when I saw a cop at the last moment just before I was about to run a red light. Not only do my 10 year old anti lock brakes still work perfectly, but my well worn P7s stopped very efficiently.

[ColonelPanic]

I noticed yesterday that Discount Tire is running a 10% rebate in the form of a prepaid Mastercard this weekend. I looked at their options again yesterday and decided to go with the Cooper Evolution Tour. The RT43 is a very good tire but came in a little too high for a car that's just going to sit around all of the time. I did buy a set for the Mrs' Escape a couple weeks back. While the RT43 is a good value for what it is, I'm still trying to get over the sting of the cost of tires in that size. Thus, another reason to consider a lesser expensive tire...

The Coopers worked out to $400 after installation (before rebate and excluding tax.) I did add the road hazard warranty for $49, though given the car's limited use we might not ever need it.

20190525_091816 - Edited.jpg (955.19 KiB) Viewed 6930 times

20190525_091844 - Edited.jpg (158.93 KiB) Viewed 6932 times

While it's way too early to form much of an opinion on them, initial impressions are very favorable. The ride is vastly improved over the old Bridgestones. Feels like a completely different car. They're also quieter than the old tires, though perhaps not RT43 quiet. On stretches of concrete highway you're still reminded that you're in a Vibe. Handled great in the whopping 20 miles I've driven it so far. No idea about wet weather traction, it's sunny and warm here at the moment.

I'll keep you guys updated as we add some miles on 'em.

[Caretaker]

Don't forget to check Walmart online. I found some Mastercraft tires that they were practically giving away. When Walmart wants to discount something to get rid of it, it is worth a look.

https://tirereviewsandmore.com/mastercr ... 0-reviews/

Good luck

[Mark]

I put a set of new Evolution Tour 205/60s on my 08 last week when I had the winter tires taken off. Very noticeable ride improvement even over the same size CS3s that are on my 05. Got about 5-6/32nds on those so I'll run them at least for the summer, or as long as they'll last then replace with the ETs.