vibe needs some new tires

[sparrow]

My vibe needs some new tires, the stock ones are going bald and i don't like them. For me, i want something with low rolling resistance (better gas mileage) and good performance, ride isn't as important. I"m looking at the following tires, do any of yall have thoughts on these or suggestions. I"m a poor grad student so cheaper is better, but i've budgeted for new tires this summer and if its worth it, i can swing slightly more expensive tires. SO what do yall suggest?Three i've been considering: Kumho solus KH-16 - decent preformance, cheapMichelin HydroEdge/Goodyear Assurance Tripletred - good preformance, but expensive

[ehoff121]

http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=37247

[djkeev]

Add another factor, road noise. This is way more important than you may think in a car that is already only marginally insulated from the environment in which it operates. I had a set of tires that did not have good noise ratings and the difference after they were removed was amazing. The car is vastly improved now, I can actually hear the radio and people talking inside of the car!!Dave

[cptnsolo77]

Yes, I have the same problem. So much road noise. What tires are you running now? Im going to be in the market for some new tires and im doing my homework ahead of time.

[NibCrom]

JUST bought BF Goodrich Traction TA tires from Tirerack.com for $56 each! That's super cheap for such a good tire. I've had these tires before on my Alero. They are a very good tire.

[sparrow]

The tires i have that I hate are goodyear eagle RSA. I'm looking at HRI fusion, but am slightly worried about tread life vs how much i spend. THey are warrantied for 40k miles vs slightly more expensive tires that are warrantied for 60k or more. Is that warranty just becasue they are "preformance" tires?Would something like the Yokohama Avid T-4 or Goodyear Eagle GT be better? THey are around 10-20$ more expensive per tire, but they have slightly higher mileage warranties.

[Sublimewind]

Personally, I would touch ANY of the tires mentioned.. I'll tell you why... People seem to always go for the "best value" in tires... forgetting that the tires are the only thing between you and the road... High mileage "low rolling resistance" tires are HARD, it's the only way they can make the mileage figures.. Well, hard tires tend to act like SLEDS when it comes time for a panic stop... You may NEVER have to make a panic maneuver in the lifetime of your tires.. BUT, that ONE time you do, wouldn't you want to know you did EVERYTHING in your power you could to avoid something serious.. ?? Well a hard, high mileage tire may not allow for that... in fact, it could contribute to a more serious accident.. grip is a BIG factor.. Now, understand, this is nothing more than MY opinion, and I speak it often, everyone will confirm that.. lol.. But, wouldn't you want to know that if you spent a bit more (what 200$ maybe) you could put you and your family on tires that would perform better? I say this a lot to people about snow tires... For the cost of a set of snow tires and wheels (~600$) you could possibly avoid needing to pay out the 500$ deductible(depending on what yours might be) to your insurance company and better yet, could possibly avoid INJURY at the same time.. buying a more expensive tire is CHEAP insurance.. ask anyone that has purchased a set of snow tires, after my recommendation... They will easily tell you that the confidence gained was well worth money spent.. Same goes for summer tires.. Cheers and welcome to GV... lol..

[bull77]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »Personally, I would touch ANY of the tires mentioned.. I'll tell you why...he probably meant to say wouldn't what about general exclaim uhp? heard good things and several members are running them...

[sparrow]

Thanks for yall's responses! As far as I know, none of the tires i've listed are "high mileage tires" - but it looked like they have decent performance on wet and dry roads. If i can have those two things, then a tire that lasts longer is nicer. It seems like performance tires trade pure grip for life. . . where that line is for me I dunno. I'm thinking i'm gonna get the goodyear eagles:http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...WR7GTInstalled 134 - $20 off per tire = 129 per tire.

[Sublimewind]

Yeah, that's a question you have to ask yourself.. I wasn't pointing you straight at pure performance tires, mind you, but maybe something a little less all season.... that goodyear doesn't look half bad.. Check these out though... http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...a+ASXI've owned 2 set of Kumho tires and I am thinking about getting the SPT next for my Subaru..

[Caretaker]

'nuff said:Grand Touring All Season: Michelin Primacy MXV4 (ratings are on a scale of 1 to 10)Rating***Wet Performance***Dry*****Winter******Comfort***# ofUser Ratings **1******* 8.7 8.7***8.7 9.1 8.6***7.9 7.0 7.3***9.0 8.8 9.2***1,371,050

[cptnsolo77]

Thats funny, I have been looking at the Kuhmo ASX for my next set of tires.

[brbo]

I agree 100% anything between you and the earth needs to be the best quality that can be afforded without question,,I was also looking at the Hydroedge - which I've heard great things about from numerous owners however a bit of a concern on the rubber compound that's got an UTQG of 800,, and considering I use Snows for the winter I'm not shopping for the longest durability tire... but I did hear good winter stories about these...plus no size in 17" made it a noI'm most likely buying the Conti ExtremeContact DWS http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...t+DWS With the reviews I've read and the quality of the German products they build and a UTQG of 540 for decent longevity yet some grip I'm thinking this is a really decent tire for the Vibe.. I know many of you have expressed issues with the OE CH95 however they are designed specifically to give the tire a quiet quality with good fuel economy ride... not longevity waht can you expect with a UTQG of 180... I have not heard one negative comment about Continentals other than the OE wore out too quickly but with regards to noise, quality and ride they have been outstanding and think the DWS will be a strong performer,, any comments or opinions ?

[Sublimewind]

That doesn't look like a bad tire... I find it funny that they are basing the tires snow/wet/dry performance based on tread depth though... lol... The DWS, is nothing more than a molded in wear indicator.. The S would be the shallowest, because you want the deepest tread depth for snow.. The W would be next, for the same reason as above The D would be the last (deepest), lets face it, (almost) slicks are best for the dry... lol..

[brbo]

Yeah I think I'm going to order them, there has been a few sets of Conti's in the family and never an issue to speak of and always great quality and performance... Yeah I kinda laughed at the wear indicators also but that's not the reason I'm getting them...

[Whelan]

My cousin has had great results with Continentals, I also used to have a set of Kumho that worked well. But for me the General Altimax I am running now are going to stay. Good mileage, noise is very reduced, and the performance is on par with my driving style and where I drive. So another set will be put on once and if these ever wear down. So far almost 15k on them with very very little wear. They are not a very hard tire either.At this point I speak from personal use having used brands like Avon, Goodyear, Kumho, Toyo.

[dragon64]

A tire I would suggest is the Falken Ziex ZE-912 they are a reasonable priced but surprizingly have very good handling and cornering stability, wet and dry traction and low rolling resistance. Most people that have bought these tire notice a 2-3 MPG average increase in fuel mileage, they stick to the road without wearing fast and that they very quiet. Another brand I would consider is Maxxis. Not a household name but they make very good tires. Compared to the more well know tires brands tires shops are reporting fewer quality and installation issues when compared to the major brand names and best of all is the price. I have not tried any of their All-Season tires yet but there street legal performance tires are every bit as good as Toyo T-1R, Yokohama S-Drive, etc but without the priceOver the years I have not been very impressed with Kumho at the retail level. Too many QC, Warranty and installation issues for there non performance racing tires. To add to this the company I'm on contract with is involved with both Kia and Hyundia to put together a dealer level aftermarket program. We are in to see the various dealers on a regular basis and none seem to have much good to say about the OE Kumho tires either.

[brbo]

I'm also in the biz and regardless what anyone says the manufacturer of everyday vehicles, want three things in their rubber supply - quiet / fuel economy / quality - nothing to do with longevity - you need to keep that in mind with OE tire... don't base a decision on a brand from one model...

[sparrow]

Ok so i got the Eagle - GT's. Tryin to take it easy for the first 50 mi or so, that can be hard sometimes. THe tires have a deep tread - like something you'd see on a truck. I have no idea how they were able to get high performance ratings, but it seems like these tires will be good in the snow or in muddy conditions.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by sparrow »Ok so i got the Eagle - GT's. Tryin to take it easy for the first 50 mi or so, that can be hard sometimes. THe tires have a deep tread - like something you'd see on a truck. I have no idea how they were able to get high performance ratings, but it seems like these tires will be good in the snow or in muddy conditions. Congratz..!! You might want to take it easy on them for more like 100mi, to get that first layer of casting rubber off... But you can also speed that up by swerving back n forth a bit here n there... you just want to scrub the tire real good... They say that is an all season tire man, but PLEASE, don't trust your life or the lives of others, with those tires in the snow.. Mud/rain, sure, they look like they would be great, but coming from someone that "knows", those are an accident waiting to happen in the snow... Beware, be warned..