GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I never heard of this brand till I saw them mentioned in a couple threads on here. The PA31 on Tire Rack looks really good overall, other than I can't find them in 205/55-16 anywhere around here. Is anyone running these? And what are your impressions/thoughts? The tire specifically or the brand in general?

I've been running Goodyears for a long time now and overall fairly happy, but a lot of that was loyalty to a local Goodyear tire shop. They went out of business recently, so that leaves me looking at alternatives.

Honestly, I never really liked Goodyear tires. My preference is with Michelin. Keep in mind that Michelin produces B.F. Goodrich and Uniroyal. Uniroyal usually runs a sale in October.
I cannot speak about the Kumho tire brand other than having had 2 Kumho KR 21 on a Mazda Protege together with a pair of another brand of tires. I thought they were decent tires for that application. Quite frankly, I like the looks of the tread design.

I've put a set of Michelin Defender on my Vibe. I love them: they are quiet, they corner really well, they have good wet traction, but I don't know about snow yet. They are warrantied for 90K miles.
My wife's car has Goodrich Traction T/A's on it.. They are very much like the Michelin. However,they are not as quiet and the warranty is shorter.

I suppose the Uniroyal Tiger Paw offers a little less than the Goodrich. It is the least expensive tire in the line- up.

I like to read up on the reviews on Tire Rack and I pay attention to reviews that are based on some significant miles driven in cars that are of similar design as mine.

I had Kumho LX Platinum in 225/45/17 a few years ago. The were excellent tires. Smooth, quiet, handled well. The only issue you may have with the PA31 is that it is a V rated high performance tire and as such will likely wear out quite fast. I doubt very much if they make it anywhere near the 50,000 mile pro-rated warranty.

P.S. You'll notice that the Goodyear Eagle RS-A which came stock on the Vibe for many years rated last out of 15 tires on the survey. I sold mine when the car was a few weeks old.

If you're looking for a less performance oriented high mileage tire, I highly recommend Hankook Optimo H727, another Korean tire like the Kumho. I had them on a '97 Outback. I put a set on my wife's 2012 Outback to replace the crappy Continentals that came on it.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... =16&cs=205

I had Kumhos on my Mustang for about 3-4 years and they were pretty good tires. I got the most miles from them than any prior tire, close to 45K I think it was. And we put a couple of them on my former 2010 Vibe GT over a year ago after my daughter drove several miles on a tire with 5lbs of air in it. Those were a great price, like $158 total for two, but they were a bit shorter than I would have preferred. They didn't have the preferred size in stock in town, so we had to take what we could get. They performed pretty well though during the 9 months we had them. I will probably be buying a couple more for the 03 GT next year when it needs two new tires, and go up a size on them.

Mark: I have owned the entire line of Michelin tires and believe I have found at least one tire that is better than the Michelin: the Pirelli P7 Plus Cinturato. I have it on the Vibe now and they replaced the Michelin MXV4. They are every bit as soft as the MXV4s and were a whole lot less expensive. I also have had Kumho LX Platinums on my Fit, and Hankook H727s on my Hyundai. I now have General Altimax RT43s on my Fit. Of all of them, the Pirellis are outstanding and come in your size. There are a whole host of online tire dealers these days. I found mine dirt cheap and actually got a double rebate. Do your research on Tire Rack and then shop other online stores for the best value. Good luck.

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.

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.

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.

As caretaker said:

Do your research on Tire Rack and then shop other online stores for the best value.

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.

vibrologist wrote:Honestly, I never really liked Goodyear tires. My preference is with Michelin. Keep in mind that Michelin produces Bridgestone

I think you may mean B.F. Goodrich. Bridgestone is part of Firestone.

I had Kumho Ecsta AST tires on my former 2002 Pontiac Sunfires and didn't have any issues with them. I don't remember how many miles I put on them or anything, but they had plenty of tread left when I sold them mounted on some aftermarket wheels after I got the Vibe.

My dad has Hankook tires (can't recall which model specifically and am too lazy to go outside and look right now ), but he had them installed late last year or early this year and they seem to be a really decent all season tire.

I'm planning on getting some Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 summer tires installed on the OEM 18s for both our Vibes in the spring. I have been going to a local tire shop for quite a few years now and will be getting the Hankooks from them. They quoted me $640.00 mounted and balanced for 4 215/45/18 Hankooks. I am wanting to upsize to 235/40/18, but haven't stopped by to ask them about a price difference yet, but I doubt it will be much if any.

mbz321 wrote:

vibrologist wrote:Honestly, I never really liked Goodyear tires. My preference is with Michelin. Keep in mind that Michelin produces Bridgestone

I think you may mean B.F. Goodrich. Bridgestone is part of Firestone.

Yes indeed, my bad! i will correct it in my post.

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.

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.

I forgot to mention another good tire brand I have experience with... Kelly. Back in the fall of 2009 I went to my local tire shop to see about getting tires for the steel wheels we were going to use on the Vibes during the winter months. I ended up getting Kelly Explorer all season tires. These tires have been amazing in the snow, ice, rain, etc. They have held up really well (they probably only see maybe 5000 miles a year at the most), but they still look brand new and are wearing evenly and all. I don't recall an exact price, but I know the price was pretty decent, not super cheap, but not super expensive either. Just an FYI .

Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like Kelly might make the Arizonian for Discount, wonder if they're the same quality.

I've had good luck with the Kumhos. Good tire for the price. I've used summer and all seasons. Don't recall the models, though.

Mark wrote:Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like Kelly might make the Arizonian for Discount, wonder if they're the same quality.

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.

I replaced the Arizonians with FALKEN Sinceras, which seem to be the same quality as well all around. I would recommend neither for autocross, though.

Sorry Vibrologist, but I don't think there is a local store on this planet that is going to even entertain an online tire store's pricing structure. As one who spends day and night shopping online for everything, I can say that tires online are FAR cheaper than anything I have ever seen in a brick and mortar store, even when they have their buy 3 get one free "deal." Brick and mortar tire stores will only match/beat other brick and mortar store "deals." 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. So, just because you buy tires on line (for a substantial cost saving), you will still need to buy a package from someone. At Pep Boys for instance, I take my tires there because once I pay for them to mount/balance my new tires, they give me free lifetime rotations (for Pep Boys card holders) to include flat repairs. I still will have to pay for rebalancing should the tires require it. Rotations are much more necessary than rebalancing, which is overdone at places like Costco where they just rip off your old weights and end up slapping on new ones in the same place every 6000 miles. In summary, if you think you are getting anywhere close to a deal on tires in a brick and mortar store compared to the myriad of online tire websites, you are fooling yourself. Moreover, excellent tires like Firestone's Precision Touring are not even available at Firestone brick and mortar stores. Even they have to "special order" their own tire. When I got the price from my local Firestone dealer, it was nowhere close to the delivered price from Roadway Tire down in the Ft. Lauderdale area, even after the $16 per tire mounting at any of the local shops (ie: Pep Boys) in my area.
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. 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.

Wow, Caretaker. That is almost a book for a reply. All I wanted to convey is that you can shop locally and you can get good deals if you point out there are on-line deals available. I saved a bunch of money on spare parts that way.
Purely looking to save dollars your approach is best.

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.

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: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 bought it with 145k on the clock, from a guy who very likely put the cheapest tires he could find on it.

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.

Hmm, that's definitely good to know.

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. ...

they will have to pry my H727's from my cold dead hands!

Chiadog wrote:

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. ...

they will have to pry my H727's from my cold dead hands!

And they will probably last that long too!

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

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 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:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tireca ... -205-60r16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;








Not sure I completely understand the gear ratio/rpm table at the bottom of the page, I have to study it some more and look up the Vibe 4-spd gear ratios.

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.

I think I'm going with Cooper CS3 Touring 205/60R16T's on both cars. Local shop will do all eight for $800, including road hazard and lifetime rotate/balance. Seems like a decent tire, gets good reviews.

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.

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.

Another vote for Hankook 727's here. I've had 3 sets on 2 different vehicles and have been very pleased with the wear, handling, and value for the $$ of the tires.

Got the Cooper's put on Stealth today, can't believe the difference they made in ride, handling and especially noise. The 205/60 size definitely looks better too, thanks for the tip Leemur. Getting Frosty done tomorrow.

http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Passenge ... uring.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Went with the H speed on Stealth, they were only $2 more per tire and the shop said they won't go below manufacturer's spec on speed rating anyway. I'm ok with it, and they couldn't get the H for Frosty, so they're putting on V's for the same price.

We'll see after 30 or 40k miles how they hold up.