I need new tires...

[Ali]

and it's been so long since I've bought new tires that I can't remember how to go about it.

Can anybody help me?

[shopaholic]

go to a tire store ???

[kari]

I got a good deal at Costco, they have good tires.

[boilermaker]

There are a lot of things you can do. What kind of tires are you looking for? Just something cheap to get you by. Something with good performance? For a car or SUV or truck?

Honestly, if you are looking for cheap tires that are round and black, I would look at places like Costco, Sam's or Walmart. If you want something middle of the road, try a branded product but the lower end ones like Kelly, Cooper, Uniroyal.

If you are looking for performance, the best place to figure out what you want is at www.tirerack.com. They carry all the major brands and have a great website with lots of info.

If you let me know which catagory you want, along with your car and tire size, I can give you more info...

[Tanya]

Hey, I just bought new tires yesterday! They were for a Ford Escape (SUV). I found the ones I wanted at tirerack.com based on the reviews and then called Discount Tire, NTB, Sears and a local place to see (1) if they carried them/how long it would take to get them and (2) if they match internet pricing. The first 3 do match (tire price + shipping), but add a bit for installation/balancing. That's fair b/c if I ordered them off the net, I'd still have to pay someone to install.

I went w/ DT because they could get the tires in a day, Sears would take 3-5 days, and NTB doesn't carry Bridgestone. The tires in the store were $130/tire, but I had the internet price as $107 (incl. s/h), and when we added the $15/tire for install, I saved $32. Not great, but still better than just showing up! Plus, Bridgestone is have a rebate going on right now on the purchase of 4 tires (dep. on the tire, $50-$100), so I'll get another $75 back. The tires I bought got great reviews, so that makes me feel better than just taking the tire guy's word for it. I didn't buy the road hazard warranty, since it was too much IMO (last time I bought tires it was $7/tire, this time it was $20/tire), and I've never had to use it.

[marchfamily]

Consumer Reports has something about tires this month.

[Ali]

I am looking for all-weather tires for a Toyota sedan. I have been looking at tires on the website, but it seems like there are those who love their tires with a passion, and those who hate their tires with a passion, and they are all talking about the same tires!

[karlatta]

I am lazy and just go with the same tires that were on when I bought the car from the dealership. That way I don't have to decide, and I already know I'm happy with the tires.

Have you looked into doing that? I think it's the lazy way out, but it works for me!

[Smillow]

I bought tires at Costco last month & it was actually a pleasurable experience (LOL). The people who helped me looked at the car & showed me my options & it took about 30 minutes (YMMV).
Good luck!

[boilermaker]

I am looking for all-weather tires for a Toyota sedan. I have been looking at tires on the website, but it seems like there are those who love their tires with a passion, and those who hate their tires with a passion, and they are all talking about the same tires!

What type of price range are you talking about? A good all season touring tire is going to run you anywhere from $85 each for decent ones to $150 each for great ones.

Which ones were you looking at on Tire Rack?

[boilermaker]

I am lazy and just go with the same tires that were on when I bought the car from the dealership. That way I don't have to decide, and I already know I'm happy with the tires.

Have you looked into doing that? I think it's the lazy way out, but it works for me!

You actually get two different tires this way...the tires made for original equipment are geared to provide the best gas milage as that's what car companies focus on. Whereas replacement tires typically are more geared towards either performance or treadlife. Also, you typically pay more by going to the dealership than you would going almost anywhere else. But as long as your happy....

[sandt8704]

And whatever you do, don't buy them at the dealership!

[kindermom]

I just got 2 tires at Sears and I know that I paid way too much for them. They charged me about $50 per tire just to put them on! :eek:

[mkredhead]

I drive a 2000 Mercury Cougar that only takes high-performance racing tires. My car is in no way a race car, but I had to bite the bullet and get new tires last year.

I went to Tire Discounters and had a great experience. The tires were pretty expensive, but I did add the warranty to the end total. That extra $10/tire is SOO worth it. Two weeks after purchasing the new tires, I got a flat. They sent a repairman to my location, and he changed the tire for me free of charge. Then I took the car back to Tire Discounters and they replaced the tire for free, no questions asked.

If you have one of their stores in your area, it would be worth a look.

Good luck.

[vwinkel]

Bump! I need to buy new tires. I travel 120 miles a day to/from work so gas mileage is huge for me. I don't want to pay an arm and leg though either and want something that will last. Any further suggestions?

[Katy]

VW, I usually check out Costco/Sam's for our tires. They've been the cheapest for what we need at least 3x now.

PS - thanks for searching ;) I moved this to the cars etc forum

[vwinkel]

VW, I usually check out Costco/Sam's for our tires. They've been the cheapest for what we need at least 3x now.

PS - thanks for searching ;) I moved this to the cars etc forum
I knew it would need to be moved! ;) You are FAST!

[boilermaker]

What kind of vehicle do you have?

[JLRenheos]

I have a '03 Toyota Camry- What kind of tire would you recommend? My tire size is: 205 60R15 I'm probably looking at spending somewhere around $350 on up.

I need tires BAD! I've got inner & outer wear (someone told me due to tire pressure & wear, of course). I hardly have any tread at all left. eek!

I was looking at a 'Firestone' brand of tire & they told me to stay away from that brand. He told me to try out BFGoodrich. I'm also going to check out Grismer as well.

I'm on the hunt & I may just end up getting tires this weekend. I've already gotten quotes from 2 diff. places(Tire Discounters & Big O Tire).

[boilermaker]

JL, I'm impressed you know your tire size! Very few people do.

For your vehicle, I'd look at Goodyear Assurance ComforTred or Regatta II. The Michelin Harmony is also a good tire in that class, but a little out of your price range. All 3 of those would be better performers than the BFGoodrich and have higher treadwear warranties.

As for the inner and outer wear, it is most likely due to driving around with underinflated tires. You should check your tire pressure once a month. Driving with the correct tire pressure also impacts your fuel economy, so it can save you money that way. You may also have an alignment issue, so you should have that checked as well.

I'd also check www.tirerack.com and Sams/Walmart for prices.

[vwinkel]

boilermaker - I have a Nissan Altima 2005. I have the factory wheels on it and have 92,000 miles. I know I need new tires badly! What would you suggest?

[snapdragon]

My brother works for a tire distributor and we needed new tires. He got us some Pirelli tires that will probably outlast the car and our car is a 2004 :) They were all season with a high traction rating and should last over 150,000km (not sure what that translates to in miles). They are great for cornering and the ride is pretty smooth and quiet. I live in a city that gets a lot of rain so good tires in the rain were important to me. I've never had an issue with traction since we put these tires on.

[boilermaker]

boilermaker - I have a Nissan Altima 2005. I have the factory wheels on it and have 92,000 miles. I know I need new tires badly! What would you suggest?

Do you know the trim level or current tire size? It makes a difference as to what will fit your vehicle. Also, are you looking for a performance tire or a more general all season car tire?

ETA:
Rather than going back and forth...
if you have the 2.5 model, you prob want an all-season passenger car tire. I'd recommend the Goodyear Comfortred or Regatta if you are looking for a basic comfortable tire. For something more sporty and better in wet and snow conditions, upgrade to the Goodyear TripleTred or Michelin HydroEdge. The TripleTred tire is the #1 tire on many surveys, magazine tests, etc.
If you have the 3.5, you could go with any of the above or you could do more of a performance tire. In that case, you have the Goodyear ResponsEdge, the Bridgstone Potenza or the Michelin Primacy MXV4.

If those are out of yoru price range, let me know and I can recommend some other ones for you to consider.

[JLRenheos]

Boilermaker I've been getting quotes at places, which tires of these would you recommend?-btw, I have *several*. ~Thanks Oh, thank you for the rebate. ;)

~This is my tire size: 205 65R15 (I have a '03 Toyota Camry/4dr.)

Quotes are Prices from Sam's Club- these were the only selections they had in my size-see above.

~Goodyear Allegra 92T - $72.28 ea./$333.12(4)
Speed rated "T" -don't know what that means??
Black serrated sidewall
Wide, Flat thread
Premium All-Season
75K mile warranty
*I think I can use the $40 rebate on this?

~BFGoodrich Tour T/A Pro Series 92V - $94.54 ea./$422.16(4)
60K mle warranty

~Goodyear EAgle GSH - $77.76 ea./$355.04(4)
50K mile warranty
Robust wet/dry traction
High Performance
Enhanced steering control
*I think I can use the $40 rebate on this?

~BFGoodrich PRO 92T - $65.88 ea./$307.52(4)
70K mile warranty
Great traction
resist hydroplaning
predictable handling

~Bridgestone Potenza RE950 65R15 92H - $71.18 ea./$328.72(4)
45K mile warranty

~BFGoodrich PRO 92H - $69.88 ea./$323.52(4)
60K mile warranty

~Tire Installation Pckg. includes*:
Tire Moutning & Balance
New valve stem
Lifetime* rotation & balancing, every 6-8K miles
Lifetime* air pressure
Lifetime* tire rpr.
Road hazzard warranty**
**-for usable life of tire

I'll have to pay for an alignment by itself.

[JLRenheos]

At Tire Discounters

These quotes are for the size - *205/65R15*

I was quoted for the following: prices are w/o tax

~Kumbo 7323 - $67.95 ea./$303.67(4)
50K mile warranty

~Toyo Spectrum - $97.95 ea./$432.07(4)
70K mile warranty

~Capitol N/5000 HR - $92.95 ea./$410.67(4)
60K mile warranty

~Bridgestone Potenza 009 TR - $123.80 ea./$542.70(4)
*this one is out of my $ range

All of this includes:
Nitrogen Inflation
4 wheel alignment(w/4 tires)
computerized wheel balancing
Lifetime balancing & rotation-every 5K miles
Lifetime valve stems
all factory warranty svc.
spare tire inspection
whitewall cleaning
hand-torque all lugs

continued...

[JLRenheos]

These quotes are from FIRESTONE & for the size: 205/65R15

~Firestone UNI-T FR7 10 BL 92T - $62.99 ea./$251.96(4)
65K mile warranty

~Bridgestone UNI-T Insignia SE200 W/UNI-T BL 92T - $92.99 ea./$371.96(4)
65K mile warranty

~Firestone UNI-T Firehawk GT BL 92H - $95.99 ea./$383.96(4)
50K mile warranty

~Cost for an alignment there is: $69.99 one time/$129.99 lifetime

~**There are fees for the lifetime new tire, lifetime rubber valve, protect tire rpr., & tire disposal fee(1)**
I think there is a lifetime balance w/the purchase of 4 tires.

~On the back of Kroger's reciepts there is a 20% off coupon for your total costs

I might do just a little more research this week. Hopefully, by this weekend or next, I'll have some new tires...

[boilermaker]

JL, with tires, you definitely get what you pay for. The tires at Sams are all middle of the road, perfectly fine tires. But not the best. I would encourage you to get some quotes of the higher end Goodyear tires, the Assurance ComforTred and TripleTred tires. They are rated best in class by many consumer magazines and website. They are also currently on sale with an $80 rebate per 4 tires, you can add the $40 rebate I sent you to that. They should run about $100/tire for your size, so with all the rebates would be about $70. Which is a great deal. The sale runs through 8/25.

As for the difference in those 2, the TripleTred would be great for all season driving. They are a little more sporty and thus a little stiffer and louder than the ComforTred but still better than most other tires. The ComforTred tires are designed for surprise...comfort :) They are a softer ride and very quite.

[jenjen0713]

boilermaker - I hope you still read this thread as I need some tire help. I bought one new tire in January 06 (Goodyear Eagle LS) and have since probably put on 10-12K miles.

Should I get three new tires or just get four new ones?

Also, I plan on only having this car for approximatly 18 more months before I get something else so I don't want or need top of the line tires. I mainly drive in town (stop and go traffic) and go on long road trips maybe every 6 weeks to visit family. I have a 2004 Chrysler Sebring Convertible V6. Any recommendations for what tire I should get?

[boilermaker]

jenjen, in regards to keeping that tire and just getting 3 others, it depends :)

If the tire is in good shape, you have a well balanced and aligned car and you put similar (or exact) match tires on the other 3 wheels, you should have plenty of life left in that tire that you would not need to replace it. However, if is has uneven wear or you are changing to a completely different tire, you should pull it off and replace all 4. Some places may be willing to give you a credit on the tire as they can resell it as a used tire.

As for getting new tires, the Eagle LS is a perfectly good line. It is also a mid-tier line, so should run around $80-$90/tire. You'd be hard pressed to find something cheaper than that with your vehicle requirements (speed and load rating) that isn't the very value line tire. If you really want to go lower than that, whatever you get will be fine.

If you do get the Goodyears, they are on sale right now and I can send you a rebate for $10/tire. Just PM me.

[jenjen0713]

Thanks boilermaker! I'll PM you as I am getting Goodyear ones.

[attorneymom]

Bumping this a bit, because DH and I need new tires for my Passat Wagon. We know the size and general class (i.e., all season, fairly highly rated, etc.), but I'm specifically wondering about Costco. I see that a few of you have purchased tires there. Any insight? Service after sale?