speedemon90

For the short version see bottom of post.


So my dad told me to look for some tires for my moms 2008 accord.
He didnt give me any info so thats basically all I know.
I'm gonna guess we will want all-season just because we occasionally head up the mountains. It doesnt really need to be good in snow as that is the least priority when selecting the tire.

I have no clue if my dad wants to go with performance or comfort, but I'm gonna see if I can find something in between.

Now even though its my mom's car I would prefer some sport and my dad would too for the occasion when we end up driving it, which we do frequently.

So I'll say a balanced tire for comfort and sport in wet and dry conditions.

Throw all-season or summer tires at me... Price range - no more than $50

Ohh and as the title goes is there any way of figuring out how long different tires last?

Short version:
Comfort and sporty all-season or summer tires no more than $500 for 4. And an answer to the title of the thread.

These are the tires I saw so far through a quick search at tire rack.

Continental extreme contact DWS 225/50/R17 $500 for 4 at tirerack

and on the opposite realm

kuhmo ecsta lx platinum, same tire size. $464 at tirerack

^ that tire looks pretty good. Its more based on comfort but thats fine. Only thing is, how long will it last? Couldnt find it in some reviews.

Any help or any other tire suggestions.

Spike TL

When it comes to tires you get what you pay for. Yeah cheap tires are nice because they are cheap, but they normally suck in the wet and some will not last very long. It goes the same with the more expensive tires. They will last longer as well as perform better in the wet.

The tires do say on them how long they should last (treadwear) & (traction). But it also has to do with how you drive the vehicle, if you are a hard driver, like just flooring it from a stop light, going around corners faster then normal, late breaker, they will all wear the tire fast. If you are a easy driver that is never really hard on your vehicle, the tires will last you longer.

Plus rotating your tires every oil change helps with the life on them.

Hope that helps you out.

dallison

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tiretech.jsp

black label

I'm a fan of some of the lesser known brands (or at least they used to lesser known). I have always had good luck with Falkens, Kuhmos, and Toyos. Being that this is Azine, most of us tend to go with a higher performace tire than your parents would really need.

When it comes to tires everything is a trade off. Tires designed provide excellent grip in dry conditions typically wear out faster than a general touring tire. Grip usually comes from a softer rubber compound, the softer the rubber the easier it will wear away. Some tires are designed to increase fuel economy, this is typically done with a hard rubber compound for lower "rolling resistance". While fuel economy and tire life will be better, the trade off is a less smooth ride.

If you go with a summer tire, you will have absolutely no traction in 1/4" of snow. If you will drive in the snow at all, you need an all season tire.

The numbers you shoud really concern yourself with are the tread wear rating, unless your parents are street racers or autocrossers, the temp and traction ratings aren't that important.

silver3.5

if you want a balance of performance, grip ( light snow and rain), quietness, and longevity, get some ultra-high performance all-season tires. i have had good luck with the following tires so far:

-pirelli pzero nero a/s
-michelin pilot sport a/s plus
-continental contiextreme contact
-pirelli pzero nero m/s

but my favorite from this group is the pirelli pzero nero m/s

dallison

We just got these on our integra so i don't know anything about tread life. We paid $360 for a set of 4 mounted/balanced/etx out the door.

It was buy three get one free instantly at the local American car care center.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

After owning three sets, I would recommend staying away from Kumho.

One set suffered tread separation on all four tires. FML.



Tread wear rating is a good indicator. But one thing to keep in mind is that there is no common testing method. Each manufacturer can and does use their own testing method. Though there isn't a huge variable, there certainly exists a difference even if two tires of different brands had the same rating. My point is, if it comes down to the tire wear rating, don't make your decision just because one is like 40 points higher than the other.

silver3.5

talking about kumho, i would not recommend them at all. their prices are relatively cheaper than other brands but you get what you pay for. in the past, i had tried kumho ecsta asx and spt; they both suck big time with lots of road noise, thread wear was horrible, and comfort was non-existent. i also had a bad experience with Avon tires; no wonder tirerack stopped carrying them.

TS_eXpeed

I don't remember the model, but my TSX has a set of Sumitomos that I got a couple years ago and they've done fairly well. Have right at about 50K miles on them and I'd say they probably have at least another 10-15K left.

I think they were about 500-600 for the set.

They have some mild feathering, but I think that's more due to the fact that I enjoy taking turns a little fast every now and then. :devilgrin

speedemon90

Hmm seems like a few of you guys have had problems with kumhos. I'll put that into consideration. The specific kumho tire I'm looking at got pretty good reviews on tirerack, so maybe this model is better? Its a grand tourer type of tire.

speedemon90

Ohh and thanks for the responses, I didn't know manufacturers put thread wear ratings on their tires Some how I've never seen to come across that. But yea I wont base my decision on that because manufacturers can test it different ways to make the ratings higher, and it ultimately depends on driving style and how you look after the tire.

speedemon90

Hmm doing some research on these kumho tires, I haven't found a bad review yet. But I havent found a person thats put THAT many miles on it yet. I'm gonna have my dad take a look at these tires.

Scrib

I put kumhos on my murano. No issues, thus far.

speedemon90

which ones?

chill_dog

Just picked these up for the TL and they've been great so far:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....NVigor+%28W%29

Here's the H speed version...if your mom doesn't need W speed tires, these can save you a couple of bucks. Basically the same as the W's.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....or+%28H%26V%29

Scrib

Solus KR21s

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

Tires that I have had great luck with as far as longevity and performance compared to my crappy stock michelin MXV4 Pilots:

-Kuhmo Solus KH16 V-Rated.
-General Altimax HP H-Rated

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

Continental extreme contact DWS

i have these on my GS... bought them about a year and a half ago.. no complaints yet... and i got a free GPS at the time of the promotion...

Sleep_DEPRIVED_Sleeper

I'm using Nitto Neogen tires on my car. I't a lot more comfortable than the Falken RT615 ( obviously) I just replaced and performs MUCH BETTER than the Kumho ASX I had used before. The ride is smooth but not floaty. I like it very much.

I would have chosen the General Exclaim UHP from General Tires (a brand of Continental Tires,) but none of the warehouses around socal has them in stock.... I settled for the Neogen and I think it'll serve me well.

csmeance

Kumho is slowly improving their stuff, when I got the 7 it had some Kumho Ecsta Summer tires and they were pretty good while I had them. It took some effort to get them spinning with 444 ft.lbs of torque! Only problem was that they were a tad noisy towards the end of their life, but overall great tire!

The Continental DWS is an amazing tire! It handles snow like a champ, has a soft ride and is a bit sporty. Only downside is that the sidewalls are a bit softer than other Ultra High Performance All Season Tires so the steering wheel might seem a bit less precise, but it'll make the whole car feel more comfy. (looks to be 125 a tire) -> Gets my vote!

I dislike the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and have had a horrible experience with them and then Michelin Customer Support; they really have no need to make the customer happy.

I hear good things about the Pirelli P Zero A/S M+S tires! They have a good warranty on them and as well are a great tire maker! (looks to be 135 per tire)

Also take a look into the Dunlop SP Sport Signatures! I put a set on my MDX and love them! Great grip in dry and wet! Only downside is that they can get noisy (in my opinion) depending on what surface you are driving on such as concrete vs asphalt. (looks like 119 per tire)

I suggest you go to tirerack.com and look at UHPAS tires since it looks like they will fit the bill. If you want something a little cheaper, look into Grand Touring Tires, less sportiness, but more mileage and life. Also as old as this may sound, make a list of tires with the price and also the warranty info. For example write down Dunlop SP Sport -> 119 -> 60K 6 yrs. and then just compare them and see which one looks like the best bang for the buck!

speedemon90

If you guys buy tires from tirerack, where do you go and get them mounted? And how much does that usually cost?

Tirerack seems to be pretty cheap compared to other places, but that doesnt include shiping, mounting and balancing costs.

speedemon90

Did you own the these continentals? DO you remember how long it lasted you? It seems to have a relatively high thread wear rating, I know how long it lasts for you isnt gonna be the same for me. But at least it gives me an idea.


I was at firestone getting my alignment checked, I had it done two months back on my car and it seems to be pulling a little to the right. The guy told me if its soo soon it may be my tires. My tires seem to have even thread wear on them and he said that too. He did say my tires are three years old and that you should change your tires every three year. I'm calling BS on that, but I didnt say it. Am I right and thats completely not true. He was telling me its dangerous and stuff after three years. Which i disagree with him.

mclarenf3387

Every three years is absurd to throw out tires. Tires should not be used after 6 years from the date of manufacture though according to experts. The rubber starts to degrade over time.

fsttyms1

I buy all my tires from the tire rack. Cant beat their customer support, very fast shipping and typically have the best prices (no one around here will price match with them) Shipping isnt to bad usually like 40 bucks for the 4 tires. They have recommended installers and will ship the tires straight to them, all you have to do is bring the car in and have the tires mounted and balanced. Prices of that all depends on the shop. I typically pay 40 bucks for all 4 mounted and balanced.

csmeance

I usually print out the tire rack price and take it to my local discount tire that I use since they have the hunter machines, etc. They match the pricing and do the usual pricing for lifetime balance and rotation.

I own the Continental DW's, not the DWS's and I love them. Tirerack did a great review on the DWS's and found that they were almost as good as dedicated snow tires and as well amazing in dry conditions. A few 3G TL guys have them and love them. Only complaint is the simple sidewall on them.

The DWS has a 6yr 50K mile warranty so expect at least 50K from them. Esp with a 540 rating they should last.

As far as with firestone, tires tend to rot after a while, 5 years is their lifespan from what I understand. After 5 years it's a good idea not to really use them, but as far as 1 year, that's dumb.

Is your car pulling to the right all the time? Sometimes it's caused by the crown in the road to help with drainage. Find an empty road on which the car pulls to the right. Drive on the other side of the road and see if it pulls to the left. If yes, then it's the crown. IF still to the right, then just go and get the alignment redone and be sure that they center the steering wheel!

speedemon90

For sure, I was telling my dad that we should get the continental DWS. He's gonna look into it and see if he can get a deal somewhere, most likely discount tire.

As for my car, I've tested it numerous times and in all lanes. the right lanes of the freeway there is nothing that should make it pull to the right. I'm pretty sure my tires are fine. I do drive hard once in a while. And I mean taking turns rather hard than just accelerating hard. You know it may be that. Could it be that taking turns hard will degrade the outside of the tire faster can cause my tire too pull in a certain direction?

csmeance

Unless you are doing prolonged burnouts to the point where the tread differs by 2/32nd's on an inch, you should be fine.

On the highway, if you center the steering wheel while you are in the center of your lane, how many seconds does it take to drift over into the next lane? I forgot the rule, but past X # of seconds it's normal, before that something is wrong.

As far as things being wrong, it could be just the alignment needs to be redone (the centering of the steering wheel aspect) or maybe one of your tires is bad (bad tire during production or defect during manufacturing). I say go for the alignment first since it should be free (lifetime alignments at firestone). If it's not free, I suggest you rotate the tires side to side and see if the pulling goes the other way. If yes, one or two of the tires may be bad. If not, then it's the alignment.

Never Summer

I would stay the hell away from anything Continental makes. I had the Contact Touring tires or whatever they were and those tires almost put me into a wall for trying to take a turn at 5mph.

I have Pirelli P6 Plus tires on my 330 right now and am a lot happier with them, however since I do get snow those will be coming off and a set of Blizzak WS60's will be going on.

Gfaze

I'm running General Exclaim UHP's and I'm very happy with them so far. Quiet ride and very grippy.

My sister's BMW is running General Altimax HP H-rated tires. They are smooth, quiet and have worn very well for the first 8,000 miles.

Legend2TL

I don't have the DWS's but the ContiExtremeContact on a 2005 TL. They have been the bext tires so far on that TL, (1st set EL92, then Avon M550 A/S). I'd recommend the Conti's to anyone looking for a high performance all-season at a reasonable cost.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

Im very happy with my General Altimax HP tires as well. I have about 8000 miles on mine and they have been great so far.

speedemon90

Ok so its come to this, my mom blew her tire today haha.

Now I really want those continentals, but my dad keeps telling me to look at what we can get from firestone because he has a credit card with them and we have some rebate money. Another thing is, I can't go with tire rack because well my mom blew her tire and it wont be shipped here till the 14th or 15th.

Does anyone know any Bridgestone, firestone, fuzion tires that are good? I think thats all firestone sells.

edit: sorry no fuzions now, but primewell

speedemon90

discount tire says they have a lifetime spin balancing, what exactly is that. Is that lifetime alignment?

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Spin balancing is done to balance the tire on the wheel so you don't get any vibration when driving. Discount Tire does not do alignments, but they will recommend a shop to have an alignment done at. The shop they recommended to me did an excellent job at a fair price.

I love Discount Tire and have bought multiple sets from them. I've also had Discount re-balance my tires a few times and everytime it's a no charge, so it's legit. They even did it on a set of tires I didn't buy from them, just because I had them remount them on a different set of wheels. Great customer service.

As you can tell from most responses, there's mixed reviews on all brands and models. For instance I've had excellent luck with Falkens, but some hate them. I personally hated all Michelins I've owned, so again, different stories from different people. I personally would recommend Falken 912s to you. Excellent mileage, great handling, low road noise and economical. They definitely aren't "all-season" tires although they're titled that, so don't expect them to perform in the snow, but from what you said it sounds like they wouldn't ever see snow anyway.

speedemon90

So I think my dad is deciding to get the Firehawk GT since he's getting a good deal. I dont completely agree with his choice since I wanted the conti's but w/e its his money. Hope they end up being good. I'll still try to convince him haha

speedemon90

Well we ended up buying the Firehawk wide oval indy 500. On the way home I tested what i could, pretty much only acceleration and braking. Pretty good, its my moms car so its kinda hard to compare since I dont really drive her car like that. But I do remember those michelins had good cornering grip.

pickler

my only suggestion is dont buy Michelin. screech, ride rough and have poor wet weather grip. except the x-ice winter tires.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

why do people cheap out on tire everybody's life depends on those four little contact patches gripping the road, so as said you get what you pay for (in general terms, some tires are overpriced though)

but as far as treadware life next time, look at the warrenty, and the wear rating, that will give you an idea of roughly how long a tire expected to last/wear (and shooting for about 40k miles, seems to be a good compromise for grip/life, then also there are quite a few tires that are still reasonable priced for the wear rating

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

You can take them to America's Tire Company and get them installed. The beauty of taking them there to install is that they will give you free lifetime balancing and rotation even though you didn't buy the tires from them.

Edit, just read your post that you already bought tires, but hopefully my post will help you in your next tire purchase. I recently contacted them to see if I could have them install a set of new tires I was looking at purchasing from Tirerack. Two months ago America's Tire Company quoted me $1200 for the set of tires I wanted so I started looking elsewhere. Tirerack had the same tires listed for $690 + ~80 shipping, no tax. America's tire company said they'd charge me about $110 to install the tires, but they inquired about why I didn't buy the tires from them, and so they quoted me approx $990 for the same tires out the door WITH lifetime replacement. So I took up their offer instead. Moral of the story, call around, because you never know what deal you may get when a competitor is looking for a customer.

speedemon90

My dad didnt end up cheaping out on these. They are actually pretty good. It was $133/ tire and he also go the lifetime wheel alignment so our total out the door was $720 after a few discounts. But these tires do hold the power of the car pretty well. We have the 3.5 V6 in the accord. Overall I'm impressed.

I was telling my uncle earlier who bought some $100/hankook ventura something. And was telling me we spent to much. I wanted to tell him that your tires suck compared to ours but that would have been disrespectful lol I dont get how you spend $100/tire and he owns a 3g TL