Re: Tire Brands: Good, Bad, Wretched

Rev. Tom Wenndt wrote:
> I am a member of Consumer Re****ts 'talking tires' board.  This group
answers 
> all areas of questions on tires, and occasionally chats with the CR
techs 
> who are actually testing the tires whose ratings appear every Fall in
their 
> magazine.  Here are some summaries, based on some of the subjects raised
in 
> this board.
> 
> ++CR does have by far the most thorough tire tests out there, including 
> testing of treadwear and traction on snow and ice.  Their results are 
> usually worth looking at, as are Tire Rack's.
> 
> But the way CR tests tires means that they only test one subset of tires
a 
> year, and it is usually at least 4-5 years before that subset is
re-tested. 
> As a result, many of the tires listed in their test results are now 
> discontinued, and some fairly new and exciting tires (the General
Altimax 
> being but one of many examples) will now go months and even years before

> test results are released on them.  As an example, results on 'H' and 
> 'V'-rated performance all-season tires that they tested were released
just 
> over 18 months ago.  But already, over half of the 'H'-rated tires have 
> either been discontinued or supplanted by a better tire from that brand.

> There are already (at least) about a dozen tires in the major national 
> brands that should and would be in those test results.  But it will be 
> almost 2 1/2 years before that sub-set and all their new tires have the 
> latest test results released again.
> 
> ++Amongst dealers who sell the tires (whose priorities may be different
than 
> ours, but who can't be ignored because they do sell them), the 'Toyo'
brand 
> has been at the top of their satisfaction list for eight consecutive
years, 
> an impressive achievement.  Toyo has a VERY solid new tire for your car,
the 
> Versado LX, and is about to introduce a new tire for trucks and SUV's
soon. 
> Sadly, Toyo is not sold through any national chain, and (like General in

> some places) can be hard to locate a retailer.
> 
> By the way, the Continental brand has finished dead last in that same
survey 
> for more than a couple of years now.  That should also get your
attention.
> 
> ++Consumer Re****ts has tested the Falken Ziex ZE-512 more than once, and
has 
> placed it at or near the top of its rankings each time.  The 512 though
is 
> also being discontinued nationally, and will soon be sold only through
the 
> afore-mentioned Discount Tire.  In its place is the new Falken Ziex
ZE-912. 
> It also looks to be very impressive at a good price.  Our tire board was
FAR 
> less impressed with the 512 than the CR engineers were, but the 912 has 
> seemed better so far.  The 912 is also sold at Sears Auto.
> 
> ++One of our rules is to never make generalizations on any one tire
brand. 
> Be it Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Sumitomo, Cooper, B F Goodrich or

> whomever, all of them sell tires that would be considered between good
and 
> excellent and some that would be considered far less so.  It is no
different 
> than going to a tire store, and basing your whole feeling about that
chain 
> on the one tire you bought there, especially if it was a cheap dud.
> 
> But I know that is what many people do  A typical quote follows: "I
ain't 
> buyin' tires no more from 'such-and-such place.'  That one set was
crap." 
> When what really happened was they made a poor (and usually cheap)
choice. 
> Had they chosen a better tire, they would be raving about both the brand
and 
> the store.
> 
> ++Another rule jives with what has been said here:  NEVER, EVER buy 
> second-rate crap for tires.  Sadly, in these days of ultra-high gas
prices, 
> I expect many more people to be running on onsafe tires for way too
long, 
> and then when they do get different ones, buy that second-rate garbage, 
> simply because there isn't as much money left to buy tires.
> 
> All car owners must realize that you have to figure tires into the cost
of 
> owner****p of a car, just like oil changes, wiper blades, etc.  The tire
is 
> one of the most im****tant safety features on a car, since that is where
the 
> car you drive and the road you drive on actually meet.  Scrimping on
that is 
> no different than trying to scrimp on anything else.  Maybe you can do
it, 
> but there is a price.
> 
> ++I apologize for any people that may work for car dealers on this
board, 
> but on our CR board, at least in the year 2008, many of the worst 
> experiences on tires come from people who buy them from these car
dealers. 
> It seems that far too many new car dealers are appallingly ignorant 
> concerning tires, be it brand or whatever.  Way too many of them have no

> idea what they are really selling.  The CR board almost unanimously 
> recommends that you find a specialized tire dealer, either one in your 
> community, like a Firestone Complete Auto Care or similar, or something 
> on-line, but with knowledgeable people working with you.  BTW, a place
like 
> Tire Rack does impress us with their tire experts.  That is one case
where 
> you maybe do some research on-line, then talk to them on the phone
before 
> you make a selection.
> 
> Sorry for the length, but tires are an im****tant subject to me.

excellent post!