Lord Summerisle Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) I know it's a guitar forum, but I get the impression there's a fair few car guys, here, too. Long story short: to get through its Virginia inspection, my car's going to need new rubber. It's a Buick LaCrosse (basically a Chevy Impala in a prettier dress). Owing to some recent medical bills for my wife, I'm fairly broke. Normally I'd be thinking Goodyear or Michelin or Bridgestone or Continental. But, as with the man who wants a Gibson and is then very pleased to discover Epiphone exists, I'm now looking for bang for buck, without spending many bucks. So, for roughly $450 - $475 plus pocket change one way or the other, fitted, balanced, front of the car aligned, and out the door, the big tire joint in town is offering me: Kelly Edge/AS. 55,000 miles. H rated. Falken Sincera. 65,000 miles or 75,000 miles. H rated. (65k are $450, 75k are $500). Dunlop Signature II. 65,000 miles. T rated. Hankook Kinergy. 70,000 miles. T rated. I don't know these brands (although I think I once had a car with Hankooks, briefly, and understand they are a good brand). The car currently has General tires on it, which were nice but a touch too pricey to replace. Any insight into cheap-*** tires, especially those by the brands mentioned, would be very much appreciated. Thank you! * People reviewing tires tend to review them straight after they've been fitted. Of course they're awesome, they've got 350 miles on them. Hence asking around! Edited August 30, 2019 by Lord Summerisle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Hi, I have Hankook fitted to my Mini Cooper S and there fine. I normally go with named brands (tyres are your only contact with tera firma, so to me there important) but the guy at the place where I normally buy my tyres convinced me that I should try Hankook. I'm not sure how many miles I've done on them, I'm guessing somewhere between 3 & 5 thousand. Edited August 30, 2019 by IanHenry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 I have always gone for Dunlops on my motorcycles, and have only good things to say about them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Had many sets of Hankooks (and a couple of Dunlops) over many years. Excellent tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 I used to have Kelly tires on my 91 Plymouth Acclaim, haha! They aren't too bad of a bang for the buck. Make sure you get a decent set though - don't want to have an issue on the road and think - man I shouldn't have bought garbage bag tires... Like mentioned earlier, only part of the car that's supposed to touch the road. I personally never cheap-ee out on car things unless I know how to replace it with another cheap-ee part. But not so common these days with the cars we have. Anyhow, just giving advice here to look out for a purchase that has good value in the end to you. Best wishes man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Thanks for the good wishes N'hawkChris. Yeah, I decided there's cheap and there's too cheap. The ones I listed reflect the mid-range; I'm not interested in the really cheap stuff. My old man always told me "Don't buy cheap tires." I don't do a ton of miles (about 10,000 a year), so it's been a little while since I bought tires. Seeing the $750 prices for 4 brand name tires with an alignment on top sent me looking to see what's available lower down the price range, without really clambering into the bargain basement. I suppose I was thinking I wanted the higher speed rated tires (H) for a big 3.8 litre Buick. But let's face it, it's a Buick and I'm not Steve McQueen. The T rated Hankooks are probably perfectly adequate for the job. With tax and everything, he promises I'll be out of his shop only parting with 5 Benjamins. Looking online, Hankooks seem to be a brand people seem to like. I think for a while Hyundai put Hankooks on all their new cars - which may mean something, or not. Edited August 30, 2019 by Lord Summerisle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Hey @Lord Summerisle, What place were you looking to get them put on at? Perhaps offer some sort of protection plan. I paid a little extra per tire in case anything goes wrong with the tire, and it has paid off in the past. Nothing sucks more than having a flat at the best time, best place... Either way, sounds like you have some good input from others. I haven't tried all the brands you listed so I could comment on the brand I have had tries from. So long as you don't start smashing into potholes like you would here in MI 🙂, you should be OK with regular rotation intervals and checking for proper pressure if you go through weather-temperature changes (again, like MI). And of course as you mentioned, the alignment/balancing will help you get the best value out of your tires too. Only other thing to do to make sure you get best value is all suspension related parts are in working order - struts, control arms, etc. Always trying to keep my cars in a super-smooth roll. I hate wobbles and noises with my cars... They are like itches I can't scratch!!! Oh well, I've worked on cars for a while and just look at everything when I inspect my cars. Bottom line is that cars suck, they are money pits... They always cost you something that is an immediate loss on your investment typically. I've always tried to stop the cash hemorrhaging by learning how to work on my car - saves you a lot for something you absolutely need to have work, every day. Because of the fact that I rely on this to get me to work or go across town to get the kids, I take these factors into account. Just don't get into the whole throwing good money to bad thing. I digress, go get some tires on that car, what're you waiting for! 😄 Cheers! Edited August 30, 2019 by NighthawkChris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 53 minutes ago, Lord Summerisle said: Hankooks seem to be a brand people seem to like. I think for a while Hyundai put Hankooks on all their new cars - which may mean something, or not. Sometime back in the late '90s or early '00s Hankook was the major sponsor of a series of Porsche Cup races here in the UK and the owners I spoke with (in the Porsche Club GB) thought pretty highly of the marque. I'm no longer a member of the club and they still might be involved in the motorsport side of things for all I know. $500 for a decent set of tyres fitted and balanced seems pretty reasonable - at least for someone in the UK! Pip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 (edited) Kelly is a subsidiary of Goodyear and, I believe, American made. Hankook are Asian, but pretty darn popular as an inexpensive alternative. I see lots of these here in Michigan. I've had many of these tires. They seem to last 3 or 4 years if the majority of your driving is local. I have Falkens on my jeep (265/75/16) pretty wide tires and they ride really smooth. But these are my first, so i can't speak for their longevity. Edited September 4, 2019 by RobinTheHood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 11 hours ago, Hector said: Normally, the more kms a tyre will last, the harder the rubber compound is and the less well it will handle under extreme braking, turning or in wet conditions. This may not always be the case. For reviews, try this for instance: https://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/Dunlop/Signature Or the review section here: https://www.tirerack.com/survey/SurveyComments.jsp?&category=tire&additionalComments=y&commentStatus=P&tireMake=Falken&tireModel=Sincera+SN250A+A%2FS&fromTireDetail=true&partnum=16TR6SN250A&tirePageLocQty=%26partnum%3D16TR6SN250A Absolutely correct. 11 hours ago, Hector said: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Best thread in years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, 'Scales said: Best thread in years? I doubt that! 😄 Sorry for bringing tires to a guitar forum. Online car forums are...intimidating. I want to drive my old Buick to work, not drop it 3 inches and take it to the track. Thanks for all the advice, here, by the way. Hankook tires have found a new fan. The car handles much better, and is very quiet on the road. Edited September 5, 2019 by Lord Summerisle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 4 hours ago, 'Scales said: Best thread in years?... 1 hour ago, Lord Summerisle said: I doubt that!... What about "Best tread in years..."?... Pip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 2 hours ago, Lord Summerisle said: I doubt that! 😄 Sorry for bringing tires to a guitar forum. Online car forums are...intimidating. I want to drive my old Buick to work, not drop it 3 inches and take it to the track. Thanks for all the advice, here, by the way. Hankook tires have found a new fan. The car handles much better, and is very quiet on the road. Drop it 3" and take it to the track? Nah! Lift it 3" and take it off-roading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 4 hours ago, pippy said: What about "Best tread in years..."?... Pip. Yes, but We'll soon grow tired of it🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) Of course if the thread gets resurrected after a few years the prices quoted would have to be adjusted for inflation... Pip. Edited September 5, 2019 by pippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 ..tube, valve? both correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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