New Tires on the Car This Morning

[MineralMan]

After 36,000 miles on the OEM tires, the 2013 Kia Soul we have owned for 6.5 years went into the tire shop this morning, emerging with a brand new set of tires. Not the top-line tires, either, but a relatively low-priced set of all-weather tires. As I shopped around for tires for this change, I was reminded of how many new tire brands there are out there right now. I haven't bought new tires for many years, actually, so it was all pretty much a surprise to me.

I checked reviews on several brands and tire models. I ended up buying four Aspen tires from a local Big O Tire shop. Aspen? I asked the guy before choosing them, "Who makes those tires." "Cooper," he said. OK, maybe. I don't know. They had pretty good reviews and were in my price range. I'm sure they will work out fine. The OEM tires were Hankook. Hankook? I looked it up. Some are made in South Korea, but Hankook has factories all over the world, so they could be Chinese-made, too. But, there's also a Hankook tire factory in the USA, too. I have no idea, and can't look now, because I no longer have the tires.

Where were my new Aspen Touring A/S tires made? I mean, I know that Cooper Tires has a factory in Ohio. Were my Aspen Tires by Cooper Tire made there? The guy at Big O didn't know, actually, so I looked it up. The tires I bought today were made in China. Kunshan, China, specifically. So I did some more research. China is making a helluva lot of tires, it seems. Just about every tire brand has some of its tires manufactured in China, including names like Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli and other names people recognize. Cooper Tires, too, which is owned by an company in India now.

Tires are now a global commodity, it seems. Even your tire store may not know where your particular tire was made. There's a DOT code on the tire that lets you look it up, but I have to wonder if it really matters all that much to anyone. Should you care? I don't know the answer to that question. Everything seems to be a global commodity these days. Whatever you drive, it has parts in it that could have been made almost anywhere, even if it's an American car.

Caveat Emptor! Or not. It's up to you, I guess...

Oh, and by the way, those tires in the ad? They don't actually cost you what the ad says. Once you add up all of the miscellaneous charges on your invoice, figure on doubling the price of a bargain-priced tire, by the time you drive away from the tire shop. You knew that, right? I did.

[Heartstrings]

1. People who insist they buy "only" American made cars

Need to be reminded to read the green sheet to see where each and every part was made. Your car may have only been assembled in the US, then again maybe not....

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. It's like you think I don't.

[Heartstrings]

22. I don't know you...

My comment wasn't aimed specifically at you but rather a generalization from an ex UAW member wife....very common in my neck of the woods to proclaim "I only buy American"....

[Coventina]

2. Hankook tires are very popular in the racing community, as are Coopers also.

Although, I'm guessing those weren't the models you were considering.

(My husband is big into amateur / hobbyist racing).

[fescuerescue]

4. I've yet to find a better tire than Michelin.

Worst tires I've used were Hankook. Totally worn out in 16,000 miles on our Explorer.

Nowdays, first thing I do when I buy a new car is replace the OEMs with Michelin.

Literally an improvement in everything from ride to longevity to snow handling.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. +1

Still the best going.

[musette_sf]

13. + 1

same here, and Costco often has them on sale

[Hotler]

14. My truck came with Michelins, I replaced them with Michelins...

I had to replace those because the side walls started cracking with age not because of wear . When winter comes I throw on a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks Winter tires. These are strictly cold weather winter tires, work very well in the cold due to them being made with softer rubber than all-season. I take them off when it warms up above 30°. They get squishy in warm/hot weather and will wear fast if you leave them on.

[rufus dog]

28. I had a bad set on my kids 2011 Hyundai Elantra

To be fair, I can't get a set of tires that works on that car. Trying to figure it out, getting less than 20k per set of tires. Last ones were Michelins from Costco, got about 16k on something that was rated 35 or 40k. Costco good and gave the credit for the delta.

One set I figured she may have locked them up shortened the life, but four sets under 20k seems to be a trend. So I take it back, it might not have been the Hankook issue. Good thing about Costco is they put the little sticker on to remind for rotations so she is constantly reminded to rotate, which she does.

[dalton99a]

5. It's not hard to find, for those interested

Code list:
http://www.tiresafetygroup.com/tire-dot-plant-codes-sorted-plant-code/

[Coventina]

6. And, for those that care, the manufacture date is important.

You do not want tires that have been sitting on the shelf for very long.

Best is to get tires only a few weeks old. They do not age well in inactivity.

It is better that they be used early and often.

[dalton99a]

11. +1

[hunter]

7. I hate shopping for tires. It's like shopping for mattresses.

Tire manufactures obfuscate everything, even brand names, to make comparison shopping between dealers nearly impossible.

I just go to Costco and don't give more than five minutes thought to my selection.

[Coventina]

9. Tire Rack online is a good option, if you are comfortable doing your own research.

But I've heard Costco works well for folks also.

[EX500rider]

26. I used to use TireRack also..

...lately have been finding cheaper tires on https://simpletire.com/

But for performance tires I do like TireRack.

[MineralMan]

10. I hate it, too. Really, I know what size I need, and how much I'm willing to pay.

I checked recalls, but my final choice was made more on price and availability when I needed them. I know some people do a lot of research on tires, but I drive at a moderate pace and am a cautious driver. I'm not racing. I'm not squirrely. I get in the car and drive to where I'm going in the safest way I can.

I don't need high-performance anything. I do care about tread life, of course, because I don't want to buy more tires anytime soon.

I used to be a tire guy. I worked for the county I lived in as a lube and tire worker, in the fleet maintenance shop. I have installed literally thousands of tires. These days, it's a lot more complicated than it was back in the early 1970s. Tire pressure sensors, for example. My car has 'em. So, there's yet another charge for tire replacement. It's nice not to have to check tire pressure frequently, but Im not sure it's that nice.

I have a neighbor who's very proud of his 20" expensive wheels and low-profile tires. His car, though, is horrible to ride in. Noisy, too, on anything but a freshly re-paved road. Worse, on his car, one tire costs more than I paid for all four.

Tires have changed. Everything has changed. Now, I'm just a tire consumer.

[hunter]

25. I think the biggest change in my life is that most cars are front wheel drive now ...

... car suspensions are highly engineered front and rear, and cars last more than 100,000 miles.

Our cars have over 100,000 miles on them.

For these reasons I can usually buy tires two at a time.

I don't rotate my tires except as I buy a new pair.

Front tires wear faster in modern cars. When the front tires are worn I have the less worn rear tires moved to the front and the new pair of tires installed on the rear.

Living in a place with a mild climate may make this approach more reasonable than it would be in places with harsh winter weather.

[RichardRay]

41. Snow tires

Preface this with this: I’ve lived for 30 years in Jackson Hole. For 6 of those I lived 3/4 of a mile up what is arguably considered the most challenging residential hill in the area. It included two near hairpin turns and grades in excess of 15%. The steepest grade was barely one lane wide. It snowed 2’ to 3’ in a single storm, snowbanks well above 10’ on the roadsides by spring. The road varied from deep fresh snow to glazed over ice. I drove an old ‘88 Nissan Pathfinder and a nearly-as-old Toyota Land Cruiser. I used snow tires with radical treads, studs, and, on a lot of days, chains, even with the arsenal described.

So, harrumph, having established my credentials (at *great* length 😁 I have only one thing to say about snow tires:

Bridgestone Blizzaks

I didn’t believe that a non-studded tire would be my best choice for those needs. I was WRONG. The tire store guy in Jackson sold them to me and told me to drive on them for 30 days in mid-winter. If I thought I’d made the wrong choice he’d replace them for $50/tire. I kept the tires.

Take them off in spring though. They are that good due to a layer of soft, nearly gummy, rubber and microsiping, tiny cuts in the tread surface. They wear quickly if driven on warm, clear, dry roads for very long. They’re still goof tires, then, but they lose their mojo on ice.

[csziggy]

16. I'd worry less about which tire to buy if I didn't pull a horse trailer

For instance, the three-quarter ton Suburban I now own had light duty truck tires when I bought it used. Yeah - it was probably an oversized soccer mom SUV for whoever leased it for the first five years of its life - but I needed the three-quarter ton version for the engine size and towing capacity. Empty my stock trailer weighs 4500 pounds. If I load four of my big mares in it that adds another three tons. Light duty just does not cut it.

So the first thing I did after I bought that truck was replace those slightly worn light duty tires with some heavy duty ones. It costs me a bundle every time but it is important for safety!

[yortsed snacilbuper]

12. Installing and Rotating

On directional tires, there’s an arrow on the sidewall of the tires — when correctly mounted, the arrow points toward the front of the vehicle. If directional tires get mounted backward, you won’t get the hydroplaning resistance and other performance driving benefits the tread is designed for.



Check the sidewall and make sure they put them on correctly if they are directional tires, they put mine on wrong one time?

Al

[spanone]

15. I shop Costco on-line....they deliver them to your store.

gives me a chance to make a decision well before I get there. They don't keep all options in the store.

👍🏼

[BSdetect]

17. Tires are made to fail IMO they could last for decades but for planned obsolescence.

[MineralMan]

18. I've always worn out the tread first.

They could make tires that had tread that would last longer, but the harder compounds that wear better also have less traction. It's all a compromise, really.

If I get close to 40,000 miles on a set of tires, I'm a happy guy. But, I don't buy winter tires. I buy all-weather tires. They're a compromise between durability and traction.

[Coventina]

24. A tire made to last for decades would be incredibly dangerous to drive.

As MM said, it's a balance between durability and performance.

Something hard enough to last for decades would have you unable to brake or make turns in a safe manner.

[MineralMan]

29. Well, I just tested my new ones on a hill I wouldn't have

gone up with the old ones. Packed snow on the road. The new tires handled it, up and down, pretty well. So, I'm encouraged. Around here, performance on packed snow really matters a lot. Ice? Well no tire works well on ice without studs, and studded tires are strongly frowned on in Minnesota, although they're not illegal.

Real snow tires would be better, but I'm not willing to switch tires for the season, so all-weather tires have to do.

[Coventina]

30. Yeah, ice is nobody's friend.

True story:

When my dad was in grad school, (Pittsburgh) his buddy's wife went into labor and they needed to get to the hospital.

Well, the car wouldn't start, but it was a manual, so they were going to pop the clutch.

My dad was recruited to help, so the mom-to-be didn't have to.

(This was in the middle of winter, as well)

Well, the two guys pushed, and pushed and couldn't get the car to move, even though it was a little compact.

Then, the buddy said,

"OH! I forgot! The trunk is full of rocks!!!"

As grad students, they didn't have money for snow tires.

My dad said he was tempted to punch the guy, but he was about to become a father, so.....

[MineralMan]

31. LOL! I hope she made it to the hospital.

[Coventina]

32. Yes, mom and baby were fine.

My dad said it was good he was young at the time, or he probably would have ended up with a hernia.

[HipChick]

19. Omg...now I have tire ads...and I was at Costco

yesterday...making full use of my tire warranty....front and back driver side tires flat...
absolutely convinced my Trump neighbor has been putting nails in my driveway...

[MineralMan]

20. I sure hope not.

The last two flats I have had were caused by drywall screws. They're everywhere, it seems. Nails, not so much these days.

[ProudLib72]

21. Looky what I found, an article about tires made in the US

We know that many of you like to know where the products you buy are made. So we thought we’d share this list of tires that are made right here in the U.S.A. If you prefer to buy American-made products, read on – we’ve got plenty of tires for your truck, car, and even your trailer!
https://blog.tirebuyer.com/tires-made-united-states/

FWIW, the best tire I've owned has been the Yokohama Geolander AT. I'm rough on tires, and these little guys never became uneven or lost chunks of tread. I replaced them with General Grabber ATs, and those have been terrible tires. If I'm choosing a new tire, I read the reviews, but I don't pay attention to where they are manufactured.

[pintobean]

23. Democrats used to buy American made goods with pride.

Not many, anymore. Now we wonder why we lose working class voters.

[MichMan]

42. We also used to insist on buying union made goods whenever possible.

I guess expecting union members to vote for Democrats is all that matters now.

[MineralMan]

33. Those are all truck tires.

These days, so many tire manufacturers that are US brands are having many of their tires manufactured elsewhere. Unless you look at the DOT codes, it's hard to find out where a specific tire is made. Often, there's nothing in the ads or specification pages about place of manufacture. That may be because the same tire model might be made in several different places, depending on size or something else.

That's why I said that tires have become a global commodity. Further, some foreign-sounding brands are made in US factories. I doubt very much that most tire buyers bother to find out where their tire was actually made these days.

[ProudLib72]

39. Because I drive a 4Runner, which is basically a truck

And I'm proud that my 4Runner was manufactured in Japan, not in Texas, which is where my Tacoma was made.

This hearkens back to the big GM plant closure debate. Rump was threatening GM, telling them they shouldn't close plants because it was bad for American workers. But he missed the point that GM is a global company. It's headquarters may be up in your neck of the woods, but they have just as many plants in other countries (maybe more) as they do in the US.

[underpants]

27. Global? Well yeah, Trump started talking up the wheel a few weeks back

You. Are welcome.

My stepfather was in the auto supply business and he said a lot of tires used to be made in France. Times change.

I tend to get my tires from Tirerack.com but I check with whatever garage I'm using to make sure they will accept them. Good deals. They are headquartered in South Bend.

[Wellstone ruled]

34. Glad to here you bought new shoes for your buggy.

Should be the last pair for to old girl. Here is something I run into a couple years ago about tires and where they are made. Had to replace the travel trailer tires,oh boy,to only 8 ply tires in 14 inch come from China as well as other RV tires. Talk about short life span in the Desert,these lasted less than three years. Eight ply sidewalls and only 4 ply face,so to those whom shop for RV tires,what they say in the print is not what they make. Now we understand why you see RV's with blown tires setting along the road.

[MineralMan]

35. Ah, yes, trailer tires.

Boat trailers, too. The most neglected tires on the road are on trailers of one sort or another. Every summer, you can see them beside the road, one wheel off, waiting for their owner to come back with a new tire.

[Wellstone ruled]

36. Oh that is a learning curve we experienced

back in the 70's,you get what you pay for and they had better be checked frequently.

Fortunately those China 8 ply's blew out on the new owner of the Trailer. Learned the hard way,one has to up-size those wheels in order to find USA 8-10 ply tires . One less depreciating asset that we had to pay storage rent on.

[MineralMan]

37. Yup. I don't tow a boat around any more, but

I've always upgraded my trailer wheels and tires when I got a used boat. You can't fish with a boat sitting alongside the road. That and trailer wheel bearings, another source of dead trailers along the road.

[Wellstone ruled]

38. Our Trailer had a new

suspension system Jayco was using for their light weight models. In order to accommodate hitch height and tongue weights,they engineered it with 14's. We always replaced our trailer tires every two years,and of course as luck would have it,this rig had birthday tires with 12 months on them when we purchased it. So long story short,up sizing wheels was not a option according to Jayco Engineering department. We would have had to change out the Axle hangers as well as replace the hubs and different electric brakes.

Another best intentions idea foiled by poor American Engineering.

[Awsi Dooger]

40. I only buy tires from Amazon now

Sounds weird but I've had great success with it. I have the specific tires bookmarked. Very low price, generally between $43 and $47 apiece. Prime shipping. My car needs a somewhat rare size -- 195 -- so I don't have as many options as others. This tire was a great find. Tire has the tread pattern that was recommended to me by my mechanic, since I drive back and forth to Las Vegas and also up the eastern seaboard at all months of the year. Well reviewed tires despite the Doral brand and low price. My mechanic installs them for basically nothing once I receive them from Amazon. He also allows me to dispose of my old tires at the dump, to avoid the fee. I contacted the Amazon supplier the first time to make sure the manufacture date was recent. No problem at all.

I'm a value guy so this type of thing is what I look for. These is literally zero chance I am going to walk into a tire store and pay full price along with the disposal fee and all the ridiculous hazard insurance crap. Awesome way to double the bottom line without accomplishing a thing. Frankly it is difficult not to bust out laughing when someone in front of me at an automotive store is paying for that garbage. Reminds me of rental car insurance. Great way to bet against yourself.

Some guy actually did a video review of the specific tires on YouTube