Which tire is the best tire for the best price?

Question

I drive a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. I desperately need new tires and want to get a good tire for a good price. I don't necessarily care about getting the BEST of the BEST, but I don't want to get anything cheap either. So far I have it narrowed down to Coopers, Goodyear or Toyos. Recommendations will be appreciated...

Answer 1

A 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT means you probably have a P225/50R16 91V tire (you can also use 225/50R16 92V, W or Y).

You don't say whether or not you are looking for an all-season tire or whether or not your climate includes snow. These are important considerations in a tire purchase.

For the purposes of argument I will assume you need an all-season tire.

The BEST all-season tire for this application is not one you included on your list. It is the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position (a bit of a mouthful I know). It is the most over-engineered, best handling, best traction, best well, everything tire on the market. Period.

But its spendy.

If you don't want to spend the money on the really good stuff runners-up include the Continental Extreme Contact - formerly the king of the hill until the Pole Position came out, the BG Goodrich Traction T/A, the new (and a bit hard to come by yet) Firestone Firehawk GT and at the low end of the price scale the Kuhmo Ecsta ASX. I have extensive experience with all of these tires and have no qualms about recommending them.

Goodyears entry in this size in the Eagle RS-A which is what the car came with when new. Awfully darned expensive for a very average tire. Any of the above choices would be better. The Toyo I would avoid if you see any snow. The Cooper Lifeliner is an average tire for an average price. I've sold a fair number of them with no complaints but its not my first choice. I'd take them before the Toyo or Goodyear any time though.

ASE Certified Service Writer with 5 years experience in the tire industry.

Answer 2

Twink 37, I've got the tire your looking for. Yokohama TRZ. You can purchase them from tirerack.com or call them @ 1-888-372-8473. It's rated as an 80,000 mile tire. If you look at this tire on Tire Rack there is a graphed tire test on each tire they sell. I chose this one because of it's high rating in snow, rain, quietness, starting, stopping, wear and grip. I love them to death. I need replacements for another car and that brand and type are going on as well. If you choose to order they drop ship to you within 3 days or to a selected local shop for you. All you have to do is enter your zip code and an approved local installer will happily make the change. It's a deal in a half as there's no sales tax. Shipping is about $5.00 per tire. They supply quality tires for less than you can buy from a local tire shop. All their tires are popular name brands. No blems or seconds. I've done business with them for 22 years with exceptional satisfaction. Spend some time at their sight. Your going to smile and be happy.

Answer 3

Pirelli P6 Four Seasons $81 per tire

Kumho ECSTA ASX $66 per tire

Also.. Look at Sumitomo. I have heard only good things about them and for some reason they are cheaper than everything else

Sumitomo HTR+ for your car. $59 per tire.


As mentioned in the first post, go to www.tirerack.com and do some research . You can read customer reviews on each type of tire as well as see ratings for various performance aspects on each tire. An educated decision is always the best one.

Answer 4

All of the brands you mention are good brands, but they all offer several levels of quality.
Rule number 1 -- You usually get what yo pay for.
Rule number 2 -- Paying more doesn't automatically equate to better quality.
I suggest that you find a good quality tire shop and follow their recommendations if you don't have someone (father, brother, friend, etc) that can give you direction and recommendation.
Try to find a shop that doesn't pay their staff a commission (they are around, but you have to look for them). Give COSTCO a try.

Happy Motoring

Answer 5

go to tirerack.com