Posted by hammer on November 4, 2007
Dear Hammer,
I need to get new tires for my car (a Corolla). Over the years I’ve used Firestone tires, but when I was looking online at what they have, a lot of them, if not most, had poor reviews, and it’s making me wonder. I want good tires that last, and I’m not afraid to pay a lot for them-peace of mind is more important to me than money. What would you consider the best brand(s) of all-weather tires?
Tired Out
Dear tired:
It can be tough to get good aftermarket tires. I’ve had horrible luck with supposedly good name brands that I purchased at Sams club and other such places.
I would suggest buying your tires at a reputable nationwide chain then take them to be installed at a small mom and pop tire shop. Brands such as BF goodrich, goodyear and pirelli are safe bets. When using this method you get the tire warranty but don’t have to pay the outrageous prices for valve stems, balancing, and mounting. For your type of car do not pay more then 40 to 45 dollars per tire. If you choose to use the chain store for installation beware of all the additional charges they add without your consent. Do not by extended tread wear warranties or put up with fake fees. Like 9 dollar environmental charges and whatnot. Good luck.
Janet said
Wow, I wasn’t aware of all the fake charges, every business is really out to squeeze every last dime they can out of you. Good advice!
Frank said
I too was unaware of fake charges. I have however heard of fraudulent charges. The $9 environment charge sounds fair as you had the use of the tyre and it’s only fair that pay for its disposal in a recognised fashion. What sort of “bad” reviews did the tyres get? 38,000 drivers & passengers killed while on Bridgestone? 23,480 pedestrian fatalities from cars on Michelin? A tyre is a tyre and all you buy is their marketing expertise.
Muskego Jeff said
You’re going to find bad reviews about EVERY tire brand. Real or imagined, people like to bitch about tires for some reason. Pick a well known brand and something which will match your expected weather (here in Wisconsin it’s a good idea to have a second set of winter snow tires – yes, they still make ‘em). I bought inexpensive name-brand tires for a Civic I sold a year ago and noticed a big difference in how it sounded and handled. It was worse than the worn out higher-end name-brand tires. Not bad, but just not as good as the more expensive tires.
hammer said
I bought a set of new BF goodrich sports tires from sams club and within 3 weeks the tires had split wide open all long the sidewalls. Sams replaced the tires and the next set did the exact same thing..I went with goodyear after that.
a random reader said
i currently use public transpo -benie of living in a big city so cant ay what the exact disposal fee for a tire in here in Texas.
But its not a FAKE fee last time i got a tire it was like $5. I believe they charge them for auto batteries and used motor oil these days too.
I DO agree with you the fees get ridiculous as they add up quickly-easily 20-25% of the tire cost before state taxes get added.