Tires... I hate buying them.

Auzzie-Phoenix · 07-01-2015, 10:37 PM

Just ranting a bit. Earlier tonight I plunked down $780 for a full set of 4 nokian hakkapelitta wrg3 225/50R17 all seasons. For that price, I could have bought a K3.... or a really nice lens. Oh well.... good tires = better safety and better winter traction.

noelpolar · 07-01-2015, 10:48 PM

Last tires I bought were Michelin pilot super sports....265/25 19".... $1,100 each in Australia at the time.....got two sent from the USA including postage for about $900 all up....then ordered another two......was cheaper then getting 4 in one order and going over the $1,000 customs limit Australia has....fitted and balance for $25 each down the road. The Aussie dollar was about parity back then....ah the good old days....4 years ago.

Auzzie-Phoenix · 07-01-2015, 10:54 PM

The nokian tires I just bought are slightly more expensive than my current set: Continental Extreme Contact DWS Tuned All season 225/50ZR17's... I miss the good old days of being able to buy a set of 14" Kelly Navigator tires for $300 and some change.

wildman · 07-02-2015, 01:21 AM

A few years ago my wife called from a shopping trip in town. She said one of the tires seem to be going flat and she needed help.
I knew these were the original tires that came with the car new (2011 Nissan Versa) and had seen their day. So I told
Her to just take it into Wallmart and have them mount four of the cheapest tires they have that will fit and we will worry about it later.
This She did for a total cost of $288 (American) mounted and balanced.

Right now they have a bit over 40000 miles on them and still look good without a lick of trouble.
I'm a happy camper.

Last edited by wildman; 07-02-2015 at 01:26 AM.

**gaweidert** · 07-02-2015, 04:04 AM

I have a Ford Edge and the 18" tires set me back over $1,100 last year. Since the vehicle is used for long trips I like to have good tires on it. On the plus side, it went from mid February to mid June on a single tank of gas. When not on vacation, it doesn't get driven much. It is the most comfortable car I have ever owned for log distance driving.

wombat2go · 07-02-2015, 04:06 AM

My car has different sized rims and tires. What a silly idea for a family wagon.
Has cost quite a bit in rubber that can't be used.
The tire fitters are not allowed to fit new fronts if the rears are worn down.

reeftool · 07-02-2015, 06:17 AM

So you think photography is an expensive hobby? The last set of tires on my Harley cost me $600. Expected life span? About 6000 miles. I'm currently at 9K and the rear looks like a slick.

I've heard about some states requiring customers to buy a full set of tires rather then 2 which is pretty absurd IMO, especially on rear wheel drive vehicles which require winter and summer tires. My daughter gets around it by having several sets of rims which she gets tires mounted on. Her car came with alloy wheels which are pretty much useless in winter. She bought steel rims at a boneyard and has a set of tires mounted which she swaps seasonally. Combined, they will probably last the life of the vehicle.

link81 · 07-02-2015, 10:09 AM

Think that's bad? try pricing out a decent set of 35's or bigger for a jeep. Can spend over 2k in tires only without too much trouble. There's a reason jeep stands for "just empty every pocket" :-)

Auzzie-Phoenix · 07-02-2015, 10:31 AM

Lol... even if you consider them cheap, they still set me back roughly a month's income.

**grhazelton** · 07-02-2015, 01:34 PM

Tell me about it! We have an "economy" car, a 2010 Mazda3 five door, 2.5l, 6 speed manual. A fun ride! perhaps aided by the tires, 17 inch, 205x50. The tires that came with it cost plenty! and they only gave about 30K miles. I don't hot dog the car, at 73K the brake pads have a lot of wear left. We replaced them with Firestones, same size, rated to about 140 mph, and got about 42K. Just replaced those with the same brand/size, another $600 or so. Geez! Good thing I generally like the car!

lightbox · 07-02-2015, 03:15 PM

Originally posted by grhazelton

Tell me about it! We have an "economy" car, a 2010 Mazda3 five door, 2.5l, 6 speed manual. A fun ride! perhaps aided by the tires, 17 inch, 205x50. The tires that came with it cost plenty! and they only gave about 30K miles. I don't hot dog the car, at 73K the brake pads have a lot of wear left. We replaced them with Firestones, same size, rated to about 140 mph, and got about 42K. Just replaced those with the same brand/size, another $600 or so. Geez! Good thing I generally like the car!

I'm still hanging on to my 2004 (2.3l, 5-speed) that I bought in college. Fun car, yes. The tires are low profile though and I think that's why they're not terribly cheap.

I replaced my clutch around the same mileage as you have now, and others have had similar reports. It could be that the early models had some clutch wear issues that are hopefully resolved, but I thought you should know. It was a $1k repair.

**grhazelton** · 07-02-2015, 03:36 PM

Originally posted by lightbox

I'm still hanging on to my 2004 (2.3l, 5-speed) that I bought in college. Fun car, yes. The tires are low profile though and I think that's why they're not terribly cheap.

I replaced my clutch around the same mileage as you have now, and others have had similar reports. It could be that the early models had some clutch wear issues that are hopefully resolved, but I thought you should know. It was a $1k repair.

I hear you on the clutch! I generally can get better than 100K on a clutch; back in the day I remember doing a clutch R and R on a Datsun 510 when I swapped out the tranny at perhaps 105K. Sucker dropped a tooth. Grrrrrr!!! Much cheaper to slip in a junkyard special than have the original rebuilt, something I didn't feel qualified to do. Plenty of lining on the disk, but foolish not to replace at least the disk and the pilot bushing when everything was exposed. A couple friends and I were Corvair nuts, we once did a clutch R and R in well under an hour. Not racing times, but pretty good!

Now at 71, I had our local mechanic do a clutch, plus flywheel R and R on our '95 Nissan Frontier, 2.4 liter. I keep telling myself that I saved SO MUCH MONEY during the many years I did my own wrench twirling that I can afford to have it done. The bills still hurt.....

lightbox · 07-02-2015, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by grhazelton

I keep telling myself that I saved SO MUCH MONEY during the many years I did my own wrench twirling that I can afford to have it done. The bills still hurt.....

Wow, similar story. For most of my car's life I have done a good portion of the maintenance myself and always did my own oil, filters, spark plugs, etc. I've learned to do brakes (pads and rotors) and even did my own front struts after I learned that AutoZone lets you borrow specialty tools with a security deposit. I borrowed a spring compressor and with the help of a buddy we got it done in an afternoon. Of course, I had to take it in for a computer-aided alignment afterwards, but saved a bunch!

Good times.

These days life is just too hectic and I've both my car and my wife's to worry about. Space is more limited right now and I don't have the luxury of dad's garage, so the mechanic sees more drop-offs from me.

Rupert · 07-02-2015, 07:19 PM

Having four vehicles, I am always dealing with something...and tires come around every so often. Each vehicle is very different, from my sporty Audi TT to my Jeep Wrangler or my older Ram pickup or Mrs Rupert's Ford Escape.

I have found that there is a ton of information online about tires and tire buying. I also found that some of the best tires are also the cheapest...sometimes by a wide margin. Do the research and you can save a lot of cash and still get the best tire for your vehicle and your specific driving needs.

Regards!

antipattern · 07-03-2015, 03:47 AM

Oh dammit, and I thought the £50 I had to shell out for a pair of Schwalbe Duranos were expensive...

07-01-2015, 10:37 PM	#1
Auzzie-Phoenix Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,020	Tires... I hate buying them. Just ranting a bit. Earlier tonight I plunked down $780 for a full set of 4 nokian hakkapelitta wrg3 225/50R17 all seasons. For that price, I could have bought a K3.... or a really nice lens. Oh well.... good tires = better safety and better winter traction.

07-02-2015, 03:36 PM	#12
grhazelton Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	Mazda moans.... Originally posted by lightbox I'm still hanging on to my 2004 (2.3l, 5-speed) that I bought in college. Fun car, yes. The tires are low profile though and I think that's why they're not terribly cheap. I replaced my clutch around the same mileage as you have now, and others have had similar reports. It could be that the early models had some clutch wear issues that are hopefully resolved, but I thought you should know. It was a $1k repair. I hear you on the clutch! I generally can get better than 100K on a clutch; back in the day I remember doing a clutch R and R on a Datsun 510 when I swapped out the tranny at perhaps 105K. Sucker dropped a tooth. Grrrrrr!!! Much cheaper to slip in a junkyard special than have the original rebuilt, something I didn't feel qualified to do. Plenty of lining on the disk, but foolish not to replace at least the disk and the pilot bushing when everything was exposed. A couple friends and I were Corvair nuts, we once did a clutch R and R in well under an hour. Not racing times, but pretty good! Now at 71, I had our local mechanic do a clutch, plus flywheel R and R on our '95 Nissan Frontier, 2.4 liter. I keep telling myself that I saved SO MUCH MONEY during the many years I did my own wrench twirling that I can afford to have it done. The bills still hurt.....

07-02-2015, 04:17 PM	#13
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599	Originally posted by grhazelton I keep telling myself that I saved SO MUCH MONEY during the many years I did my own wrench twirling that I can afford to have it done. The bills still hurt..... Wow, similar story. For most of my car's life I have done a good portion of the maintenance myself and always did my own oil, filters, spark plugs, etc. I've learned to do brakes (pads and rotors) and even did my own front struts after I learned that AutoZone lets you borrow specialty tools with a security deposit. I borrowed a spring compressor and with the help of a buddy we got it done in an afternoon. Of course, I had to take it in for a computer-aided alignment afterwards, but saved a bunch! Good times. These days life is just too hectic and I've both my car and my wife's to worry about. Space is more limited right now and I don't have the luxury of dad's garage, so the mechanic sees more drop-offs from me. Last edited by lightbox; 07-02-2015 at 05:57 PM.

07-03-2015, 03:47 AM	#15
antipattern Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 232	Tires? Oh dammit, and I thought the £50 I had to shell out for a pair of Schwalbe Duranos were expensive...

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07-01-2015, 10:48 PM	#2
noelpolar Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,310	Last tires I bought were Michelin pilot super sports....265/25 19".... $1,100 each in Australia at the time.....got two sent from the USA including postage for about $900 all up....then ordered another two......was cheaper then getting 4 in one order and going over the $1,000 customs limit Australia has....fitted and balance for $25 each down the road. The Aussie dollar was about parity back then....ah the good old days....4 years ago.

07-01-2015, 10:54 PM	#3
Auzzie-Phoenix Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,020 Original Poster	The nokian tires I just bought are slightly more expensive than my current set: Continental Extreme Contact DWS Tuned All season 225/50ZR17's... I miss the good old days of being able to buy a set of 14" Kelly Navigator tires for $300 and some change.

07-02-2015, 01:21 AM	#4
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	A few years ago my wife called from a shopping trip in town. She said one of the tires seem to be going flat and she needed help. I knew these were the original tires that came with the car new (2011 Nissan Versa) and had seen their day. So I told Her to just take it into Wallmart and have them mount four of the cheapest tires they have that will fit and we will worry about it later. This She did for a total cost of $288 (American) mounted and balanced. Right now they have a bit over 40000 miles on them and still look good without a lick of trouble. I'm a happy camper. Last edited by wildman; 07-02-2015 at 01:26 AM.

07-02-2015, 04:04 AM	#5
gaweidert Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,325	I have a Ford Edge and the 18" tires set me back over $1,100 last year. Since the vehicle is used for long trips I like to have good tires on it. On the plus side, it went from mid February to mid June on a single tank of gas. When not on vacation, it doesn't get driven much. It is the most comfortable car I have ever owned for log distance driving.

07-02-2015, 04:06 AM	#6
wombat2go Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Michigan Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,207	My car has different sized rims and tires. What a silly idea for a family wagon. Has cost quite a bit in rubber that can't be used. The tire fitters are not allowed to fit new fronts if the rears are worn down.

07-02-2015, 06:17 AM	#7
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,554	So you think photography is an expensive hobby? The last set of tires on my Harley cost me $600. Expected life span? About 6000 miles. I'm currently at 9K and the rear looks like a slick. I've heard about some states requiring customers to buy a full set of tires rather then 2 which is pretty absurd IMO, especially on rear wheel drive vehicles which require winter and summer tires. My daughter gets around it by having several sets of rims which she gets tires mounted on. Her car came with alloy wheels which are pretty much useless in winter. She bought steel rims at a boneyard and has a set of tires mounted which she swaps seasonally. Combined, they will probably last the life of the vehicle.

07-02-2015, 10:09 AM	#8
link81 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 12822 Photos: Albums Posts: 459	Think that's bad? try pricing out a decent set of 35's or bigger for a jeep. Can spend over 2k in tires only without too much trouble. There's a reason jeep stands for "just empty every pocket" :-)

07-02-2015, 10:31 AM	#9
Auzzie-Phoenix Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,020 Original Poster	Lol... even if you consider them cheap, they still set me back roughly a month's income.

07-02-2015, 01:34 PM	#10
grhazelton Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	Tell me about it! We have an "economy" car, a 2010 Mazda3 five door, 2.5l, 6 speed manual. A fun ride! perhaps aided by the tires, 17 inch, 205x50. The tires that came with it cost plenty! and they only gave about 30K miles. I don't hot dog the car, at 73K the brake pads have a lot of wear left. We replaced them with Firestones, same size, rated to about 140 mph, and got about 42K. Just replaced those with the same brand/size, another $600 or so. Geez! Good thing I generally like the car!

07-02-2015, 03:15 PM	#11
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599	Originally posted by grhazelton Tell me about it! We have an "economy" car, a 2010 Mazda3 five door, 2.5l, 6 speed manual. A fun ride! perhaps aided by the tires, 17 inch, 205x50. The tires that came with it cost plenty! and they only gave about 30K miles. I don't hot dog the car, at 73K the brake pads have a lot of wear left. We replaced them with Firestones, same size, rated to about 140 mph, and got about 42K. Just replaced those with the same brand/size, another $600 or so. Geez! Good thing I generally like the car! I'm still hanging on to my 2004 (2.3l, 5-speed) that I bought in college. Fun car, yes. The tires are low profile though and I think that's why they're not terribly cheap. I replaced my clutch around the same mileage as you have now, and others have had similar reports. It could be that the early models had some clutch wear issues that are hopefully resolved, but I thought you should know. It was a $1k repair.

07-02-2015, 07:19 PM	#14
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Having four vehicles, I am always dealing with something...and tires come around every so often. Each vehicle is very different, from my sporty Audi TT to my Jeep Wrangler or my older Ram pickup or Mrs Rupert's Ford Escape. I have found that there is a ton of information online about tires and tire buying. I also found that some of the best tires are also the cheapest...sometimes by a wide margin. Do the research and you can save a lot of cash and still get the best tire for your vehicle and your specific driving needs. Regards!