what about Chinese tires?

And will they rise at all? There are plenty of cheap tires (and some very good ones too) coming from India and Brazil as it is. China isn't even all that big a player.

If you only drive a few thousand miles a year, spend some money on good soft high performance tires. They will prevent you from dying, and they will last longer before getting dry rot than the cheap tires will. Honest, you will save money by purchasing really good tires, and you might save your life too.

--scott

There are some really good tires coming in from outside the USA, just to clarify the situation. You dont always get what you pay for, but you usually have to pay for what you expect to get.

Absolutely. In fact some of the best tires I know of have come from Korea of all places.

--scott

I bought some Tempest Touring tires from NTB which are made in China and I'm very pleased with the handling. They have a nice tread pattern as well. When my front tires wore out I bought two more from Goodyear (about the same price tire) and they were/are crap.

Made in China = strike 1 NTB = strikes 2 and 3 combined.

Ick.

I was surprised to learn that PRC tires make up some 15-16% of the US tire market. Apparently this has grown very fast in the last few years. You don't notice it, apparently, because the tires tend to be sold as low end private-label (house brand) and discount brand products rather than under obviously Chinese brand names.

Some of the big tire companies are very global and have been for some time. US-marketed tires of a foreign brand might well be made in the US; a US brand could be foreign made.

I've had good luck with Kumho tires (Korea -- no surprise there; it's a high tech and industrial nation) as a price/performance sweet spot lately, and also own and am happy with a set of Pirelli P5's (which may well have been made in the US).

I've had cheap tires over the years, rationalizing them as being good enough for a commute beater, and can't 't recommend the very low end for either performance (well, sure) *or* bang for the buck. Value for the money tends to peak in the middle somewhere.

Only if you really need new tires and money is really tight should you go bottom fishing. If you do opt for a really cheap tire, drive conservatively, and don't expect more than a few years or couple tens of thousands of miles, whichever comes first.

Magazine tests and customer reviews are your friend in any case. They keep you from squandering money on something overpriced or just plain no good... and if you're looking for a prince of a value down in the lower price ranges, they keep you from kissing too many toads en route.

Cheers,

--Joe

Generally speaking I have not had good results with Chinese rubber products. My experience has been mainly with generators where the tires fall apart within about one year and other parts such as the spark plug wire insulator deteriorates rapidly. OTOH I also have some 10" tires from Harbor Freight which I assume are made in China and they have help up quite well. I suppose if you can find some satisified customers and get a specific brand name you'll probably be OK. But for me I only buy the best tires. I don't believe there is any such thing as cheap tires except perhaps for the most expensives ones. I put Michelin LTX tires on my 04 Nissan and drove on them for 90K miles and THEN put them on my daughter's Explorer and she got another 20K-30K miles from them. Even if you figure only 80K miles I doubt they cost twice as much as cheap tires that will only last 40K miles once you include mounting, disposal, new valve stems, hazard warranty, balancing, towing, putting on the spare, etc. Also pay attention to the rating on the tires. With Michelin you are getting a very high rating and they are far less likely to blow out or have tread seperation plus they are likely to hold the road better. And if you drive on mud, dirt, snow, or ice tires can make a huge difference.

Cooper Tires. cuhulin

Not all Michelins, I am sorry to say. I love Michelin tires in general. But some of the tires they sell through large chains are not really very good. Others are excellent.

My last tires were Kumhos, replacing OEM Michelins of inferior quality. Time will tell.

try and find something that isn't made in china. It's not easy.

There is a Cooper tire factory near Tupelo.There are at least two more Cooper tire factories in America. cuhullin

Michelin Tires = made in USA or Canada and a lot of NVH problems go away (at least that's my experience)

Yokohama Tires = made in Japan. cheaper alternative to Michelin

Kumho Tires = made in Korea. cheaper alternative to Michelin or Yoko

those are the only three tires I've willingly bought in the last decade or so. the rest have all come with vehicles. (buying Yoko for the 944 because Michelin has discontinued the size I need... WTF? I've still got a pair Michelin XGT4s that only look a couple years old on the rear)

nate

try and find something that isn't made in china. It's not easy.

**** I seem to remember some real problems coming from Chinese tires which were imported and marketed on the east coast of the USA within the last couple of years.

The Chinese company, it seems, changed the manufacturing process in mid stream and never consulted with or advised the importer. Then the serious tire failures started to happen.

IIRC, the Chinese basically thumbed their nose at the importerl, and our government pansied off to do other important tasks.

I think it was the plies of those made in China tires were coming unbonded.I will never knowingly buy any tires made in China.Why court Danger!? cuhulin

there was a bonding strip/layer that was deleted.

"...the Chinese manufacturer, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber, a former state-owned company based in eastern China, acknowledged that a gum strip that prevents the tread from separating was left out of the manufacturing process."

"The defective tires are sold under the brand names Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS"

nate

That is the ticket. Thanks, bubba. I just didnt have the time to research it and come back.

Chinese goods can be of high quality, but YOU MUST keep their feet to the fire. Never leave anything unsaid.

x2 for Michelin. We're talking about where the car meets the road. Is there a single more critical part of the car? Not really.

That being said, if your car is wearing tires funny, it would be pretty retarded to buy a set of michelins (or any other brand) and not have the car aligned.

Interesting fact: It takes around 500 miles for a tire to break into its position and gain it's maximum traction. Rotating tires will not necessarily make them last longer and will certainly affect extreme handling capabilities.

Interesting fact: If you are replacing only 2 tires, putting the new tires on the back will make the vehicle more stable in turns. It seems counter intuitive, I know.

Wow. I have a set of Hank00k tires made in China that have been on my Supra for 4 years now. They are still in almost new condition!

I drive *everywhere* at 50 MPH, and, um, sometimes more... ;)

I thought Hankook was a Korean company? or are they Korean but have manufacturing in China?

nate