New tires for a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE

Hello all,

I am in the market for new tires on my 2002 Saab 9-3 SE because the Yokohama Avid's have developed a slight ripple on the outer edges which causes a loud noise as I drive. The service reps at my dealer said this was caused because they are directional tires and the way the car is engineered the tires are being pulled and I should try to buy non direction/channel tred tires.

After some research and calling Tirerack, it seems that most tires are directional with the V pattern, to increase wet traction. I am considering a few tires:

Bridgestone Potenza RE 960 AS Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season Continental Extreme Contact Michelin Pilot Extalto A/S

I'd appreciate if anyone has these tires if you would let me know your thoughts (wet traction, cornering stability, treadwear and would you buy again) Also, if anyone has other tire suggestion, please let me know.

Thanks,

Ira

Reply to
hrit24
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Hi,

If it helps you at all, SAABs in the UK and the rest of Europe at a guess come with mostly Pirelli, Continentals or Michelin. Certainly so the current models. It does not mean they are the best tyres for the car but must be good enough for the manufacturer to fit as original equipment.

Looking at Tirerack there seem to be many more tyres which are not the V shape (even so some may be unidirectional).

Regards Charles

Reply to
Charles C.

I agree with the earlier replies, this is unlikely. I have seen Saabs wear the outer edges of tires but it's not the general result of directional tires. Some designs have issues, some cars have problems. It is true that the blockier, more aggressive designs show edge wear more oddly than a traditional tire which shows a smoother wear pattern but if you have odd wear it's a front end issue, or a specific tire issue, it's not inherent in directional tire design.

If you trust the dealer (and I have my doubts) and are confident that the front end is in good condition, I would start by having the alignment done by a competent shop. Next, when you buy your tires, have them balanced on a Hunter GSP9700. It makes a huge difference.

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Outstanding tires. I haven't been a Mich fan for many years as they always had rain traction issues IMHE. But, these have been terrific. The only possible issue I have is a little flat spotting after parking overnight but that goes away after a mile or so. They are not the (very) highest performance tire you can buy. If you are a purist, buy Summer only tires. But, if you need an all season, this tire is excellent.

Reply to
still just me

Hmm... I've had this happen on 2 C900s. One was fixed by a realignment and the on the other it seemed to be a mixture of (erm) highly enthusiastic driving and stuffed dampers. How's the front suspension / what's the mileage? Cheers

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Reply to
hippo

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