Cheap tires but still good enough

JustDandee

JustDandee

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Nampa, Idaho
Holy cow there are a lot of new “names” in the market place. Admittedly I am a tire snob but taking on the challenge of trying to find a good tire to fit in my daughters budget for her older Sentra.

Criteria is a well siped all season/all weather and as good a pair of tires I can source out the door for $200.

Anyone have good recommendations on bargain basement brands.
 
Oomf; yeah that will be tough for quality new tires.
If you have a good local shop or two nearby you could ask to be notified for takeoffs; sometimes people get wheels & tires and ditch perfectly good OEM tires.
Or you could watch marketplace/craigslist for wheel & tire sets and sell the wheels and 2 tires to close the budget gap.
 
I’m just looking on tire rack quickly and here are the names I see that offer tires around $100ea that I would trust:
General
Sumitomo
Cooper
Yokohama
Kumho
Falken
Toyo
Hankook
Goodyear
 
Granite said:
I’m just looking on tire rack quickly and here are the names I see that offer tires around $100ea that I would trust:
General
Sumitomo
Cooper
Yokohama
Kumho
Falken
Toyo
Hankook
Goodyear
Click to expand...

I think you misssed my challenge…😃 all in tax, mount & balance, 2 tires under $200. 195 60/15

Discount has a Sentry out the door $174 for two. It’s a possibility ..Douglas is a hard no for me. I can go look at Walmart and obviously hit target but those names that I have not heard of.…as an example

IMG_1192.jpeg


So hence the question if one of these below the radar names might be a decent tire…
 
Eek! Yeah those are foreign to me. And I would bump my budget up another $25-$50 if it meant a more reliable tire.
So I bow out from this challenge! 😂 Good luck!
 
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I tried cheap tires years ago and gave up. It just wasn’t worth it. Pay three times over time, or pay twice as much up front was the way it seemed to work, when I crunched the numbers. Maybe it’s changed, but I doubt it.
 
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When I was in college I ran both Douglas and Mastercraft tires on my Cavalier and don’t remember having issues.

I now have Mastercraft on my truck and am not a huge fan of their AT tires.
 
I won’t touch any tire from China period. I’ve had good luck with tires from Taiwan and Thailand though. The mounting and balancing is where they get you. I mount my own trailer tires. I have several trailers and this saves me big money. First set paid for the tire machine from HF.
 
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Discount Tire/America's Tire has at least four choices that will get you out the door with two 195/60R15 tires for $200 or less. All are off brand - Sentry (China, Thailand), Westlake (China), Milestar (China. Taiwan), Radar (Thailand, Indonesia, China and India).
 
My wife's used Subaru came from the dealer with brand new Crosswind tires. I had to look them up. Made by Linglong Tires, based in China and Thailand and India. They lasted 2 years, maybe still good for another year, but I didn't trust them on Colorado winter roads. They weren't going to make it to their treadwear warranty. For us, "bargain" tires are not much of a bargain. Of course we spent a LOT more to get a brand which should last.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
Discount Tire/America's Tire has at least four choices that will get you out the door with two 195/60R15 tires for $200 or less. All are off brand - Sentry (China, Thailand), Westlake (China), Milestar (China. Taiwan), Radar (Thailand, Indonesia, China and India).
Click to expand...

Mr Bill- do you have a preference. Discount only quoted the Sentry “as being available”. But maybe a little more pushing other brands can be ordered.

Again this just a challenge- in the fun sense- on what options fit the Bill - no pun intended- for under $200 (her budget)

I would like the kid to stand on her own two feet and take care of business- but the Dad in me will chip in if there isn’t something compelling. For another hundred I am sure a lot more options are available.👍
 
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JustDandee said:
Mr Bill- do you have a preference?

I would like the kid to stand on her own two feet and take care of business- but the Dad in me will chip in if there isn’t something compelling. For another hundred I am sure a lot more options are available.👍
Click to expand...

No preference.

As far as I am concerned, none of the "$200 or less out the door" choices are acceptable.

The dad in me would not let a son or daughter buy cheap crap tires. The lesson here is that her life depends upon these tires so she needs to work a few more shifts and up her two-tire budget to a more reasonable $250.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
No preference.

As far as I am concerned, none of the "$200 or less out the door" choices are acceptable.

The dad in me would not let a son or daughter buy cheap crap tires. The lesson here is that her life depends upon these tires so she needs to work a few more shifts and up her two-tire budget to a more reasonable $250.
Click to expand...

I would loan my daughter the $50-100 extra for the safety factor. Or trade labor for the money.
 
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Well looks like we are all tire snobs…😀. No one seems to be claiming a brand that they would buy comfortably under $200. I have quote from Costco that has me out the door at $270 for some BFG
 
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Milage warranties aren’t worth shit. They have caveats such as rotate every 5K so unless you have the time and a good dealer it’s a pain. You can’t do it yourself because you have no proof. Even if they do warranty them it’s a prorated formula for your compensation on the same exact tires. I keep my vehicles forever so the economics of paying more to get more pays off for me. Some things you do not go cheap on such as tires, plastic surgery or hookers.
 
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