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  1. Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    268
    #1
    WHAT TO BUY MAY DEPEND ON WHERE YOU LIVE.

    Firestone's massive recall and the deaths and injuries that led up to it have turned tires into headline news (see Firestone tires: The firestorm continues for an update). The blowouts and peeled tread associated with the recalled tires underscore the vital role all tires play in getting you safely from point A to B. While our performance tests can't predict a tire's durability, our test results can help you choose tires that perform best for your vehicle and driving conditions.

    This report focuses on 11 popular all-season tire models for cars and 6 all-terrain models for sport-utility vehicles--including a version of the Firestone Wilderness AT not currently subject to the company's recall. Firestone tire recall: Update details how to determine if your tires are the ones recalled and lists suitable replacements from among the SUV tires we've tested. You'll also find Ratings for all-season SUV tires from previous reports.

    Our judgments can help you choose tires that have the shortest stops, resist hydroplaning, and help make emergency maneuvers a bit less heart-stopping. Our extensive track testing also reveals which tires are likeliest to get you through snow and ice in cold-winter areas.

    > Whichever tires you buy, knowing the various types and designations can help put your choices in perspective.
    For cars. The all-season car tires in this report emphasize a comfortable, quiet ride, long tread life, and--at $40 to $70 for most--value for the dollar. Their main selling point is adequate performance year-round, making them a sound compromise where winters aren't severe.

    Winter tires, which should be removed during snowless months, are best for snow and ice. Price: about $60 to $100.

    If you're after the ultimate in dry- and wet-weather grip and handling, you'll probably prefer performance tires. But the penalty for high performance is often a harsh and noisy ride, poor winter traction, short tread life, and prices that usually start at $100.

    Touring tires fall somewhere between all-season and performance tires in grip, handling, comfort, tread life, and price (about $60 to $80). They're marketed as all-season tires with added performance and comfort. Touring-performance versions showed improved handling in our tests. (See "Other Good Choices" in the Ratings for car tires from previous reports.)

    For SUVs and trucks. These tend to be larger than car tires to handle the added weight and load-carrying requirements. All-terrain SUV tires, like those in this report, are designed mostly for on-road driving, though their chunky tread provides off-road capability and added traction in snow. Prices range from $60 to $100.

    All-season SUV tires are solely for on-road driving. Priced about the same as all-terrain tires, they're similar to all-season car tires. Their lack of off-road capability will rarely be an issue for the vast majority of SUV owners who don't go off-road. And unlike all-season tires for cars, those for sport-utility vehicles should be adequate in snow, since many SUVs come with all-wheel or four-wheel drive.

    The right size and type. You'll find the size for your vehicle on a label attached to the vehicle's door jamb or fuel door. Make sure new tires have the same size designation. Also be sure they have the same maximum-speed and load ratings (see Deciphering the tire codes). Most automakers urge you to stick with all-season or all-terrain tires if those were what your SUV came with; switching can make some SUVs more prone to rollovers. But three tested all-season tires are approved by Ford for its vehicles that came with all-terrain tires (see Firestone tire recall: Update).



    The all-season tires we tested share a prorated warranty ranging from 60,000 to 75,000 miles, or a comparable number of years. They also come with a moderately high maximum-speed rating of either S (112 mph) or T (118 mph), denoting higher overall performance than non-speed-rated tires as well as the ability to take highway driving in stride. While the wherewithal to sustain such speeds may sound unnecessary, tires with higher speed ratings also tend to deliver better handling at the legal limit.

    The size we chose for this report, P195/70R14, is a common size for replacement tires. It fits our test car, a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, as well as many other popular vehicle models, including versions of the Honda Accord, Dodge Stratus, Pontiac Sunfire, and Toyota Camry.


    Recommendations

    The Pirelli P400 Touring, $49--an all-season tire, despite its "touring" name--continues to top that category in our tests. Its excellent wet and dry braking, resistance to hydroplaning, and emergency handling make it a strong choice for most driving conditions. If your driving includes ice and snow, you're likely to prefer the Yokohama Aegis LS4, $43, or BFGoodrich Control T/A M65, $51. Both showed fine all-season balance, with notably better performance on ice and snow. The ninth-place Goodyear Regatta 2, $57, is a valid all-season choice where winters are long and severe.

    If comfort and dry-weather handling top your list, consider the Michelin RainForce MX4, $73. It gave the smoothest ride in this group, as well as excellent handling on dry pavement. But it proved a mixed bag on wet pavement, despite its name. While its resistance to hydroplaning was excellent, wet cornering and non-ABS wet braking were only fair.

    The rest of these car tires performed adequately, though not outstandingly.



    Most sport-utility-vehicle manufacturers provide specific instructions on tire replacement for good reason. SUVs, with their high center of gravity, roll over about four times as often as cars, and the tires can affect that propensity to roll. That's why most SUV manufacturers strongly advise replacing the original tires with the same type--an all-terrain with another all-terrain, say.

    Ford, for example, generally warns that replacing all-terrain tires--including the recalled versions on most of its Explorers--with another type could make the vehicle's handling more responsive and increase the possibility of a rollover (see Firestone tire recall: Update for exceptions). Switching to grippier tires is especially dangerous; if you steer abruptly, the vehicle might tip over instead of sliding.

    All-terrain tires, like the ones we tested for this report, are recommended for the Ford Explorer and Expedition, Mercury Mountaineer, and Lincoln Navigator. They're also an option in some versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Blazer, along with some older SUVs and pickups. (If you have an older SUV that came with all-purpose tires, stick with that category.)

    We ordered all-terrain models in size P225/75R15--a popular size--and tested them on a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Included are many major brands. Among them is the Firestone Wilderness AT II; some Wilderness tires--though not this one--are currently part of the recall (see the list in Firestone tire recall: Update and Firestone tires: The firestorm continues).


    Recommendations

    The off-road capability of these all-terrain tires didn't detract from their performance on the road. They did about as well overall as the all-season SUV tires we reported on in our last test.

    The Bridgestone Dueler A/T 693, $76, excelled in most tests. Its performance is impressive under most conditions, though its ride is stiff and snow traction is only fair.

    > Much of the same holds true for the second-place Kelly-Springfield Kelly Safari AWR, $56, and Dunlop Radial Rover, $63. The Kelly was a very good all-weather performer, with adequate snow traction. And what we said about the Dunlop in January 1996 still applies: It excelled in dry and wet braking and handled capably. But its winter performance--a category we didn't evaluate in 1996--proved disappointing.

    > The Firestone Wilderness AT II, $64, is potentially the most fuel-efficient tire in this group, judging by its low rolling resistance in our tests. But the fraction of an mpg you may save isn't significant. Like the pricey Goodyear Wrangler AT/S, $108, the Firestone has very good winter performance, though both tires performed less well on dry pavement than the others tested. You may want to wait before buying any Wilderness AT tire until more questions surrounding Firestone's recall are answered.


    Car and truck tires: Where the deals are

    Mail-order houses generally offer the best prices, a good selection, and a knowledgeable staff. You'll have to pay for shipping, typically about $25 to $40 for four tires, as well as for mounting and balancing. But you're still likely to spend less overall than you would at other retailers. Tire dealers also have a wide selection, while many service stations tend to have both limited stock and little expertise. Warehouse clubs usually offer a limited tire selection as well. New-car dealers tend to have the smallest selection and the highest prices as a rule, though Ford dealers tend to be competitive with tire dealers in price.








    • Ratings, car tires
    • Ratings, SUV tires
    • Deciphering the tire codes






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  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    22,658
    #2
    Napaka-nerd talaga ng mga tao sa Consumer Reports. :mrgreen: Huwag daw palitan ang size at designation. hahaha. Funny.

    It's still 32" or 33" M/T tires for my next set!

    http://docotep.multiply.com/
    Need an Ambulance? We sell Zic Brand Oils and Lubricants. Please PM me.

  3. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    10,942
    #3
    What a disappointment!!! :evil:

    Kanina sinubukan ko fit yung 33X12.5X15 Dunlop MT1 with 15X10 mags, negative offset. The bad news is, ill-fitted ang 33 inchers sa fenders ko even with 70mm suspension lift. Labas ng 2 inches yung tires sa fenders, and this WILL SURELY scrape off those plastics overfenders that I have on. Maliit talaga ang fenders ng Safari compared to LC 80 series. Looks like I'll just have to stick with these 32X11.5X15 after all.


    But wait! I ain't closing any doors yet! I have got to try some other mags with positive offset then switch to 16X7 or 16X8 mags sporting 285X75R16. I might have to wait for the tires to be ordered though.

  4. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    22,658
    #4
    Ungas,

    Why don't you just go tall and skinny like the Austrailians do. Bawal kasi sa kanila masyadong malaking gulong (in relation to stock).

    http://docotep.multiply.com/
    Need an Ambulance? We sell Zic Brand Oils and Lubricants. Please PM me.

  5. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    10,942
    #5
    Sinubukan rin namin kahapon yung 245X75R16 on 16X7 mags no offset. Hindi ko gusto kinalabasan, nagmukhang skinny kid yung Safari. :D

  6. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    10,620
    #6
    im so very happy with my 15x8 mags and 31x10.5xr15 Geolandar AT II +

    kaso nag gri-gring pa rin sa bumper after kong mag torsion bar lift

    solution?
    palit na ng bumper!!!!!

  7. Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    63
    #7
    Just installed 285/60x18 Bridgestone H/P. Nice ride, as soft as stock (245/70x16) but much more stable at turning. These are not off-road tires.

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