Need help selecting tires for my car?

Question

I have a Mazda 3 (2005) and after bringing it home from a oil change, I was told the tires had less than 20% remaining (I haven't changed em since i bought the car in 05).

Friends are telling me just to go to sams or walmart because the tires there are cheap and good. My question is, what you do you recommend for the car? I don't need winter tires, as I live in south texas where all we get is heat and maybe some rain. I want tires with a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride by a reliable brand. These tires on my car right now are Toyos.

Do I need ultra high performance tires?

What do you recommend?

Answer 1

Stay with toyo's if you have liked the ride.

Answer 2

Sam's, Walmart, and Sears have tires made by big manufacturers like Michelin and Goodyear that meet the store's stringent performance specifications, which is, the absolute cheapest quality tire they can sell for highest profit margins.  Buy from an authorized dealer of Michelin tires and you will not be disappointed in the performance of the tire.  There are many other good brands of tires like Continental, Goodyear, and Toyo, but after selling and installing them all, Michelins are with out a doubt the best.  Ohh and you need a tire that fits the car with respect to size, load index, and speed rating  all this is included in the tire size for example: 205/55VR-16 89V The performance column the tire falls into means nothing.

Answer 3

i wouldn't recommend the  high performace tire for a daily driver. a really good tire for the money is the uniroyal tiger paw with a 70k mile rating. 4 new tires installed should run about $300. kumho also makes a very good tire for your car in about the same price range.

Answer 4

well im a tire guy and no you dont need high performance tires unless your racing a round any tire is ok.. any name brand is ok to get... has for the price... try this way you make a few calls with your tire size.... its on the side of tire like 205 /85 14 or the driver door wil be a sticker.... anyways what you do is call a few tire store and ask about their cheapest tire for your car and after they tell you  you say what else you have... that tire will be the longer lasting tire and will be better than a cheap tire you get what you pay for cheap is cheap and short life... any brand of tire you have heard of or seen on tv is a good choice ... there are many brands most of which are just fine too many to name them all.. but the cheapest tire one has wil not be the tire to get....but asking for it and then asking what else you have will get you the better tire any time and that is the one that wil ride better and last longer with any brand

Answer 5

Glad to help. You do not need performance tires as the rubber compound is very soft and they wear faster than Touring or all season tires. If you don't mind doing a little serious research go on line to: tirerack.com. They sell close to 20 different brands of tires. Within each brand there may be up to 50 models depending on the vehicle you drive.

The beauty of this site they test their tires and nearly every tire that you decide to open has a Survey chart that can be opened to evaluate easy to understand tests they would apply to you.

I'm going out on a limb and suggest  three specific tires for you to consider. Yokohama Avid Touring, Yokohama Avid TRZ AND the  Kumho KR-21

You live where it's hot and wet - dry traction as well as tread life is most important.

I'll say this about the Yokohama Avid TRZ: I drove from Up-state NY to central NJ in a driving rain storm last week. Not once did I encounter any hydroplaning. These tires are quiet, have an expected 80,000 mile tread life and work exceptionally well in snow. I have these tires on every car (3) that I own.

I've been dealing from tirerack.com for 24 years with great success. This company is very customer oriented and their toll free people are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Answer 6

A good tire also depends on your driving style.  In South Texas I would assume you'd get some treacherous rain.

When it comes to your car's tires you can't be cheap.  Your life may depend on them.  I am partial to the Goodyear Assurance tire.  Sure, they are expensive but Discount Tires sells those tires (and plenty more) a lot cheaper than directly from Goodyear shops.  

Sams and Walmart are fine for oil changes, but not for good quality tires.  Do your research on good tires and then find a place in South Texas that carries your preference.  Hopefully you can find a salesperson who speaks good English.