Virgil Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 So, I have to get new tires for my 2007 Toyota Camry LE. I thought this would be a quick thing, but man there are a ton of options. I don't know the difference between perfomance and passenger and the quality. I live in VA/MD. It hardly ever snows (except the blizzard that was February), and I don't really do anything all that special in my car. I've been more than happy with the tires that came with my car. The guys at sears were trying to get me to drop anywhere from $600-$1,000. For me, I just want to know what I can get away with for 50,000 miles. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I've bought from The Tire Rack before. Good prices and they will ship it to one of their recommended installers, or your own mechanic, so no need to haul them yourself to get them installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Costco...best prices and service for tires, hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I have never had a problem with Toyo tires... And highly suggest them. Always after my OEM tires wear out, I usually go with a set that has a longer tread life... Giving up handling a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Costco...best prices and service for tires, hands down. I agree with this. They also carry Michelin, which I've had the best luck with. Good balance of performance/quality/tread life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I've bought from The Tire Rack before. Good prices and they will ship it to one of their recommended installers, or your own mechanic, so no need to haul them yourself to get them installed. Word. OTOH, if you're just looking for some inexpensive tires, Costco or any discount place will do. Tire Rack allows you to select your car/color and model many different rims with different tires on them to determine the look you want. You can view the performance rating of the tires for the conditions that interest you. Good prices, experienced staff, and you can get customer feedback for installers they ship to/work with so you pick a good one. And the site does a whole lot more than what I just described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I have to agree, unless you have your own tire machine, Costco or Sams is a great place to have tires done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Costco...best prices and service for tires, hands down. You're right about the prices but when I go back for my "free tire rotation" they want a 3-4 hour wait. There's no way I'd leave my wife in Costco for that long. There's no such thing as Free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 You're right about the prices but when I go back for my "free tire rotation" they want a 3-4 hour wait. There's no way I'd leave my wife in Costco for that long. There's no such thing as Free! LMAO!!!! My wife would say the same about me though...I can always find a good deal somewhere in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 You're right about the prices but when I go back for my "free tire rotation" they want a 3-4 hour wait. There's no way I'd leave my wife in Costco for that long. There's no such thing as Free! That would surely to get you to do the rotation yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frit0 Bandit0 Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Michelin wherever its convenient for me to get them. They last and handle well on/off road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Thanks for all of the responses. I'm curious to know what the difference is between the tires though. I know the size I need, but there were like 15 different types of tires. I have no idea what separates one from the other. If I'm using it for just basic driving, does it really matter? Is there a brand I should stay away from? Is there a minimum performance rating or mileage I should be looking at? I literally am clueless with this stuff. In terms of installation btw, I think I'm gonna try Mr. Tire. All of the installation and alignment stuff is included in the price and they will pricematch anyone on the tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 In Virginia, you'll be just fine with an all-season radial of standard performance, unless you plan on street racing or spend an extended period of time traveling at highway speeds. Brandwise, I tend to stick with name brands like Goodyear or Michelin on my cars just because I know the quality I'm getting. However, the offbrands I've never really had any issues with in the past either. One thing you don't need to waste the extra money on is filling the tires with nitrogen. Did it once and did not notice any real difference in performance or gas mileage. Just use air and make sure the tire pressures are always in the proper range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I agree with this. They also carry Michelin, which I've had the best luck with. Good balance of performance/quality/tread life. For you Michelin fans, the rubber man has a name: Bibendum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 So, I have to get new tires for my 2007 Toyota Camry LE. I thought this would be a quick thing, but man there are a ton of options. I don't know the difference between perfomance and passenger and the quality. I live in VA/MD. It hardly ever snows (except the blizzard that was February), and I don't really do anything all that special in my car. I've been more than happy with the tires that came with my car. The guys at sears were trying to get me to drop anywhere from $600-$1,000. For me, I just want to know what I can get away with for 50,000 miles. Thoughts? Consulting Tire Rack site, I see that your OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) tires on your vehicle are either Michelin Energy MXV4-S8, or Bridgestone Turenza EL400-2. The Michelin is quite a good tire, as OEM's go. The manufacturers put on tires with an eye to price - and these days, there is such an emphasis on fuel mileage, that some pretty poor-performing items (regarding wet, snow, ice traction) are more common than not. You have seen things like Grand Touring All-Seasons, Touring All-seasons, and plain ole' All-Seasons. Speed ratings like T, H, V. For your area, and usage, I recommend the Michelin Primacy MXV4. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...um=16HR6MXV4PV2 (hope the link works -Tire Rack is a site that likes you to enable cookies) Tire Rack sells them for $132 each ($528), plus about $45 for shipping. Mounting/balancing - figure about $75 (keep an eye out for the coupons the tire people may send you, or are found in those shopper mailings). So that's $648. Michelin is currently offering a $70 mail-in rebate on the purchase of 4, so the cost drops to $578. There is no sales tax - but maybe not in your case. Tire Rack has a warehouse in MD. I know a lot about tires. Here's a review I posted this week: "Kumho Solus KH16 OEM tires on a 2008 Elantra SE, 8,200 miles ...wife's vehicle. A light winter last year, but had a few days' significant snow this year. This vehicle has traction control, anti-lock brakes, and stability control. These tires are abysmal in snow and ice. I'm an older person, and have gotten better winter performance from retreads. I have a "down-dip" driveway, and last year (car was purchased in Dec. '08), I had to put down salt/sand to get up the drive. With the heavier snow, the T/C constantly kicked in from a stop. The ALB chattered when stopping. The last straw was making a slow-speed, slightly downhill left turn, and it plowed and the rear end let loose, and the ESC kicked in. I ordered a set of Goodyear TripleTreds from Tirerack (arrived in one day!). They are currently set at 2 psi above normal by the install shop, being new skins as well as concerns about winter pothole damage - yet they show a noticeably better ride and resistance to bump harshness than the Kumhos. I've worked in the auto biz for many years, and I appreciate that OEM tires are a matter of cost - but this mad drive for fuel economy at all costs has brought us these poor-performing things... I'll put these OEM Kumhos up for sale come spring, and sell them as summer-only tires. Ride harshness aside, they are suited for such." Please don't take the cheapest route when buying tires. Your Camry is a very nice sedan - it deserves good skins. Hoping not to be dramatic - your life depends on them. Send me a PM - there are multitudes of choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 That actually helps a lot, so thank you. I didn't know my stock tires were of that quality. Up until then, I figured I could pry get away with basic tires because that's what pry came with the car. I didn't want to spend over $400, but you're right, I do love my car and want to take care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 That actually helps a lot, so thank you. I didn't know my stock tires were of that quality. Up until then, I figured I could pry get away with basic tires because that's what pry came with the car. I didn't want to spend over $400, but you're right, I do love my car and want to take care of it. Good choice on that Camry. It shares a position - as judged by auto people who appreciate the big picture - with the Honda Accord and the GM H-body series (the FWD Pontiac Bonnevilles, Olds 88s, Buick LeSabres) as larger sedans that have the near-perfect combination of comfort, cabin space, trunk space, outside visibility, good driving performance, and value. $200 more for good tires, averaged over 3 years, is 18 cents per day. That's the loose change residing in your pocket... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 That would surely to get you to do the rotation yourself! I would but it's an SUV and my back/knees are not what they used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I actually just replaced the tires on a camry. Costco was a little over 600 installed for the Mich Energy. Note the camry needs V rated tires. I actually put Bridgestone Potenza Grids on. They seem to be working good in the snow. Pretty quiet, overall not bad. At a 200 dollar savings installed (got them on sale at the local Tireplus). Obviously, I can't tell longterm, as they''ve probably only got 1000 miles on them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I actually just replaced the tires on a camry. Costco was a little over 600 installed for the Mich Energy. Note the camry needs V rated tires. I actually put Bridgestone Potenza Grids on. They seem to be working good in the snow. Pretty quiet, overall not bad. At a 200 dollar savings installed (got them on sale at the local Tireplus). Obviously, I can't tell longterm, as they''ve probably only got 1000 miles on them now. It does not need V-rated tires. Speed rating is not the same as load rating. The V rating brings stiffer sidewalls, and a lousier ride. Usually noise. And different tread compounding, biased towards dry-road performance. Auto companies - their marketing departments ( ), use such to imply implication of high performance (as well as the far-to-wide tires fitted on many builds...). The chart: L 75 mph 120 km/h Off-Road & Light Truck Tires M 81 mph 130 km/h N 87 mph 140km/h Temporary Spare Tires P 93 mph 150 km/h Q 99 mph 160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter Tires R 106 mph 170 km/h H.D. Light Truck Tires S 112 mph 180 km/h Family Sedans & Vans T 118 mph 190 km/h Family Sedans & Vans U 124 mph 200 km/h H 130 mph 210 km/h Sport Sedans & Coupes V 149 mph 240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars Hyundai, with the most recent iteration of their little Accent, fitted them with 195 width V-rated tires in it's 1st model year! People flew off the road, because of the lousy overall wet/snow traction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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