Fancy tires mean extra expenses when replacing on clarkhoward.com

Have you gotten sticker shock when you needed replacement tires for your car? Chances are you may have expensive non-standard tires.

Automakers create multiple lines of a single vehicle at different price points. One of the up-sells they add to the pricier lines are fancy wheels that are larger than usual tires.

Some models even have speed-rated tires that are designed to perform at 149 mph or higher. We've all seen the commercials with stunt drivers tearing it up on closed roads. It's like James Bond syndrome! But how often do you drive even 100 mph?! Do you really need those high-performance tires?

So Clark is recommending you check out the tire size and type before you buy a car. Or simply ask the dealer about the replacement tire price. Of course, for many people style is king and they don't care if they have to pay extra. But if you do care, use TireRack.com to check tire prices.

What others are saying

tirerack.com
I did the tirerack way purchase twice now. They have a HUGE selection, reviews/comparisons, and best price. Most tire places only sell one or two types of tires for your vehicle. Buy tires on Tirerack, pick you own installer, and have them shipped to your installer. I ordered on a Wed. tires installed Fri and saved $200.
By Jason T. @ 11/13/09 01:57:20 PMreport abuse
gas for the year .vs. four tires story
When my dad got sick he sold me his souped-up 99 Vette for a great price, he damn near gave it to me. Even though I have some debt and currently work a crap job as I finish college in my mid-30s, I would never sell it unless I ended up on the streets. Anyway, I got it two summers ago and it's been in storage ever since other than a few wild rides the first week of that first summer. My dad had fun with it before he got too sick to drive it and the rear tires were shot but the fronts also needed replacement. I first had to find a garage that could even properly remove and replace the tires with a full guarantee, most cannot. I finally found one and asked for a quote thinking these will be a bit expensive but nothing that outrageous, I was wrong. The cheapest P275/40ZR18s for the rear were $300 each, and the cheapest 245/45-17s for the front were $175 each, that's $950 plus taxes for just the standard rubber. That is an amount that fills my Bonneville with gas for almost an entire year's worth of driving. I said no thanks and drove her back to storage, she has been there ever since. One day I will be able to afford the gift from my dad, but not today.

In contrast, my 4 new Bonneville tires I just bought last winter from hated Tires Plus are all-weather and have a 3 year 40k warranty were less than $180 with tax. I'm sure the vette tires cost a little more to make, but 5-6 times more? I don't think so.
By Chris's friend @ 11/09/09 01:37:13 PMreport abuse
If Americans cared about speed or handling, they would never buy SUVs lol..

They just like a big fat burger on wheels!

They buy expensive tires for "safety reasons"
By anonymous @ 11/09/09 12:43:05 PMreport abuse
100 MPH
Personally the only place that we traveled that fast in was in South Dakota on the open stretches of road.
By Tony @ 11/09/09 10:59:08 AMreport abuse
Tire wear
I have personally seen a "V" rated tire outlast a tire rated for 80k miles. Did I say the "V" rated tire lasted for 80k miles or more?,...in a word "no." Here is the fact, if you take a tire designed for high mileage and drive the crap out of it, in other words operate the tire at 95% to 100% of it's maximum capabilities for extended periods of time you will wear this tire out faster than if you took a "V" or "Z" rated tire and drove it the same way. If you are an aggressive driver than you need more aggressive tires than you might think or be willing to pay for. Many tire dealers simply sell by price and do not get into conversations about how you drive or even ask if there is anything that you would like to improve upon with your new set of tires. Car manufacturers choose tires for OE application based upon many different parameters, one of which being price. But if the tires do not achieve the desired parameters set for that particualr vehicle then price is not even considered. Tire manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers work together to develop a tire that will achieve the desired goals of the program and quite often the biggest goal is to obtain the initial vehicle purchase, they want that test drive to go very well. This is a much more complicated senario than most would believe possible. Bottom line, don't be obsessed with your tire wear as it is most likely due to your style of driving and not any real issues with your current tires. Perhaps you really wanted a new Corvette but had other considerations in your life at the time and bought a Chrysler minivan. So you drive the minivan a little more aggressively than it was really designed for and this wears your tires faster! Your vehicle does EVERYTHING on it's tires, buy the right ones!
By Jim @ 11/09/09 08:32:43 AMreport abuse
A Tire's Performance Rating
A speed rating affects more than just a tire's ability to carry the vehicle, under specific testing conditions, to a certain high speed in MPH. Think of the speed rating more like a Performance Rating. A higher performance tire will perform better in all situations (except perhaps snow/ice) at any speed. A "V" or "Z" rated tire will out perform an "S" or "T" rated tire at 35 MPH and this includes stopping distances. I spent almost 14 years working for a major tire manufacturer and was involved in these kind of tests often. Yes, tires can be expensive but considering the fact that EVERYTHING your vehicle does, it does on it's tires should make this an easy decision. Compromise your tires and you could compromise the capabilities and safety of your vehicle.
By Jim @ 11/09/09 08:15:27 AMreport abuse
tires
It depends on the tire, and the car. Speed is secondary. I love carving up curvy winding roads which does not involve speed. Doing that on H rated tires won't cut it.
By larry @ 11/08/09 03:58:28 AMreport abuse
You get what you pay for!
I upgraded to a more expensive, premium set of tires for my Jeep just after I bought it new. The factory tires were noisy, braking on dry roads was terrible and they handled really, really bad on paved roads, all of which was dangerous. The new Michelin LTX's were a godsend! Most factory-spec tires were chosen to cut costs, not to provide maximum performance.

You get what you pay for. I don't need to travel more than 70 mph, and I surely didn't buy tires for racing purposes. I say, buy tires for what you intend to use the vehicle for, not to feed your ego.
By Another Old Guy @ 11/07/09 09:01:06 AMreport abuse
Fancy Tires
According to consumer reports, the higher speed rated tires perform better at lower speeds than their lower speed rated counterparts.
By --Denny @ 11/06/09 09:18:54 PMreport abuse
Fancy tires
I see this phenomenon every day where I work where the standard factory tire is at least 16 inches and up. If you own an SUV or truck then the cost goes up at least 35% more. The funny thing is that customers get mad at us when we tell them they need tires because they argue that it is too expensive, the tires should have lasted longer, the manufacturer should pay for these tires and/or covered them under warranty etc.
If you want a vehicle with 17+ inch diameter wheels and want to minimize the cost-do your regularly scheduled tire rotation, tire balance, and alignment. Otherwise, plan on buying tires much sooner.
p.s. It is the brakes that stop the vehicle in a panic stop. As long as they are functioning and the tires have enough usable, even tread-then stopping shouldn't be a problem-whether you have performance tires or average ones. Oh and if you want to avoid the majority of accidents in Atlanta, keep your distance and expect everyone on the road to drive like a moron....because they will not disappoint or surprise you.
By shafaa @ 11/06/09 07:22:51 PMreport abuse
100mph tires
You may not drive 100mph,but the tire is what stops the car in a panic stop. Thats where the performance part of the tire saves lives.
By Mark @ 11/06/09 05:06:50 PMreport abuse

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Nov 06, 2009 -- Fancy tires mean extra expenses when replacing

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