I’ve noticed a tire trend

[Tripp051420]

So I stopped running name-brand tires over almost two decades ago. I run through vehicles, whether DD or goof off projects, like some go through underwear. I got tired of spending $$$$ on tires for a vehicle that was going to be a runabout goof-off toy for a few months. So one day I took a gamble on an off-brand tire. Surprise surprise, it worked just as well as the high-dollar BS I'd been buying for years. So I started to research and use myself as a guinea pig, and lo and behold, the majority of the "cheap/knock off/Chinese crap" was just as good, if not better than the high-dollar options.

I've run plenty of name-brand (Michelin, Good Year, Firestone, Nitto, etc.), higher-end tires. From high horsepower to offroading, and pretty much everything in between. Are there some of those that are better than the "low-buck" options? Sure. However, for 95% of the folks around here. Get ready, this will ruffle some feathers. Even with boosted applications, the "cheap knock-offs" can be more than sufficient. "Yeah, but I bet they won't outlast my 86,642.8-mile name-branders I just replaced." Calm down, Kevin. You didn't get that many miles on those tires, and, yes, yes they will.

With all of that, yes, some of the low-buck options are crap, but so are some of the name-brand lower-level tires. As much as this pains me to say, the "ya get what ya pay for, buddy" statement is antiquated in the majority of scenarios these days.

(runs off to avoid the torches and pitchforks coming his way)

I disagree with a lot of what you said but we are allowed to have different opinions. I will say, I don’t buy good tires for longevity. I buy them to have good traction in all scenarios I put myself in

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[Evolvd]

Just me and my opinion but tires are the most important part of the car. They are what make you go and more importantly what make you stop. A big brake kit is useless if your tread compound can’t handle the friction of heavy or emergency braking. Similarly, evasive driving is severely hampered by cheap compounds.

Everything is a trade off. Great tires aren’t cheap and cheap tires aren’t great. They may be good at water evacuation but suck at high operating temps. It’s up to each person to decide what type of driving they will do on them and their limitations. There is no magic “do it all” tire….you have to sacrifice something.

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

Tires are like whiskey. Some drink it to be cool with their buddies. Some drink it to get drunk. And some drink it because they like the taste.

Never met a man that made high six figures that drank Jack Daniels.

 

[kz]

LOL.
The are sufficient when you go get groceries (which admittedly - most of Mustang owners do - they agonize for hours on the mods and power just to never really use it).

But when they try to go faster or conditions are just slightly worse, it's "I hydroplaned at 30 mph" or "Damn, this car is hard to drive" or some nonsense like that.

Good tires have nothing to do with lasting long, it's quite the opposite actually. They're about providing grip in all kinds of conditions.

 

[Dana Pants]

I am guilty of this as I usually go with Michelin PS4s, but this time around I went with the cheaper Continental ECS02 and they are absolutely incredible for the price.

Money independent, the ECS02 is a better tire than PS4S in many ways and has nothing to do with being cheap. I will die on this hill.

cheap would be like… a knock off brand that isn’t even sold by tire rack.

 

[MAGS1]

I don’t buy good tires for longevity. I buy them to have good traction in all scenarios I put myself in

1,000% this. Tire Rack and others test a whole bunch of tires in a lot of different scenarios. I drive my Mustang every day in every kind of weather. I need tires I can trust in hot weather, cold weather, dry, rain and snow. I’ve tried a lot of different brands and I read reviews all the time. Conti in the summer and Bridgestone Blizzak in the winter. I am willing to pay what it costs for the surety of mind that provided I drive my car properly, the tires will do their job properly.

 

[350 Feet]

I disagree with a lot of what you said but we are allowed to have different opinions. I will say, I don’t buy good tires for longevity. I buy them to have good traction in all scenarios I put myself in

Even here in Southern California we have to prepare for great traction in all seasons. The tires have to hold in the summer when the mercury climes all the way to 78, and still not be too firm when winter cools it off all the way down to 72….
To each his own on tires, just like all the other parts that make it to our cars. But you can have my PS4S when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers.
Cheers

 

[exvette]

What stops your car? Brakes? WRONG. Tires stop your car. The brakes only stop the wheels from turning. Why doesn't anybody talk about braking distances when talking about tires? If a better tire means shorter braking distances, isn't it worth the extra money to avoid a collision? Or worse?

 

[Snooty]

I have found tires to be the rabbit hole of car modifications. Every car needs them and they are the most important aspect of the car along with brakes. They behave differently and can make or break the way a car drives.

My experience is that people who don't appreciate the difference or how tires work either A: do not drive their vehicle beyond the regular pedestrian way/only give it the beans in a straight line, or B: have not had a really high grade tire on a powerful vehicle then gone to a midrange tire. Remember we are talking about a big car, with 400+hp.

I learned the hardware with my old R33 Skyline. Had top level michelin's at the time, took them off for indy firehawk's (known as Bridgestone RE003 in Australia) and not only was the car unable to get as much grip in a straight line as before, the cars ability to rip through country twisty backroads was dramatically different to the point where it was no longer safe to drive the way I had been doing for years prior.

I have been running PS4s on my mustang since new, even when I got different sized wheels. However I have noticed what I don't like about the tire, namely its responsiveness in aggressive corners. So for me I have decided when my new set of wheels arrive I am going to test Yokohama ADVAN AD09's. They have a much stiffer sidewall and are known for their exceptional dry grip and acceptable wet grip for a 200TW tire...and apparently they last longer than Cup 2's....

That being said my Mazda 2 with all 90 horsepower will get the cheapest rubber I can get, but still from a reputable brand.

 

[Rodpwnz]

Big yikes to everyone who lost the plot on buying better tires. If you're driving on public roads, you should be choosing the best tire you can afford and for the conditions you are driving - doesn't matter what car, or what kind of driving. I bought Crossclimate 2 for the family daily/ski-trip SUV and EC02 for my daily/track mustang. Right tire for the right job, and at the highest quality/performance I can afford.

1. Safety should be #1. For me, for you and for everyone else we're sharing the road with. Tire performance(for whatever conditions you drive in), including braking distance, is paramount to safety and accident avoidance. If your cheap tires only harmed you and yours, then so be it...but your poor choices affect other innocents that share the road with you. I don't care what you do to your car as long as it doesn't risk other peoples' health and lives.

2. Speaking of performance, higher quality tires generally perform better and for longer. You're not really saving as much money as you think going with cheap tires.

3. It's not about brand name...if LingLong made the better peforming tire, I'd buy it. Anyone who buys based off brand name may be well intentioned, but still ignorant to the ever changing tire landscape. There are tons of modern benchmarks, metrics and hard data online and easy to access to make informed decisions.

4. I always take anecdotal commentary from amateurs about how their "cheapo tire was better than or equal to well rated tire" with a mountain of salt, especially so when we have access to multiple reputable sources of tire data and performance metrics that prove otherwise.

You don't even have to go down a rabbithole of tire information. You can spend 10 minutes on a website like https://www.tire-reviews.com/ or tirerack and learn majority of what you need to know for your next tire decision.

 

[Mach1Racer]

One might find that as the value of these cars (2018-2023 Mustangs) decreases, the discretionary income of many of the second and third owners will similarly decrease, thus causing many owners to seek out more economical tire manufacturers to fulfill the need to replace depleted tires.

As others have stated, I too utilize Tire Rack for information on tire tests and fast shipping.

Since the Mach 1 came with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, I experienced them and didn’t like the tramlining due to the softer sidewalls. However, they did stick to the road.

The Sport Cup 2’s were replaced with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires which is a R-compound tire and original equipment on the ZL1. Comes in a stiffer sidewall and is CHEAPER than the Sport Cup 2. Tramlining on the Mach 1 has nearly ceased.

Sizes for reference
305/30 R 19
325/30 R 19 (they don’t make a 315 in 19in rim)

Additionally, I just purchased General G-Max RS for the Mach 1 drag pack. In the Tire Rack test, it was impressive in wet conditions which would help me get the Mach 1 home if caught in the rain with Mickey Thompson ET Street R’s on the back (asking for death). The price wasn’t bad either.
275/35ZR19

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

It’s not a trend. It’s just what people do and their reasoning for it make sense to them.

 

[TonyT930]

I think people are tired of paying such high prices for a good tire and feel they are overpriced. And I agree. I shouldn't have to pay 400-500 dollars for a good street tire.

 

[mavisky]

Always spend well on the things that come between you and the ground. Tires, Beds, and Shoes purchased well are worth the expense every time.

 

[LCK22GT]

I've never gone cheap on replacement tires. It could be the difference between life and death.

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