I live in Florida and need new tires for my “new to me” 2016 Altima. Low mileage senior citizen driver.
Melanie there are so many tires on the market that personal preference could recommend tires that might not meet your budget . Just visit web sites like Sams Club or Costco if you are a member . Plus look for specials like buy 3 get one free . Don’t you have a relative or friend to help you .
Volvo maks some good suggestions. I also like Tire Rack. Want to just keep it simple? Ask your local tire shop to use the same ones the manufacturer put on the car when it was built. They call this the “OEM” tire. As in original equipment manufacturer.
I put Generals on my Pontiac for about $600 and Goodyear Weather Ready on my Acura for about $1100. I like them both. Good in snow and wet. You don’t have snow but you do have wet.
For that reason alone, I’d choose an “all weather” rated tire. They generally all do well in the rain. (I am a Florida resident, also).
Don’t buy on price alone. You generally get what you pay for.
Try the tire decision guide at tirerack.com. You answer a few questions about what matters to you about car tires, and leads you to a few recommended ones. You don’t have to buy from tirerack, but they are a good company. Local dealers can also get the tires you select.
Good luck and please keep us informed.
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Tire rack is over rated in my opinion. Got same tires installed for less than tire rack, shipping mounting and balancing. We have a local independent, includes lifetime rotation, in and out no hassle, I like Michelin and go with their recommendation.
I’m not saying tire rack is the best place to buy tires. But I do think it’s the best place to research tires. Especially finding ones that are a good match, and reading TR’s tests (I don’t depend much on buyers’ opinions).
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We’ve always found Costco to have the best prices on quality tires. Even their least expensive are from reputable manufacturers. And as a senior low mileage driver a 60,000 mile rated tire will last you a very long time.
It’s important to buy the right tire for your climate and driving pattern. All season tires are the right type for you and should be rotated once a year or so to get even wear.
Looks like from discussion here and with friends that General is a good start. The last tires I put on the 2006 Altima I owned for 12 years were Yokohama. Looked for that brand the the price has gone up considerably in the 3 years since I made that purchase. Sigh. I guess that is how it goes. Those were great tires, so maybe I’ll just bite the bullet.
+1–on all of Texases’ points.
I buy my Michelin tires at Costco for less than anyone else charges for those tires–especially when you factor-in the road hazard guarantee that is included, along with free rotations for the life of the tire. Prior to purchase, I research potential tires on the Tire Rack website, and via Consumer Reports, and then I buy them at Costco.
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… which is almost surely going to guarantee that the OP winds-up with a tire whose treadwear will be… very limited.
IMHO, that is BAD advice.
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I got General Altimax RT 43 based on a Consumer Report recommendation.
They have been great–long wearing, good traction and ride.
I strongly disagree with the idea of trying to duplicate the tires that came
with the car. Car manufacturers are famous for putting cheap, terrible
tires on new cars they sell.
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Exactly!
OEM tires are selected by vehicle manufacturers for essentially only two reasons–low cost, and low rolling resistance in order to produce maximum MPGs. Occasionally, a manufacturer might also consider a tire for its good ride qualities, but they never purchase OEM tires on the basis of long tread life or good handling qualities.
Same here - CR’s opinion was supported by the local shop that uses those on their pickup truck. Their overall price was about the same as getting them from tirerack, and they are nice guys, so I bought them from the local guys. One criterion important here in Duluth is their snow/ice traction, where they tested out better than most other all-season tires.
Not always true in my experience. For example, I have had 3 sets of Firestone Destination LE’s (and now LE II’s) on my '04 Chevy Avalanche; The OEM LE’s and 2 more sets. I like everything about them. I am averaging 55,000 miles a set. The LE II’s on the truck right now look like they will easily hit 55K.
The OEM Pirellis on my 2007 Mustang were also a great set of tires. Got those to 35K including a couple of track days.
Not every OE tire is junk.
That is true.
The OEM Goodyears on my Taurus and my Accord were good, as were the Michelins on my first Outback. However, all of the others were junk.
I’m not saying you can’t get good information from tire sites but for me, a good non-discount tire shop is the best place to get real advice for your particular location and needs. I was going to replace my Acura tires with the same Michelins that were on it and ended up with the Goodyear weather ready based on their experience. Couldn’t be happier. I’m not looking for the lowest absolute cost.
You did way better than me. The factory P-Zeros on my Mustang didn’t make 12k. The rears were at 2/32’s and the fronts were at 4/32’s. Since the factory wheels are staggered, you can’t rotate them. I now have a set of 20x10 wheels shod with set of 275/35/20 Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+'s.s on the car. The P-Zero’s were junk IMHO, they turned into bricks at temp below 50 degrees, I get that they were summer tires, but I’ve ran other summer tires before (BFG’s and Bridgestones) that were usable below freezing.
Also it’s worth mentioning that that OEM tires aren’t necessarily the same as the retail tire sold under the exact same name.
That is an important point! Even the same model is not exactly the same tire. When you buy tires by the rail car full, you can specify exactly what you want.
I am not fond of staggered wheel sizes for the reason you cited. I run 18x10’s for that reason as well with 275/40’s. Track days tend to wear out the lefts faster than the rights (clockwise road race tracks) so I have switched to non-directional Toyo T1 Sports.