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Really interesting article on rising tire prices in today's Wall Street Journal. It mentions the new tariff on Chinese tires which is already impacting the low-end of the market but the article's focus is on the fact that so many middle to low-end cars come with more expensive tires these days, tires that because of their attributes, such as stickiness, simply don't last as long. And the proliferation of cars from the factory these days that come with V-rated and other high-performance tires.
One of the examples cited is a guy who bought a 2004 BMW with a sports package that included a stiffer suspension, low-profile, high-performance tires and bigger wheels. He's spent $6000 so far replacing wheels and tires that have worn out or been damaged (I can attest to the pothole perils of low-profile tires from my Miata-Toyo experience). He regrets getting the sports package as he had given no thought at the time of purchase to the future expense of maintaining those parts.
I got hooked on superior tires with my 2001 Miata. And so I replaced my stock Element tires with Michelin Cross-Terrain SUVs which I'm hoping will prove to be a long-term value as well as provide constant safety and ride improvement. But it's an expensive decision to go that route, to be sure.
I don't know if this link below will require a subscription to read the entire article but I excerpted as much as I dare.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...981150147524.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLEFifthNews
What's Inflating Your Car's Tires?
...the tires on his $31,000 Chevy cost more than $500 each. The tires—Pirelli P Zeros—are the same kind found on $250,000 Ferraris.
...One reason for the price surge is tire makers' push to equip new cars with higher-profit specialty tires that can run at higher speeds and feature such high-performance traits as short, stiff sidewalls, which provide firmer handling. As a result, more vehicles like the commuter sedan and the family minivan are arriving from the factory with tires once seen primarily on sports cars like the Porsche Carrera or Chevrolet Corvette.
...large-diameter wheels, a trend that has recently spread to ordinary cars.
One of the examples cited is a guy who bought a 2004 BMW with a sports package that included a stiffer suspension, low-profile, high-performance tires and bigger wheels. He's spent $6000 so far replacing wheels and tires that have worn out or been damaged (I can attest to the pothole perils of low-profile tires from my Miata-Toyo experience). He regrets getting the sports package as he had given no thought at the time of purchase to the future expense of maintaining those parts.
I got hooked on superior tires with my 2001 Miata. And so I replaced my stock Element tires with Michelin Cross-Terrain SUVs which I'm hoping will prove to be a long-term value as well as provide constant safety and ride improvement. But it's an expensive decision to go that route, to be sure.
I don't know if this link below will require a subscription to read the entire article but I excerpted as much as I dare.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...981150147524.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLEFifthNews
What's Inflating Your Car's Tires?
...the tires on his $31,000 Chevy cost more than $500 each. The tires—Pirelli P Zeros—are the same kind found on $250,000 Ferraris.
...One reason for the price surge is tire makers' push to equip new cars with higher-profit specialty tires that can run at higher speeds and feature such high-performance traits as short, stiff sidewalls, which provide firmer handling. As a result, more vehicles like the commuter sedan and the family minivan are arriving from the factory with tires once seen primarily on sports cars like the Porsche Carrera or Chevrolet Corvette.
...large-diameter wheels, a trend that has recently spread to ordinary cars.
