Any Experience with Bargain Tires?

[dj_patm]

Well this should be fun. To start, I know that "you get what you pay for" and I'm not thrilled about my situation but I've had a lot unexpected big payments come up at the worse time of the year for me and I'm in a bind.

Yesterday I got a big gash on my side wall (on the inside sidewall too, wtf, no idea how or when) so I need to replace my rear winter tires on my 2013 Genesis Coupe asap as I can't drive on the spare for very long. As I said said earlier, I simply can't afford proper winter tires right now, as much as I'd like to so my dad recommended this site: https://pmctire.com/en

They have all of the normal brands but they also have low-cost tires from brands that I never heard of. Brands like "Imperial", "Minerva", and "Maxtrek". Not surprisingly, these tires are lacking reviews online but they're half the price of the well known brands.

Does anyone have any experience with tires like this? Are they really that bad? I only plan on having this car for a couple more winters after this one so I mean, I'm hopeful I can just tough it out but of course it had to be the fucking rear tire that went on my rwd car and I'm concerned if they're even safe.

I mean, the winters I had on there now were on their last winter so I'm thinking brand new tires should be an improvement, even if they're from some weird no name brand.... right?

Just hoping I can get some feedback on these brands.

[A790]

I really recommend you chat with Bob about this. He has access to many affordable options and can take care of you. He also has extensive first-hand experience.

[mr2mike]

Originally posted by dj_patm
Yesterday I got a big gash on my side wall (on the inside sidewall too, wtf, no idea how or when) so I need to replace my rear winter tires on my 2013 Genesis Coupe asap as I can't drive on the spare for very long.

Cambered too much.
Wear on inside of tread, heated up & side wall started to separate.

[BokCh0y]

Originally posted by A790
I really recommend you chat with Bob about this. He has access to many affordable options and can take care of you. He also has extensive first-hand experience.

THIS.

UrbanX has been great for affordable options for sure. I've used them many times for my son's civic and prelude and the tires are really good, no issues whatsoever.

[ExtraSlow]

What are your summer tires? If they are decent all-seasons, just run those until next fall?

In my experience, bargain basement winter tires don't have much more grip than all seasons anyway. Top tip, never buy anything that's only sold at wal-mart or canadian tire. If a real shop doesn't sell it, it's not a real tire, not matter what brand is on the sidewall.....

Bob can guide you though, and he'll give honest advice, not just try to sell you something. He talked me out of buying tires once. Standup guy.

[Kloubek]

...and on the event you don't wish to speak to Bob, know that buying these low cost tires are entirely hit and miss. Sometimes it is simply the same tire with a "lesser" brand name, but much of the time it is cheap garbage which don't use appropriate compounds. In any case, it is hard to know until you put them on because even the knockoffs usually steal tread design from a better known tire.

My suggestion as per when I was lacking funds as well: Kijiji. You can usually pick up good quality tires with good tread remaining for around the same price if not less than you'd buy a new crappy tire for. And if you're looking for cheap mounting, Zee Tire in the NE will do it for the best price I've found yet.

[Type_S1]

Chat with Bob or hit up Kijiji. I've picked up winter beater Michelen tires off Kijiji with 75% tread left for $150 last season. It will take you a few hours of looking through ads to find a decent set but is worth it.

[dj_patm]

Thanks guys, I never thought to look for used on kijiji. I'll talk to tirebob too.

My summers are performance tires and also nearing the end of their life so that's definitely a no-go, maybe if it was march but not in January.

[carson blocks]

I tried some off-brand tires back when I was a kid. Replaced some balding name-brand tires on my Cavalier with "Cavalier" brand radials from Wal-Mart. $144 installed for the whole set of tires IIRC, I was absolutely ecstatic about getting brand new tires as my broke ass had never had tires that didn't come from pick-a-part. They looked like they were made of recycled vinyl records and by the first corner I was wishing for my old bald name-brand tires back. Within a week it snowed while I was at work and I'd stuffed it in to a curb and bent a rim before I got out of the parking lot. Like others said, hit up Kijiji or even the wrecking yard if you're broke and get something half decent.

[Tenkara Way]

dj_patm what size tires are you seeking? Some of us have tires sitting in storage.

[rx7boi]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
What are your summer tires? If they are decent all-seasons, just run those until next fall?

No bueno to run summer/AS tires on a Genesis Coupe if it's less than +4 outside.

If it's below zero, you're hooped.

The car just isn't built for that kind of weather haha.

Hopefully you can find something. If you're running the OEM 18" rims, I'm sure you can find a 245/40/18 on Kijiji for a bargain. That's how I got my staggered Michelin X-Ices for $600.

OEM sizes for 18" are 225/45/18 in front. 245/40/18 in rear.
19" are 225/40/19 and 245/40/19.

[racerocco]

Funny enough I just bought a set of Maxtrek studded winters this year for my S4, 245/40 18s $123 per tire, $24 shipping to my shop from PMC. Off brand tire, and I'm hard on tires so i figured I'd be safe and order 5.. I've had a lot of winter tires, Hakkas, Hankooks, Kumhos, Federals, Toyos, (yeah I'm old, lots of winters under this belt) and I've run them at the Ice race school and the Ghost lake schools, and i have to say I'm totally impressed. No they aren't as good as a set of Hakka 8s, but they are close, and they cost a 3rd the price. They might be a bit noisier, but all studded tires make some noise. Time will tell how they wear, but I usually only get 2-3 winters out of my tires anyway. Well worth the money I'd say.

to clarify, I haven't run the maxtreks at the schools, but I've run most of the other tires at the schools... Just play time with the maxtreks

[dj_patm]

So I'm looking for 245/40/18 (OEM). Unfortunately, kijiji and the like look pretty bare. I found a pair of blizzaks but they do not look like they have much tread left so I think I'd be better off with a new no name brand tire.

I'll be asking around the dealers today. Thanks to everyone who PM'd.

[EK 2.0]

I am rocking Westlakes on the BMW for winter...

And for the price point??...I couldn't be happier. if I get 2 winters out of them I am more than happy.

And yeah we haven't had a really bad winter...but with what he have had, my alignment settings (lowered and some extra camber) as well as "hooning" (as the kids say) they are holding up amazingly well!!...

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by dj_patm
So I'm looking for 245/40/18 (OEM). Unfortunately, kijiji and the like look pretty bare.

You could also go slightly off size. That's what I'm doing right now with my winter set. As long as you have close to the same rolling diameter you'd be fine.

So for your size, reasonable equivalents would be:
225/45R18 - 1.2% speedo difference
235/45R18 - 1.2% speedo difference

[MalibuStacy]

Yeah, I've had good and bad experiences with cheaper tires. But I do highly recommend talking to Tirebob.

My worst experience was with the first set I put on my HHR after buying it. I had a cheap set of Nokian AS and they started to look like they were being almost peeling away. Nothing was wrong with the suspension when I brought them to the shop, and the air pressure was good, just shit tires.

Every tire I have had since then has been mid to high quality. Just my two cents worth