Should I Stay with Stock Tires?

[dkm]

Hi everyone,

The Dunlop Enasave tires that came with my Mirage have finally worn down to replacement levels, and I'm looking for options.

Is there a general consensus about whether the OEM tires are the better of the choices out there, or if they're just middling or worse?

I feel it's a good opportunity for me to change into an optimal tire choice if there is better value in another brand, though I will say that the Enasave tires have been trouble-free for the most part (that said, I'm not entirely sure if any sort of tire failure beyond treadwear would be considered normal as opposed to the exception...)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

[mohammad]

The OEM enasaves are expensive and known for sidewall bubbling but they do have good fuel economy.

[inuvik]

I'm running a set of Nexen's AH5 on mine and they are great. Will buy another set when these wear out.

[7milesout]

dkm - Admit it. You created this thread just to set Mark loose.

[Mark]

Hi everyone,

The Dunlop Enasave tires that came with my Mirage have finally worn down to replacement levels, and I'm looking for options.

Is there a general consensus about whether the OEM tires are the better of the choices out there, or if they're just middling or worse?

I feel it's a good opportunity for me to change into an optimal tire choice if there is better value in another brand, though I will say that the Enasave tires have been trouble-free for the most part (that said, I'm not entirely sure if any sort of tire failure beyond treadwear would be considered normal as opposed to the exception...)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

I don't think the Dunlop Enasave tires set the bar very high. They are not rated (340AB/no warranty) very well & are extremely expensive ($228.01/tire @ Quattro Tires).

In our American market, I would shop for the following 165/65r14 tires -

Nexen N'Priz AH5 (460AA/50,000 mile warranty)
Kumho Solus TA31 (500AA/60,000 mile warranty)
Kumho Solus TA51a (640AA/75,000 mile warranty) - new offering here that has my attention

Avoid
Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S (340AB/no warranty) - very overpriced & l lost one to a sidewall issue at 15,000 miles
Falken Sincera SN250A A/S (320BB/no warranty) - not a terrible choice, but the ones above are MUCH better for the same price or less.

That's in the States, however. I don't see the same choices on Quattro Tires for example -

If I stuck with 165/65r14 tires & Quattro tires, I would have to settle for the Kumho HA31 (420AA). It would come with some pluses & minuses in my opinion. The big plus is it's an all-weather tire (which should do better in snow versus an all-season tire). Secondly, it's 1/3 the cost of the Dunlop Enasave tire in your market. The minuses are - I'm not a fan of directional tires. Tire rotations are limited to front & back (unless you remove the tires from the rims). Secondly, they may wear a little faster than what I will suggest next.

Keep in mind - I don't know the Canadian tire market very well. I don't even know where to shop. I've heard of Quattro Tires, and I am only looking at them now.

If I was buying tires for my Mirage from Quattro Tires today, I would jump to 175/65r14 tires choices especially if I couldn't find the Kumho & Nexen choices I see in the States.

If that's the case (limited to Quattro Tire choices), I would buy the 175/65r14 Kumho TA11 (700AB). Not sure Canada has tire warranties listed like the States, but this tire is rated higher than the ones mentioned earlier. It's less than half the price of the Dunlop Enasave, & Quattro has a Kumho 12% off sale going on right now!

Any tire variance within 3% is considered quite acceptable in the tire industry. The outside diameter variance between a 165/65r14 (22.4") & 175/65r14 (23") tire is 2.7%.

From my experience from what members share, I think your speedometer may be more dead on with the slightly larger 175/65r14 tire. I wouldn't hesitate to consider this size if it means a better tire value for you!

That's all I really got for you! Our tire markets may be different, & I am not a tire expert by any means!

[7milesout]

Somehow, we need to make Mark's reply a stickie.

Or automate it. If someone says "tire(s)," Mark's response above automagically is pasted. Then Mark could get more done in his back field.

Or maybe, start a whole forum category on just tires, forum name: TIRES. Make Mark the forum Administrator for just that forum category. Fo' real. Mark is our tire encyclopedia.

[Mark]

Somehow, we need to make Mark's reply a stickie.

Or automate it. If someone says "tire(s)," Mark's response above automagically is pasted. Then Mark could get more done in his back field.

Or maybe, start a whole forum category on just tires, forum name: TIRES. Make Mark the forum Administrator for just that forum category. Fo' real. Mark is our tire encyclopedia.

I sometimes copy & paste from other posts. I don't need or want any tire title!

I like 165/65r14 tires because the choices are few. Easy to sort & recommend to others!

I have a forum thread devoted to 165/65r14 tires, but I can see why some guys just jump to 175/65r14 tires. That size gives us lots of good options in the States. Reminds me - I should add that Kumho Solus TA51a to my other thread. That's a nice tire to appear on the scene (best rating/warranty) I have seen on a 165/65r14 tire. I know ratings don't mean everything, but it's a promising tire just the same! We just can't tell 7milesout it may be a Korean tire!

Overall, I think 14" tires are more affordable than 15" tires (there are exceptions). 175/65r14 & 185/55r15 tires are the most common alternatives to factory size tires, and they are both 23" in outside diameter. I don't get that bent out of shape over 14" versus 15" because of that.

Top Fuel has made a good argument for 15" LRR tires on the forum, & I agree with him. My issue would be traction in snow, & I am a firm believer that narrower is better (especially when it comes to light FWD cars). If I lived where snow is not an issue, I wouldn't be concerned about that. Where I live I would pick 165 or 175 over 185+.

[7milesout]

Outside of any crap Korean tires, what is your #1 go to 14" tire? I'd like to keep my race-proven high performance 14" wheels.

[Mark]

Copied & pasted from an old thread that I update from time to time -

I would only consider 165/65r14 tires in bold print. I would be open to what others share, however.

Some tires like the Federal SS657 were a great value ($40/tire when I bought a pair), but they have disappeared. Something happened with the economy between Taiwan & the US, & I think Federal closed a tire plant.



Tire Name & load/speed rating
UTQG*, max. psi, tread depth, tire weight, approved rims, tire diameter, section width**, mileage warranty, country of origin, & comments.

load/speed ratings
78 - 937 pounds
79 - 963 pounds
S - 112 mph
T - 118 mph

* UTQG (treadwear/traction/temperature ratings)
** section width when mounted on 5" wide rims

All-Season Tires

Top pick's today -

Kumho Solus TA51a 79T (all-season) -
640AA, 51 psi, 10/32”, 14 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, 75,000 miles, Korea
Comments:

Kumho Solus TA31 79T (all-season) -
500AA, 44 psi, 9.5/32”, 14.2 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, 60,000 miles, Korea
Comments:


Nexen NPriz AH5 79T (all-season) -
460AA, 51 psi, 9/32", 13 lbs, 22.4", 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7**, 50,000 miles, Korea
Comments:

Skip below if the pick above are available -

Federal SS657 79T (all-season) -
420AA, 44 psi, 10/32”, 14.7 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.3”**, 40,000 miles, Taiwan
Comments: tire plant may have closed


Falken Sincera SN250A A/S 79S BSW
320BB, 51 psi, 9/32nd", 13 lbs., 22.4"
Comments:
These are not the 75,000-80,000 mile warranty tires. The extra "A" attached to the name means something. 2021 OEM Mirage tires.


Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S 79S (all-season) - factory stock LRR tire
340AB, 44 psi, 9/32”, 13 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, ?? miles, Thailand
Comments:
The high cost & possible sidewall issues concern me, but I don't mind using them up during the summer months. Can't argue that their LRR properties are quite good!


Bridgestone Potenza RE92 78S (all-season) - LRR tire that has been around for a long time
260AB, 44 psi, 9/32”, 13 lbs, 22.5”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.5”**, 40,000 miles, Japan
Comments:


Federal Formoza GIO 79T (all-season) - LRR claim ?
420AA, 44 psi, 8/32”, 13.6 lbs, 22.6”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.6”**, 35,000 miles, Taiwan
Comments: tire plant may have closed

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


All-Weather Tires - both good picks if you want something slightly better in snow

Vredestein Quatrac 5 79T (all-weather) -
400AA, 51 psi, 10/32”, 12 lbs, 22.8”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 7”**, 40,000 miles, Netherlands
Comments:


Kumho Solus HA31 79T (all-weather) - may be hard to find
420AA, 44 psi, 11.3/32”, ?? lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, ?? miles, Korea?
Comments:



Snow/Winter Tires

Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 79T (winter/snow tire) no stud option
None*, 44 psi, 11/32”, 14 lbs, 23”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 7”**, ?? miles, Japan
Comments:


Nokian Nordman 7 79T (winter/snow tire) non-studded or studded
None*, 47 psi, 13.1/32”, 14.1 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, ?? miles, Russia
Comments:


Kumho Solus Wintercraft Ice Wi31 79T (winter/snow tire) - studded, but may be hard to find
None*, 44 psi, 12.1/32”, 15.7 lbs, 4.5 - 6” rims, 6.7”**, ?? miles, Korea?
Comments:


Federal Himalaya Kattura 79T (winter/snow tire) - non-studded
None*, 44 psi, 10/32", 15.9 lbs., 22.6", 4.5" - 6" rims, 6.6"**, ?? miles, origin??
Comments:

[Mark]

Outside of any crap Korean tires, what is your #1 go to 14" tire? I'd like to keep my race-proven high performance 14" wheels.

I don't get hung up on where tires are made any more. It's a global tire market. I bought Nokian snow tires thinking they would be from Finland, & they were made in a Russian tire plant.

There may be some great Chinese tire brands, but I don't stick my neck out on those. If someone knows some good ones, I hope they share that with the rest of us.

The new Kumho Solus TA51a has some really good things going for it. Tread depth is good! 640AA rating & 75,000 mile warranty are good. I even like that the maximum psi is 51 instead of the normal 44 psi for most other tires that size.

I can't discuss a tire brand that doesn't make or sell 165 wide tires in the States.