Use or re-sell some take-off Bridgestone RE92 or buy new Kumho TA51a?

[7milesout]

I'd rather ride on tires made out of dirt, than to ride on a Kumho. Or any Koewean automotive product. But that's just me. Mark loves this aspect of my character. I worked for Hyundai-Kia. They never weighed out their decision making for anything, and as such always made the dumbest decisions (as proof, look at the back end of the current Santa Fe! I'd rather look at a monkey's ass!). And their Korean vendors were even worse about everything. I worked for Toyota in design, then Hyundai-Kia in design. It took me 10 years of shock-therapy and hard liquor to be able to use my brain again after working for Hyundai-Kia.

I wish Toyo made a 165 (or narrower) 14 inch tire. Basic, please lobby for such development!

[Mark]

I'd rather ride on tires made out of dirt, than to ride on a Kumho. Or any Koewean automotive product. But that's just me. Mark loves this aspect of my character. I worked for Hyundai-Kia. They never weighed out their decision making for anything, and as such always made the dumbest decisions (as proof, look at the back end of the current Santa Fe! I'd rather look at a monkey's ass!). And their Korean vendors were even worse about everything. I worked for Toyota in design, then Hyundai-Kia in design. It took me 10 years of shock-therapy and hard liquor to be able to use my brain again after working for Hyundai-Kia.

I wish Toyo made a 165 (or narrower) 14 inch tire. Basic, please lobby for such development!

If someone knows of a better 165/65r14 tire currently on the market than the Kumho Solus TA51a, I would truly love to hear about it.

I've been nothing but impressed with the pair of Nexen & the pair of Kumho tires currently on Mirage. They have been superior to the Dunlop & Federal tires they have replaced.

The Nexen tires we have put on driver's education cars recently have been quite good, too. Kumho & Nexen are offering a good tire value these days in my opinion.

My dad won't eat relish because his first job was at a pickle factory. He watched guys spit their tobacco chew into the relish making vats. Some say you would never place a hot dog in your mouth if you ever saw how one was made.

I don't believe 7milesout has worked for or visited a Kumho or Nexen tire plant. I keep that in mind when he goes off about Korean tires, & I continue to love him just the same!

[7milesout]

At the Kumho plant I visited, they had a toilet platform above the rubber compounding vats. They use defecate and vomit as "filler" in tire manufacturing. Even visitors were encouraged to defecate and vomit there. Don't believe me? Go sniff a new set of Kumhos next chance you get. You couldn't make me buy a Korean anything ... just like your dad wouldn't eat pickle relish. There's a reason. Been there, seen the idiotic things they do, seen the U.S. FTZ laws they break. Don't get me wrong. The Korean people are great. I had some good Korean buddies. But their engineering prowess is a comical joke. It's amazing just how different the Japanese are. I just love the Japanese.

On a side note, the Koreans love the Japanese, in a way, but would never admit it. When I asked my Korean and Chinese buddies about Asian women, every Korean and Chinese guy I have ever asked, always said that Japanese women are the best. For the same basic reasons, the Japanese engineers are the best. So when I retire it's all Japanese hookers and Japanese blackjack for me!

[Mark]

At the Kumho plant I visited, they had a toilet platform above the rubber compounding vats. They use defecate and vomit as "filler" in tire manufacturing. Even visitors were encouraged to defecate and vomit there. Don't believe me? Go sniff a new set of Kumhos next chance you get. You couldn't make me buy a Korean anything ... just like your dad wouldn't eat pickle relish. There's a reason. Been there, seen the idiotic things they do, seen the U.S. FTZ laws they break. Don't get me wrong. The Korean people are great. I had some good Korean buddies. But their engineering prowess is a comical joke. It's amazing just how different the Japanese are. I just love the Japanese.

On a side note, the Koreans love the Japanese, in a way, but would never admit it. When I asked my Korean and Chinese buddies about Asian women, every Korean and Chinese guy I have ever asked, always said that Japanese women are the best. For the same basic reasons, the Japanese engineers are the best. So when I retire it's all Japanese hookers and Japanese blackjack for me!

I have sniffed my Kumho tires, & they smell like all the rest.

As a matter of fact, I currently have pairs of Dunlop, Kumho, Nexen, Nokian, & Vredestein Mirage tires to do a sniff test on. The Vredestein smell the worst, but they are brand new.

[7milesout]

I have sniffed my Kumho tires, & they smell like all the rest.

Maybe they were manufactured in Malasia...

[Basic]

I wish Toyo made a 165 (or narrower) 14 inch tire. Basic, please lobby for such development!

Don't get me started...

Anyway, to the OP, as everyone stated, I would not recommend anyone use a tire older than 10 years (honestly I don't like over 5 in most conditions) BUT to play devil's advocate, there are a couple things you have going for you.

First, as you stated, you already have them... that is a big consideration in this economy. Extra cash is always nice.

Second, they have been stored in bags. This is huge. Ozone degredation is the biggest factor in tire aging whether you can see any cracking or not. I have stated that the cracking is the least of your worries, its the leaching of waxes and oils to the surface that then reduce your traction to a fraction of what it once was (and as I always state for weight, this is what killed Paul Walker)

Third, and this one is anecdotal and could easily be argued, but the Mirage is so light and low powered, that it doesn't really stress a tire in the way many other vehicles can.

Take all of this as mere consideration points, and if NHTSA asks, I said to replace them

Cheers,
Basic

[7milesout]

... this is what killed Paul Walker ...

I thought exposure to fire kilt him, due to the inability to extricate himself, due to trauma from the blunt force of an impact, due to a moronic friend driving like a moron.

[Basic]

I thought exposure to fire kilt him, due to the inability to extricate himself, due to trauma from the blunt force of an impact, due to a moronic friend driving like a moron.

Touche

[Mark]

Maybe they were manufactured in Malasia...

Nope, India!

Where my past & current* Mirage tires have been manufactured

Dunlop =Thailand
Nokian = Russia*
Federal = Taiwan
Nexen = Korea*
Kumho = Korea*
Vredestein = India*

If I wanted to save some money on 165/65r14 tires today, I might buy the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC 165/65R14 79T BSW (700AA/85,000 mile warranty) made in Thailand (not 100% sure on the country, but they claim to have a state-of-the art plant there). They can be found for under $60/tire quite easily.

[7milesout]

Mark - I will get with you (fo' real) when it comes time to replace my tars. I'm interested in the Armstrongs. However, I'm not liking the idea of going from a LRR tire to a standard tire. Part of my love of the Blueberry is the high fuel economy. I prefer to keep that, so I'm not dead set I will explore into Armstrong. If the Enasaves were to go on a fire sale to get rid of the last of them, I'd be very tempted as I have had NO ISSUES with my Enasaves. They might be more noisy than other options, but they do not shake, shimmy, pull, or lose air. I have rotated them but otherwise I haven't touched them. I don't have anything against them, except their high price. 45k on them now, and still got some left.