Quote Originally Posted by Lalo64 View Post
I got a puncture yesterday and started losing air on my tires. I tried getting them repaired, but was told that my tires were too worn out to repair. I checked and sure enough I was past the wear marker on my tires. So I pumped extra air while I decided what tires to buy.

After searching online and reading through the forum, I went with a full set of Barum Brillantis 2 (175/65/14) to replace my worn out Hankook Kinergy ST (175/65/14). The biggest factor for my choice was availability and price. The Barums were $48 each compared to the Kumho ($80) and the Nexen NPriz ($89). The Firestone Potenza were available, but at $149 each, I wasn't ready to spend $700 for those.

For a full set plus installation, the Barums were a total of $312 (Compared to Kumho @ $421 and Nexen @ $464) And since Continental owns Barum, I figured they were better than some other no name brand. America's Tire did the whole thing in like 20 minutes.

My initial impressions are mostly positive, though my only point of comparison are my old Kinergy ST. The ride is a bit more comfortable, the grip feels better, and the car coast a bit more easily than before. I'm going to check and see if my MPG takes a hit, but as long as it's the same as before I'm happy (26 city/43 hwy). And the amount of thread on this thing is surprisingly thick. I'm surprised the grooves are that deep, though only time will tell if these tires last.

Some negatives. At slow speeds they are extremely quiet, but at highway speeds it's about the same as my old tires, maybe a touch louder. And they do get a bit squeaky if they're pushed hard around a corner. I was hoping the "asymmetrical design" would make it a bit quieter, but I'm not a tire expert and they are cheap. I need to drive around a bit more to get a feel for them. And while America's Tire list it as an "all-season tire", the manufacturer website list it as a "summer tire". I guess I'll find out how well they perform when it rains. As a side note, the max PSI is 44 compared to the Kinergy's 51 PSI. Not sure why it's rated lower, but thought I should mention it.

Overall I'm happy with my purchase for now. We'll see how well they wear over time and how they handle in the rain. Reviews online have been mostly positive, so I'm optimistic especially with a lightweight car like the Mirage.
I had these exact same tires for 2 years and for the money they are a steal my friend. The chunky tread is loud and cheap but also durable, good in the rain, and they last a long time. My wife still has hers on her G4.