Federal SS-657 (165/65-14) - long term thoughts?

[Casey]

The Federal SS657 were $40-50 tires for quite some time. Lately, the price of them have gone up. I don't think there would be anything wrong with the Federal Formoza GIO, but they use to be cheaper, too!

Sadly, the best deal I have seen lately ended yesterday.

Tire Rack was offering the Kumho Solus TA31 165/65r14 tires with a $50 MasterCard gift card (entire month of May). The Kumho Solus TA31 is a 60,000 mile warranty tire. The gift card made their $68.30 tires be $55.80/tire ($223.20 for a set of 4).

I sort of watch the prices of three 165/65r14 tires -

Federal SS657 - I paid about $40/tire @ simpletire.com, which are about $70/tire there today.

Nexen NPriz AH5 (50,000 mile warranty) - I picked up a pair of these last summer for $50/tire @ tires-easy.com, but they are $77/tire today.

Kumho Solus TA31 (60,000 mile warranty) - Best price I have seen was the one above.

If you are visiting a local tire shop, these may be good 165/65r14 picks. I suspect one will get more life out a Nexen or Kumho tire, & the tire rating/warranty seem to indicate that.

When the Federal tires were cheaper, I felt they were a pretty good value. I compare their life to the factory Dunlop tires, but they were about 1/3 the cost. Even at half the cost, they are still a decent value. I lost a factory Dunlop to a sidewall issue, & I am not a big fan of them. I am still using a pair this summer, however.

If you want to stick with factory size tires, I do think Federal, Nexen, & Kumho are good ones to focus on. Falken is now making a 165/65r14 tires, but they seem way overpriced for their tire rating (not as high as Dunlop, however). It's the new factory tire for the 2021 Mirages with 14" tires.

The best deal from my tire shop was the Nexen N-priz. $490 installed. He said they were $80 for just the tire. 50,000 mile tires. The Falken were a bit higher with no warranty and the Enasaves would cost me a kidney.

[Mark]

The best deal from my tire shop was the Nexen N-priz. $490 installed. He said they were $80 for just the tire. 50,000 mile tires. The Falken were a bit higher with no warranty and the Enasaves would cost me a kidney.

The Nexen (50,000 warranty) are nice tires. Sounds like they are charging almost $40/tire for installation. That seems really high to me?

Does Florida charge a lot to dispose of tires???

If it were me, I would buy the Kumho (60,000 mile warranty) from Walmart for $68.30 x 4 = $273.20. I don't have Walmart do stuff on my vehicles any more, but I wouldn't hesitate to use them for mounting/balancing/installing tires.

I was @ Walmart this afternoon, & I asked a few questions.

If you order your tires on line from Walmart, they will mount them for free.
A one time tire balance cost = $12/tire.
A lifetime tire balance cost = $14/tire.
You're not going to need new valve stems or anything, because you'll be keeping your factory sensors in your wheels.

You're looking at $273.20 + $56 (lifetime balance) = $329.20 for the set of Kumho tires with a slightly better warranty than the Nexen.

Ordering the tires & having them sent directly to the Walmart store was suggested by the service person I talked to today. That way the free tire mounting won't be questioned, & you don't have to provide any proof/paperwork.

[Mark]

The best deal from my tire shop was the Nexen N-priz. $490 installed. He said they were $80 for just the tire. 50,000 mile tires. The Falken were a bit higher with no warranty and the Enasaves would cost me a kidney.

I ordered a pair of the 165/65r14 Kumho Solus TA31 tires from Walmart today. They were out-of-stock last week. ​They were available for part of the day on Sunday and then not. I kicked myself for not ordering them. Today they were in-stock again, but delivery won't happen until mid-July.

I've seen them for a better price in the past, but tire prices are up & down these days. When I visited my local tire shop last week, I was told tire quotes are good for 3 days. Their supplier told them 3-day quotes are all they can honor. They said tube prices have been going up & down daily in recent weeks.

I am sort of experimenting with 165/65r14 tires. My verdict on some so far -

Dunlop Enasave (340AB/no warranty) - These tires are $151/tire @ Walmart today. If they were half that price, I would still pass on them. I can live with the poor traction, & I appreciate their LRR (low rolling resistance). When these tires are on my car, I carry a full size spare for longer trips. The sidewalls make me paranoid. A extremely high priced tire with no warranty = better choices to consider.

Federal SS657(420AA/40,000 miles ?) - I have no complaints about this tire other than current pricing is high ($64.61/tire @ Walmart today). These tires were $40/tire at the time of my purchase, & that was 1/3 the cost of the factory Dunlop tires. I have never been concerned about the traction of these tires, and that includes being on the rear axle of my Mirage for two winters (18/19 & 19/20). I have 4 different pairs of 165/65r14 tires. I don't keep a super accurately record of mileage for each tire, but I would say the lifespan of a Federal is slightly better than the Dunlop Enasave tire.

Both my Dunlop & Federal tires are quite worn down. My Mirage is @ 50,000+ miles, & it would be fair say both tires have done about 35,000 miles each. They are at or very near the wear bars. While I am using them up, I am also making sure their replacements are ready to go.

Nexen N'Priz AH5 (460AA/50,000 mile warranty) - I bought these tires last summer, & they were used on my rear axle this past winter. I was very pleased with them this winter. I sort of test tires on turns in safe areas, & they held the rear in place quite well. When I saw these tires @ $50/tire, I bought a pair. They were only $5/tire more than the Federal tires at the time. Sadly, that lower price hasn't been seen for quite some time. $75/tire is quite common for these, & that's the current price @ Walmart today. I can't give a final verdict until I have used them more, but they seem decent so far. They may be going back on my Mirage before the summer is over.

Kumho Solus TA31 (500AA/60,000 mile warranty) - These will be added to my current fleet of tires later this summer. They will replace the very worn down Federal tires currently on my Mirage. They will be used in the rear this coming winter, and they will become my new summer tires (along with the Nexen pair) for the next few years.

The current Kumho price of $68.30 (both Walmart & Tire Rack) is about $4/tire more than the Federal tires & $7/tire less than the Nexen. Given their better warranty, the Kumho tires may be the best value. If I get 10,000-15,000 more miles out them (than the Federal tires), I see the Kumho tires as being a good purchase. The next couple summers will be a good test of the Nexen & Kumho tires. I plan on rotating them each spring or more if necessary.

Nokian Nordman 7 (snow tires are not given ratings or warranties) - I purchased these about 2 months after purchasing my Mirage in 2017. They have done 4 winters for me so far. They have less rolling resistance than most other snow tires. I wouldn't say they are the best snow tires on the market, but they are surely superior to any all-season tire on snow/ice. I have been extremely pleased in how well the Nordman 7 tires are holding up. Their lack of wear will delay my next tire purchase below. When I feel they are more worn down, I will use them as my rear tires for a few more winters.

Future next purchase -

Vredestein Quatrac 5 (400AA/40,000 mile ??) - These tires will eventually replace the very worn down original Dunlop tires I have. I may wait a year or two for this purchase, however. They are $70.55/tire @ Tire Rack today. I want to test these tires up front during the winter months. If they do well, they will become my winter tires of choice. If not, I would most likely stick with the Nokian tires or try the new Federal winter tires that appeared on the market last year. I realize a dedicate snow tire may be superior to these all-weather tires, but they may be a superior all year round tire. I like using up older tires during the summer months.

I value traction during the winter months. Otherwise, I don't make it home some days. There are days when my older AWD Forester earns its spot in my garage, too.

Final note - Overall tires prices are up. You may also find an identical (brand/type) tire in a 175/65r14 size for less money. If all 165/65r14 tires were priced like the Dunlop & Bridgestone (very low rating of 260AB) tires, I would switch over to more affordable 175/65r14 tires. The 175/65r14 size gives one more choices, but most tires (brands/types) in that size aren't currently that much different in price. A Nexen may be cheaper in that size, however.

For example - Our good buddy Steve with his 300,000+ mile Mirage was quite impressed with the Falken Sincera SN250 A/S 175/65R14 82 T tires, but he was getting these tires on sale for $30-40/tire @ Walmart a few years ago. Include free mounting & these tires were an awesome value. Today those same tires are $75/tire. If they go 70,000-80,000 miles, that's still a decent price. They are not the same bargain, however.

I am just sharing my experience with 165/65r14 tires, & that experience is still evolving. Thankfully, the 165/65r14 tire size limits my little tire experiment going on!

The lady looking up tire prices for me last week never heard of Federal tires before. I told her an old pair are on my car. They exist! Vredestein, Nexen & Kumho tires in Mirage sizes have only appeared on the United States' scene these past couple years.

[Casey]

Thanks for all that information! I'm going to have to talk to my favorite tire shop again and make sure he didn't misquote me. I contacted another tire shop in town and they quoted me $292 for the Nexens. That's a big difference. Yes, Florida charges a disposal fee but it's not much. I don't know if they will take that off for me, I planned to keep the old ones as they aren't terrible.

[Dirk Diggler]

Thanks for all that information! I'm going to have to talk to my favorite tire shop again and make sure he didn't misquote me. I contacted another tire shop in town and they quoted me $292 for the Nexens. That's a big difference. Yes, Florida charges a disposal fee but it's not much. I don't know if they will take that off for me, I planned to keep the old ones as they aren't terrible.

I paid $37 for some cheap 175 65 r14 Barum Brillanitis2 tires. MPG isn't as good as the 165s but it's a solid cheapo tire with good grip and deep tread. I got them on both our Mirages from Discount Tire.

[Mark]

I paid $37 for some cheap 175 65 r14 Barum Brillanitis2 tires. MPG isn't as good as the 165s but it's a solid cheapo tire with good grip and deep tread. I got them on both our Mirages from Discount Tire.

Yeah, but they have gone up in price. Barum tires are $38/tire in my area now!

This is a good example of why some Mirage owners go the 175/65r14 tire size route. Ratings can be deceiving, but the Barum tires do have a 420AB rating, which is similar to the Federal tires.

Normally, I would recommend the Federal tires when they were $40-50/tire. Now that they are closer to $65/tire, it's worth considering the Nexen or Kumho for almost the same price in my opinion. That's my point at least.

I am not knocking Federal or Barum tires. If one isn't stuck on staying with factory size tires, the Barum tires for under $40/tire are good deal. The Barum tires were an unknown tire to me, but they are a European company (not China).

[Basic]

If it were me, I would buy the Kumho (60,000 mile warranty) from Walmart for $68.30 x 4 = $273.20. I don't have Walmart do stuff on my vehicles any more, but I wouldn't hesitate to use them for mounting/balancing/installing tires.

I was @ Walmart this afternoon, & I asked a few questions.

If you order your tires on line from Walmart, they will mount them for free.
A one time tire balance cost = $12/tire.
A lifetime tire balance cost = $14/tire.
You're not going to need new valve stems or anything, because you'll be keeping your factory sensors in your wheels.

You're looking at $273.20 + $56 (lifetime balance) = $329.20 for the set of Kumho tires with a slightly better warranty than the Nexen.

Ordering the tires & having them sent directly to the Walmart store was suggested by the service person I talked to today. That way the free tire mounting won't be questioned, & you don't have to provide any proof/paperwork.

Resident Tire Guy weighing in here....

If your local shop isn't competitive (and I stress, PLEASE give them a chance first, and even tell them after they have quoted you... look, I am just gonna do walmart.com if you dont getright and see what they do) just do this. You will likely get the best deal you can find, along with free balance and rotation anywhere in the country.... Cant really beat that.

[Mark]

I paid $37 for some cheap 175 65 r14 Barum Brillanitis2 tires. MPG isn't as good as the 165s but it's a solid cheapo tire with good grip and deep tread. I got them on both our Mirages from Discount Tire.

I am a bit miffed at Discount Tire.

2021 Mirage (with 14" wheels) come stock with 165/65r14 Falken Sincera SN250A A/S tires. These tires have a 320BB rating, which is not that spectacular.

Most tires places (like Walmart, tires-easy.com, and simpletire.com) are listing these tire correctly. The 165/65r14 Sincera SN250A A/S is not the same as a 175/65r14 Sincera SN250 A/S tire with a 720AB rating (& 80,000 mile warranty).

A 165/65r14 Falken Sincera SN250 A/S tire with the better rating doesn't exist. I've emailed Discount Tire back & forth a few times now, & they can't comprehend what I am saying apparently. In my opinion, they are selling a tire that doesn't exist.

If you bought a 165/65r14 Falken Sincere SN250 A/S tire from Discount Tire & felt you were buying an 80,000 mile warranty tire, I think you may be disappointed. That tire doesn't exist. I am quite confident you would be buying the inferior Sincera SN250A A/S tire with the lower rating. They state the lower rating of the tire correctly on their site, but they have it named wrong. They are also claiming it's an 80,000 mile tire, which I highly doubt.

I have received some pretty lame responses back from them, & they seem unwilling to change it. I know Mirage owners will consider these tires, & there is nothing wrong with that. They are the new OEM tire. I just wouldn't overlook what the "A" added to the name of the tire, because it means something is different.

[AtomicPunk]

I replaced the factory Dunlops with the N'priz Ah5's, and over the past 7 months they've been great. Quiet, good gas mileage. Good grip on dry roads, a little less on "just after it starts raining" roads. However, in a heavy snow last winter, handled it like snow tires. Stable at high speeds, too. Overall. I've been happy with them.

[Mark]

I replaced the factory Dunlops with the N'priz Ah5's, and over the past 7 months theyve been great. Quiet, good gas mileage. Good grip on dry roads, a little kess on "just after it starts raining" roads. However, in a heavy snow last winter, handled it like snow tires. Overall. I've been happy with them.

I really love people sharing their experience with 165/65r14 tires, because our choices are so limited.

I look forward to comparing my pair of Nexen tires to the new Kumho tires. I got a good sense (very positive one) of the Nexen tires on my rear axle last winter. I hope to do the same this coming winter with the Kumho.

I have an instant small hill to climb when I leave my driveway. Even with Nokian snow tires up front, it took three runs at it to get to the top once this past winter. If I hadn't made it up the third time, I was pulling the AWD Forester out of the garage. I was doing a long distance puppy delivery for a friend that day, & I really wanted to take my Mirage. Thus, I pushed it hard & made it up the third time (used a longer/faster running start). If don't have good tires up front, I don't get up my ridge road. My area is a good test of tires in snow.

2017-18 winter - used the factory Dunlop tires on the rear.
2018-19 winter - used the Federal SS657 tires on the rear.
2019-20 winter - used the Federal SS657 again.
2020-21 winter - used the Nexen N'Priz AH5 on the rear.
2021-22 winter - plan on trying the Kumho Solus TA31.

If I sense the Kumho tires aren't great in snow, I would have zero concern going back to the Nexen. Plan B would be getting a pair of Vredestein Quatrac 4 tires sooner rather than later. Having 8 steel rims (4 with sensors that be cloned/changed) gives me that flexibility.

The hill by my house doesn't look that intimidating, but I have watched snow plows back down (dropping sand) on icy days, because they can't keep their snow plow truck with rear tire chains on the road. It's happened more than once. I once pulled my parent's Chevy Impala up the hill with my ATV with tire chains so they could head home. We knew the main highways would be better. The sand truck came 10 minutes after they left that day!