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

  1. #51
    Thanks for the information and insight here. It's very helpful and useful.



  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by davidricardo86 View Post
    Thanks for the information and insight here. It's very helpful and useful.
    Since I first started this thread, I have used up a pair of 165/65r14 Federal SS657 tires.

    At the time of my original post, a $40-45 Federal SS657 (420AA) tire seemed like a good alternative to the Bridgestone Potenza RE92 (260AB) & Dunlop Enasave (340AB) tires that were running about $100-140/tire.

    Tire choices have since evolved. Some new 165/65r14 tire contenders have appeared.

    Nexen N'Priz AH5 (460AA/50,000 mile warranty) - These were the next all-season tire alternative to join the scene. My impression of these tires (used last winter on the rear of my Mirage & currently on the front of Mirage) is quite good. I have not racked up the miles to stick my neck way out there on these tires, but I am impressed with them so far. If the price is right, I would gladly pick these tires again.

    Kumho Solus TA31 (500AA/60,000 mile warranty) - These started to appear on the scene about a year later than the Nexen. Their UTQG rating is quite good, & they have a decent mileage warranty. I have a new pair mounted on a pair of rims ready to go! Since the Kumho tires are rated better & are cheaper than the Nexen tires this summer, I decided to add them to my mix of Mirage tires. I plan on using them this winter (rear of my Mirage), & they will go up front next spring/summer.

    Falken Sincera SN250A A/S (320BB) - These tires started to appear after the 2021 Mirages appeared. This is the new 14” factory tire for the 2021 Mirage. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is Falken’s 80,000 mile tires. These tires have a much lower rating, & I haven’t really seen any reference to warranty. These are not Falken Sincera SN250 A/S tires with a great warranty. The “A” added to the name indicates it’s not the same tire. Since these are typically priced about the same as the Nexen or Kumho tires, I wouldn’t throw my money @ them. If they were Falken’s 80,000 mile tires, I would feel differently about that.

    Federal SS657 (420AA) - Having used a pair of these tires up now, I have no problem recommending them. I was very happy with their performance during the winter months (on the rear of my Mirage as newer tires), and they handled summer time driving quite well. Even as they were wearing down a bit past the wear bars this summer, they still seemed to be performing quite well. My only concern is the current pricing (& sometimes availability) of these tires. If the Federal tires are priced within $5-10/tire of the better rated Kumho or Nexen tires, a person may be wise to go with the Kumho or Nexen tires instead.

    Other tires to consider -

    Vredestein Quatrac 5 (400AA) - These tires can usually be found at tirerack.com. Their pricing doesn’t seem to fluctuate much. They are an intriguing all-weather tire. I would like to try them some day. Looking at reviews - The Kumho & Nexen tires may wear better during the summer months. The Vredestein tires may have superior traction during the winter months. Faster tire wear would be true of dedicated snow tires, too!

    Delinte DH2 (420AA) - These are made by Sentury Tires (China). I am not recommending these tires, but they come with a 50,000 mile warranty & have the same UTQG rating at the Federal tires. I would experiment with a tire like this if the price was right. Has anyone used this brand? Are most Chinese tires inferior? I can’t speak from personal experience.

    Before anyone sounds off on buying American - There are two American tire companies & Goodyear just bought out the other one (Cooper). I have used Cooper tires (also Mastercraft, Starfire, etc…) for decades. My Forester has two different sets of Cooper tires. 165/65r14 Cooper tires don’t exist, however.

    If you are shopping for replacement 14” tires, Federal, Nexen, & Kumho are a good starting point. If someone has experience with other less known brands, please feel free to share. I don’t claim to be a tire expert, but I value traction where I live. I am a firm believer in narrow tires over wider tires when it comes to winter roads. Thus, I like keeping tabs on 165/65r14 tire options.

    If 165/65r14 (22.4”) tires disappeared from the market, I wouldn’t hesitate using 175/65r14 (23”) tires instead. Thankfully, more 165/65r14 tire options have appeared the past couple years!

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Mark For This Useful Post:

    Wil B (07-20-2021)

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    "I am a firm believer in narrow tires over wider tires when it comes to winter roads. Thus, I like keeping tabs on 165/65r14 tire options."

    Yes yes yes. Thanks Mark for saying this! I will never buy a wider tire for this car. The standard width tires do just fine in the snow.

    My previous car was a 2005 Scion xB.....2,700? pounds. The standard tires were wide for a compact car, and even with much more weight than the Mirage the Scion slid all over the place when it snowed!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wil B View Post
    "I am a firm believer in narrow tires over wider tires when it comes to winter roads. Thus, I like keeping tabs on 165/65r14 tire options."

    Yes yes yes. Thanks Mark for saying this! I will never buy a wider tire for this car. The standard width tires do just fine in the snow.

    My previous car was a 2005 Scion xB.....2,700? pounds. The standard tires were wide for a compact car, and even with much more weight than the Mirage the Scion slid all over the place when it snowed!
    I didn't include them in my previous post, but a few 165/65r14 snow tire options exist. For those who may be interested, these seem the most common ones for the States -

    Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 has been around the longest.
    Nokian Nordman 7 appeared on the scene around 2016-17.
    Federal Himalaya Kattura - appeared last fall/winter.

    It's not a long list, but it comes back to picking a narrow snow tire over something wider again. If you want more options, you may need to look at wider 175/65r14 tires. As long as they exist, I'd rather stick with narrower tires for snow.

    I discovered the magic of narrow tires with my 1990 Ford Festiva & its 145 SR12 tires. The Festiva would run circles around our VW Golf & its 195/55r14 tires or other FWD vehicles. The Golf handled great in the summer, but it was horrible in snow (even with snow tires). There were times when the Fesitva would climb my ridge road with all-season tires, & the Golf needed tire chains to do the same. I would drive home with the Festiva to get the tire chains for the other FWD vehicles. The difference in traction (narrow vs wide tires) was drastic.

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    Haha, I'm a former Festiva owner also....owned a 1986 LX ( 5 speed, tach, slightly wider tires) from new and put 168,000 miles on it in 11 years. Sold it in '97 with everything working....even the dealer installed air conditioning. THE BEST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED.
    I learned the value of narrow tires when I bought a 1977 Honda Civic (1st generation) and went out driving after snowstorms just for fun. We didn't need no stinkin' 4,000 pound 4 wheel drive lifted station wagons! ( I think they call them SUVs today.)

  7. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Wil B For This Useful Post:

    Eggman (07-21-2021),inuvik (07-21-2021),Mark (08-21-2021)

  8. #56
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    165/65r14 Federal SS657 tires seem less available these days? Last time I saw them listed @ walmart.com, they were priced about $25 more than normal. A $40-45 Federal SS657 tire was a nice option for the Mirage. They were $70+ the last time I saw them listed anywhere. I hope the Federal SS657 tires reappear at a more affordable price again.

    Some tire places are still carrying the 165/65r14 Federal Formoza Gio tire, but I haven't seen the SS657 as much lately. I tend to compare walmart.com, tires-easy.com, & simpletire.com for prices. I may use tirerack.com to buy a pair of Vredestein Quatrac 5 tires some day.

    If priced the same, the 165/65r14 Nexen & Kumho offerings may be a better choice? I am very happy with my pair of Nexen (50,000 mile warranty) tires, & I look forward to trying the pair of Kumho (60,000 mile warranty) tires that I have mounted on rims all ready to go.

    I realize some members have moved on to bigger & better tires (maybe). Using a 175/65r14 size tire opens up many more options, and the same can be said of 185/55r15 tires for 15" wheels. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

    If you are shopping for 165/65r14 tires, however, I've become a bit curious about a few 165/65r14 tires that are being found at various tire sites these days. These tires peak my interest for a couple reasons -

    1. Unlike most Chinese tires, these tires come with a 50,000+ mile warranty. I know that can be deceptive, but they do have one (which many Chinese tires don't).

    2. They seem to come from the same tire company.

    So the new tires that seem the most interesting to me are the -

    Landsail LS388 - these tires have a decent 500AA UTQG rating & come with a 50,000 mile warranty.

    Delinte DH2 - these tires have a 420AA UTQG rating (same as Federal SS657), but have a better 50,000 mile warranty.

    Pantera Touring A/S - these tires have a 500AA UTQG rating & 60,000 mile warranty.

    These tires are all made Sentury Tires.

    Quotes:

    "Delinte tires are made in China, Thailand and the USA by fast-growing Chinese-based manufacturer Sentury Tire.

    "Landsail was founded in 2010 and is a sub-brand that is owned by the Chinese tire company Sentury Tires. Landsail tires are manufactured at factories located in China and exported to over 100 countries globally. The brand creates a range of budget tires for several vehicle types that include sedans, minivans, crossovers, SUV’s, and light trucks. The brand’s tires are not your typical cheap Asian products but are designed at state-of-the-art facilities, which operate machinery designed in Germany, Japan, and the United States. This is a great brand to consider in the budget category."

    Pantera Tire is the Tire Alliance Group's, Exclusive Brand, produced by Sentury Tire in their state of the art, fully automated, world class factories. This brand covers an extensive array of vehicle fitments on the road today with a broad range of tire sizes.

    If anyone has any experience with these tire brands, I would love to hear it. I am not endorsing these brands, but they have peaked my interest. If they are all the same price, I would still pick the more proven Nexen or Kumho tires over these. If these newer tire brands saved me some major money, however I wouldn't be opposed to trying them for summer use especially. Hopefully, the more affordable Federal SS657 reappear on the scene, too.

    Their decent UTQG rating & warranty has caught my attention. Plus, walmart.com, tires-easy.com, & simpletire.com are all starting to carry/sell these tires. Sidenote: Only simpletire.com has the Pantera at this moment.

    I like seeing less expensive tire options (verses the Dunlop & Bridgestone). These past few years, Federal, Nexen, and Kumho tires have appeared. If these Sentury tire brands are decent tires, it would be nice to add them to the list.

    I just putting this out there for people shopping for factory size 14" tires for a Mirage. These Sentury brand tires may be interesting to try? I am not a big fan of cheap Chinese tires, but these may be better than those?



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