economical tire consensus?

[Mirageman38]

12345

[Eggman]

I see the federals at Walmart for like $45 BUT the $40 VEE city stars tempt me...

I can't give any first hand advice outside of my original Enasaves but I'm pretty sure you're gonna want to stay away from those City Stars - there was a bunch of posts here this past year that didn't have nice things to say about 'em.

I can't vouch for the Federals though they have a loyal following here. I'll let those folks using them tell their story.


PS: I posted a chart of tire choices in stock size: Tire Comparison

Be sure to check out the Vredesteins for a lot of reasons, but one is that it appears that they might be the skinnier tire you asked about, at least according to the numbers I found and entered into that chart.

[inuvik]

I've had no problems with the Federals, lost about 1-2 mpg with them, but they are far quieter, handle better, never have had a flat, and are excellent in the rain. For the $$, pretty decent tire.

[fc321]

Also consider Westlake RP18 175/65R14 82 H Tire which are $42 each at Walmart. Search this forum for reviews

Im going to go with those or the Federals when its time for my car

I still have Stock wheels and stock tires

[Mark]

I am nowhere in need of new tires yet but wanting to stock up on knowledge before this happens I was wondering what the community thinks is the most economical tire (preferably not a one time special)? Not sure if paying double for a LRR tire is worth it if they cost $50 extra each.

I see the federals at Walmart for like $45 BUT the $40 VEE city stars tempt me...

Also I see a lot of people get bigger tires but has anyone tried to get smaller/less wide tires to improve MPG?

I tried comparing and it is pretty hard to know what is good. Europes tire chart is a step in the right direction but even then it is hard to know what a B is verses an C and this cannot to my knowledge be used to compare different sized tires.

Unless something changes, I plan on using 165/65r14 tires. I have no desire to switch tire sizes. I see nothing wrong with 14" tires on an economy car, & I prefer skinny tires over wide tires (especially during winter months).

I currently have 3 different pairs (original Dunlop Ensasave, Federal SS657, Nokian Nordman 7 non-studded) of tires mounted on steel rims. I lost a factory Dunlop to a side wall blow out, & I bought a pair of the Federal tires at that time.

Last winter - I ran the Nokian tires up front & the relative newer Federal tires on the back. This summer - I am using the Federal tires up front & original Dunlop tires on the back. My 2017 Mirage ES manual (purchased new 10/20/17) is @ 29,500 miles approximately. In a month or so, I will go back to Nokian tires up front & the Federal tires on back. I take care of my tire rotations at the same time. The Nokian snow tires help my Mirage climb winter ridge roads in my area of SW Wisconsin.

For what it is worth - these would be my future tire choices.

Federal SS657 - I've seen them as low as $38, but they are typically $40-50 with free shipping. When inflated to 40-42 psi, I don't sense a drop in mpg. They grip the road better than the Dunlop tires, & I don't trust the Dunlop sidewalls any more. Even if the Dunlop Enasave was the same price, I would pick the Federal tire over it at this point.

Vredestein Quatrac 5 (sold by tirerack.com) - I don't own a pair of these tires yet. When my factory Dunlop pair seem worn out, I am trying a pair of these tires next. I suspect they will add a little extra traction for winter months. The are are slightly higher priced tire (approximately $76). Sidenote: These tires have a 51 psi maximum, & I would pump them up to near that.

Snow tires - Nokian Nordman 7 (studded & non-studded) & Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02.

I tend to compare tire prices @ simpletire.com, tires-easy.com, tirerack.com, & walmart.com. Walmart is not always the best deal, unless you are wanting to take advantage of their mounting/balancing services.

Federal tires are becoming more known, & they seem like a decent value. I would be leery of some of the other cheap tires out there, but I have zero experience with them. Until a better value comes along, I see myself using Federal SS657, Vredestein Quatrac 5, Dunlop Winter Maxx, & Nokian Nordman 7 tires on my Mirage.

[fc321]

In my case when it is time I think I may just have the tires delivered to my home and then take it to the Mom and Pop tire repair shop down the street. I think they charge like 20 or 30 bucks for the entire car which is cheaper than $12 x 4 + sales tax from Walmart.

And the last time I went to my local Walfart they REALLY made me wait. Like 3 or 4 hours I mean. I left the car and then took and Uber to go back and another to return so that cut into my wallet as well.

My local Walfart has displeased me a lot lately now that I think about it. Screw those guys.

[Mark]

I definitely plan to be installing any new ones at Walmart. I don't have any club memberships and it seems to be cheaper than all the "tire shops". When figuring in shipping and tax the Federals/Vee seem to be very competitively priced there.

I am assuming Westlake RP18 175/65R14 82 H is probably a Chinese tire. The things that concerns me about this is since it is bigger as reported up to a 4-5!!! MPG decrease. This is like 10%+ and then the fact it throws all the gauges out of wack. I think this pretty much instantly disqualifies them for me as I would rather the standard size.

Some people have reported getting 55-60K miles out of the Enasaves and I am not sure how well the Federals can hold up vs this. Honestly it seems like all the brands have some people reporting problems and this is part of what makes it difficult. I know some people around here have had problems with the Vee City Star but I might just give it the ole gamble and see if they improved. Worst case scenario I can put the final nail in the coffin and go with the Federals.

Everyone's situation is different. In my case, I have a local mechanic that I trust. He's not offended if I bring in my own tires to be mounted & balanced. I gave him a $20 bill to mount & balance my Federal tires from simpletire.com. He didn't even make up a slip on it.

Vee City Star seems to be an unknown tire company to me. I wouldn't throw my money in that direction, but that's me. Walmart had just added some of these cheaper tires recently. They didn't carry them before. Federal tires have been their most consistent offering, but I have seen them range from $150 to $38 @ Walmart. Their pricing changes a lot.

Federal, Dunlop, and Falken have a shared history with Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Dunlop has ties with Goodyear & SRI, & I see Sumitomo Rubber Industries stamped on my Enasaves. Likewise, Falken is owned by Sumitomo Industries (SRI). Federal's history is also connected SRI & Bridgestone.

"Federal Tire was founded in Taiwan in 1954. Technical cooperation with Bridgestone Corporation from 1960-1979 and with Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Dunlop Tires) from 1981-2000 has given Federal the necessary and strong technical capabilities and know-how to produce our own brand tires today – Federal Tires." - google search of Federal.

From the research I have done, Federal has become a more independent tire company. They have used auto racing to gain a footing in the States.

Falken has made a name for itself as a good value tire company. I feel Federal may be following in their footsteps. Federal seems committed to make all sizes of tires. Many more popular tire companies don't seem willing to do that for our tire market.

I don't trust Dunlop Enasave tires. I wouldn't pay $50 for them let alone $115-120 for a single tire. Some people may have gotten decent mileage out of them, but I've never had a tire fail before. I am just expressing my opinion.

If you try the Vee City Star tires, I hope you update us in the future. If a person wants to stick with 165/65r14 tires, the Federal tire may be the best value out there? If not, it would be nice to know that, too!!!!

[Mark]

Would these work?
https://www.oneclicktires.com/tires/...s01-175-65r14/

If you are looking at 175/65r14 tires, you would have a lot of tires to choose from. The company you listed wants over $40 in shipping to my address.

"Presa tyres are a product of Cheng Shin Rubber in Changhua Taiwan. They are the ninth largest tyre manufacturer on the planet with $3.78B in sales in 2017. Cheng Shin Rubber makes dozes of tyre models varying in quality and performance type."

They are round, not square. They should work! Who knows? Can't endorse something I've never heard of before. If you just want cheap tires, you may as well buy them from Walmart.

If I am buying 175/65r14 tires, I would spend a little extra money for the Cooper Evolution Tour or Falken Sincera SN250 A/S.

I have zero experience with cheap tires. I lean toward mid-price tires that are produced by more popular tire companies. Hopefully, someone else can make a good suggestion for you. I am not willing to skimp & experiment with something like car tires. Hope you find something you like for cheap.

[Wallythacker]

When all my Enesaves are toast I plan to go with the largest LRR combination I can fit under the car without any chance of rubbing or interference. Was it Top Fuel or Cobrajet that upsized and didn't lose much economy?

[Mark]

When all my Enesaves are toast I plan to go with the largest LRR combination I can fit under the car without any chance of rubbing or interference. Was it Top Fuel or Cobrajet that upsized and didn't lose much economy?

Top Fuel is using 185/55r15 tires. They are same outside diameter as a 175/65r14 tire.

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...eels-and-Tires

Personally, I feel the Mirage should come standard with 175/65r14 or 185/55r15 tires. I don't think those are superior tires sizes. They are just much more popular in the States.