165/65r14 Tire Discussion

[Mark]

I see myself sticking with factory size 165/65r14 tires for the life of my Mirage. Thus, I sort of keep track of what is out there.

For the past couple years, I have felt the Nexen N'Priz AH5 & Kumho Solus TA31 have been the best two 165/65r14 all-season tire offerings in the States (especially when you find them in the $50-70 price range on sale).

I have recently noticed a new 165/65r14 all-season Kumho tire, & it is on sale on the Walmart site for $68.03/tire with free shipping today. That could change tomorrow. If you compare the specs of the three tires, you will see the specs of this new Kumho Solus TA51a tire are quite good!

The Kumho Solus TA51a has the highest UTQG rating, best warranty, deepest thread depth, & I prefer the higher maximum 51 psi rating. I am not 100% sure of the tire weight, but one vendor listed it @ 14 pounds. This is the best warranty (highest UTQG rating) that I have seen on any 165/65r14 tire offered in the States.

Kumho Solus TA51a 79T (all-season) -
640AA, 51 psi, 10/32”, 14 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 75,000 miles, Korea
Comments:

Kumho Solus TA31 79T (all-season) -
500AA, 44 psi, 9.5/32”, 14.2 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 60,000 miles, Korea
Comments:

Nexen NPriz AH5 79T (all-season) -
460AA, 51 psi, 9/32", 13 lbs, 22.4", 4.5 - 6” rims, 50,000 miles, Korea
Comments:

It always pays to shop around for any particular tire, but I would not overlook Walmart. Walmart also mounts tires bought through them for free. There was a $14 lifetime balance charge last time I had tires done. $1.50 fee/tire for old tire disposal, which is no big deal!

In my case, I don't live near a Discount Tire or other tire chain stores.

This Kumho Solus TA51a is priced today @
Tires Easy =$92
Simple Tire = $92 (claim it was $149)
Walmart = $68.03

Kumho's tire warranties seem quite good in my opinion, too! See below if interested -

https://www.kumhotireusa.com/us/glob...12&iditem=4113

[Wallythacker]

Not long ago lots of Canucks would cross border to buy tires and batteries as they were WAY cheaper. Customs caught on and made a few examples of peeps who didn't declare the purchases. I recall one stooge wailing about Customs impounding his car, removing the tires and leaving the car on blocks. Cost him $1200 over and above the tire cost for impound fees, penalties, taxes. y

I would love to buy those Walmart tires today but don't want to risk the hit by Customs as I don't feel like a 40% hit on the dollar plus a 13% hit for taxes. All of a sudden they aren't worth it. Guess I'll watch Quattro tire for sales.

[7milesout]

kumho solus ta51a 79t (all-season) -
640aa, 51 psi, 10/32”, 14 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 75,000 miles, korea

I'm out.

kumho solus ta31 79t[/b] (all-season) -
500aa, 44 psi, 9.5/32”, 14.2 lbs, 22.4”, 4.5 - 6” rims, 60,000 miles, korea

I'm out.

nexen npriz ah5 79t[/b] (all-season) -
460aa, 51 psi, 9/32", 13 lbs, 22.4", 4.5 - 6” rims, 50,000 miles, korea

I'm out.

[7milesout]

I guess I owe a bit of an explanation for those who may not know me. I worked for Hyundai-Kia for 7 years. I traveled to Korea many times, one time as long as 7 weeks. I love Korean people, and loved my Korean coworkers. I would live there if I needed to and have few complaints. But as it pertains to their engineering & manufacturing prowess, they are MOE-RONS. This after being exposed to Toyota. Toyota is as badass on the inside, as you might expect them to be based on their cars. Toyota engineers are like Tacomas. They are very tough, very versatile, and very valuable. Toyota engineers focus on doing smart things, and can't stand to waste their time doing things that have little value. Hyundai engineers waste the majority of their time doing the more ridiculous crap imaginable. It comes from above and is passed down to new engineers (unfortunately). The Hyundai-Kia engineers are more or less the cream of the crop ... in South Korea. Tier 1, 2, etc vendor engineers are no better usually worse. I have worked will all levels of Tier engineers, some decent, most clueless. But great people. Love 'em. It's not that they are dumb. They just have been taught wrong from the guys above.

I've also spent a lot of time in China. I have more respect for Chinese engineering and manufacturing than South Korean. From my perspective, the Chinese are like cowboys. There's not many means that don't justify the ends. They do whatever they want to get things done. They could care less about safety. It's true, this can be a bad thing. They do lose a few Chinamen with this mindset. And they may have poor quality (at least in our eyes). Yet they're gung-ho to give that good old college try. I'm not saying the way they do things is the way it should be done, not at all. But if you lay a challenge out in front of them, they're darn sure going to give it a go, with enthusiasm right or wrong. Whereas the Korean engineering is just plain dumb. I love the Chinese people I work with. The Chinese that I work with seem more capitalist mindset, than do Democrats in the U.S.

Just my opinion. I'm sure I'm wrong ... just ask my wife.

[Mark]

I guess I owe a bit of an explanation for those who may not know me. I worked for Hyundai-Kia for 7 years. I traveled to Korea many times, one time as long as 7 weeks. I love Korean people, and loved my Korean coworkers. I would live there if I needed to and have few complaints. But as it pertains to their engineering & manufacturing prowess, they are MOE-RONS. This after being exposed to Toyota. Toyota is as badass on the inside, as you might expect them to be based on their cars. Toyota engineers are like Tacomas. They are very tough, very versatile, and very valuable. Toyota engineers focus on doing smart things, and can't stand to waste their time doing things that have little value. Hyundai engineers waste the majority of their time doing the more ridiculous crap imaginable. It comes from above and is passed down to new engineers (unfortunately). The Hyundai-Kia engineers are more or less the cream of the crop ... in South Korea. Tier 1, 2, etc vendor engineers are no better usually worse. I have worked will all levels of Tier engineers, some decent, most clueless. But great people. Love 'em. It's not that they are dumb. They just have been taught wrong from the guys above.

I've also spent a lot of time in China. I have more respect for Chinese engineering and manufacturing than South Korean. From my perspective, the Chinese are like cowboys. There's not many means that don't justify the ends. They do whatever they want to get things done. They could care less about safety. It's true, this can be a bad thing. They do lose a few Chinamen with this mindset. And they may have poor quality (at least in our eyes). Yet they're gung-ho to give that good old college try. I'm not saying the way they do things is the way it should be done, not at all. But if you lay a challenge out in front of them, they're darn sure going to give it a go, with enthusiasm right or wrong. Whereas the Korean engineering is just plain dumb. I love the Chinese people I work with. The Chinese that I work with seem more capitalist mindset, than do Democrats in the U.S.

Just my opinion. I'm sure I'm wrong ... just ask my wife.

I have Kumho on the front & Nexen on the rear of my Mirage. Best tires/best warranty tires I have had on my Mirage so far, but I have limited myself to 165/65r14 options.

To each their own. If you find a better 165/65r14 tire value, please share. I am open to anything. I have zero brand loyalty.

Nexen has been manufacturing tires since 1942, & Kumho since 1960. They are fairly well established brands in the tire industry. As we all know companies like Goodyear/Cooper (only American tire companies now merged together) don't manufacture or sell 165/65r14 tires here.

I enjoy reading about your work experiences in other parts of the world, but that would never influence my tire purchases. My money will go toward the best proven value.

I started this thread for Mirage owners interested in 165/65r14 tire options.

I could claim Nokian tires are the best, because my son-in-law/daughter both live/work in Finland. I even have a pair of Nokian Nordman 7 snow tires (that have done six winters for me). But when it's all said & done, my Nokian snow tires come from a tire plant in Russia, not Finland.

Do I still recommend Nokian tires that come from Russia today? Sure! Outside of the Nordman 7, the Dunlop Winter Maxx II is the only other common 165/65r14 snow tire most will find in the States. Some lesser known Chinese snow tires exist, but companies like Nokian & Dunlop are well known. Nokian has a great reputation when it comes to snow tires, too!

If one is shopping for all-season tires, Kumho & Nexen tires on sale seem like the best 165/65r14 value. If there was something else, believe me I would mention it. If someone doesn't want tires from Korea, I would suggest shopping for 175/65r14 tires.

The new Kumho Solus TA51a really does have some nice specs (640AA/75,000 mile warranty) I have been looking for a higher rated/better warranty tire for under $100 for quite some time. Walmart selling them for $68.03/tire is a good deal. If I had a need for all-season tires, I would be buying some. I don't have the need, however, because my current Kumho/Nexen tires are doing extremely well.

[Wallythacker]

Whereas the Korean engineering is just plain dumb. I love the Chinese people I work with. The Chinese that I work with seem more capitalist mindset, than do Democrats in the U.S.

Just my opinion. I'm sure I'm wrong ... just ask my wife.

I relayed my story about Ford ignoring $50,000 jigs to align doors and issued big ass rubber hammers to align the doors instead. So you had all these Shrek guys wailing on frames, distorting them and the engineers above me were OK with it. why? they were producing 60 cars an hour. not sellable vehicles. Apparently Ford were still idiots into the 2010's as the Windstar rear hatch catch assembly had 1300 parts!!! Can you say too many engineers that were clueless? Anyhow, I had engineer friends at Honda Alliston. I suspect that place ran like Toyota, according to them there was very little asshatery going on. I don't miss the automotive world at all.

[7milesout]

I miss Toyota. I don't miss Hyundai-Kia. Unfortunately, I was living in Michigan working for Toyota, and The Warden was absolutely miserable living in Michigan. So I had to (try to) make The Warden happy. 100 years later, I'm still failing on that, and remain in solitary confinement.

[Wallythacker]

I miss Toyota. I don't miss Hyundai-Kia. Unfortunately, I was living in Michigan working for Toyota, and The Warden was absolutely miserable living in Michigan. So I had to (try to) make The Warden happy. 100 years later, I'm still failing on that, and remain in solitary confinement.

Ya, the only way I could get any relief was when the parole board cut me free. I should, at the time, have moved cross country to the west coast but in hindsight they went so woke I think even Cali can't keep up with them. All drugs are apparently now decriminalized in BC, not even Cali/Washington/Oregon have gone that far. I should have sold my house/car/stuff and buggered off on my 45' ketch and saw the world.

AH, I'm kidding myself. Still battling heath problems that have been dragged out by C19.

[jdollatari]

Finally bought a new set of tires for my 2018 (still using the original dunlops) grabbed a set of winter tires also dunlop was somewhere around 600 bucks at the dealer which was/is the only reliable source for this size tire it seems in my area others are often out of stock or have to order

[Mark]

Finally bought a new set of tires for my 2018 (still using the original dunlops) grabbed a set of winter tires also dunlop was somewhere around 600 bucks at the dealer which was/is the only reliable source for this size tire it seems in my area others are often out of stock or have to order

I assume you got the Dunlop Winter Maxx 2, & I think those are a great choice. Those & the Nokian Nordman 7 are the most common ones I see available. Nordman 7 can be had with or without studs, but I live in an area where studs are not allowed. I think either snow tires is a decent choice (which is good, because there's not much else beside a few lesser known Chinese brands).