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Thread: After 93,000 miles…my original tires have finally worn out

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    After 93,000 miles…my original tires have finally worn out

    There’s a statement you’ll never hear a Mirage owner make.

    Now let me explain...

    When my Mirage was brand new, these were the first 3 things I did to it:

    1. Got an alignment check (Yes...my brand new car needed a front end alignment)
    2. Got the front end aligned under warranty
    3. Replaced the factory wheels/tires

    Why would I replace wheels/tires on a brand new car? The answer is explained here.

    Note: I should have replaced these tires at 80K miles, but with Covid and a dry summer, I kept putting it off. If you're wondering, here’s what the tires looked like at 90,000 miles...

    Name:  tires_at_90K.jpg
Views: 1657
Size:  43.5 KB


    Observations

    Here are some observations from my first set of Mirage tires…


    1. Quality tires can last a long time on a properly maintained Mirage

    When I joined this forum in 2016, I was stunned when some people were replacing their original tires before 20K miles. If your alignment is good and you rotate the tires regularly, you shouldn't be wearing out tires this quickly. Don’t just shrug your shoulders and assume that Mirages are hard on tires.

    Mirage front ends aren’t dialed-in very well at the factory, and the rear alignment should always be considered suspect until you confirm otherwise. If your Mirage has never had a 4-wheel alignment check, it could be costing you in premature tire wear. A free alignment check only costs you some time, but can pay off in longer tire life.


    2. Rear axle alignment: It doesn’t have to be perfect

    This one surprised me. My rear axle geometry is barely (0.05 degrees) within the factory specs, so I was worried about rear tire wear. But consistent rotations have minimized any wear issues from the rear axle. Considering that I almost qualify for a new rear axle, this is good news. So don’t panic if your rear axle alignment numbers aren't perfect. Just keep the tires rotated. If your rear axle is out of spec, get it replaced under warranty.


    3. A little extra air doesn’t hurt

    I run air pressures above 45 PSI year-round (my tires are rated at 51 PSI max). My tires have almost no signs of over-inflation wear in the center of the tread. So if you need a little fuel economy help, air your tires up a few pounds and don’t worry about it.


    4. Low rolling resistance tires help pay for themselves over time

    The fuel mileage difference between a LRR tire and a non-LRR tire is roughly 2mpg (or more if you’re using poor quality tires). That 2mpg adds up over time.

    Using the average Mirage as an example, LRR tires can mean the difference between 40 or 42mpg. Over 80,000 miles at $2.25 per gallon, the fuel savings of 80K mile LRR tires is almost $215…or $54 per tire. My latest Bridgestone LRR tires were $83 each installed, so the fuel savings during the life of these tires will cover 65% of their purchase price.

    When factoring tread life and rolling resistance, cheap tires are not a good value if you drive a lot. A $30 tire that only lasts 25,000 miles and loses 2+ mpg is an expensive option for someone who puts a lot of miles on their car. Long treadlife, low rolling resistance tires are (over time) the least expensive tire option on a Mirage if you drive a lot.


    5. Don't overlook repairs and road hazard warranty when buying tires

    You can find some good tire deals online...but who's going to repair your tire when you pick up a nail? And what is their replacement policy if/when a tire has irreparable damage?

    A proper tire repair can cost anywhere from $25-$40. My first Mirage tires picked up 5 nails/screws in 90K miles. Fortunately all but 1 was repairable (for free) because my tires included tire repairs and a pro-rated road hazard warranty from my tire dealer.

    What happened to the one tire that couldn't be repaired? Read #6 below.


    6. Consider a used backup tire as an insurance policy

    If you have expensive OEM (Dunlop Enasave/Yokohamas) tires on your Mirage, you will have to make a tough decision if one is fatally damaged: Do I replace the 1 bad tire...or do I just buy 4 new tires? A single OEM replacement tire may cost $150 installed. Consider purchasing an inexpensive, used backup tire to have on hand if this situation ever pops up. This may sound unnecessary, but how many forum members have been burned by unrepairable damage on 1 tire? The solution is usually to replace all 4 tires even though the other 3 may have tread life remaining.

    One of my tires picked up a nail near the sidewall at 60,000 miles and couldn’t be repaired. My prorated road hazard warranty wasn’t going to help much, and I didn’t want to buy 4 new tires yet (the remaining tires had some life left). Fortunately I had a used replacement in my garage that I previously purchased on eBay for $35. I was back on the road the same day without buying 1 expensive new tire…or 4 new tires. That backup tire allowed me to continue running the remaining 3 tires for another 18 months and 30K additional miles.


    7. Mitsubishi Warranty Concerns

    If I bought a new Mirage today, I would definitely replace the OEM wheels/tires again (right after a 4-wheel alignment check!).

    But ditching your factory wheels/tires has a downside. If you ever need a drivetrain-related warranty repair, you’re going to want OEM-size wheels and tires on the car. If you need a $5,000 CVT replacement, you don’t want to show up at the service department with aftermarket wheels and (especially) non-OEM sized tires. You can bet that Mitsubishi has a checklist for denying expensive powertrain warranty claims…and having non-stock wheels/tires is likely on the top of the list. A warning about this is even mentioned in the owner’s manual.

    As the owner of a manual transmission Mirage, I’m not concerned about making a driveline warranty claim. But if I need to scrounge up some stock wheels/tires to ensure that an expensive warranty repair goes smoothly, I’ll do it.


    Last edited by Top_Fuel; 01-05-2021 at 02:06 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member PityOnU's Avatar
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    Thanks for continuing to share the useful insights/experiences, Top_Fuel!

    Followed your other thread after reading all the info and ended up getting pretty much the same setup as you, just slightly different rims. Glad to see that the tires will hold up well.

    Thanks for the tip on increasing the tire pressure. I'm running a slightly lower pressure than you (probably 40-45psi, dependent on temperature), and with that setup I'm able to hit around 43/44MPG highway cruising @55mph in my CVT hatch. Works for me!
    Last edited by PityOnU; 10-31-2020 at 07:51 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    There’s a statement you’ll never hear a Mirage owner make.
    Top Fuel - I don't remember or know what you do for a profession, but you have some of the most impressive threads on the forum. I've thought that for a couple years now! If you're not a teacher of some sort, you would be a spectacular one!

    93,000 miles on a set of tires is quite impressive! Thanks for sharing all that!

    Did you stick with 185/55r14 for you next set of tires? I remember you were considering another size.

    For those reading this thread - 175/65r14 & 185/55r15 are probably the best alternative 14" & 15" tire size options for a Mirage. They are both within a 3% diameter variance (23" diameter for both) of factory tires, & these two sizes offer many more options like the one Top Fuel is sharing with all us.

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Thanks Mark...I appreciate it. I have to write occasional technical/instructional documentation for my company. I try not to be wordy in my posts, but I'm not sure how well that's working out.

    My Mirage wheel/tire philosophy isn't for everyone but I like to throw it out there as a consideration.

    You have a good memory! I did change tire sizes. I went with 185-60-15 this time (instead of 185-55-15). I'll have a post about that soon because the change has been interesting.

    I would advise anyone to be careful running their tires down to the tread depth shown in that photo. I got caught in a freeway downpour last week and I was hanging on for life as the tires hydroplaned/floated across every patch of standing water in the roadway! That was the final straw to get new tires.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    I agree with the others, excellent write up! Thanks for sharing!

    What did you replace them with now?
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daox View Post
    What did you replace them with now?
    Same brand/model of tire, but instead of a 185-55-15 I went with a slightly taller 185-60-15 this time. I got the idea from "Old Mech" (remember when he posted on this forum years ago?). He mentioned pretty good results on fuelly with this combination so I decided to try it myself.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    Same brand/model of tire, but instead of a 185-55-15 I went with a slightly taller 185-60-15 this time. I got the idea from "Old Mech" (remember when he posted on this forum years ago?). He mentioned pretty good results on fuelly with this combination so I decided to try it myself.
    175/55r15 (22.6"), 185/55r15 (23"), 185/60R15 (23.7")

    If you traveled 1,000 miles with 175/55r15 tires, what would your odometer register with 185/60r15 tires?

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    If you traveled 1,000 miles with 175/55r15 tires, what would your odometer register with 185/60r15 tires?
    It's about a 5.5% difference. So 1,000 miles on a Mirage odometer with OEM tires would be about 1,055 miles with 185-60-15s.

    At 3000 RPMs with these tires, my speedometer (and Scangauge) show 60mph...while my Garmin GPS indicates 64 mph. That's one of the reasons I decided to go with a slightly taller tire. It has a "mini-overdrive" effect and drops my cruising RPMs by about 200. Will that amount to a noticeable improvement in fuel economy? I have no clue...but I'll find out and let you guys know.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    It's about a 5.5% difference. So 1,000 miles on a Mirage odometer with OEM tires would be about 1,055 miles with 185-60-15s.

    At 3000 RPMs with these tires, my speedometer (and Scangauge) show 60mph...while my Garmin GPS indicates 64 mph. That's one of the reasons I decided to go with a slightly taller tire. It has a "mini-overdrive" effect and drops my cruising RPMs by about 200. Will that amount to a noticeable improvement in fuel economy? I have no clue...but I'll find out and let you guys know.
    I think that will depend on one's driving. If you do mostly highway driving (with very little stop & go), it may help some. For the average Joe, it may not help all that much. I have to believe it will take a bit more power to get a larger tire going, but you have very lightweight rims which will help.

    Experimenting is good?! I'm sure your hypothesis would state a slightly larger tire will help your highway mpg rating.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    There’s a statement you’ll never hear a Mirage owner make.

    Now let me explain...

    When my Mirage was brand new, these were the first 3 things I did to it:

    1. Got an alignment check (Yes...my brand new car needed a front end alignment)
    2. Got the front end aligned under warranty
    3. Replaced the factory wheels/tires

    Why would I replace wheels/tires on a brand new car? The answer is explained here.

    Note: I should have replaced these tires at 80K miles, but with Covid and a dry summer, I kept putting it off. If you're wondering, here’s what the tires looked like at 90,000 miles...

    Name:  tires_at_90K.jpg
Views: 1657
Size:  43.5 KB


    Observations

    Here are some observations from my first set of Mirage tires…


    1. Quality tires can last a long time on a properly maintained Mirage

    When I joined this forum in 2016, I was stunned when some people were replacing their original tires before 20K miles. If your alignment is good and you rotate the tires regularly, you shouldn't be wearing out tires this quickly. Don’t just shrug your shoulders and assume that Mirages are hard on tires.

    Mirage front ends aren’t dialed-in very well at the factory, and the rear alignment should always be considered suspect until you confirm otherwise. If your Mirage has never had a 4-wheel alignment check, it could be costing you in premature tire wear. A free alignment check only costs you some time, but can pay off in longer tire life.


    2. Rear axle alignment: It doesn’t have to be perfect

    This one surprised me. My rear axle geometry is barely (0.05 degrees) within the factory specs, so I was worried about rear tire wear. But consistent rotations have minimized any wear issues from the rear axle. Considering that I almost qualify for a new rear axle, this is good news. So don’t panic if your rear axle alignment numbers aren't perfect. Just keep the tires rotated. If your rear axle is out of spec, get it replaced under warranty.


    3. A little extra air doesn’t hurt

    I run air pressures above 45 PSI year-round (my tires are rated at 51 PSI max). My tires have almost no signs of over-inflation wear in the center of the tread. So if you need a little fuel economy help, air your tires up a few pounds and don’t worry about it.


    4. Low rolling resistance tires help pay for themselves over time

    The fuel mileage difference between a LRR tire and a non-LRR tire is roughly 2mpg (or more if you’re using poor quality tires). That 2mpg adds up over time.

    Using the average Mirage as an example, LRR tires can mean the difference between 40 or 42mpg. Over 80,000 miles at $2.25 per gallon, the fuel savings of 80K mile LRR tires is almost $215…or $54 per tire. My latest Bridgestone LRR tires were $83 each installed, so the fuel savings during the life of these tires will cover 65% of their purchase price.

    When factoring tread life and rolling resistance, cheap tires are not a good value if you drive a lot. A $30 tire that only lasts 25,000 miles and loses 2+ mpg is an expensive option for someone who puts a lot of miles on their car. Long treadlife, low rolling resistance tires are (over time) the least expensive tire option on a Mirage if you drive a lot.


    5. Don't overlook repairs and road hazard warranty when buying tires

    You can find some good tire deals online...but who's going to repair your tire when you pick up a nail? And what is their replacement policy if/when a tire has irreparable damage?

    A proper tire repair can cost anywhere from $25-$40. My first Mirage tires picked up 5 nails/screws in 90K miles. Fortunately all but 1 was repairable (for free) because my tires included tire repairs and a pro-rated road hazard warranty from my tire dealer.

    What happened to the one tire that couldn't be repaired? Read #6 below.


    6. Consider a used backup tire as an insurance policy

    If you have expensive OEM (Dunlop Enasave/Yokohamas) tires on your Mirage, you will have to make a tough decision if one is fatally damaged: Do I replace the 1 bad tire...or do I just buy 4 new tires? A single OEM replacement tire may cost $150 installed. Consider purchasing an inexpensive, used backup tire to have on hand if this situation ever pops up. This may sound unnecessary, but how many forum members have been burned by unrepairable damage on 1 tire? The solution is usually to replace all 4 tires even though the other 3 may have tread life remaining.

    One of my tires picked up a nail near the sidewall at 60,000 miles and couldn’t be repaired. My prorated road hazard warranty wasn’t going to help much, and I didn’t want to buy 4 new tires yet (the remaining tires had some life left). Fortunately I had a used replacement in my garage that I previously purchased on eBay for $35. I was back on the road the same day without buying 1 expensive new tire…or 4 new tires. That backup tire allowed me to continue running the remaining 3 tires for another 18 months and 30K additional miles.


    7. Mitsubishi Warranty Concerns

    If I bought a new Mirage today, I would definitely replace the OEM wheels/tires again (right after a 4-wheel alignment check!).

    But ditching your factory wheels/tires has a downside. If you ever need a drivetrain-related warranty repair, you’re going to want OEM-size wheels and tires on the car. If you need a $5,000 CVT replacement, you don’t want to show up at the service department with aftermarket wheels and (especially) non-OEM sized tires. You can bet that Mitsubishi has a checklist for denying expensive powertrain warranty claims…and having non-stock wheels/tires is likely on the top of the list. A warning about this is even mentioned in the owner’s manual.

    As the owner of a manual transmission Mirage, I’m not concerned about making a driveline warranty claim. But if I need to scrounge up some stock wheels/tires to ensure that an expensive warranty repair goes smoothly, I’ll do it.
    I originally wrote most of this for another thread, but it belongs here more. Thus, I am sharing a slightly edited version in two places. It's just another way to look at tires & nothing more. I have the utmost respect & understanding of Top Fuel's approach to wheels.

    I currently have 4 different pairs/brands of tires mounted on steel rims with matching cloned sensors. That's sounds pretty nuts. It's like taking Top Fuel's opinion on tires & flipping it. Yet, I totally get Top Fuel's approach to tires & admire that, too.

    I live in the Driftless part of Wisconsin. If you are not familiar with that term, it's a part of the Midwest that was never got covered/leveled by the glaciers. I live on a ridge, & winter ridge roads can be a challenge. I wouldn't get 100 yards past my driveway some days without good tires. It's also why I own an AWD Subaru Forester with four Cooper snow tires already mounted on the vehicle & ready to go.

    I bought my Mirage in October of 2017. In 2017, the ES & SE offered the manual option. I will not even look at a vehicle unless it has a manual transmission, but that's my hang up not anyone else's. I bought the ES over the SE, because I wanted steel rims & manual climate controls. I could have afforded either trim levels.

    Past experience with small, lightweight, FWD cars has taught me the value of good threads being up front during the winter months. Driving a 1990 Ford Festiva for 14 winters with 145SR12 tires taught me that. Skinny tires on a light car make a big difference. I saw this on a daily basis during the winter months. I literally helped a woman turn her minivan around once, because she couldn't make it up the road in the snow & she was scared of going off the other side into the gully. I went up & down the same road with issue that day. One of our other cars during this time period was a VW Golf. A much nicer, heavier car that was useless in the snow compared to the Festiva with skinny tires. I might add the Golf had snow tires, & the Festiva did not. The Golf could barely be kept on the road with snow tires on some days. That was never an issue with the Festiva, & my former Festiva was lighter than my current Mirage. The Festiva always got me home. In some cases, it was to get the tire chains for our vehicles that couldn't climb the same road. I am not making this up.

    I've seen the county snow plow truck with rear tire chains back down the hill near my driveway twice. They had to back down, because they couldn't keep the front tires of their dump truck with a front mounted snow plow on the road without the sand being dropped in front of them. This is just a small climb on top of the ridge near my home.

    I once got caught at school (parent-teacher conferences) during an ice storm. I not only couldn't make it up my ridge road with my Mirage (with brand new snow tires up front), I couldn't keep it from sliding backwards with the brakes locked. That was scary @ night, because the other side of the road drops into a large ravine. My Mirage would slide 10-15 feet backwards at a time & then catch some traction again to hold it there briefly. Thankfully, my right rear tire eventually caught the edge of the roadside grass/gravel, & my front of my Mirage slid facing back down. I crept slowly back down the hill in 1st gear & left my car in someone's driveway for the night.

    So how did I end up with 4 different pairs of tires?

    Nokian Nordman 7 - By mid-December of 2017, I immediately realized my Mirage was not going to do what I needed it to do with factory Dunlop tires alone. I ordered a pair of steel rims & Nokian Nordman 7 snow tires. A week later, they were mounted up front. In the spring, I pull the Nokian tires off & put the other pair back on. I take care of tire rotations at the same time.

    Federal SS657 - At 15,000 miles, I lost a factory Dunlop to a sidewall blow out. Top Fuel shared what does a person do recently when that happens? I didn't replace one tire or all four like he talked about. I bought a pair of Federal SS657 tires ($42/tire with free shipping from simpletire.com). I now have that extra spare tire (Dunlop with 15,000 miles on it) that Top Fuel has also shared, but I will probably never use it. My local mechanic mounted/balanced the pair of Federal tires for $20 cash. The reason I went with Federal tires was price, & I don't want to use two different size tires on my Mirage at the same time. Thus, I didn't consider 175/65r14 tires at the time.

    Dunlop Enasave - I just did my 40,000 mile oil change this past week. The original Dunlop tires & Federal tires are still on my car. I can't say how many miles are on Dunlop exactly, because they haven't been used during the winter months. The Nokian snow tires take their place during the winter. The Federal tires have been on my Mirage year round since the tire blow out. Thus, I know the have about 25,000 miles on them. I plan on using the Dunlop & Federal tires for another summer or two. They still have some good life in them, & they are perfectly fine for that.

    Nexen N'Priz AH5 - These are 60,000 mile all-season rated tires. I bought a pair when there were $50/tire with free shipping @ tires-easy.com this past summer. When Dirk put new tires on his wife's Mirage, I bought another pair of steel rims from him. My Dunlop & Federal tires are getting worn down. Having some new threads on the rear of my Mirage during the winter months will be an improvement over either pair. The Nokian snow tires that I use up front are wearing extremely well.

    I like to use up tires that I already have on hand, & I value traction during the winter months. I also like taking care of my tire rotations when I change tires in the spring/fall. Steel rims are relatively cheap. Wheel covers make all steel rims look the same. I like cheap & simple!

    Top Fuel recently shared his tires with 93,000 miles on them. I would have to park my Mirage during the winter months with those type of tires. Even if they were brand new, the wider LRR tires would not do the job.

    I don't buy into the LRR hype totally. I think a 185/55r15 tire would have to be a LRR tire, filled with high psi, & have lightweight rims to compete with a simple 165/65r14 Federal tire inflated to 40 psi on narrow 14" x 4.5" steel rims.

    In Top Fuel's case, his tires give him improve handling, better appearance, & are a great value. If you can use tires with worn threads year round, I think that is a good choice for someone. I like to wear my tires out, but I need extra pairs to do that safely. Thus, I prefer steel rims. I could have bought 8 matching alloy rims I guess, but I am way too cheap to do that.

    Eventually, my factory Dunlop tires will need to be replaced (after another summer or two). I may try a pair of Vredestein Quatrac 5 by that time. The Nexen will become my summer tires then, & the new Vredestein will become a part of my winter set. If my Nokian snow tires are a bit more worn by then, I may use them in the rear during the winter months & test out how the Quatrac 5 will do up front.

    Eventually, I may find the Vredestein is good tire to use year round. If so, I would use older ones up during the summer months & newer ones during the winter months. I may reach the point of having 8 Vredestein tires some day, but that might be years down the road (literally). In the meantime, I am experimenting with 165/65r14 tires. Sort of like Top Fuel is going to test 185/60r15 verses his former 185/55r15 tires, but I am doing something totally different.

    Thus, my approach to tires is quite the opposite of someone like Top Fuel. I value narrow tires over wider tires. Appearance means very little to me. I also understand why others would value a better appearance & improved handling of wider tires. There's room in the world for both of us!

    I really like everything Top Fuel shares. I cloned 8 sensors this summer (for both my Forester & Mirage) using his advice. The cloned sensors are working on my Forester. I haven't changed tires on my Mirage yet.

    I used another of his threads to add an engine block heater. Countless days of -20F or colder that winter (2018-19) helped inspire that, & my little 3-cylinder Mirage loves it!

    All good stuff, & he has more great topics on here, too! This is what makes this forum great!



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