Kumho Solus all weathers, so tricky to find at a store store

[dspace9]

My "tire situation" in short is that I want to buy All-Weather 14" tires by Vredestein or Kuhmo, and I find most stores don't carry them. Canadian tire carries Kuhmo, so I will visit tomorrow and see if they can order them in for me. I won't bother calling.

Thanks to forum folks who gave me some tips regarding online car parts stores out of Canada. I'd rather get in person if I can... I will have to be selective what county I buy in because mine is better with the old covid than other counties nearby with more people and infections and more closures.

If I can, easier route for me is just order tires in person, somehow; I am picky though, only wanna buy new all-weathers by either Vredestein brand, or Kuhmo, both tires that aren't that popular here and especially not in 14 inch. No tire swapping for me twice a year.

However I watched Bundesliga soccer all day today from Germany live, and I saw ads for both tire brands on the moving billboards they have in the stadium. Anyway harder tires to find at the big chain tire stores in Canada. Walmart is my next store I'll try. Cheers

I can see this becoming a screw up because the Kumho tire says all-weather, but is listed under all season. And there is another all season Kumho tire for sale at Canadian tire that is also 14 inch and all season, but apparently does not fit the Mirage. Entirely different tire.
So I just gotta get specific.

[Mark]

My "tire situation" in short is that I want to buy All-Weather 14" tires by Vredestein or Kuhmo, and I find most stores don't carry them. Canadian tire carries Kuhmo, so I will visit tomorrow and see if they can order them in for me. I won't bother calling.

Thanks to forum folks who gave me some tips regarding online car parts stores out of Canada. I'd rather get in person if I can... I will have to be selective what county I buy in because mine is better with the old covid than other counties nearby with more people and infections and more closures.

If I can, easier route for me is just order tires in person, somehow; I am picky though, only wanna buy new all-weathers by either Vredestein brand, or Kuhmo, both tires that aren't that popular here and especially not in 14 inch. No tire swapping for me twice a year.

However I watched Bundesliga soccer all day today from Germany live, and I saw ads for both tire brands on the moving billboards they have in the stadium. Anyway harder tires to find at the big chain tire stores in Canada. Walmart is my next store I'll try. Cheers

I can see this becoming a screw up because the Kumho tire says all-weather, but is listed under all season. And there is another all season Kumho tire for sale at Canadian tire that is also 14 inch and all season, but apparently does not fit the Mirage. Entirely different tire.
So I just gotta get specific.

I am not sure which tire you are referring to exactly, but in my area I would approach a local small town mechanic that also deals in tires. Most of these guys have very few tires in stock, but they can get them in a day or two. Let's say you want this particular tire -

https://www.quattrotires.com/tires/k...olus-ha31/3996

If they don't have exactly what you want, I wouldn't feel bad asking them how much it would cost to mount/balance the tires if brought in from an outside source?

Big discount store have a buy 4 get one free sale, but you have to use their services to get that deal. Some places hose you on the other charges. I've found my local small tire shops to be cheaper in the end. The difference was $80 less for a set of 4 tires mounted/balanced verses the buy the 4 get one free deal in my area.

[dspace9]

Thanks Mark. I am looking for a bricks and mortar store that sells Kumho, and Vredestein, All-Weathers. I just don't want to buy tires online. Looks like I might have to.

So far I found a store that sells Hankook's, and a store that sells Nordman. I would like to get All-Weather's, however.

[Eggman]

Thanks Mark. I am looking for a bricks and mortar store that sells Kumho, and Vredestein, All-Weathers. I just don't want to buy tires online. Looks like I might have to.

So far I found a store that sells Hankook's, and a store that sells Nordman. I would like to get All-Weather's, however.

Isn't that what Mark is suggesting - to call your local brick & mortar store and see what they can do for you?

For one tire replacement years ago I called and called around for the best offer of a specific set of tires and the dealer had the best price installed & out the door. Go figure.

[dspace9]

Yep I understand. I have to re-read everything a few times these days, sorry. Can't be a good sign! Sigh.

I think some garages/dealers will sell specific brands (KalTire seems to sell Nordman and Pirelli's), but maybe they can special order anything for the customer?

Or does the shop that sells Hankook 14" winters, only sell that brand? In any case there are lots of winter tires for Mirage's but I want all-weather.

[Eggman]

Yep I understand. I have to re-read everything a few times these days, sorry. Can't be a good sign! Sigh.

Might want to lay off the Labatts?? haha. Still can't find your favorite around these parts. Road trip! Whenever the border opens.

I think some garages/dealers will sell specific brands (KalTire seems to sell Nordman and Pirelli's), but maybe they can special order anything for the customer?

Or does the shop that sells Hankook 14" winters, only sell that brand? In any case there are lots of winter tires for Mirage's but I want all-weather.

Doesn't hurt to ask.

You're gonna have the coolest set of tires after all your hard work & research.

[Mark]

Yep I understand. I have to re-read everything a few times these days, sorry. Can't be a good sign! Sigh.

I think some garages/dealers will sell specific brands (KalTire seems to sell Nordman and Pirelli's), but maybe they can special order anything for the customer?

Or does the shop that sells Hankook 14" winters, only sell that brand? In any case there are lots of winter tires for Mirage's but I want all-weather.

Like Eggman suggested, I was trying to suggest a way for you to get exactly what you want.

1. I would select a couple all-weather tires you are most interested in. Visit a tire shop & see what they can do for you? They may be able to get exactly what you want in spite of the odd tire size for a Mirage. A small town place can't invest a lot of money in inventory, but they can get tires quickly. Most times, it's the next day because they have suppliers bringing them tires all the time.

2. If they can't help you, they will be understanding of your situation & more inclined to help with the installation of tires brought in without it being an issue. I know my local guys will charge about $10/tire to mount & balance anything I bring in myself. I don't think that's any more than if I bought the tires from them.

This may sound silly, but I somewhat ask the OTD price of new tires mounted & balance on rims now. I don't care for sales gimmicks & some places are doing that these days. Local shops are more up front & honest. If I pick up a screw or nail, they will plug/patch it from the inside for $15. I like supporting these guys. Some I consider friends almost. One owner & I use to play on a volleyball team together for years. I coached both of his daughters in basketball & had them in class. My situation may be different, but local tire shop are very competitive. They know the tire market quite well.

I wouldn't hesitate to use Walmart for tire purchases & mounting/balancing, too.

Let's say I want to buy the 165/65r14 Vredestein Quatrac 5 tires from tirerack.com. I get what all-weather tires like these are. They are better than all-season in winter. A good choice for someone who has to deal with snow & only wants one set of tires. Tirerack.com has tire installers all over the country. They would find the nearest installer and gladly ship them there, too. Not sure how Canada works, but places like Quattro tires may do the same?

Personally, I would have done this sooner rather than later. Why are you dinking around with us? It's tire season & these type of tires sell right now. Once inventory is gone, restocking brands from other countries may take some time. I'm sure COVID doesn't help either. It's almost Christmas & you live in Canada.

I made sure I had my winter tires for Wisconsin done months ago, but I just put them on my Mirage a couple weeks ago. My Subaru snow tires, however, have been on for quite some time. I have a plan B for extreme snow. You don't even have that. My Mirage would be useless in the winter without decent tires on it. I wouldn't make it to my neighbors some days, & I am sincere in saying that.

I have never owned a vehicle in over 3 decades that had just one set of tires. I need newer tires on during the winter months, & I want to wear out those older tires during the summer months. That requires extra pairs or sets.

[Eggman]

Those Vredestein Quatracs look pretty sweet. They've been an attractive option for some time now:

Tire Comparison

Tire comparison of current tire offerings for 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage 165/65R14

TIRE SPECIFICATIONS	Vredestein Quatrac 5	Bridgestone Potenza RE92	Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S	Federal SS-657²	Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02
UTQG	400AA	260AB	340AB	420AA	None
Maximum Load	963 lbs	937 lbs	963 lbs	963 lbs	963 lbs
Maximum Inflation Pressure	51 psi	44 psi	44 psi	44 psi	44 psi
Tread Depth	10/32"¹	9/32"	9/32"	10/32"	11/32"
Tire Weight	12 lbs	13 lbs	13 lbs		14 lbs
Rim Width Range	4.5-6"	4.5-6"	4.5-6"	4.5-6"	5-6"
Measuring Rim Width	5"	5"	5"	5"	5"
Section Width		6.5"	6.7"	6.3"	7"
Tread Width	4.6"	5"	5.5"	4.9"	5.3"
Overall Diameter		22.5"	22.4"	22.4"	23"
Revolutions per Mile		926			910
Country of Origin	NL	JP	TH	TW³	JP
Eco Focus	N/A	eco focus	Enasave		N/A

According to the numbers the Quatrac 5 looks to the be best choice.

wellswebdesign can you report on the tread depth of the set you have? I'm also curious to know if you got any treadwear warranty either from Tire Rack or Vredestein.

Notes:
¹ Vredestein tread depth as reported by forum member wellswebdesign.
² Federal SS-657 info from Tires-Easy.com.
³ Country of origin as reported by Alex1a1f.

Kind of an old post but still useful?? Look at the tread depth and width of the Quatrac. It's narrower than the Enasaves - is that a good thing?

[dspace9]

Ya eh thanks. I actually got my shopping focus down to Kumho Solus & Vredestein. And that's solely because of one of Mark's old posts about tires. I like to do my research beforehand, so I know what I'm getting into, and I'm not persuaded by sales tactics and pressure, or by buying without being educated more on what you're buying.

Basically, All Weather is my preferred, but I may have to buy winters, and slap on my all seasons in the spring. Might boil down to what the different shops still have in stock. Could be Hankook tires I get, or might end up with 4 Nordman's or Pirelli's. We shall see. I really want to get my winter tire situation under control during my vacation the next few weeks.

Unrelated to this thread but I'm also trying to get my home Wi Fi setup improved. I'm waiting for a 5th gen D-Link router from Best Buy.ca that is definitely an upgrade from mine now. Internet keeps dropping connection.

[Mark]

Ya eh thanks. I actually got my shopping focus down to Kumho Solus & Vredestein. And that's solely because of one of Mark's old posts about tires. I like to do my research beforehand, so I know what I'm getting into, and I'm not persuaded by sales tactics and pressure, or by buying without being educated more on what you're buying.

Basically, All Weather is my preferred, but I may have to buy winters, and slap on my all seasons in the spring. Might boil down to what the different shops still have in stock. Could be Hankook tires I get, or might end up with 4 Nordman's or Pirelli's. We shall see. I really want to get my winter tire situation under control during my vacation the next few weeks.

Unrelated to this thread but I'm also trying to get my home Wi Fi setup improved. I'm waiting for a 5th gen D-Link router from Best Buy.ca that is definitely an upgrade from mine now. Internet keeps dropping connection.

If you have survived with Dunlop or Bridgestone all-season tires all these years, any tire you buy will be an improvement over your worn out tires.