yokohama S drive- Yokohama S.drive



bridgestone potenza re760 sport (leaning more towards this)
Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport


michelin pilot exalto a/s
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S



Between those 3, which one would you choose?

 

well... it really depends on how much you want to spend... if you have the money go straight for the exalto... if you don't well the yokos are fine and i had great reviews about these... the only thing i don't like is the treadwear rating, it's very low
It also depends of the weather... if you think about driving on the highway with pouring rain take the exalto it will resist a lot more hydroplanning.

 

I'd go with yokohama one since that one is known for heating up quick. I used them on my old Z4 and loved them. Pretty loud tho

 

I have personal experience with those Michelins, on the Camry. If you want a long lasting overall good performance tire, but at a higher price, they are great. The other choices are much more biased toward performance over treadlife, comfort, noise and cold weather.

Having said that, if I didnt live where it snows, Id buy the Yokohama. They appear to have a better tread for rain than the Bridgestone.

 

Just a question. I always felt like buying my tires and then taking them to a tire place to have them mounted was sort of like showing up at burger king with mcdonalds.

Are most tire shops cool with people bringing customer provided tires to mount, or are they sticklers about it? Overall is it less expensive to just buy the tires there, or from tirerack and then paying to have someone else mount?

 

I ordered my replacement tire [pothole did one in] from TR and brought it with me to my mechanic. Reason being, I wanted the tire done and I was quite sure they'd have to order it anyway. They didn't care. In fact, he said that's where HE gets his tires from. I think purchasing it for yourself will save you money. For me, it was 81 bucks for the Dunlop tire, free shipping and no tax! Arrived in 48 hrs. I don't know that I'll ever NOT get my tires this way again! Unless your installer doesn't pad the price, it seems it's the best way to go.

Dan

 

Tirerack recommended shops are cool with it, or they wouldnt sign up for the program in the first place. I used a Big-O last time. I did get an "out the door" price from Sears before ordering from Tirerack. You have to compare total cost, including any shipping and taxes.

BTW, my Honda dealer orders exact replacement tires from Tirerack rather than a local distributor, a lot cheaper.

 

Consumer Reports has what looks to be an informative chart comparing a wide range of non-performance tires. You can join online for a month for about $5. It might be worth a look (I'd look for you, but I've canceled my subscription).

 

Yeah I figured Tirerack was a wholesale distributor just as much as they are a discount retailer... I'll look to see if they have any sponsored shops in the area so I feel less weird about taking my tires in..

 

I wouldn't feel wierd regardless. You could have gotten the tires from anyone- even someone who sold you them on the side. Take them with you and don't feel bad about it. I only recommend you let whoever does the job know that there are TPS sensors on the car so they will avoid breaking them. Good shops know this of course, but I prefer to note that on the order so the tech is at least informed beforehand.

Dan