My Tire Buying Experience – Part I
Since my car buying experience was received well on the blog, I thought it would be cool to share my tire buying experience as well. Y’all know I’m always researching and I love to share everything I learn, so it’s pretty long. But to keep from boring you to death, I’ll break it up into a series of post and try to make it entertaining. I hope you enjoy it because I have a lot to share and I want you all to make educated decisions with your next tire purchase.
Wanna hear it? Here it goes!
I bought my car – a 2004 Honda Accord – brand new in November 2003, so I’ve never purchased tires for this car before. With nearly 60,000 miles, it was about time for them anyway. As I’ve hinted several times on this blog, I’ve been thinking about buying new tires for the past month or so and I finally purchased a set this past weekend. Ed Note: Disregard the price mentioned because so much has changed since Saturday. My name wouldn’t be Single Ma if it hadn’t. ;-)
So now, I want to share my experience with you:
KNOW YOUR TIRE SIZE
When searching for new tires, first you have to know what size tire you need. On my Honda Accord, the OEM recommends P205/60R16, which means:
• P: p-metric size that was designed primarily for use on passenger vehicles
• 205: width of the tire
• 60: aspect ratio = width divided by the height
• R: radial, but almost all tires are radial
• 16: size of the rim
KNOW YOUR PERFORMANCE SPECS
Important performance specs are the load index and the speed rating. The OEM’s recommendation for my Honda is 91 V, which means:
• 91: numerical value for the load carrying capability. A load index of 91 can carry up to 1,356 lbs. The higher the tire’s load index number, the greater its load carrying capacity.
• V: alphabetical value for the maximum speed capability – of the tire, not the car. A speed rating of V can go a maximum of 149 miles/hour, although the mfg does not recommend driving any faster than the legal speed limit.
According to Tire Rack, tires on most passenger cars and light trucks have a load index between 70 and 110, which carries a capacity from 761 lbs to 2,337 lbs. Speed ratings can be as low as “M” or “N” (temporary spare) or as high as “H” and “V” (sedans and sports cars).
Other common speed ratings are “S” and “T” for family cars and vans, and there are also rare speed ratings of “W”, “Y”, and “Z” that are used on extremely high, top-speed, performance vehicles. For most passenger vehicles, a speed rating below H is not highly recommended because it affects the performance of the vehicle, but if you prefer, they do exist.
Read more about load index and speed rating [here].
OTHER HELPFUL INFO
Additional tire specs that may interest you depends on your preference for all-weather (snow, ice, heavy rain, and winter driving), ride/noise comfort, and tread life. Read [here] to learn more about general tire information.
Ok, now you have the primer.
Tomorrow, I’ll write about tire prices and how I selected my preferred brand.
Related Articles:
Part I: Tire Basics – What do those numbers mean?
Part II: Shopping for Tires – What’s included in that price?
Part III: Buying Tires – Ask for what you want, then ask for some more.
[image credit: qysttire.com]
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Fabulous Financials » My Tire Buying Experience - Part II (Pingback), 27 February 2008, 8:31
[...] completing the research in Part I, I went on a hunt for a set of P205/60R16 tires with a load index of 91 and a speed rating of [...]
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Fabulous Financials » My Tire Buying Experience: Part III (finale) (Pingback), 29 February 2008, 8:31
[...] this week, I discussed tire basics (Part I) and explained the meaning of all those funky numbers: P205/60R16 91V. Then I went shopping [...]
When we bought tires recently, it really helped to know all the specs. It was a lot less stressful to do all the calling, etc, when we knew what we were looking for.
One thing we looked at too is grade: A, B, C, etc where the grades denote tire tread depth. Some are better for snow and such and some are ok as long as you don’t need deep treads.
I really hate the whole car buying thing…. it’s just so slimy…I bought my 2007 SAAB this past September and although it was only my 3 car in my drving life, I felt I was so much more knowledgeable about the process. Asking questions, research, edmunds, SAAB USA, credit union handling my funds, taking my time, but after reading your post….I still feel like a rookie…I had no idea I could keep my license…I just handed it over everytime…what a dork….I love my car, but there is a reason I drove my 1997 Mazda Protege for 10 long years and I will certainly be driving this car until wheels melt down to to lugs :-) Thanks for the tire article, I will keep it for future reference, I’m only 6K into my tires, but this will be helpful when the time comes to replace them.
I wish I new about these tips when buying my new car in 2004. I’ll definitely consider them next time. I will also be needing a new set of tires soon.
Thanks so much Single Ma for the tutorial – I’m definitely going to be using it soon. I’m about to get in the same boat as you, my 2004 Honda Civic has just reached 60k and I will need new tires in about another 5-10k (I do mostly highway driving so my tires wear a little less).
Thanks for all your helpful advice!