Passenger, Touring, Performance, etc., which tire is "best"?

I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
say someone like me? :-)

(1) I drive about equally in city and highway.

(2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
all-weathers.

(3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
often.

(4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?

(5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
particularly bad weather.

Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.

If value means anything, you don't want performance.

This site can help -
[url]http://www.tirerack.com/tires/dg/SelectAutoMakeAndYear.jsp[/url]

"RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=blue]
>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]

You want PASSENGER tires. I'd suggest Goodyear Assurance ComforTred. They
might be a little pricey, but they will give you good traction year-round,
and should wear pretty well if you keep them rotated and keep your car
aligned properly. -Dave

If your question arises from the Yokohama tire site linked yesterday,
recommended them for excellent value, good quality.
They have a new tire designed specifically for the Camry :
[url]http://www.yokohamatire.com/TireFeatures.asp?TireID=80[/url]
(you can see their application graph on the pdf spec. page)
Tread pattern and compounds affect the tire designation.
Touring tires typically give many of the qualities you've listed:
long wear, comfortable, safe, quiet ride.
Performance tires have softer rubber compounds to stick better (and
wear more quickly) plus a more aggresssive tread design that can be
noisier.
Touring tires often have a continuous center rib (longer wear, quiet)
though now performance tires are adopting this also. Touring tires
typically have tread blocks oriented closer to a straight line parallel
to the direction of rotation - generally speaking, plus smaller spaces
between blocks.
The AVID touring I've been using have plenty of grip, far as I can
tell, plus an 80,000 mile warranty. If you see an 80,000 mile warranty,
that's a touring tire. Treadwear rating over 600 is a touring tire.
Lower treadwear numberrs are performance tires. Also my heat rating is
B, whereas performance tires would be A, but my tires are cool even
after driving highway on hot days. Also, I have speed rating S (112 mph
continuous), performance tires can go to Z (150 mph).

For the last 20 years or so I've been buying the second cheapest tire that
Sam's Club sells and I've never had a problem. Lived in Denver and Tulsa.
If you can walk to work forget about all the tire talk, use what you have
till they wear out. Front wheel drive is better in snow than rear wheel
drive and if you have any decent tread left you'll go. If you see lots of
cars slipping and sliding around, going in the ditch, no tire will help
much,so just walk.
Hank
"RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=blue]
>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]

I think you would be best served with All Season Touring tires. These will
give you good solid performance over a wide range of conditions. They will
stop and turn well for you, and they will be about as quiet as can be
expected. And they will give a good life. They won't be the "best" at
anything, but they will be good at almost everything. Certainly they will
provide a casual driver such as yourself with all of the qualities you are
likely to exploit.



"RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=blue]
> I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]

Get a set of michelin harmony tires and you will love them. If you want
something else, try the goodyear tripletred tires.

As for buying cheap rubber, remember that only 4 rubber contact patches the
size of the palm of your hand hold you to the road.


"RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=blue]
>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]

Also, have a look at [url]http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/index.jsp[/url]
for tire ratings

"Car Guy" <ac222@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Rv-dnQ-AjcS-0y7fRVn-iA@rogers.com...[color=blue]
> Get a set of michelin harmony tires and you will love them. If you want
> something else, try the goodyear tripletred tires.
>
> As for buying cheap rubber, remember that only 4 rubber contact patches
> the size of the palm of your hand hold you to the road.
>
>
> "RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
> news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=green]
>>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
>> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
>> say someone like me? :-)
>>
>> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>>
>> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
>> all-weathers.
>>
>> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
>> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
>> often.
>>
>> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
>> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>>
>> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
>> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
>> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
>> particularly bad weather.
>>
>> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
>> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]
>
>[/color]

I would go to your local tire dealer, tell them your requirements and
let them lay out some choices for you. If you were satisfied with the
tires that came originally with the car the tire shop should be able to
come very close to replicating the ride, traction, comfort and wear
characteristics. If this is of any help had very good luck with a set
of Yokohama tires on a Volvo 960.

Car Guy <ac222@hotmail.com> wrote:

: [url]http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/index.jsp[/url]

Greatly appreciate this reference. However, this has introduced a yet
another category to me: "grand touring"!

My basic conditions are as follows: I don't drive to work, so can avoid
some of the worst weather. Lots of pot-holes on some of the roads I
have to take. Not much rain but Midwest snow (3 months/yr?). Summers
can touch 95 deg.

Most driving is within 25 miles (speed 45-60, roads can be bad), but we
do take a few 500 miles trips (speed average 60-80, good roads).

I care about safety first, then quiet ride, then smooth ride, and tread
wear the last.

Which of these groups fit me: Passenger, Touring, Grand Touring, and
Performance?

[color=blue]
> Which of these groups fit me: Passenger, Touring, Grand Touring, and
> Performance?[/color]

There is a lot of marketing spin that goes into those terms, so precise
definitions will be hard to come by. A passenger tire is going to be
at one end of the spectrum...it will get the job done at a reasonable
price, be comfortable riding and get decent milage. At the other end
of the spectrum is a performance tire, which will probably be harder
riding, somewhat more precise feeling and get low milage.

Rather than spending time trying to decipher those marketing terms, I
would to to a reputable local brick and mortar tire shop and describe
your driving habits. Use their expertise in picking a tire with the
correct balance of milage, comfort, high speed handling, poor weather
performance and cost that will best fit the way you drive. Compare
their advice with a competitor and make a choice.

The car and tire size you mentioned are both very common and you should
have a wide range of choices. If it were me I would try to replicate
the ride and milage of the tires that came with the car.

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 08:17:41 +0000, RPS wrote:
[color=blue]
> I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]


Now that everybody in the group has had their say, I'll tak my shot.
Delta. Get a Traction tire.

Why? Deltas are very inexpensive, but they are good for the money you are
spending. I have had 2 sets of Deltas through the years and they have a
very good balance between ride, handling and grip in inclement weather.
You also say you don't drive often, except when the weather IS bad, hence
the traction tire. They have a good load rating and treadwear rating and
an excellent grip rating. The two time I have owned Deltas I never had to
change tires for the seasons. Unfortunately, the model I had is no longer
available, but just walk into a Delta dealer and tell them you want a
traction tire. The ONLY drawback I can see is they are slightly noisier
than other tires.

I've run Delta on my cars for the last, oh, what seven years or so.

I got fed up with the big chain stores and went to a family-owned local
dealer and he recommended Delta Vistas. They were fantastic for the
price. They no longer make the Vistas, but I'm running the Delta
Sentinels and the Delta Essexs. But are good tires, the Sentinel seems
a tad noisy than the Essex, but they are still fairly quiet. Much
quieter than the Potenzas that came with the darn Camry.

My dealer did recommend I avoid the Delta Fortune, their low-end tire,
since I do a lot of poor road driving (gravel, dirt), he thought the
Fortune might not hold up well.

I will stick with the Michelin Harmony tires as the top pick. They are
smooth, quiet, and comfortable and decent in wet and snow. They are not the
cheapest, but if safety and quality is on top of your list, then these tires
will please you. Tirerack ([url]www.tirerack.com[/url]), has good reviews about these
tires (look up reviews, and toyota, and pick a year). I have put this tire
on my Buick, a Corolla, and a few other cars and the folks are very pleased.
Check with Sams Club/Costco for prices as I found Sam's Club to offer good
price.


"RPS" <rps@null.void> wrote in message
news:170620050318379039%rps@null.void...[color=blue]
>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.[/color]

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:42:18 -0700, timbirr wrote:
[color=blue]
> I've run Delta on my cars for the last, oh, what seven years or so.
>
> I got fed up with the big chain stores and went to a family-owned local
> dealer and he recommended Delta Vistas. They were fantastic for the
> price. They no longer make the Vistas, but I'm running the Delta
> Sentinels and the Delta Essexs. But are good tires, the Sentinel seems
> a tad noisy than the Essex, but they are still fairly quiet. Much
> quieter than the Potenzas that came with the darn Camry.
>
> My dealer did recommend I avoid the Delta Fortune, their low-end tire,
> since I do a lot of poor road driving (gravel, dirt), he thought the
> Fortune might not hold up well.[/color]

Interesting. There was another brand that was taken over by Delta, sold as
Akuret and made by Otsu Rubber in Japan. Can't get them anymore.
185/60-14's for my Corolla GTS ran all of $42, and they too were great!