Do Low Cost "Made in China" Tires (215/45/17)Really Impact MPG?

I can share that I've never seen cheap tires save me money. They wear out much too fast.

 

First, why are you considering 17" tires on a car with 15" wheels? If you did switch from 15" to 17", then realistically, you weren't THAT concerned with MPG to begin with. My advice is buy a quality tire. The cheap ones usually either wear quickly, don't grip, make a lot of noise, or all of the above.

 

Yes


My gran used to say "buy cheap, buy twice". I think that will apply in this instance.

 

Cheap tires are a waste of money. Michelin tires are the best as far as I am concerned but it is your choice.

 

how does that price compare to a good set of michelin lrr tyres?

 

Used tires however, can sometimes be a great deal. I once picked up a set of used tires in Hamilton MT for $15 apiece. The dealer said they would just about get me home, but I put 30k on 'em.

 

Tires are the only contact your car has with the ground, not exactly the best place to skimp.

 

No way I would skimp on the tires. The difference between even mid-tier brands and the good stuff in terms of wear, noise as they age, and tread life is already tremendous. The bottom of the barrel stuff just isn't worth it. Tires have a huge impact on how a vehicle rides and handles. I can tell immediately when I get in someone's car equipped with cheap tires.

 

My grandfather couldn't buy rubber tires during WWII, so he bought some made of "substitute rubber." They lasted about one week.

 

What's the saving between 4 good tyres and 4 cheap tyres? Then work out the cost of your insurance deductible. It's not worth trying to skimp and save money on tyres considering they last about 30,000 miles.

 

Good luck. I think it's kind of insane considering you could have had , say, the excellent General Altimax HP installed for no more than an extra $100.

Further, even on the remote chance that those last 40k like good tires will, you'll likely spend ~$300 more on fuel over that time as opposed to a good LRR model, AND you'll have driven on crummy tires for all those miles.

Talk about false economy!

 

I can understand why "false economies" exist in the corporate world. I'm not saying that makes them less false, but I understand the reasoning. If you can cut expenses, revenue goes up, and you can get a promotion. When the next guy comes in to fill your spot, he takes the fall for your bad decisions, and it looks to upper management that they promoted the right guy.