New Tires - Please Help

"SaabStutz" (stutz)
02/23/2015 at 11:34 • Filed to: TIRES, SAAB

So I've been looking for some new tires for the soon-to-be-mine SAAB 9-3 that I'll get from my grandparents. They have snow tires on a set of steelies, but also have a set of alloys that don't have any tires on them. Since I'll have those snow tires, I don't need no-seasons and can opt for summers. I haven't asked exactly how much money my parents would be willing to spend, but realistically $250 is the max.

Here are my requirements:

Not terribly expensive ($250 MAX)

Last a while. I don't want a treadwear rating of 100 and then have to replace the tires in two years

Relatively sporty - while I don't want track tires, I still want a little sportiness and the option to take them to the track once or twice

Decent wet grip

I don't care if I'm purchasing tires designed for last year, I just want the best value.

My question is, what are the best tires that follow this? Any personal experience?

Tire Size: 205/50R16

That's the car ^ up there. Here are the wheels:

DISCUSSION (12)

crowmolly > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:38

Is that $250-$300 mounted or just the tires?

SaabStutz > crowmolly
02/23/2015 at 11:39

We'll we make it $250 for just tires. What's mounting usually cost?

thebigbossyboss > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:40

All seasons frankly are fine for summers, and might last a bit longer.

Will with a W8 races an E30 > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:42

Good luck with that - $75/tire is incredibly cheap, even in that size. You're probably going to get stuck with some no-name BS.

That said, the best I can find quickly that comes close is Dunlop Direzza DZ102:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js…

Otherwise, this may be OK, but I have no experience with Sumitomo:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js…

Carl (@stuffcarlsays) > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:44

That vehicle calls for at least a V-rated tire based on the original specs. Even though the car may never do 149+ mph, it's about the only way to get the proper weight rating to ensure the tires don't wear like pencil erasers. I've had great luck with even the cheap and cheerful tire brands on the 9-3/NG900s I've had in the past (Sumitomo, General, etc.) - your mileage may vary.

thebigbossyboss > Will with a W8 races an E30
02/23/2015 at 11:44

Was thinking it's a bit pie in the sky myself. I got tires direct through a manufacturer rep or something once, and even then I was in $400 for all 4 before tax.

JGrabowMSt > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:49

My shop does $25 per tire mount + balance. Some shops charge double that if you bring your own tires.

Find a shop that is willing to order from Tire Rack, or already do.

For that size, Cooper Lifeliners, General Grabbers, Firestone Firehawks, and there's a couple Bridgestone tires that are decent. I would look at Firestone Firehawks first, and if they come in the correct size for your car, look no further. You can easily get 40k+ miles out of them if you rotate them properly every 8-10k miles. Very good in the wet as well. Couldn't tell you about snow though, I run Yokohama IceGuards for the winter.

crowmolly > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:51

Depends on your area, but maybe $25-30 per wheel.

$250 is not a lot of money at all. That's knocking on the door of questionable quality/cheap import tires.

jariten1781 > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 11:55

Man, your price limit is low. You might be able to find some RE760 Sports in that price range if they've been sitting on your tire store's shelves for a year. They're pretty good and usually go about 90 a piece so ~70ish wouldn't be unheard of for old stock.

Might want to look at picking up something with a season or two on it off CL instead though.

davedave1111 > crowmolly
02/23/2015 at 12:23

$25-30 per wheel? Why wouldn't you just buy a tyre mounter and do it yourself, for that price?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Por…

Toss in a handful of BBs to balance it, job done.

Rico > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 14:11

You've got too many variables here, you want:

Summer Tires

Good tread wear rating

Option to track a couple of times

$250 max

You'll need to remove 2 of these things from the equation.

JEM > SaabStutz
02/23/2015 at 14:56

For that little money, I'm not sure you'll be able to get anything decent.

I would look at a set of Kumhos. They are made really well but being Korean, not as expensive as the more major brands. I used them for years on my Tiburons and never had a problem, think it was some variant of the Ecsta line if they still have that.