Putting new tires on my '08 yaris soon... what do I need to know?

[hannahyaris]

I recently bought my first car I have a 2008 yaris base sedan
aaaand now I need to buy tires.. What do I need to keep in mind while I'm looking?

I think the size is P175/65R14.
My budget is under $400. I would like something that handles well on wet and dry roads.
I tried viewing the official wheel and tire guide but it was like a foreign language to me. Please excuse me, I'm pretty new at this.

Thanks!

[ivanstepul]

you should get some new rims !!!
https://www.google.com/search?q=slam...5%3B1200%3B722


http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...Tires=1&cs=175

[B2FiNiTY]

under $300 is pretty easy.

if you have costco in your area and you have a membership, they have pretty good prices.

[IllusionX]

She's in NC. I would suggest getting tires from discounttiredirect and have them installed at your usual garage.

[hannahyaris]

Thanks guys. I'm considering Firestone FR710 for a total price of $357.48 (including installation, etc). I also considered Yokohama Avid Touring-S as those came on the car when I got it, but I'm not really sure how to compare tires so we'll see.

[juicyjosh]

Originally Posted by hannahyaris

I recently bought my first car I have a 2008 yaris base sedan
aaaand now I need to buy tires.. What do I need to keep in mind while I'm looking?

I think the size is P175/65R14.
My budget is under $400. I would like something that handles well on wet and dry roads.
I tried viewing the official wheel and tire guide but it was like a foreign language to me. Please excuse me, I'm pretty new at this.

Thanks!

Hi Hannah,

FWIW, I always buy my tires from tirerack.com. I live in San Francisco, and they ship out of Nevada, so I don't pay tax, and the tires arrive in two days. I've never had a problem with them, ever. Not even on returns.

Tires are not the place to skimp on quality. Sliding into a tree or into the back of another car because of crappy tires isn't worth initially saving few bucks. Tires are a once-every-few-years expense that you just have to deal with. You're going to have these tires on your car for the next couple of years, so it's important to make this decision a good one. Tires are the easiest way to improve - or worsen - your car's performance.

You don't have to buy from tirerack, but you owe it to yourself to do your due diligence and go to tirerack.com and educate yourself before making your purchase. On their site, you can enter your car (year/make/model/trim), and they automatically tell you which types of tires are available for your Yaris, as well as the specifications for each tire. Don't know what all the specs mean, like "actual tread width" or "aspect ratio" or "UTQG?" Highlight the term, and it tells you what it means.

Without actual experience with a lot of different tires, you won't know how the tire will perform until it's on your car. However, as a general guide, tires that have larger tread blocks give you better dry traction, and they are more performance-oriented; tires with smaller blocks give poor dry traction and are more designed to pack snow in between the treads for better snow traction. Contrary to mainstream belief, tires with lots of tiny tread blocks are not necessarily grippier in wet conditions.

If you drive in lots of rain or snow, consider tires with smaller tread blocks. If the majority of your driving is in dry weather, go with the tires with largest tread blocks.

Hope that helps.

[kimona]

Originally Posted by hannahyaris

Thanks guys. I'm considering Firestone FR710 for a total price of $357.48 (including installation, etc). I also considered Yokohama Avid Touring-S as those came on the car when I got it, but I'm not really sure how to compare tires so we'll see.

There are so many better tyres out there than the Firestone FR710! I'd get 185/65/14's to replace the 175's. There are more options in this size, and the 185's are an excellent fitment. If you do a lot of highway driving, choose a tyre with a wide/flat center band to reduce/eliminate highway wander. Discounttiredirect.com is a great place to purchase tyres; good selection, low pricing, and free shipping, (and no tax to NC). I buy all my tyres from them and have them installed/balanced locally for $10 a corner.

[Hershey]

Agree , there's better than the Firestone for less .

[UberSilver]

I really like the Michelin Defenders I bought from Costco. I've had them close to a year and they show little to no wear, and they handle great.

Cost was $411. with the $70. off rebate.

[hannahyaris]

Y'all are awesome. I started out by checking tirerack.com and the only thing that got to me was the shipping, but it was great for learning a bit. Then I went to discounttiredirect and saw some michelin defenders with an "out the door" price of about $550. Searched for the tire on tirerack.com and found a total price of around $450.
I contacted discounttire to see if they'll match the price, and I'm hoping I can find out about some sort of additional discount, but you're right- it's probably worth the money to find the safest available tire

[WeeYari]

Take a look at where Michelin Defenders rank in this comparison http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/sho...59&postcount=5

[Hershey]

Did some research for you at Tirerack and it looks like the Kumho Solus KR21 are a well liked tire for many Toyota owners and seem to be suitable for the weather in your region . They are $61 each ( $244 for 4 ) . Another to consider would be the GENERAL Altimax RT that are $55 each ( closeout ) . There's a review from an owner of a 2008 YARIS hatchback that rates them at 9.4 out of 10 . Other Toyota owners agree . Go to http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp for a look . Click on the brands mentioned for more input . May be able to get the Kumho Solus KR21 or General Altimax RT at Discount Tire Direct , http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...131122045143:s . They have free shipping and may match the price at Tirerack . Hope this helps and let us know of your choice and how they perform .

[hannahyaris]

Thanks so much WeeYari- definitely a good resource to have.
Unfortunately I think the michelin defenders are going to be a little too expensive, but I'm still going to see what I can do. For now, definitely considering the two types of tires that Hershey recommended. I'll be sure to post the results when I finally decide.

For now, I've run into a bigger issue. I don't actually know what size the tires are. I know that the original tire size (from the factory) was either 175/65/R14 or 185/65/R14. The tires on there now are Yokohama Avid-Touring S, and the size is 195/60/R15. Does that mean I should go with that size?

(note: i bought the car used from a toyota dealership about two months ago. i'm 99% sure they didn't put new tires on the car when i bought it)

[kimona]

OEM size is 185/60/15. However, 195/60/15 is an excellent fitment on stock suspension. The Yokohama Avid Touring S is a great tyre. The tread pattern works extremely well on the Yaris for good overall handling, a smooth ride, and straight-line tracking with minimal or no highway wander.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...0&rd=15&cs=185

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...0&rd=15&cs=195

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by hannahyaris

I'm considering Firestone FR710 for a total price of $357.48 (including installation, etc)

Fantastic tires and a fantastic price. I'm on my second set of 4 FR710s. I took off the first set of 4 after they had 85,009 miles on them. I probably could have squeezed another 3,000 to 5,000 miles out of them at that point. I have 41,216 miles on the second set and over half the tread left. Out the door, the second set (with installation, tax, and the Lifetime Road Hazard/Free Valve Stem Repl/Balancing/and Rotation,etc.) was $407.77.

[nookandcrannycar]

^^^^^The $407.77 was in September of 2012. On my current set, I've taken two trips in the last 3 1/2 months through parts of (IIRC) at least 30 states and over 12k miles total. I drove on dry pavement, and in rain (too early for snow or ice).....and on gravel, dirt, asphalt, and cement. Just make sure (and I only realized this recently) that you inflate them to the Toyota recommended PSI (stated inside the driver door jamb, near the driver door lock striker, IIRC). I was over inflating 6 and then 5 PSI to boost MPG even more...better not to in Fall and Winter (at least IMO re feel).

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by kimona

OEM size is 185/60/15. However, 195/60/15 is an excellent fitment on stock suspension.

I'm on my 4th set (including OEM) and either Set #2 or Set #3 = 195/60/15. I agree with you, 195/60/15 also = excellent fitment on stock suspension.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by kimona

There are so many better tyres out there than the Firestone FR710! I'd get 185/65/14's to replace the 175's. There are more options in this size, and the 185's are an excellent fitment. If you do a lot of highway driving, choose a tyre with a wide/flat center band to reduce/eliminate highway wander. Discounttiredirect.com is a great place to purchase tyres; good selection, low pricing, and free shipping, (and no tax to NC). I buy all my tyres from them and have them installed/balanced locally for $10 a corner.

To each his own. My last set of FR710s lasted me about 15,000 miles longer than the OEMs and the first set of 4 that replaced the OEMs (not Firestones). I also like the 'almost anyplace there is a Firestone store' aspect of the service and the efficiency (faster than many other places i've patronized). Definitely agree with you though on her not going with the 175's.