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My title says it all - buy Pathfinder tires at the max price my budget would allow? Or a no name brand, same warranty (Discount tire) but for 25% less?
Every other time in my life that I needed a full set of new tires, my dad was making the purchase... so I need input from someone who knows what they're talking about. I've done a lot of reading, but I'm unsure what to do.
My title says it all - buy Pathfinder tires at the max price my budget would allow? Or a no name brand, same warranty (Discount tire) but for 25% less?
Every other time in my life that I needed a full set of new tires, my dad was making the purchase... so I need input from someone who knows what they're talking about. I've done a lot of reading, but I'm unsure what to do.
My husband knows less about cars than I do
Which brands are you comparing? While you may not have heard of the brand if you don't know much about cars, it's likely that someone who does will know about them.
For a Pathfinder, there's really only two concerns I'd have about my tires, one would be noise, and the other would be tire wear. If the other brand rides just as quietly and will last as long as the name brand, then you would be making a good choice.
The car is a Ford Escape. The tires I'm looking at are Pathfinder, though there's a same priced/comparable Bridgestone set too. The off brand is "Laufenn"
We only have one vehicle right now, but we're still a low miles family. This 5 year old vehicle has about 80k mi on it right now, for instance. Next summer, I plan to take the car on a 5k roadtrip though
The car is a Ford Escape. The tires I'm looking at are Pathfinder, though there's a same priced/comparable Bridgestone set too. The off brand is "Laufenn"
We only have one vehicle right now, but we're still a low miles family. This 5 year old vehicle has about 80k mi on it right now, for instance. Next summer, I plan to take the car on a 5k roadtrip though
Laufenn is made by Hankook. It'll be fine for a Ford Escape. Noise though, may be an issue. A lot of asian brands tend to be louder in my experience than a comparable Michelin or Goodyear.
I'm another of those "don't skimp on tires" guys.. the are the ONLY thing that contacts the ground (well, at least in ideal circumstances). That means they are what allow you to brake and maneuver (avoid accidents)... lower priced tires give up on Something to be lower priced. Sometimes that's just a name/advertising budget, sometimes it's not the newest technology (older equipment from a major brand sold off and a new line/plant opened up), sometimes it's something else.
I don't know enough about Laufenn to offer advice there. Just do your homework. Far better to spend another $200 when buying tires than covering a $500 insurance deductible AND having your rates go up much less find yourself needing medical attention.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Despite being a Hankook product, the Laufenn tires will be made in Indonesia. When it comes to tires, safety of myself and family is more important than saving a few dollars. Thinking about failed products and where they were manufactured, I would not buy tires made in China, Vietnam, or Indonesia. Bridgestone is a Japanese company and now owns Firestone, but the tires are made in the US. Continental is German owned, and makes tires for General, but they are manufactured here. Even Yokohama tires are made in Virginia. For an older (pre-2013) Escape I would recommend
something like the Firestone Destination LE or Bridgestone Dueler H/L for a balance between somewhat aggressive tread smooth ride.
The Bridgestone Dueler is exactly what I am looking at. Thanks for all your input!
Good idea. Never skimp on tires and purchase the off brands.
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