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Wifes car has Generals on it, they've been pretty solid so far. I used to be a Michelin fan, not so much anymore. I had Latitudes on my Jeep, came with them from the factory. Terrible tire. Garbage in the rain and snow. Replaced them with Goodyear All Terrain Adventures, totally different car. They wear quick, but I expect that out of an A-T tire. Wife's car had Michelins on it before these, they were pretty decent but not made anymore and the replacements got pretty crappy reviews.
That said, I run Michelins on my motorcycle. I've run Dunlops and Bridgestones as well, the Michelins have a better ride and last longer.
I had Goodyear Eagle GT+4 on my very first car and they were awesome tires. Lasted 90k miles.
But they seem to have gone downhill since because all the Goodyear tires that we've had since has developed bubbles on the sidewalls even when new. Don't feel safe buying them anymore.
I miss those Yokohama's that came with my Celica but they were a nightmare on slick roads and driving in the snow. They wore out really quick too. I don't even know what's on the car now but it's a lot better driving in the snow with that extra tread and I don't notice any performance issues.
The brands I would avoid completely are just the Chinese imports such as Geostar, Pegasis, Fuzion, Sailun and Sunny.
These are part of the list that I avoid, as well. Many of the name brand companies also make tires in China, so it's hard to determine which ones to avoid and which ones are decent quality, even from China.
Since I don't care about tread life and won't run all seasons if I can help it, I tend to stick to purpose built performance tires. I've had BF Goodrich G Force, Cooper Cobras, Pirelli P Zero Rosso, Michelin Pilot Cup Sports, but for the money, the Sumitomo HTR Z III tires on my current and last BMW are outstanding. Great grip in wet or dry, and actually decent treadwear for ultra performance tires.
I would stay away from cheap tires, you get what you pay for and tires is one of the car components you least want to compromise for safety reason alone (plus noise, vibrations, wear, etc).
For over 25 years I only get my tires at Costco and never had any issues (for over 30 cars & trucks).
90% of the time they are Michelin when they go on sale.
PS: always do an alignment and balance check when getting new tires, plus check the old ones for uneven wear which should point to other issues with the car
years ago I had the Goodyear Viva, sold exclusively at Walmart.
good lord they suck in the rain! slip and slide. I hydroplaned into the crosswalk when coming to a stop at a red light. thank god there were no one crossing.
They're up to Viva3 now with supposedly improved wet traction.
the tire is inexpensive tho! (~$79 each for 16")
others to Avoid (all due to lack of wet traction):
Goodyear Eagle RSA
Bridgestone Turanza
oh.. title is which BRAND to avoid?
there is no brand for me. every tire company has good and bad.
generally, avoid tires w/bad wet traction ratings.
every tire stops ok on dry pavement. stopping in the rain is where it's most important!
I wouldn't avoid any brands, but I would avoid buying tires from a chain associated with any brand, such as Firestone or Goodyear. Not because of the quality of the tires, but of my perception of the pricing and business practices of the franchises.
I would go to an independent tire shop, and buy the cheapest tire that fit my car with a brand I am familiar with and have bought satisfactory tires before, such as Kelly or Cooper.
The funny thing is that BFG and Uniroyal are manufactured by Michelin where Michelin branded tires are also made. In some cases on the same exact production lines, just different tire molds.
Strange aint it!!!
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