Ok, I'm no tire buff so go easy on me. My poor MCS has two almost *bald* front tires (stock) after 25K. Back ones are fine. I need to get these replaced ASAP (next couple days or at least before it rains).

I am under two constraints here: cost and time. I have to keep the cost low (under $100/tire?) and I am subject to my local tire shops due to the time constraint: Cooper, Firestone/Bridgestone, Mr. Tire, and Sears, not to mention a couple other local shops.

Can you recommend a good long-lasting all-season tire that's a great value, and readily accessible? (whew!) Would prefer a quiet tire too, if possible.

Thanks!

Do you want runflats? If so, not many choices.

No, runflats not necessary.

What size wheels do you have, 16" or 17"?

falken ziex 512s. Have Sears price match one of the online stores.

I'm considering replacement tires for my '05 MC and the Bridgestone Potenza G009 looks interesting. I've got the Bridgestone Turanza LS-V on my wife's car and its been a great tire, especially in the wet. Anyone have any experience with the G009?

don't forget if you're switching tyre types or brands, you probably should
replace all four.

(there was a thread a while back on someone who wrecked during an extreme maneuver, and one of the contributing factors was the differing traction on the two ends of the car)

Go to Tirerack.com and look at what choices are available for your car. That will give you the best price possible. You should be able to call your local shops and see if any of them will match that price. If you have a local Discount Tire store and talk to the manager they will normally match. PM me is you need any assistance with tirerack.com.

Good luck.

For most predictable handling do not mix runflats with non-runflats.

G009 - good tire for the $ the least expensive way to get Unity AQII.

Alex

In some cases TireRack can drop ship your tires to a local tire shop they have a relationship with. Then they can mount/balance and service to your wheels. Call TireRack, they will talk to you and lead you to the best tire for your needs including budget.

If I wanted to get a tire <$140 and spend a tad more than the original <$100/tire goal, would you recommend something different? I still need an all-season though but I'm beginning to think I shouldn't scrimp on tires. Thanks!

(I've got 195/55 R16 Dunlop Sports now)

Tirerack shows Dunlop SP Sport 5000A DSST's for $149. These are runflat ultra high performace all-season tires. I've been happy with the Dunlops that came stock on my MCS. I agree that you shouldn't scrimp on tires but these might be a suitable match for your two tires that aren't worn out....so you might only have to buy two of them.

You have several options for replacement tires.
The ride quality will be better if you replace all four tires with non runflats. But you will not have a spare tire if you have a Cooper S.

The Bridgestone G009 ($91 each in 205/50-16) is a good tire and will work. Good price and longer tread wear but only a High Performance tire and H speed rated. 460 tread wear, A traction, 22 pounds. Tirerack tests-
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/tests/testResultsModel.jsp&tireMake=Bridgestone&tireMode l=Potenza+G009

Kumho Ecsta ASX and Avon Tech M550 A/S are Ultra High Performance tires giving more performance in the dry or wet but a little less tread life.

Kumho Ecsta ASX in 205/50-16 ($88 each)
420 tread wear, AA traction, 20 pounds each
Tirerack tests-
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/tests/testResultsModel.jsp&tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=ECST A+ASX

Avon Tech M550 A/S in 205/55-16 ( a little taller <24.9"> than stock -OK)
$80 each, 360 tread wear, AA traction, 23 pounds each
Tirerack tests-
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/tests/testResultsModel.jsp&tireMake=Avon&tireModel=Tech+ M550+A%2FS

For more choices talk to Alex@tirerack.com

i was waiting for minihune to show up. wat took you so long?

do any of your local shops carry TOYO? You really can't go wrong with this brand and their tires are excellent. I run the Proxes 4 on my car and it is great on both dry & wet pavement. I would also recommend Cooper Tires. They are reputable company and they should work great as well.

I was tossing between the two above mentioned choices. I am leaning towards the Kumho, lighter and longer tread life.

Though it makes sense traditionally to put an Avon tyre on a MINI Cooper!

Be careful of the Coopers. I put their high-performance passenger tires on my BMW 320i and the traction was horrible in the wet. Dry was okay, but wet handling was almost scary. My dad has tried their truck tires and said they were great, but I don't think much of their passenger tires.

I'm sure almost everyone will disagree with me, but here's what I did. I wanted to keep the runflats - despite how bad they are. I don't want to sacrifice the pace for a spare.

I also made the same mistake in my first 20K miles that you made - not rotating the tires. Now they get rotated at every oil change, around 6,000 miles or so.

I also agree that you should not mix runflats and nonrunflats together. Personally I think all 4 tires on the car should be as identical as possible in terms of type, speed rating, tread pattern, etc. But you didn't say if your rears are runflats or not...

So I have found - twice - through the want ads right here on NAM - people who bought new cars and immediately wanted to get rid of their run flats. Both times I did this I got tires with only a few hundred miles on them for around $100/ea shipped. Most people realize that when they are dumping their runflats they're not going to get retail price for them. Simple supply and demand. And if you can find someone in your general area that wants to do this you can pick them up and save the shipping costs...

Make sure you have a local installer that can deal with runflats. Most cant around here.

In some cases your local dealer might have a deal on new car take offs too...

I've found that the Dunlop runflats are good enough for my daily commute. I know the drawbacks and live with them. In the winter I run non-runflat snows and carry a bottle of "slime" and a 12v air compressor...

Buying new car take offs isn't for everyone, but it worked for me...