Miata Mailing List: August 2000, Message #95

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In a message dated 8/2/00 11:37:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
mjh6676@oak.njit.edu writes:

<< There goes my plan to get new wheels & tires at the Tire Rack about a
 month from now (I honestly thought I had that much time.)  Looks like I
 might have to get new tires put on these wheels, because I don't think I
 can wait for the Tire Rack to ship me something.  Mavis recommended a tire
 they have in stock, the "General XP2000 H4" for $59.99/corner, plus $8.88
 for mounting, balancing, and lifetime rotation.  Has anyone heard of this
 tire?  Anything good or bad to say about it?

* Matthew,

Good luck on your search for tires. I personally do not have any first hand 
knowledge about these tires, maybe the collective does. You forgot to mention 
in your post what size wheels/tires you are looking for, and what type of 
tire you are looking for. That is to say what kind of "performance" do you 
want from your tires. Unfortunately, tires are one of the most neglected 
aspects (yet one of the most important) of the car. If you are looking for 
tires that will give you very high mileage, they will differ significantly 
from those tires that give ultimate grip and performance. Do you need an all 
season type tire? In other words, what is the main application or what is the 
performance characteristics that you want from your tires? Is cost a concern? 
etc... There are many questions one needs to answer before selection of a 
tire is made. Most select based upon the cost of the tire (which is fine if 
you're budget limited), but may not be the best choice for the functionality 
one expects or requires. 

A selection on what kind of tire takes in the consideration of these main 
point IMHO:

1.> Cost
2.> Performance Expectations
3.> Mileage
 
 It makes me a bit uneasy that I made 10 trips through the Gap this
 weekend, unknowingly on bad tires.  They still have great grip on dry
 pavement, and only make me a little nervous in the rain.
  
* Checking the tread and the air pressures of ones tires should be a routine 
maintanence type activity IMHO... for something that is as important as our 
tires, we shouldn't neglect them, but pay more attention to them.  There are 
a lot of tires out there that will be able to meet most drivers expectations. 
I'd personally suggest looking at the Toyo T1-S as they offer outstanding 
dry/wet grip and decent mileage to boot.!! Many listers have already found 
this out and are now running them.

Good luck in the search and I hope you find the brand and tire that suits 
YOUR requirements... it is a personal choice afterall....

Aaron
tach9@pacbell.net