tires, OT but 164 drivers may have the answer

["Wayne Abbott" <wabbott@domain.elided>]

Hey Y'all,

My wife has been tire shopping and asked for assistance.  The sooner this is
behind me, the sooner I can get in the garage under the alfetta and see if I
can remember where I left off.

These would be for her Volvo 850, similar to the 164, FWD at least.

She wants quiet all-season performance.  (she seems to have only one speed and
is tough on brakes and corners)

Wet weather performance is more important to her than dry performance.  Also
in North Carolina our usually mild winter involves some light snow, slush, &
freezing rain.

The choices are:

Falken Ziex ZE-512     205/55VR15   Her sister's recommendation, $79.50 ea.
delivered from Vulcan Tire

Dunlop SP Sport A2    205/60HR15    $63.50 ea.  delivered from TireRack

Dunlop SP Sport 5000   205/60VR15  $73.50 ea.  delivered from TireRack

Sumitomo SRIXON4   205/60HR15  Pushed hard by Sears, currently on sale for
$63.99 ea., down from $91.00.  Is this really a 90+ dollar tire?  TireRack has
them for $47.00 ea. + $8.50 s&h.  Sears also has the Falken Ziex ZE-502, the
sales person said it isn't a very good tire, low UTQG number, doesn't grip
well, loud.  The UTQG number seemed to be the major factor to the Sears folks,
the higher the better.  Has tire technology advanced to where a tire will wear
like cement and not have to made of it?  80, 000 to 100,000 warranted miles.

I don't get Sears tire sales program, sample tires are on one long wall, the
sizes and prices are on a computer behind the desk.  Back and forth, back and
forth, back and forth.

BFGoodrich Touring T/A VR4   205/55VR15  Very convenient at Sam's and BJ's.
BJ's price of $88.00 ea. installed with new valve, balance and road hazard
coverage

Yokohama Avid V4     205/55VR15  $88.00 delivered from Discount Tire Direct

If you have a recommendation for something else, let me know too.

Please reply directly, the new job has kept me out of town and my digest
reading is current to about mid June.  That's when the new job started.


Many Thanks,
Wayne Abbott
Durham, NC
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided