Hi folks,

I have a 2003 Honda Civic with 26k miles. I took the it for a tire
balancing yesterday as it was starting to vibrate at speeds > 60mph. The
guy at Tire Express said that I needed new tires! I get my oil changed
just under every 5000 miles, and with one exception, get my tires
rotated while I'm there. The guy said that my tread was completely gone,
and recommended that I should have my wheels aligned twice a year. Don't
remember reading that in the "what to do every N thousand miles" chapter
of the manual.

Does 4 new tires after only 26k miles sound reasonable? I'm not a
boy-racer (don't no handbrake turns, skids, etc), and my driving is 95%
highway (no more than 10mph over the speed limit). Could not rotating my
tires for ~10k miles have done this much damage?

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. I need some new tires. Can anyone
recommend something? Like I said, my miles are mostly highway in New
Mexico (dry and dusty 85% of the time, wet/icy 15% of the time). I don't
mind buying expensive tires as long as there is a good reason for the price.

Can I do any damage to my car by driving on the tires with little tread?
I plan to get them changed ASAP, but I had no idea how expensive tires
were. I think I'll rotate them religiously every 5000 miles next time!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

- Lee