Honda Car Forum

I need two new tires for my '99 TL and I am getting all sorts of different
stories and prices:

Costco: $126 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
Sams Club: $135 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
Discount Tires: $200 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
El Tapatio Tires (small hole-in-the-wall): $160 each installed w/balancing
and road hazard

Those are the prices im looking at. Costco wouldn't install their tire
because its an H rating and they said they could only install a V rated tire
on my car because insurance wouldn't cover me or costco if they put any
other tire on. Sams club didn't say anything except they would just have to
order it. Discount Tires said Costco and Sams Michelin tires are crap! He
said Michelin makes special tires for Sams and Costco with different rubber
blends that are cheaper and thats why Costco and Sams can get them so much
cheaper. He said they are not as good and are not the same tire quality if
I were to purchase it from him. El Tapatio had a stack of them out in the
front where they were working on the cars and changing tires in the parking
lot!! He said I dont have to buy the V rated...I can get whatever I
want..it just has better performance.

I need these tires by Sunday because I am leaving on a long road trip...El
Tapatio and Discount tires are the only places that can get me the tires by
then...So...does anybody know anything about what these guys are saying? Is
costco right about only putting V rating for insurance reasons? Is Discount
tires right about Costco and Sams getting cheaper quality tires? Any ideas?

Gabe

On 7/2/03 10:33 PM, in article
8uNMa.8922$iG6.5435842@news3.news.adelphia.net, "Gabriel Afana"
<adtomi@adelphia.net> wrote:

> I need two new tires for my '99 TL and I am getting all sorts of different
> stories and prices:
>
> Costco: $126 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> Sams Club: $135 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> Discount Tires: $200 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> El Tapatio Tires (small hole-in-the-wall): $160 each installed w/balancing
> and road hazard
>
> Those are the prices im looking at. Costco wouldn't install their tire
> because its an H rating and they said they could only install a V rated tire
> on my car because insurance wouldn't cover me or costco if they put any
> other tire on. Sams club didn't say anything except they would just have to
> order it. Discount Tires said Costco and Sams Michelin tires are crap! He
> said Michelin makes special tires for Sams and Costco with different rubber
> blends that are cheaper and thats why Costco and Sams can get them so much
> cheaper. He said they are not as good and are not the same tire quality if
> I were to purchase it from him. El Tapatio had a stack of them out in the
> front where they were working on the cars and changing tires in the parking
> lot!! He said I dont have to buy the V rated...I can get whatever I
> want..it just has better performance.
>
> I need these tires by Sunday because I am leaving on a long road trip...El
> Tapatio and Discount tires are the only places that can get me the tires by
> then...So...does anybody know anything about what these guys are saying? Is
> costco right about only putting V rating for insurance reasons? Is Discount
> tires right about Costco and Sams getting cheaper quality tires? Any ideas?
>
> Gabe
>
>

The car is supposed to have "V" rated tires because it can theoretically go
faster than 130 MPH (which is the limit for "H" rating - that¹s miles, not
kilometers!). The guy at Discount tire is blowing smoke up your a$$. I
would not buy anything from him. You can check the codes on the sidewalls
of the tires at any of those places and you will find that the same model
Michelin tire will carry the same codes (meaning they are the same quality).

Unless you are planning to cruise at 140 MPH, "H" rated tires should be
fine.

"E. Meyer" <e.meyer@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:b3fa0b7053c53c2c342b4cd37d3a6507@free.teranew s.com...
> On 7/2/03 10:33 PM, in article
> 8uNMa.8922$iG6.5435842@news3.news.adelphia.net, "Gabriel Afana"
> <adtomi@adelphia.net> wrote:
>
> > I need two new tires for my '99 TL and I am getting all sorts of
different
> > stories and prices:
> >
> > Costco: $126 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> > Sams Club: $135 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> > Discount Tires: $200 each installed w/balancing and road hazard
> > El Tapatio Tires (small hole-in-the-wall): $160 each installed
w/balancing
> > and road hazard
> >
> > Those are the prices im looking at. Costco wouldn't install their tire
> > because its an H rating and they said they could only install a V rated
tire
> > on my car because insurance wouldn't cover me or costco if they put any
> > other tire on. Sams club didn't say anything except they would just
have to
> > order it. Discount Tires said Costco and Sams Michelin tires are crap!
He
> > said Michelin makes special tires for Sams and Costco with different
rubber
> > blends that are cheaper and thats why Costco and Sams can get them so
much
> > cheaper. He said they are not as good and are not the same tire quality
if
> > I were to purchase it from him. El Tapatio had a stack of them out in
the
> > front where they were working on the cars and changing tires in the
parking
> > lot!! He said I dont have to buy the V rated...I can get whatever I
> > want..it just has better performance.
> >
> > I need these tires by Sunday because I am leaving on a long road
trip...El
> > Tapatio and Discount tires are the only places that can get me the tires
by
> > then...So...does anybody know anything about what these guys are saying?
Is
> > costco right about only putting V rating for insurance reasons? Is
Discount
> > tires right about Costco and Sams getting cheaper quality tires? Any
ideas?
> >
> > Gabe
> >
> >
>
> The car is supposed to have "V" rated tires because it can theoretically
go
> faster than 130 MPH (which is the limit for "H" rating - that¹s miles, not
> kilometers!). The guy at Discount tire is blowing smoke up your a$$. I
> would not buy anything from him. You can check the codes on the sidewalls
> of the tires at any of those places and you will find that the same model
> Michelin tire will carry the same codes (meaning they are the same
quality).
>
> Unless you are planning to cruise at 140 MPH, "H" rated tires should be
> fine.


Sucks though because Costco gets them so much cheaper but won't install
anything but "V" rated :-( I called and asked them and they confirmed that
they have a different special tire made for discount stores. He said they
are made differently than the national brand ones but are the same. I dont
know what to do.

Gabe