MrPepper11 wrote:
> April 21, 2005
> Burning Rubber Gets Expensive
> Pricey Tires Increasingly Come Standard on Cars, But Wear Out Easily
> By MICHELLE HIGGINS
> Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
>
> [...]
> Roger Liebowitz, an advertising executive in Richmond, Va., encountered
> this when shopping for a used car last summer. The 2002 Infiniti i35 he
> was considering was in great condition except the tires needed to be
> replaced -- and it would cost nearly $800 to buy and install a complete
> set like the ones that came with the car. "It seemed kind of absurd to
> me for an $18,000 or $19,000 car to turn around and spend $200 a tire,"
> says Mr. Liebowitz.

People need to learn where to shop for tires. I believe most newer cars
equipped as such usually have tires that are 17 to 18" width. Aspect
ratios are from 45 to 35 (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). The
225/45 ZR17s that I shop for come in prices ranging from $90 to $220 per
tire. I don't see any reason why someone would have to spend more than
$115 per tire for that particular size. The price may go up by $20 to
$30 per tire when you get into the 18" range.

People also need to realize that unless you live too far south to see
significant snowfall, you're only going to be using those high
performance tires 6 to 8 months out of the year. That means that a set
will last for 3 or possibly 4 seasons of use.