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I would like to buck the trend... Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:43:06
In Reply to: So, you want to save money by buying cheapo tires, Chaz, Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:58:14 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Because I'm me, I've been summoned to Devil's Advocacy:
I gotta say, I think it's gross oversimplification to say "cheap tires are dangerous." Yes, it's true, name brand tires cost more, but don't think for an instant you're paying a premium just for high technology and exceptional Q/C. You're also paying for Goodyear's retail stores, Michelin's advertising machine, and Pirelli's yearly calendar.
It's easy to point a finger at a failure and say, "I knew it was gonna happen!" It's a lot more difficult to evaluate a product and make an intelligent decision about whether it's right for you or not. In fact, I find it comical that this discussion is happening - again. I remember the exact same conversation about five years ago when everyone said, "I'm not putting cheap Korean tires on my Saab! I'm sticking with OEM MXV4s and P600s!" I remember a heated discussion with another Saab owner about the Kumhos I ran on my 1990 SPG... I got all sorts of warnings about tread separation and spontaneous destruction. Now, half the participants on this board have run Ecstas - and many of you in competition. Who's to say that some no-name Chinese brand won't be the next low-budget performance success story? More importantly, how would anyone ever know unless intelligent folks ignore sensationalist warnings, take a good look at what's out there, and make some unpopular decisions?
Cheap(er) tires may exist as a byproduct of poor design and construction, but they may also exist due to low cost of labor, lack of advertising overheard, volume production, or Tsing Tao Tire Corporation licensing Michelin's year-old designs instead of investing in their own R&D. Lots of reasons, and not all of them entirely bad.
I'm not saying "go out and buy the cheapest tire you can," but I am saying don't summarily disregard a tire just because you haven't seen the ads on TV... Unless of course you enjoy your hard-earned tire dollars funding supermodels posing for lurid calendars. (Which I do - Pzeros ftw!)
-Justin
posted by 207.15.18...
, Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:43:06 <-- Viewing This Message
, Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:33:33, Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:37:45
, Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:17:31
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