Tires for a 1997 Toyota Rav4

[Robert M]

Kap,

I don't skimp on tires, especially if you have to deal with winter. The age and mileage on the vehicle doesn't come into play. It's more important to me to have very good tires than to save a few bucks.

I'd look at reviews of tires in general, narrow the field down to a few models and then see how people like them on your particular vehicle. that's what I did when I chose these tires for my '07 Mazda CX-7:



Great in both wet (rain and slush) and dry weather and solid on snow and ice. Definitely happy with them so far.

Robert

[kap]

Great info y'all! Always glad to seek advices here. Thank you everyone!

Robert,
We are in San Gabriel Valley (SoCal) so it's all dry and hot. Well, we have been getting intermittent rain every now and then. El Nino is playing Johnny come lately.

[kap]

Ombligo wrote:
1997 Rav4 uses 215/70/R16

Starting at $80, shipped
Cheapest Dunlap is $129 plus mounting (unless you have a discount Tire nearby)
I'd likely look at the Falken ($93) or Cooper ($100)
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct...tsAllTires&fl=&sortBy=prca&yr=1997&ar=70&fqs=true&vid=006549&rd=16&cs=215

I'd like to know where to get good tires for $80 each!!! Brand new Neptune Experience is $90 included installation; taking your advice here I will not be looking for the Neptune Xperience brand

[michaelb]

I loved my little Rav4, sort of wish I had kept it around. I had a stick and 4wd, and it got bought by some guy off craigslist and then shipped off to Africa (where they apparently love the original 4wd Rav's with a manual).

Anyway, on to tires. Since I live about as far from "hot and dry" as you can get in the lower 48, I would always run snow tires and then shift to summers. The Rav was noticeably worst on bad tires, particularly tires with soft and spongy sidewalls (of which most snow tires are soft and spongy almost by definition). it would shimmy and shake and sway in the wind much more at highway speeds.

So that would be a reason to pay the extra $50 or so and get a decent tire still.

[kap]

michaelb wrote:
I loved my little Rav4, sort of wish I had kept it around. I had a stick and 4wd, and it got bought by some guy off craigslist and then shipped off to Africa (where they apparently love the original 4wd Rav's with a manual).

Anyway, on to tires. Since I live about as far from "hot and dry" as you can get in the lower 48, I would always run snow tires and then shift to summers. The Rav was noticeably worst on bad tires, particularly tires with soft and spongy sidewalls (of which most snow tires are soft and spongy almost by definition). it would shimmy and shake and sway in the wind much more at highway speeds.

So that would be a reason to pay the extra $50 or so and get a decent tire still.

As previously mentioned, we have always used Dunlop until presently.

[Ombligo]

kap wrote:
[quote=Ombligo]
1997 Rav4 uses 215/70/R16

Starting at $80, shipped
Cheapest Dunlap is $129 plus mounting (unless you have a discount Tire nearby)
I'd likely look at the Falken ($93) or Cooper ($100)
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct...tsAllTires&fl=&sortBy=prca&yr=1997&ar=70&fqs=true&vid=006549&rd=16&cs=215

I'd like to know where to get good tires for $80 each!!!
Did I say they were good at that price? From the pic, they are black, round, and roll.. pretty much the definition of a tire.

[Grateful11]

Even if the car is old and has a lot miles, is it sound and solid? If it is why put your family on cheap tires?
I never go cheap on tires, their one of the most important things on your vehicle IMO. I've also never
replaced just two tires no matter how tight things were but that's just me.

At 425,000 miles the car has obviously been good to you, I think deserves four new shoes (tu)

[Bimwad]

There's nothing special about buying tires at Costco; the selection is limited to Michelin and Bridgestone, they're not particularly cheap, and if they're still anything like in the past, take forever to do the work. Nitrogen fill, if they still do that, is a gimmick.

An America's Tire/Discount Tire store will have a much wider selection, options to fit your budget, and are quick, clean and efficient shops. If you can wait until the next major holiday, they often run very good specials, but if not, their prices are always negotiable.

It's more than likely any tire with a brand you've never heard of, and cheap, is going to be a Chinese tire. That, in and of itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing; Cooper, a brand that touts their Americanism, makes tires in China, as well as others. The problem with the Neptune, and other no-names is that the design and performance of the tire is going to be a big unknown, and given the price, isn't likely to be good.

Not every situation, or budget, calls for a TOL tire, but you generally get what you pay for. And every brand has good and bad tires.

Narrow down the candidates, do your research, go to AT with the online price and have them match it.

The DOT Tire Identification Number containing the date and place of manufacture is always stamped on the sidewall.

[SteveO]

I'll second the TireRack rec...go on there and at least read some reviews for people who have your vintage of Rav. Toss out the ones who "bought them today and they're GREAT!" or driven very low miles on them.

I'm also needing a new set right now and am closely studying the reviews which have the highest miles driven on them...and then from there, those written by people who tend to sound like they know what good tires are. It takes some sifting but you can glean some great info (and avoid problems) this way.

Also second the advice of not buying the cheapest ones. Cheapo tires could end up costing you in mpg, durability and/or an accident that should not have happened. Again, check reviews, caveat emptor and all that. Example: my dad (who isn't real whippy with such things as the Interwebs) told my sister to buy some cheap Cooper tires for her Civic. They may make some good ones, but those cheap ones absolutely suck in the snow which we get around here in the winter...so her car is pretty useless in that.

I've had very good experience with Costco tire shops; their listed prices are always quite a lot cheaper than those I shop around for on the exact same tire at other shops; it's true you can negotiate lower with some (and I have due to Costco not being as close to me as say, Firestone), but just make sure what you're buying is "on the rim and out the door"... some places (and this happened to me back in the day) will quote you a price then charge you extra for stems, mounting/balancing, etc.

I bought tires on Cyber Monday at Firestone and got an additional $100 rebate on top of the sale price I was already getting. Check sites like retailmenot for current tire coupons...I've also found that most shops will meet/beat competitor offers. I've bought via TireRack before also and had a good experience with that.

Also note that Costco alternates a $70 rebate monthly b/w the Michelins and Bridgestones. Other tire shops should match/beat that with no problems...although I've been told in the past by a few that they could not. But I think it's more competitive today so it should be easier to do this now.

I like to run Bridgestone Alenza H/L on our mini SUVs. Well worth the money especially if you hit a sale (or negotiate one!). Quiet running, handle very well, great in snow and no issues in the wet or with hydroplaning. They're not cheap but they last 60k+ with proper care and I don't worry about my wife/loved ones who are running these tires in inclement weather.

It's always a huge difference when I replace stock tires of other makes with these. I also like their Turanza passenger tires. Hate to sound like I work or have an interest in B-Stone (I don't), I just trust those models compared to several others that I've driven.

Good luck and drive safely!

[Dennis S]

I always recommend a Discount Tire store. Use their website and tiresdirect website for reviews. Then go to the Discount Tire store and come to a consensus with them.