Passenger, Touring, Performance, etc., which tire is "best"?

> Which of these groups fit me: Passenger, Touring, Grand Touring, and
> Performance?

There is a lot of marketing spin that goes into those terms, so precise
definitions will be hard to come by. A passenger tire is going to be
at one end of the spectrum...it will get the job done at a reasonable
price, be comfortable riding and get decent milage. At the other end
of the spectrum is a performance tire, which will probably be harder
riding, somewhat more precise feeling and get low milage.

Rather than spending time trying to decipher those marketing terms, I
would to to a reputable local brick and mortar tire shop and describe
your driving habits. Use their expertise in picking a tire with the
correct balance of milage, comfort, high speed handling, poor weather
performance and cost that will best fit the way you drive. Compare
their advice with a competitor and make a choice.

The car and tire size you mentioned are both very common and you should
have a wide range of choices. If it were me I would try to replicate
the ride and milage of the tires that came with the car.

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 08:17:41 +0000, RPS wrote:

> I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.


Now that everybody in the group has had their say, I'll tak my shot.
Delta. Get a Traction tire.

Why? Deltas are very inexpensive, but they are good for the money you are
spending. I have had 2 sets of Deltas through the years and they have a
very good balance between ride, handling and grip in inclement weather.
You also say you don't drive often, except when the weather IS bad, hence
the traction tire. They have a good load rating and treadwear rating and
an excellent grip rating. The two time I have owned Deltas I never had to
change tires for the seasons. Unfortunately, the model I had is no longer
available, but just walk into a Delta dealer and tell them you want a
traction tire. The ONLY drawback I can see is they are slightly noisier
than other tires.

I've run Delta on my cars for the last, oh, what seven years or so.

I got fed up with the big chain stores and went to a family-owned local
dealer and he recommended Delta Vistas. They were fantastic for the
price. They no longer make the Vistas, but I'm running the Delta
Sentinels and the Delta Essexs. But are good tires, the Sentinel seems
a tad noisy than the Essex, but they are still fairly quiet. Much
quieter than the Potenzas that came with the darn Camry.

My dealer did recommend I avoid the Delta Fortune, their low-end tire,
since I do a lot of poor road driving (gravel, dirt), he thought the
Fortune might not hold up well.

I will stick with the Michelin Harmony tires as the top pick. They are
smooth, quiet, and comfortable and decent in wet and snow. They are not the
cheapest, but if safety and quality is on top of your list, then these tires
will please you. Tirerack (www.tirerack.com), has good reviews about these
tires (look up reviews, and toyota, and pick a year). I have put this tire
on my Buick, a Corolla, and a few other cars and the folks are very pleased.
Check with Sams Club/Costco for prices as I found Sam's Club to offer good
price.


"RPS" > wrote in message
...
>I am confused by tire classifications like passenger, touring,
> performance, etc. Which one is 'best' for a 'normal' person---let us
> say someone like me? :-)
>
> (1) I drive about equally in city and highway.
>
> (2) I live in an apt, with no room to store winter tires, so I do need
> all-weathers.
>
> (3) I value safety (good grip) most, then comfort/quiet, and tire life
> last. For a safe and quiet ride, I wouldn't mind changing tires more
> often.
>
> (4) I live in midwest, there is some rain and snow but it is not
> exactly arctic. Maybe 3 months of snow per year?
>
> (5) I walk to work, so driving is mostly discretionary. Which is why I
> know little about cars. :-). Other than getting caught in
> unanticipated bad weather, mostly I can choose not to drive during
> particularly bad weather.
>
> Which tires, tyoe or brands or models, are best for me? 'Best value' if
> you have an opinion? My car is Camry, tire size is 205/65/15. Thanks.

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:42:18 -0700, timbirr wrote:

> I've run Delta on my cars for the last, oh, what seven years or so.
>
> I got fed up with the big chain stores and went to a family-owned local
> dealer and he recommended Delta Vistas. They were fantastic for the
> price. They no longer make the Vistas, but I'm running the Delta
> Sentinels and the Delta Essexs. But are good tires, the Sentinel seems
> a tad noisy than the Essex, but they are still fairly quiet. Much
> quieter than the Potenzas that came with the darn Camry.
>
> My dealer did recommend I avoid the Delta Fortune, their low-end tire,
> since I do a lot of poor road driving (gravel, dirt), he thought the
> Fortune might not hold up well.

Interesting. There was another brand that was taken over by Delta, sold as
Akuret and made by Otsu Rubber in Japan. Can't get them anymore.
185/60-14's for my Corolla GTS ran all of $42, and they too were great!