Car guys/gals! I could use some help.

[Frugalicious]

I am in need of a new set of tires and I'd like to buy more fuel efficient tires, but only if it makes $ sense.

I drive a 2009 Honda Civic in Atlanta, so I'll need warm weather tires only. 

Are there off brands I should look at?  Off brands to avoid?  Any advice is really helpful since otherwise, I'd just be doing a search at tirerack or some other tire dealer. 

Thanks!

[Greg]

I would recommend some all season tires, because they'll also be good in rain (it does rain there, right?).  There are some "highway only" tires as well as "summer" tires but neither will be what you need.  The highway only ones have poor traction in rain etc., and the summer ones have fairly sticky compound (more for sporty driving) and will wear quickly.

Look for the traction rating and the wear rating on the side and go for the highest wear rating you can find in your size.  This usually means the tire will provide good mileage.  Mileage warranties are another way to judge this.

While getting the tires consider an alignment which will increase their longevity and increase your car's mileage if it's out of alignment.

It used to be that some of the tires made in Korea or other Asian countries weren't that good.  Now that's only the case for the cheapest ones.

You can go to sites like tirerack and read reviews on some of their tires.  Some reviews are hyperbole but others are informative.  Check the same brand and tire on various websites for a good balance of information.

Hope that helps.

[Will]

I did quite a bit of research when looking to buy new tires for my car.  I ended up going with Continental ExtremeContact DWS (because I needed/wanted snow as well).  I have been incredibly pleased with them.  An excellent tire which you can get for a great price.  And it does snow in Atlanta sometimes.  But they also make the Continental ExtremeContact DW which you can get for even less.  Either way, the tires get great reviews and I agree.

[forward]

Your tires can certainly make a difference in fuel economy.  I think what you want to do is look at Low Rolling Resistance or LRR tires.  Check out tire rack and see what people say about the various tires that fit your car in the LRR category.  You may also want to pay attention to what Prius drivers say on the same site.  Then once you narrow it down to 2-3 tires that have good reviews buy the ones that fit your budget.

[luigi49]

I have always been pleased with the brand of tire that comes with the car when purchased new.

[m8547]

I bought Michelin Primacy MXV4s for mine. I think they are considered low rolling resistance, but they aren't designed with gas savings as the number one priority. They don't save me any gas over the stock tires, but they are quiet, have good traction in a wide range of conditions, and they will last a long time. Look at what comes on the hybrid Civic, or read what people buy for those, if saving gas is a priority.

[Emg03063]

I'm using ecopia lrr tires.  They definitely are worth the price premium.

[thurston howell iv]

Go to wal-mart. Cheapest prices for those sized tires. I purchased Goodyear (great name brand) All-season tires for around $50 a piece. Road hazard is also a good idea if you drive a lot. The best part is that there is usually a wal-mart near you at any given time thus, it's easy to get the tires checked out should you need this service.

There are other online vendors but they are better for larger odd sized tires.  Besides, you still need to get mount and balance...

Also, if you want better fuel economy go visit ecomodder.com.  They have guys in older civics pulling 50-60mpg!!

Good luck!

[zataks]

+1 for Tirerack.com and I have also heard great things about the Conti DWS.

Surprised no one here has mentioned tire pressure for fuel economy.  A low pressure will reduce your fuel economy so always make sure your tires are properly inflated.  Properly inflated, mind you, means somewhere within the range of the tire; too low and you'll wear the outsides of the tire; too high and you'll wear the center.  Proper inflation is essential for both fuel economy and tire wear.

Also note that different tires, are going to ride and sound different.  As a tire snob in a high performance car, I typically by high end, low-profile, stiff sidewalled summer tires.  They're noisy and a hard ride but grip like anything.  Ultimately, grip is the #1 concern for me.  Though I do occasionally worry about longevity.

edit: formatting

[Trirod]

I did quite a bit of research when looking to buy new tires for my car.  I ended up going with Continental ExtremeContact DWS (because I needed/wanted snow as well).  I have been incredibly pleased with them.  An excellent tire which you can get for a great price.  And it does snow in Atlanta sometimes.  But they also make the Continental ExtremeContact DW which you can get for even less.  Either way, the tires get great reviews and I agree.

I got some of the Conti DWS's last year and I love them - although I don't find them particularly good in the snow, despite the "S" in their name.  They're certainly not a replacement for dedicated snow tires, which of course would not be needed in Atlanta!

[golfer44]

I did quite a bit of research when looking to buy new tires for my car.  I ended up going with Continental ExtremeContact DWS (because I needed/wanted snow as well).  I have been incredibly pleased with them.  An excellent tire which you can get for a great price.  And it does snow in Atlanta sometimes.  But they also make the Continental ExtremeContact DW which you can get for even less.  Either way, the tires get great reviews and I agree.

I have and recommend these as well (DWS).

All season tires are jack of all trades, master of none.. but unless you want a backup set of rims to mount your summer/winter tires on, they're a great choice.

[Exflyboy]

Absolutely get the alignment done on all 4 wheels.

That will cost you about $75.. But alignment only lasts for so long.. In fact it can drift significantly in 6000miles (depending on wear in the suspension componenents).

The best deal I found was to go to Firestone and get a lifetime alignment done.. It will cost you $150, but you can go back every 6000miles or (whenever you maybe hit the curb hard and potentially knock a wheel out of alignment).

If you buy the tires from Firestone they will also redo the wheel balance when you go back for the alignment/tire rotations.

Last time they correctly diagnosed a bad tie rod end joint which I had not noticed. I took it away, changed out the joint and took it back.. That one act probably saved me the cost of half a tire right there.

Bad alignment will trash your tires in short order if bad enough.

Frank

[Frugalicious]

Thank you for all the replies.  I am in still in the researching mode, but I'm taking it all into consideration!