cheap tyres on bmws

[eurobandit 0]

i run a tyre shop in mt eden village,90% of my customers have no problem buying high quality tyres but theres that 10% of drive in or trade me customers that are on there own planet..

last week we had a geniune e46 m3 come in for tyres,i thought wow a real bmw lover, boy was i wrong!!! he asked for the cheapest tyres to fit,i thought ok so i priced up all the usual high end tyres,he stopped me and said sorry but i want budget tyres.WHAT??? he wanted cheap chinese tyres or 2nd hand tyres,i thought i was being "punked" so i looked for the cameras,this guy was for real!! WHY why would you do that?its not like he had a rusted out 1971 toyota corolla.

ive had a few people come in asking for the cheapest tyres for their bmws and have steered them back into the right direction.but its getting more and more common to see people come in and say i brought these cheap off trade me and they are so noisy.can i replace them with a better quality tyre.what a waste of money they only saved $20 buying a cheaper tyre ,then two months later they are replacing those with a better quality tyre.where are peoples heads...theres so many good quality tyres on the market at very good prices but people go for cheap and nasty

[the stig 0]

The M3 guy was probably going to sell it

Just a quick question, how much would some decent tyres cost for a set of 15" basketweaves?

Cheers,

Nick

Edited November 25, 2007 by the stig

[Braeden320 0]

i run a tyre shop in mt eden village,90% of my customers have no problem buying high quality tyres but theres that 10% of drive in or trade me customers that are on there own planet..

last week we had a geniune e46 m3 come in for tyres,i thought wow a real bmw lover, boy was i wrong!!! he asked for the cheapest tyres to fit,i thought ok so i priced up all the usual high end tyres,he stopped me and said sorry but i want budget tyres.WHAT??? he wanted cheap chinese tyres or 2nd hand tyres,i thought i was being "punked" so i looked for the cameras,this guy was for real!! WHY why would you do that?its not like he had a rusted out 1971 toyota corolla.

ive had a few people come in asking for the cheapest tyres for their bmws and have steered them back into the right direction.but its getting more and more common to see people come in and say i brought these cheap off trade me and they are so noisy.can i replace them with a better quality tyre.what a waste of money they only saved $20 buying a cheaper tyre ,then two months later they are replacing those with a better quality tyre.where are peoples heads...theres so many good quality tyres on the market at very good prices but people go for cheap and nasty

Big Rant FTW

[jpp 0]

Yeah, if you asked me a year ago I'd be the same. Rubber is rubber. I wouldn't be using the car for anything more than a hack, so good tyres weren't required. As my driving has "progressed" I have realised the need for such items.

As for the M3, I reckon it was all financed and he finds it hard enough to pay the re-payments yet alone good tyres!

[eurobandit 0]

The M3 guy was probably going to sell it

Just a quick question, how much would some decent tyres cost for a set of 15" basketweaves?

Cheers,

Nick

thats what i thought but he was keeping it

are you running 205/55/15?

[hybrid 1043]

Some people are born with n00b disease, the funny thing is they will spend more money having to replace these rubbish tyres in 1 years time than having a full 2-3 years.

next time, ask him ... why did you bother buying an m3 ? he should of just grabbed a e46 318i.

[m325i 709]

crap tyres are usually really hard, so actually last for ages.

Also grip is crap so you get sideways way easier, which argruably = more fun hahaha.

Kingstars FTW

[Yuen 16]

Crappier tyres = less grip = spinning the tyres more = impressing people because they'll think you've got MAD POWA?

[cainchapman 0]

I have the same advice on this topic as I do for Helmets.

Buy a helmet that matches what you think your brain is worth.

In tyres and helmets, cheap is nasty.

[nz320i 0]

Give me a good reason not to buy second hand tyres for the back of my car- I have a lot of camber and cant justify buying expensive stuff like dunlop direzza etc, i still make sure im buying with at least 4mm tread or so, and go for the better brands.

205/50/R15

This also had nothing to do with trying to get sideways, i have a 2L which i'm happy with and would have a silvia if i wanted to go drifting.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Chris C

[zenetti 0]

Tyres are a funny issue - some people want they best they can afford, others just want their car to get from A to B. Personally I prefer to buy the best tyre I can afford, however I can see that if you just want to 'do skids' or have excessive camber etc you wouldn't go putting a $400 Pirelli on the back.

We use a little diagram at work which shows what we call the "Impossible Triangle" It looks a little something like this

Price

Quality (grip) Longevity (Life)

You can only ever have TWO of these things without sacrificing the third

If you want a Quality tyre with long life you pay the price

If price and longevity are your two concerns you sacrifice the quality

If quality and price are your 2 main concerns then don't expect the tyre to last long.

Some people do not want or can afford to buy a high performance tyre. It doesn't mean the tyre is 'crap'! Manufacturing processes are becoming more and more refined hence tyre prices are coming down. Now you can buy a 'decent' 205/40/17 (Toyo) for around $170, a few years back these would have been up around $270.

Granted a 'quality tyre' does make the world of difference when driving with some 'spirit', but if you are never going to 'push' the limits of the tyre do you really need the best available? It's like buying a pushbike - if all you are going to do is ride around One Tree Hill or the waterfront do you really need to spend $10k on a pro level bike?

I am not advocating the 'cheap & nasty' tyres on the market - just trying to bring some perspective to this thread. Most of us on here are 'enthusiasts' and like to drive so naturally we prefer having a quality tyre underneath us. Personally I would feel pretty guilty about selling someone a premium top of the range tyre when all the are doing is toddling around the city in their little 318Ti.

We have sold tyres at the 'bottom end' of the market, and the customers have come back raving about them - probably because they had more tread , but at the end of the day they were fit for their purpose. We also sell alot of mid to upper end tyres ( Goodyear, Dunlop, Toyo etc) and customers come back raving about them - again because they are fit for their purpose.

I don't believe any new tyre on the market is 'crap'.They are simply fit for their purpose. Granted their can be quality issues with a cheaper brand but they still all pass E mark certification etc. 'Crap' is a subjective term and is bound by our personal experiences, If I think the latest M3 is 'crap' because the ride is too harsh and the exhaust too noisy, am I right? Or would I have been better off buying a 320i and speccing it with all the 'add-ons'? Should the salesperson even been selling me an M3?

Whether or not the consumer chooses to believe what you recommend comes down to how a salesperson comes across. I think most tyre 'salespeople' these days tend to put too much of their personal opinions into selling rather than taking the time to find out what the customer actually needs. I would say at least 50% of the time what the customer needs and what they want are two different things. All you need to do is search these forums for everybody's 2 cents worth.

I'm sure this will stir up a can of worms - but hey that is what a forum is for

Edited November 26, 2007 by zenetti

[bradc 0]

I've had 4 sets of Goodyear GSD3's now, 225/50/16, 215/45/17 x2 and 235/45/17 and I really do like them a lot, I would find it very hard to change to anything else, and I find it very hard to consider tyres which are a lot more expensive without any real world gains. Unfortunately they don't make them in 265/40/17.

[Braeden320 0]

Zenetti - Very good post.

Great to see that point of veiw from someone in the industry.

[eurobandit 0]

i

Tyres are a funny issue - some people want they best they can afford, others just want their car to get from A to B. Personally I prefer to buy the best tyre I can afford, however I can see that if you just want to 'do skids' or have excessive camber etc you wouldn't go putting a $400 Pirelli on the back.

We use a little diagram at work which shows what we call the "Impossible Triangle" It looks a little something like this

Price

Quality (grip) Longevity (Life)

You can only ever have TWO of these things without sacrificing the third

If you want a Quality tyre with long life you pay the price

If price and longevity are your two concerns you sacrifice the quality

If quality and price are your 2 main concerns then don't expect the tyre to last long.

Some people do not want or can afford to buy a high performance tyre. It doesn't mean the tyre is 'crap'! Manufacturing processes are becoming more and more refined hence tyre prices are coming down. Now you can buy a 'decent' 205/40/17 (Toyo) for around $170, a few years back these would have been up around $270.

i agree with what your saying johno,however do you think entry level tyres like triangle are suitable for a m3 that puts out over 300+ hp.i dont,but i agree on budget range tyres for your little run about.i have firestone guardians on my e30 which are not best tyres but they suit the driving and the power (or lack of power) my 318 has.i also agree about what youve said about sales men however anybody in the tyre industry knows theres always going to be people driving by price,and no matter how much you drop your pants on the price its back to how cheap not best value for money

cheers J.T

Granted a 'quality tyre' does make the world of difference when driving with some 'spirit', but if you are never going to 'push' the limits of the tyre do you really need the best available? It's like buying a pushbike - if all you are going to do is ride around One Tree Hill or the waterfront do you really need to spend $10k on a pro level bike?

I am not advocating the 'cheap & nasty' tyres on the market - just trying to bring some perspective to this thread. Most of us on here are 'enthusiasts' and like to drive so naturally we prefer having a quality tyre underneath us. Personally I would feel pretty guilty about selling someone a premium top of the range tyre when all the are doing is toddling around the city in their little 318Ti.

We have sold tyres at the 'bottom end' of the market, and the customers have come back raving about them - probably because they had more tread , but at the end of the day they were fit for their purpose. We also sell alot of mid to upper end tyres ( Goodyear, Dunlop, Toyo etc) and customers come back raving about them - again because they are fit for their purpose.

I don't believe any new tyre on the market is 'crap'.They are simply fit for their purpose. Granted their can be quality issues with a cheaper brand but they still all pass E mark certification etc. 'Crap' is a subjective term and is bound by our personal experiences, If I think the latest M3 is 'crap' because the ride is too harsh and the exhaust too noisy, am I right? Or would I have been better off buying a 320i and speccing it with all the 'add-ons'? Should the salesperson even been selling me an M3?

Whether or not the consumer chooses to believe what you recommend comes down to how a salesperson comes across. I think most tyre 'salespeople' these days tend to put too much of their personal opinions into selling rather than taking the time to find out what the customer actually needs. I would say at least 50% of the time what the customer needs and what they want are two different things. All you need to do is search these forums for everybody's 2 cents worth.

I'm sure this will stir up a can of worms - but hey that is what a forum is for

[eurobandit 0]

Give me a good reason not to buy second hand tyres for the back of my car- I have a lot of camber and cant justify buying expensive stuff like dunlop direzza etc, i still make sure im buying with at least 4mm tread or so, and go for the better brands.

205/50/R15

This also had nothing to do with trying to get sideways, i have a 2L which i'm happy with and would have a silvia if i wanted to go drifting.

i personally dont have a problem with 2nd hand quailty tyres,ive found sometimes they are much better then a entry level new tyre.however when you have a m3 with 300+ i would not want to clip a motorway barrier because its aqua glided due to half worn tyres

[eurobandit 0]

crap tyres are usually really hard, so actually last for ages.

Also grip is crap so you get sideways way easier, which argruably = more fun hahaha.

Kingstars FTW

i agree about the harder tyre more fun idea,however when youve already got crazy power and a tyre that cant hang on.i think you need a tow truck to pace you until the inevitable happens slap the barrier on motorway or clip a few parked cars..dont get me wrong i love the sideways movement .drift is king

[eurobandit 0]

Yeah, if you asked me a year ago I'd be the same. Rubber is rubber. I wouldn't be using the car for anything more than a hack, so good tyres weren't required. As my driving has "progressed" I have realised the need for such items.

As for the M3, I reckon it was all financed and he finds it hard enough to pay the re-payments yet alone good tyres!

i admit i still entry level tyres and 2nd hands for my own personal cars,however my ute is only used once a month and has top speed of 120ks if im being towed by a m3 lol.and my little e30 my everyday toy could not pull the skin off a rice pudding. combined the dont have the horses a m3 has.i believe it might be finances too,buteven a mid range tyre would have been a better idea then a "triangle" tyre

[eurobandit 0]

I've had 4 sets of Goodyear GSD3's now, 225/50/16, 215/45/17 x2 and 235/45/17 and I really do like them a lot, I would find it very hard to change to anything else, and I find it very hard to consider tyres which are a lot more expensive without any real world gains. Unfortunately they don't make them in 265/40/17.

yeah goodyears are great ive been selling for many years,and have had really good feedback, even from people who have taken off pirelli tyres and replaced with goodyears,however this person with the m3 wanted to go from goodyear to triangle.it will be skid fest ever time he drives ..

[eurobandit 0]

Crappier tyres = less grip = spinning the tyres more = impressing people because they'll think you've got MAD POWA?

ive always been impressed by the power of a m3,however it will look pretty dumb when it loses control because its drizzled and the roads a little damp.i know as a young lad many years ago showing off to a bunch of people and writing my car off and having to walk to work every day for six months.that really impressed the girls lol

[Andrew 30]

The better the tyre the easier to drift - you can't control a nice big sideways on crap tyres with no grip.

Don't see any of the high end drift guys using crap tyres.

[zenetti 0]

The better the tyre the easier to drift - you can't control a nice big sideways on crap tyres with no grip.

Don't see any of the high end drift guys using crap tyres.

+1

[eurobandit 0]

The better the tyre the easier to drift - you can't control a nice big sideways on crap tyres with no grip.

Don't see any of the high end drift guys using crap tyres.

thats true.and it would be great if every drifter in the series could be sponsored , however alot of the newer drifters on the scene at the moment dont have the backing of the big tyre firms so they ended up having to use entry level tyres or 2nd hand tyres sadly.i know of alot of small tyres business including myself sponsor a "up and coming drifter".we do what we do to get him there with the best tyre we cant afford to give him,,

[rossco 0]

Big Rant FTW