Canadian looking for budget tire advice, near border, to prep for an emergency 1-time trip in January

[andsoitgoes]

So I live in Vancouver, bc (Canada)and have to travel up to Kamloops on the 4th to have surgery on a freeway called the Coquihalla. It's been known to get its fair share of snow from time to time. This isn't the Yukon by any stretch of the imagination, however.

We have a 2004 sienna that has decent quality M+S tires with good tread on the back, they are made by Kelley.

But our front tires are far from good enough to do us the trip. We went up in November just before the massive snowfall that put the Coq to a crawl. Even with the chunks of snow, we did okay, not realizing our front tires were as bald as a 90 year old guy.

so now we have less than a week to prepare and I have been mulling over tire options like no ones business.

I honestly don't see a significant benefit to buying winter tires from a financial standpoint (we simply can't afford it and would have to buy used tires), but I'm trying to figure out how to replace my front tires without pushing over $300.

I know Discount in the states has some Pirelli P4s that have gotten decent snow reviews for $115/per, bring the full total to $292. My wife, who does our finances, has mentioned that's a bit higher than she would like to do. All prices Canadian!

I also don't know of the headache of dealing with border traffic to and from, risking having to pay or having them wave us through (we always do grocery shopping down there), do we pay duty? Should I just go for a slightly lesser tire?

I'm stuck. Under no circumstances can I dump over $300. And we will ONLY be traveling in January for the week. I won't be going back for a follow up until probably march, in which I would assume our newly purchased tires would still be doing well.

I'm stressed out enough having to prepare for the surgery this was not something I was prepared to deal with.

Any help would be appreciated.

Nick

[CivicSpoon]

I'd recommend checking out tirerack.com, search for your tire size, and look at the best reviewed tire in your price range. Then check what local store has the specific tire in stock. Unfortunately, with the 4th coming up so soon, you might be a little limited with what is available in store, or what could be ordered and installed.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by CivicSpoon

I'd recommend checking out tirerack.com, search for your tire size, and look at the best reviewed tire in your price range. Then check what local store has the specific tire in stock. Unfortunately, with the 4th coming up so soon, you might be a little limited with what is available in store, or what could be ordered and installed.

I looked there. I'm struggling with all the damn mixed reviews. 6 people say its the best tire in snow they've ever tried, then 3 say it's terrible.

What I don't know is what stores are the best locally. I don't know what I should be trying to do.

I just need to find the best possible tire solution that will keep us safe, but keepnusnin budget.

I did come across a few but man, like I said, it's an impossibility. As many people applaud it, an equal amount decry it.

So I'm REALLy confused, coming from someone who knows nothing about this stuff.

[randsin]

Did you checked canadiantire.ca , you can find a good deal there

[andsoitgoes]

Canadian tire is questionable as a company and their prices are not really that much better from what I have seen.

I've heard horror stories about installs there, too. So I'd buy it and have to get it installed elsewhere.

But I'm frustrated. I know there must he something I'm missing.

Even if I had a tire, a good established tire thst I could go with, as I feel lost, and maybe SOME idea as to what I should do.

I don't have any people who know anything about this, so I'm batting alone out here.

I also over analyze. I'm frustrated and scared.

[randsin]

Ain't there any local auto repair shop who can do it for you at reasonable costs.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by andsoitgoes

Canadian tire is questionable as a company and their prices are not really that much better from what I have seen.

I've heard horror stories about installs there, too. So I'd buy it and have to get it installed elsewhere.

But I'm frustrated. I know there must he something I'm missing.

Even if I had a tire, a good established tire thst I could go with, as I feel lost, and maybe SOME idea as to what I should do.

I don't have any people who know anything about this, so I'm batting alone out here.

I also over analyze. I'm frustrated and scared.

You are making this way too difficult for yourself. Tire reviews are so vague as to be useless, unless you are on a racetrack and using lap-times to judge them.

First of all, all reputable tire manufacturers make excellent tires. You cannot go wrong with any name brand tire (so long as you get the best model for your application) , like Michelin, Goodyear, BF Goodrich, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Pirelli etc. There are also subsidiary brands which are also fine, like Cooper, Kelly etc.

All these brands make many different tires for different applications. You need to know which tire model will suit you best. Frankly, websites cannot do this for you.

Go to a dedicated Vancouver-area tire store that specializes in tires, and carries several different brands. (Not Canadian Tire). Ask for their advice, and they can steer you in the right direction.

All tires are a "compromise" and cannot do all things well. A truly high-performance summer tire will excel at dry road traction but be useless in the snow. Alternately, true snow tires actually do not get very good dry road traction and handling, and tend to wear-out quickly.

You want something in between these two extremes..... an all-season tire which will do a decent job everywhere. Such tires do not excel at anything but neither are they deficient.

So, go to a tire store and tell them of your needs. If possible, tell them you need an all-season tire that favours traction in snow over summer-time high performance, and you will be fine.

If you really need a low price, they may offer you an "off-brand" tire. Most major tire makers do not want to put their brand name on truly cheap tires, (for marketing reasons). Yet they still want to offer tires in the low-price range so they make tires with brands that are unfamiliar.

If in doubt, pay a few extra dollars and go with a well-known brand. In the past, I've occasionally bought off-brands and been fine. These days though, I would avoid any off brands marked "made in china". Personally, I would also avoid Canadian Tire and Walmart, mostly because the staff there don't know tires from a pinion gear and would not give you good advice.