When I bought my 2005 in 2008, the car had what I believe to be the original Pirelli's all around. Although the left rear had less tread than the right rear so there might have been a replacement.

I had noticed that the right front seemed to need air every so often more than the other tires but nothing all that serious. So when I went to leave for work this morning I was a bit surprised to find the right front flat. I removed the tire and thought I would find a nail or something but the surprise was a split/separation of the sidewall to the thread on the inside face of the tire for a length of about 6". I suspect the problem was actually a small split but rolling the car back so that it could be jacked probably lengthened the split. I guess what might have caused this was driving the car when the pressure in the tire was low but I never felt anything odd.

So I went to my local tire store (I trust them and have always bought my tires from them as they are not only convenient but very competitive) and the guy noted the tires were 7 years old (based on the date on the sidewall) and that you are lucky to have tires last 5 years before they start drying out and lose ride quality, etc.

We priced the OEM Pirelli but cost was astronomical (about $300+ for each front and $400+ for each rear). I had already known that and figured it was unlikely that I would get Pirelli's once the tires needed replacing. He had recommended a less expensive Pirelli but then noticed that because of the rears and stagger, you were really forces to get the Assymetrico's.

I was never all that thrilled with the Pirelli's and, more importantly, mostly only do casual commuter driving in generally excellent weather (put on maybe 3,500 miles a year). What he ended up recommending was a set of Hankook tires at much less money.

Since the need for getting a set of tires had not been anticipated, I did not have a chance to do my usual research. I told the guy I did not want something cheaper just because it was cheaper and would be willing to pay more if warranted. Still he said he has been putting the Hankook's on some very higher end cars like Bentley and customers have been happy.

Any thoughts out there given the fact that I am only a gentle low mileage driver?

Thanks,

Doug

 

Hello, I too just went through changing tires on my wife's XK8, I had pirellis on the car, had a blow out because of major league pot hole in street. I did not want to pay the price for Michelins, as I have on my XKR since the wife only drives in town.
I did some research and found the Falken tires to be of good and reliable quality.

The Falken Azenis FK-453 is their newest and greatest summer tire so I went for them. These tires are a ultra high performance rated tire.
The tires are very nice looking, very quiet and best of all a very nice ride. I am quite happy with them and the price matching from discount tires made them a really terrific deal less than $700.00 out the door hunter road force balance with replacement certificates on all 4 tires, these are 20" tires. 255/35R/20

As always,
Happy and Safe Motoring...

 

I know many people would not give these tire a second look but, I have had them on my XK8 for over two years, my son had them on a 560HP Mustang Cobra and my neighbor has them on his BMW and 300Z.

They come from the same country as Hankooks.

I have NEXEN N3000's, 245/45/18 front and 255/45/18's rear and they are "Z" rated.

Just a suggestion.

 

I probably should have stated it differently. I already said okay to the Hankook's based on the tire guy's enthusiastic recommendations. I briefly had a chance in the last hour or so to peruse through various tire sites and reviews (e.g., Tirerack, Car & Driver) and found mostly decent things about Hankook and nothing onerous.

Actually, my first choice would have been Bridgestone Potenzas since I had really good luck with those on my Corvette. But the guy said that there were none available that would suit the car (size? stagger?).

The thing is though that if there is some overwhelming compelling reason why I should not allow the guy to install Hankooks, I would like to know right away. For example, years ago I had Toyo on my Supra but they kept getting bubbles in the sidewalls.

I just want to be comfortable enough knowing that the Hankooks will be fine for the type of driving I do (easy, not that spirited, pretty much sunny year round, low mileage). Is there some "fatal flaw" with the Hankooks (I guess the very reasonable price makes me a bit nervous).

Doug

 

Our 2005 S-Type came with a new set of Hankook Ventus tires when we purchased it in December 2008. I used those Hankooks as yet another reason to make a low-ball offer for that car during the depths of the depression....

Those Hankook tires carried a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. I always took great care of them, checking the pressures weekly and rotating them every 6,000 miles. They lasted 36,000 miles and were replaced in January 2011. Hankook was good to their word and ponied up for the 14,000 miles we did not get on their warranty even though I did not buy the tires (but I DID ask for and receive the Hankook tire installation receipt from the selling dealership when I purchased the car). I took that money and applied it towards a set of Dunlop SP Sport Signature tires. Much better quality and thus far they are proving that they may indeed deliver 50,000 miles before they are done....

Different car than the XK8 I know, but you asked for Hankook experience. I doubt if I will be purchasing any Hankook tires in the future. But if I won a set in a contest or someone gave me a set for free, I would install them with no concerns whatsoever....

 

Doug, here's a review of Hankook from C&D magazine:
Tire Test: Nine Affordable Summer Tires Take On the Michelin PS2 Comparison Tests - Page 10 - Car and Driver

It came in 2nd place, which is really good - at least per that review.

I replaced the original Pirellis with BFG KDW 2. They last about 20K, then I replaced all 4 with Nankang NS2 Ultra Sport. Nankang is a Taiwanese brand that's not well-known here. So far so good, but a little too noisy. So far, the best ones I've gotten on were the BFG KDW 2. Just looking at the tread patterns would make me smile. Look it up and you'll know what I mean.

 

Well not exactly a stellar recommendation but tread wear is sort of a less important issue than decent ride and handling. Given the fact that I only put on 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year, age rather than actual wear will probably be what drives replacement.


Doug

 

Hey Bob--I have used BFG in the past on other cars and think I might even have had those on my Corvette for a while (I liked the tread pattern like you). I am not sure if they were available for the XKR but I figured I would give the Hankook's a try but wanted to make sure there were no fatal quality flaws such as tires blowing out suddenly for no particular reason. Looks like that is not the case.

Doug

 

Here is an update and I hope to be able to follow it up with a happy ending. I went to pick up the car at Delco Tire and the tires look great and the drive is much smoother than with the Pirelli's. However based on posts around here and elsewhere I really expected these the Hansook's to be a great deal. Part of this is my fault since I did not get into nitty gritty price discussions because I have been dealing with Delco for years and their pricing was always very competitive. So the tires were priced $240 each for the front and $329 each for the rear which seemed high. When I got back to the office a small amount of googling found these at America Tire Depot (not far from Delco) for about $160 per front and $225 per rear and TireRack was naturally a bit less.

I quickly called the guy at Delco and asked what was going on since they were presumably supposed to be the most competitive around. He asked me to fax him the pricing from the other places and, to his credit, he called back right away telling me he would be calling his supplier and that he should be able to do something. He claimed that they did not mark up tires by more than 25% and that they are generally among the lowest around. Something is obviously wrong here.

I probably don't have any real recourse since I should have done my homework before buying the tires but I was in a spot and trusted these guys that I have been using for almost 20 years. They also know that so I hope they make good on this.

Doug

 

Hey Doug, Hankooks area decent mid range tyre I believe, they get a decent rep over here along with Khumo, Avons and Barum Bravuris 2

For the type of motoring you're talking about I'm sure they'll do well for you.

With regards to the pricing, it does seem high?
Hopefully they weren't trying to pull a fast one?

Its always difficult to discuss price after the event and you have little clout at that point as I'm sure you know, here's hoping the guys treat you right.

HTH

 

Hey Jim,

The tires do feel great compared to the Pirelli's. The ride is a bit softer (but not mushy) and also quieter.

Regarding the price, I hunted and hunted to see if I could find a price higher than I paid and it was impossible. Even Sears had the fronts for $180 each versus the $240 Delco charged. I faxed the guy more prices from tire sources and left a pretty strongly worded phone message after they were closed letting them know how disappointed I was after being a customer for almost 20 years. Something definitely stinks somewhere but I can't see how these guys will not correct the situation. I'll find out tomorrow.

Doug

 

After I bought our '97 last fall I replaced the tires with Hankok's. I've seen no problems yet.

 

You unfortunately paid Michelin prices for Hankook tires. Those guys hosed you big-time. ALWAYS do your tire research BEFORE you make your final tire decision. I have spent as long as six months doing my tire research and cost comparisons before finally pulling the trigger on ordering the tires I selected....

I hope your tire guys will come clean with you and offer some sort of compensation for hosing you. Lesson learned, right?

 

I am sure the Hankooks are very good tires, especially after reading the 2009 comparison to the Michelin Pilot Sport 2s, but Jon is almost correct. I paid approx. $1,330.00 out the door @ Costco (about $200 more than you paid) for a set of staggered, 20" Michelin SuperSports, their next generation tire. They have been phenomenal.

FYI I just checked TireRack.com and they are currently selling them for $297 and $321 before a rebate offer. Obviously, shipping, mounting and balancing is not included.

 

Jon--I am usually **** about researching virtually everything before buying but, in this case (1) I had not anticipated the need to get tires--the only thing I knew in pricing was that the Pirelli's were astronomical (almost $500 each for rears) but did not bother researching since I thought replacement was still a year or so away and (2) I limped in to the local tire shop I had dealt with for 20 years (the donut spare was underinflated) and needed to make a quick on-the-spot decision and I trusted that they would be fair.

The actual apples-to-apples price comparison really ends up about $830 from the lowest local places (including the actual tires plus their mounting fees) versus $$1138 from Delco--about a $300 out-of-pocket difference. This price does not include taxes or the nominal tire disposal fees.

The guy at Delco called back this morning and he apparently got hosed by his supplier. He claims he did not go to his usual guy because I needed the set installed that day. He agreed with the math and it looks like he is willing to knock off about $200 or so and credit my charge.

I will drop in later today or tomorrow and go through the paperwork and see what I could negotiate. I don't object to eating it a little bit as long as they make a serious effort.

I have to say I really love the feel of the tires. The ride is quite noticeably better than the original Pirelli's. It could have something to do with the age of the tires but the tire guy did say that Pirelli has a reputation for harsh ride due to the stiffer sidewalls.

Doug

 

If they are willing to drop $200 or so off the price of tires they have already sold and installed, that sounds like a dealer to keep using. While it might still end up a little more than if you shopped around, I would be very pleased and would certainly appreciate the gesture.

Besides, it's not always about price. If it was, you'd be putting 15" house brands on your Sentra.

Sounds like you are going to a stand-up place.

 

Believe me they lost money when I had the Corvette. When I got replacement tires for that car I went ahead and paid the extra for the road hazard protection. It really paid off as I went there a bunch of times for nail or screw removal and patching. It would have been $20 per visit but I was charged nothing. Also the patching they do was very good as they removed the tire, did the patching from the inside, rechecked balance and reinstalled the wheel. The shop has been around forever and is the most convenient to both my home and work. This was the first time I felt that I was overcharged and I accept the explanation that they were hosed from their supplier but are still willing to help me out.

Doug

 

Like most things in this world, with tires you pay your money and you take your choice. As has been mentioned, doing a little research will help. (Why do we call it that? It’s not as if we are actually re-doing anything is it, doesn’t ‘research’ generally mean we’re doing something not done before…)
My point is, if one takes the Michelin Pilot Super Sport as the benchmark tire then a quick review of the relevant ‘Tirerack’ chart;
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=MP
Will show exactly where the Hankook stands, as far as ‘Tirerack’ is concerned.
Looking at the chart it would appear the best compromise between performance wet & dry, ride quality, noise, cost and longevity is the Continental ExtremeContact DW, but that is only my opinion.
I post the link to the chart simply for information. As I said, you pays your money and takes your choice...
Regards,
White Bear.

 

Hi Doug,
Having grown up in Encino not far from Delco, we used to deal with them all the time. I believe the older man who owned it (and reminded you of Groucho Marx) has passed on, and I think it's his son who runs the shop. They were always fair, and if they are willing to make up most of the difference, it's a good compromise. Several months ago I had a set of Hercules (inexpensive, probably Korean or Chinese tires) put on my XKR, and when within a week of each other and only a few months after I had them installed, both rear tire sidewalls separated from the tread on the insides of the tires, big enough tears for me to stick my whole hand in. The first time it happened, I had just driven back from north of Bakersfield at speeds of up to 90mph, and as soon as I stopped the car, the tire immediately deflated. I considered myself extremely fortunate that it didn't happen while on the freeway. The shop replaced the tire. A week later when the second rear tire did exactly the same thing, I told them to get those tires off my car, I didn't care what their distributor credited them or me, I just didn't want a clearly defective product threatening my life. I replaced them with Nexen N 3000s, and have not had any issues. The staggered Nexens cost me $600.00 for the set of 4 including installation and balancing. I'm sure the tires you bought will give you thousands of miles of good service, and if you can negotiate with Delco to maybe give you a road hazard guarantee, you'll have not lost much at all.

 

For what it's worth I've been using nothing but Hancooks on my Camaros for 8 years with replacements every 3 years or so (I'd be due again soon but the car has been sitting). When (if) I get my XK8 back on the road, I will put Hancooks on it as well.

I drive a lot. They stand up to what I put them through: plenty of gravel roads, highways, potholes, poor parking lots and mileage. They have also held up pretty nicely when I was tearing it up and beating the car up. I've had no issues with ride quality, excessive noise or wear. I'd recommend them to anyone not wanting to invest the cost of a car in tires.