Which tires should I be looking at?

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to give me a little info. I'm going to be putting 4 new tires on my '03 Saturn Ion sedan this summer. I drive a little rougher than the average person, but not what one might call "aggressive".





I'm looking for a tire that offers good life (60,000+ mile warranty) as well as good rain/snow traction, as the weather here in Minnesota can be a beast. A quiet, comfortable ride is also important.





I'm probably going to buy these tires from the Discount Tire Co. (discounttire.com). I'm somewhat torn between getting the Yokohama YK520's or the Goodyear Assurance Comfortreads.





Is one of those noticably better than the other, or is there another tire they offer I should be looking at altogether? I don't want to go TOO high buck (under $90 per tire).





Thank you!|||You don't say if you have a Ion 1, 2 or 3 and since each uses a completely different tire size specific recommendations are difficult.





My experiences with the Goodyear Assurance Comfotread lead me to not recommend this tire. It is the only tire in recent memory where I have noticed repeated quality control problems.





For example, late last year we special-ordered a set of 4 for a customer for their Chrysler minivan. We found two of them to be defective before we ever put them on the vehicle and a third wouldn't balance out. I have never had anything remotely like that happen before or since. We ended up having to order 7 tires for this van just to get one good set of four. One of my co-workers who we recently hired away from a store that specializes in Goodyear tires has many similar stories. The Assurance Tripletread on the other hand has had no such problems that I am aware of, is a better rain and snow traction tire and if your a bit on the aggressive side in your driving habits is a better choice anyway. The first really good tire Goodyear has made in probably 15 years. Yeah they are more expensive and over your budget, but worth every penny.





The Yokohama YK520 is new and only sold through Discount Tire so I have no experience with it. It seems to be a non-directional version of the widely available AVID H4s (which Discount also carries) with bits of design from other models in the Yoko lineup thrown in. As a general rule I shy away from recommending tires that are unique to one retailer. This complicates replacement should you have a blowout. I've also been underwhelmed by the Yokohama's performance all-season lineup in the snow. I don't know that the YK520 would do any better. You'd be better off with the BF Goodrich Traction T/A in my opinion.





Since Discount Tire strangely doesn't do alignments, make sure to take it to a garage that does after you get the tires installed.





ASE Certified Automotive Service Advisor with 5 years experience in the tire industry in Minnesota|||Hello,





I would prefer YOKOHAMA...|||Michelin are good tires too|||I have Goodyear Assurance tires on my Dodge Charger, which I drive very aggressively (it has the Hemi!), and I'm at 26,000 miles. The tires are nearly shot. I live in Wisconsin, and the tires had problems in the snow. I've heard other people put Yokohoma on the Charger, but I'm looking for new tires too. I'd stay away from Goodyear Assurance based on my experience unless they have a long, long warranty (mine didn't).





Also, performance tires won't last nearly as long as all-season passenger tires. You may consider Touring tires, which match performance with traction, but they are slightly higher than standard all-season.|||this is like a dumd blond question im going to discount tire and i dont trust the source so my question would be why ask?


ask them after all they are your choise|||I have furnished you with some listings for tire dealers in St. Paul.|||I own an 06 Ion Quad Coupe and have mine outfitted with Yokohamas for the warmer season. I live in PA, so I get my fair share of snow and rain (most recently too, strangely enough). Because of the changing weather (and of my long drive to work), I also purchased snow tires for my car. I know it's expensive, but it's worth it in the end, especially if you are a serious driver (I put on 30,000 miles in a year). The Yokos do not wear off that easily, and at a price around $80 per, it's a fair price for a quality tire. They are great in the rain!|||Goodyear Assurance tires are very good tires, triple thread and long lasting, but very few people don't like the way the handle because of the three extra layers of rubber. You can also look at some of the Michelin (H) rated tires. They all have a smooth ride and last long. You forget that your driving sometimes with those tires.|||Don't forget about the so-called off brand tires. Most are made by the big manufacturers and are just as good, AND lower priced.


I cannot recommend the Goodyear though, seen to many come thru the shop worn out and not alot of miles on them.