A while back, I changed the wheels on my 2005 PT Cruiser Convertible so that I could have white walls with Baby Moons. I purchased tires that were from Diamond Back, and they turned out to be Dean Alpha 365 AS. I didn't know much about tires when I got these, I was just interested in the size of the white wall. The tires look great on the car. I get asked about them everywhere I go.
Well the steel belt came through the tires this week, I don't think I even had 25,000 miles on these tires, and I had them rotated everytime I had the oil changed. There appears to be no way to purchase white walls for less than $180+ per tire not including shipping, installation, balancing etc. The economy being what it is, I can't spend $1,000 on tires, and then have to purchase a new set every 24 months. I checked DB, Coker, all the usual suspects.
I'm looking for some options here. I've been online looking for tires that would just have a small white stripe that used to be available on some of the higher end luxury cars, and have had no luck finding tires in my size. Anyone have an ideas our there?
If I abandon the idea of white walls or stripes, can anyone recommend a tire that would provide good gas mileage and have a warranty for 50,000+ miles? I've already decided to switch to the nitrogen fill instead of just air to help with mileage. I see that Goodyear has the Assurance Tire that's supposed to be good on mileage. All you fellow turbo owners know that you're now spending $40 to fill the gas tank, and who knows where that will stop this year.
My brother-in-law tells me that you can either have a tire that has a hard surface that gets good mileage and a bit rougher ride, or a tire that grips the road and provides a smoother ride, but wears out faster. What do you experts say? I need tires for the weather in So. FLA. No snow, just rain & heat here. My new wheels take 205/65 R15 Tires.