My new Yoko AVS db S2 and Tire Rack Impressions.....
It's been a little over two weeks since I had them installed so I thought I'd tell you all what I think.
This was the first set of tires that I've needed since I've owned the '95 525ia. I've had it almost exactly 3 years and after about 38k miles the ContiContact Tourings that came new with it were about 90% gone. I had no complaints about the Continentals. With my normal driving being 80% on smooth flat highways, they were quite, smooth and handled well in wet weather. That cold wet stuff, I can't tell you about. So when I needed the new shoes I was torn about what to buy. But after a bit of research on Tire Rack's website...a good place to compare!...and a few recomendations from friends, I decided to price some of the db's in town. Nada. Zilch. I couldn't find a set in a 50 mile radius of me.
I wasn't too keen on buying tires on-line, at least there was no sales tax, but a phone call to Tire Rack explained to me how it all worked. For those of you that don't know how it works, let me assure you that it couldn't have been easier. You go on-line and select what tires you want. There's a link that will show you all of their approved installers in your area. You just pick the most convenient to you, and Tire Rack ships your tires to the installer by FedEx. You call the installer and let them know that your tires are coming and set up an installation time. Prices are pretty well set for normal work with extras only as needed. If you don't like their quote, you can go get YOUR tires and leave if you want.
I had mine sent to a local Goodyear place and between installation, weights, new valves, and old tire disposal, etc, it came out to $28/tire. Added to the $71/tire price for the P225/60R15 95V's, that's $99 a shoe. No too shabby I thought! I have the OE 15" basketweaves and even though I would have liked a set of 17"-ers, the budget didn't allow for new wheels too so I'll live with these for another 30-40k I guess.
So buying and installing was as easy as it could get as far as I'm concerned. And as far as feel, I'm very happy also. As advertised, they are very quiet. So quiet in fact that now I'm a little concerned that my exhaust sounds louder than before. But I believe that Bentley states, "Noise reduction is directly proportional to stereo volume increase." So I don't have to worry about that right now. :p They are very grippy on corners. I've past most of my lead-foot driving days, but I can feel better cornering without touching the brakes. We had a real toad-strangler here last week and wet-grip was excellent. That is very important in an area that can easily get 2-4" on many summer afternoons.
So all in all I'm happy with the results. I haven't done any extended highway driving yet, but I'd bet that my milage will pretty much stay the same. For a guy that tends to avoid putting tools to my car if I can avoid it, this was a success. And I didn't do any of the work!
I hope this helps anyone who hasn't gone this route before.
Brian C.
'95 525ia
A bit more about Yoko's m=>
Although these tires mostly rate from good to excellent in most categories, the biggest complaint is tread wear which for many people seem to suck. I think most of these complaints come from people who don't know what type of rating (i.e., load index/speed) to select whether it's from the ridiculously low P rating to the high Z rating. Because of the weight of the e34's, and specifically, when there is continuous aggressive driving involved one should always choose the more expensive Z rated tire. Since these tires have a softer side wall than your typical tire, complaints about handling and cornering have also been recorded but not as much as the tread wear.
My GF has Yokos A550H on her Passat which you can only find at Sears and NTB and considering the tires come from a somewhat older generation of tire in that class, they are performing great! I have been very happy with these tires and when inflated properly, I experience none of that handling and cornering BS stuff. Consumer reports scored the A550H's higher than the Avid H4s which is a pretty good tire. So I think you have made a good investment.
In the end, it all depends on how one drives, of course. I have the P6000 Sport Veloce H rated tires on my e34(m30) now which got a good (not superior, not even excellent) review when it first came out. I seldom drive aggressively so they have kissed the road for almost 50,000 mi now, and there is still about 4/ to 5/32 of tread left!!!
Hector
I believe Wal-Mart does not charge for labor...
whereas most other places do like Sears... If you can find the tire you want, Wal-Mart is a good place to get them installed because of the low fees of each thing you mentioned plus the road hazard protection.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duane
Installation of $28 per tire seems high. For installation, balancing, new valves, and old tire disposal my total was less than $60 for all 4 @ Walmart. This was my first time buying tires online and it went great. I had them delivered to my home and they arrived in half the time that Tire Rack estimated. I also bought the Yokos db and am very happy with them. Bought them 3 weeks ago.
Except that Wal-Mart is evil . . .
No labor charges just means someone isn't getting paid what they should be. Meanwhile you are shopping inside . . . and one of the ways they cut those prices is by screwing their workers.
Sorry, shopping at Wal-Mart doesn't make you a bad person and I don't judge, just choose not to go there and couldn't help myself. No flames necessary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hector
whereas most other places do like Sears... If you can find the tire you want, Wal-Mart is a good place to get them installed because of the low fees of each thing you mentioned plus the road hazard protection.
Post that Walmart evil empire site and let the people make their own decision.
Quote:
Originally Posted by G Feller
No labor charges just means someone isn't getting paid what they should be. Meanwhile you are shopping inside . . . and one of the ways they cut those prices is by screwing their workers.
Sorry, shopping at Wal-Mart doesn't make you a bad person and I don't judge, just choose not to go there and couldn't help myself. No flames necessary.
