Warning! Do You Need New Tires?

I was recently at a crossroads with my car. More specifically, my car’s tires. I had a decision to make on whether to rotate my wheels per the standard “every 5,000 miles” rule or purchase a whole new set. The front were pretty worn down and rotating the back ones forward (my car is a front-wheel drive) could possibly get me a little more mileage out of the tires. But just how much more, I wasn’t sure. So I pondered the question: Do I need new tires? This led me to a tire shop for an expert opinion.
Maybe it’s just me, but I love the smell of new tires in the lobby of a tire shop. The shiny rims on the walls and stacks of rubber circles put me in a good mood. I have the same reaction when walking into a bike shop—a pleasant memory carrying over from my childhood perhaps.
Back at the auto shop, a friendly salesperson we’ll call “Randy” listened to my tire dilemma. As we walked around the car to further inspect the treads (including the penny test), the decision was made to buy a whole new set. It was the right call.
Not only have the new tires helped the handling of my car, but I do believe the fuel efficiency has improved greatly. Not to mention my peace of mind–I splurged for the road hazard coverage as my track record of running over nails is well documented.

Bonus: The place I bought the tires will perform a rotate and balance for free for the life of the tires. Which, not knowing how much longer I’ll have this particular car, is 50,000 miles according to the manufacturer’s warranty.
In the end, my daily work commute of 31 miles each way has been made much smoother and fuel efficient by this purchase, making not getting the tires sooner my only regret.
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Written by: James Mayfield on August 7, 2012