Has anybody ever had these tires? I have read allot of good reviews and the Discount Tire guy says they are actually made for them by Goodyear. I can get a set with lifetime rotation and road hazard replacment coverage for under $500, oh yeah size 265/75-16's. Tell me what you guys/gals think.

 

C'mon everybody shoot me some comments or links. I need tires soon, but don't want to spend $800 unless I have to (have 3 kids & w/the $ I keep puttin my truck 1 may not go to collegeJK). I would like a decent tire to use off-road occaisionally (like 10-15% of the time), but don't need anything crazy and these Pathfinders seem priced right, just don't have any exp w/them.

 

I think the Firestone Destination line is about the best value in light truck tires right now. The Destination LE is more of a highway tread tire, and the Destination A/T is more of an all terrain tread tire. The Firestone Destination A/T scores VERY well on Tire Rack's user survey area (rated 2 out of 21 tires):

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....tination+A%2FT

It (the Destination A/T) is available in your size. From Tire Rack, they're priced at $109 each. But then include shipping on top of that (which is $20/tire for my zip code), and you're at almost $130 each. Then add on top of that installation at a local store and you're probably nearing $140-150 each. Or, go to Firestone's website (www.firestonecompleteautocare.com) and they're $121. Installation is $15 (each) on top of that, so you're at $136.

If you go the Firestone Complete Auto Care (FCAC) route, I'd print you a quote online and bring it in with you. Their "default" prices in the store are typically much higher than the price you get online. What I like a lot about going through some place like FCAC is you have national coverage if you travel a lot, and local support if you have issues. Even under the most ideal situation, through Tire Rack, you've got to wait to have a replacement tire shipped to you. I always prefer to cull a local relationship when it comes to my vehicles, rather than buy stuff online. Plus, I don't think I've ever found it cheaper to buy from Tire Rack. I really like their website -- they're a great resource for tire reviews. But I've bought 3 or 4 sets of tires over the past few years, and never has it been to my advantage (even looking only at cost) to go through Tire Rack.

 

I also wanted to add that your tires are the only link between you and the road...that, and you also typically get what you pay for. I don't mess around with stuff like tires and brakes. You don't have to buy the most expensive stuff out there. But that said, I've found that there usually is a reason why discount tires ARE discount tires. I've purchased a few house brand tires before -- some were pretty good, and some were real stinkers. I don't play around like that anymore, though. I prefer to stick with a name brand, a known quantity.