So, I did what any self respecting car nut would do when looking for tires, I went to www.tirerack.com. I selected the kind of tires I want: high performance all-season, and started down the list. Goodyear? Their tires just suck- I had a set of Goodyear Wranglers on my Jeep XJ-it was like driving through KY Jelly. Really, they were that bad. Firestone/Bridgestone? They explode on contact-usually along with a Ford Explorer--no thanks. Kumho tires are way too cheap ($43), I don't trust them-they might be great but I'm not taking that chance. I believe you get what you pay for. Michelin tires? I had a set of ordinary all-season Michelins on the Camaro and they were ok, but I wanted something better. Michelin did have a better tire, Michelin Pilot Sport ($192), but they were the twice the price of anything else. If they were that good, then they are worth it. I had a set of Michelin Cross Terrain truck tires on my Jeep (replacing the KY Goodyears) and they were awesome tires. So Michelin-maybe. BF Goodrich (BFG)? They rated as good as the Michelin tires on Tirerack's survey, but they were a lot cheaper like $130 a piece. These days that's real money! I was still leaning towards the Michelins, I had Michelins on all my cars and had good experience with them. But something about the BFGs kept nagging at me.
After sleeping on the decision, something I do with all big decisions, I got back on Tirerack.com-I was still undecided, though leaning Michelin's way. I decided to do more research, so I stared at a screen-size picture of each tire for a good 20 minutes, not surprisingly this yielded no decision. Next I thought more numbers would help. I had already looked at the Tirerack.com survey, but this was an opinion poll, I needed more reliable data. Tirerack.com, once again came through! Have I mentioned that Tirerack.com is a fantastic resource for tires, they are, and their prices are great. As I was saying... Tirerack.com had also run actual tests of each of the tires I was considering. A short read through the results (lap times, maximum cornering speeds etc.) made it absolutely clear, the BFG tires were the best by a mile! Specifically, the BFG G-force Super Sport A/S tires.
So now I needed to find an installer to get the tires mounted as there is no lift in my apartment. I had always had my tires installed at Sears Auto Centers, so I figured I would check them out. I looked for the tires on their website, and they were there-ready to install at your local Sears. It all seemed easy enough right? Wrong!
When I arrived at my local Sears Auto Center (Hicksville, NY) my tires were not on display. In fact, half the tires on their site were missing. I asked one of the sales if they had the tires, he looked at me like I was asking for monster truck tires. He checked his computer and came up with two or three tires for my car. I asked if he could order them since they are on the Sears website, he said he had no clue how to order them. I suggested the Internet! No response.
He then asked me why I wanted those particular tires. I answered that they were very good tires. No response, no clue...nothing! Sears couldn't get the tires that they advertise (and had on sale) for me. Sears SUCKS! The Sears salesperson did one redeeming thing- he suggested I try STS Tire Center across the street. Even Sears know they suck! So I did try STS. Sears lost a loyal customer that day, I won't be back, neither should anyone in the NYC-Long Island area.
Despondently I drove to STS Tire Center, while only long-term friendships kept the air in my worn out tires. STS was the opposite of Sears. Upon entry I immediately asked if they had my tire, they responded without hesitation, that it was a special order, and that it took a day to acquire. That was a good sign, they could order the tires in just a day-less than 24hours. The price was a bit higher than Sears, but STS actually had tires, not to mention it includes balancing and all the other incidental charges like waste disposal. So I ordered my tires to be installed the next day.
The next morning STS called to let me know that the tires had arrived and asked when I would come in, I said around 10 AM. I rolled up to STS on rubber filled with small wisps of air, and they immediately set to work on changing my car's shoes. An hour later my tires were on, the car had been aligned properly and was ready to go. I paid my bill, thanked the technician with a tip and set off to enjoy the fantastic ride of my new tires. A couple of days later, I received another call from STS, asking how my tires were and if everything was to my satisfaction. Top notch service! STS Tire Center at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville, NY-you are awesome! Tirerack.com, you as well are awesome, and my BFG G-force Super Sport A/S tires are awesome as well! Sears, you still suck!
All's well that ends well.
www.bananasaboutcars.com
No comments:
Post a Comment