New 2003 G35 Sedan Tires

[xsean415]

Came back from the dealership and was told that the tires need to be replaced. They quoted me 260$ per tire b/c the G35 needs "special" tires. Is this true or could i purchase some other tires as long as the size offest etc. is the same? If so, what tires do you recommend and how much should i expect? thank you for your time

sean

[DoriftoNismo]

ive heard of special tires before to but not $260 special for oe replacement. u can get other brands just make sure they're the right size/dimensions and speed rating. u dont have to worry about offset because your using the same wheels. and the dealership is just charging u labor fees thats y its expensive.

[szh]

Hi, Sean.

Came back from the dealership and was told that the tires need to be replaced. They quoted me 260$ per tire b/c the G35 needs "special" tires. Is this true or could i purchase some other tires as long as the size offest etc. is the same? If so, what tires do you recommend and how much should i expect? thank you for your time

Yes, please definitely ignore your Infiniti dealer if he is telling you that you need "special" tires!

There is nothing special about the 2003 G35 Sedan tire that would require you to pay that exorbitant price. Check out Tire Rack (one of our sponsors here) for the best prices - they can ship to anywhere in the country and they also have arrangements at many places to drop-ship their tires for installation.

Offset is not appropriate in this context - that is a wheel measure and since you are not changing the wheel, that will not matter. Getting a reasonable good performance tire, with the correct speed rating, and correct load index, does matter!

Some other questions though:

1. How many miles do you have on your current tires?

2. What is the remaining tread depth?

3. Did the dealer say that the tires were just worn or some other problem too? If you have had the car long enough, then simple wear may be all it is.

After you change the tires, you should consider getting an all-wheel alignment done as well (you do not need to have this done at Infiniti - any competent tire installation place can do it), particularly if it has never been done, and particularly if you are seeing increased wear on the inside or outside edge of the current tires you have. Or if the car seems to be handling poorly, etc.

An alignment is not required, strictly speaking, if all is well, but a very good thing to do if your car is now a couple of years old. Particularly if you want the new tires to last as well!

Finally, as to what brand and model to use. You could get exactly the same tire brand and model as whatever you have on now. But there are generally cheaper and better alternatives available!

As I recall, the car came with either Bridgestone Turanza EL42 or Goodyear RS-A tires (assuming you got the stock wheels and tires). These are both over-priced, and poor tires compared to others that are available. Reasonably low noise on the highway, but not worth much else.

Do you know what size tires you have on now (stock tire would have been a Bridgestone Turanza EL42 205/65-16 93V or Goodyear Eagle RS-A 215/55-17 93V)? Please post that info and I will make recommendations in the correct sizes.

Z

[rydwhite]

Listen to Z, he knows what he's talking about.

I must reiterate DO NOT BUY TIRES FROM YOUR DEALER.

[szh]

Listen to Z, he knows what he's talking about.

Thanks, Ryan!

Z

[rydwhite]

I to the knowledge and wisdom of Z.

[C-Kwik]

Personally, I'd go ask the dealership what tire they would put on. It should be available from most tire dealers. Then get some quotes and compare to see how badly your dealership is trying to rip you off and owhat kind of lies they are telling you.

[rydwhite]

I orginally replaced the stock rear tires which were POS Goodyear RSA with the same. The dealer was asking nearly $60 more per tire than what I actually paid.

I have since gone with a nice tire upgrade and have the Yokohoma AVS ES1000. A much nicer tire. When I first drove on the Yoko's it was like driving a completely new car. It handled better, rode better.

[xsean415]

thank you guys for you input!

[xsean415]

Hi Z

I just checked my tires and they have 30k miles on it, the Rear and Front are P215/55/17 93V... What tires would you recommend and ho wmuch should i expect to pay?

thank you for your time

[04G35guy]

I have an '04 G sedan...wondering about the tires. I only have about 20K miles on it but have rotated. When do you expect these tires actually wear out? I don't want to spend a grand or more on tires when they go so am just asking in advance.

[rydwhite]

Check out these links for tire reviews.zerothread?id=108009http://forums.nicoc ... d?id=81404

[szh]

Hi, Sean.

I just checked my tires and they have 30k miles on it, the Rear and Front are P215/55/17 93V... What tires would you recommend and how much should i expect to pay?

Here you go. There are other options, but these are the ones that I think are best ... with the exception of the stock tire mentioned below (for completeness), I think that any of them will suit you well. Depending on whether you want lower price, longer life, or maximum performance, you can pick one of these!

The prices (from Tire Rack) that I list here do not include shipping and installation, mounting/balancing, etc. You should assume an additional $10 to $15 per tire (approx) for shipping, no sales tax (since Tire Rack is not in California), and about $16 to $22 per tire for mounting, balancing, old tire disposal fee in California, etc. from most tire places (Tire Rack has specific places listed on their web site ... they can drop ship the tires there for you.)

The total price will still be well below the $260 that the Infiniti dealer wanted (did that include mounting/balancing?)!

Stock Tire

Goodyear Eagle RS-A. 215/55-17 93V. $155.

This is the stock tire (or at least, one of the ones that Infiniti used) that came on your car. I would not recommend getting them again - just mention it here for completeness. I have personal experience with this model on my wife's car and it is mediocre. Average in wet behavior, below average to average in handling, good on road noise, good in wear. Simply not worth the money (it is expensive compared to the others.)

Same Size As OEM

Avon Tech M500. 215/55-17 94W. $115.

A new brand, but doing very well in Tire Rack reviews. A very inexpensive tire that is apparently way better than the stock tires. I would recommend these for a good blend of high performance and good wear (although perhaps less than stock tire) and they are inexpensive compared to the others. Very good in wet weather, very good to excellent in handling, good on road noise, good in wear (but perhaps less than stock.) Definitely worth the money.

Avon Tech M550 A/S. 215/55-17 94W. $110.

A new brand, but also doing very well in Tire Rack reviews. A very inexpensive tire that is also better than the stock tires. They will last longer than the Avon M500, but also have a bit less performance. Very good in wet weather, very good in handling, good on road noise, very good in wear (similar to or better than stock perhaps - this is tough to gauge.) Definitely worth the money.

A bit Larger Size than OEM

Now, if you are willing to spend a bit more money and get better performance, then increasing the tire size (will still fit on the 7" rims you have) is a good idea. Please do verify that your rim widths are 7" (should be listed in the car manual, or you can look at the inside of the wheel for a number like this: 17x7 JJ ET45 (or some such similar number).

Avon Tech M500. 235/50-17 96W. $136.

See above for other comments. The higher load index (96) makes this a stronger tire too.

Avon Tech M550 A/S. 235/50-17 96W. $130.

See above for other comments. Higher load index.

Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval. 235/50-17. 96W. $123.

This is [apparently] the replacement for the discontinued Firestone Firehawk SZ50EP. If so, and if it has similar characteristics to the SZ50EP, then this is among the best tires in the world. The reviews at Tire Rack appear to be very good so far! I have used the SZ50EP and it was the best tire I have used in over 28 years of driving! The Wide Oval may wear quicker than the other brands shown here, but I am not sure of that per se. You should get excellent to outstanding wet weather performance, very good handling, excellent road noise, average to good on wear. Also worth the money.

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. 235/50-17. $167.

I have personal experience with this model (currently have it on both my cars.) This is an excellent performer, with specific wet weather performance. Outstanding in wet weather, very good to excellent in handling, good on road noise and average to good on wear. The only concern I have with this tire is that I seem to require re-balancing more often than I would like (on at least my wife's car ... I do not have as much experience with it on mine.) It probably will not last as long as the Goodyear Eagle RS-A, but you get a much better, safer tire.

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. 235/50-17. 96Y. $183.

Ranks among the best tires in the world. The price is higher. You should get excellent performance all around, but the tire longevity may be worse than the others - basically, what you get is a softer compound tire that gives great performance at the expense of tire wear. Both this and the other Michelin tire below have a slightly different rolling diameter than stock, so your speedo will be very slightly off (indicated 60 mph will be an actual 61.4 mph). But this is relatively inconsequential and will not affect the car - you just need to be aware of it (i.e., that you are going slightly faster than indicated).

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. 235/50-17. 96W. $202.

Another expensive tire that is highly rated. Lower performance than the Pilot Sport PS2. You should get very good to excellent performance all around - but it will last longer than the PS2. This is an expensive tire though, and you are paying for the extra care and quality that Michelin puts into their tires. Whether that price is justified depends on your budget!

Summary

If I had a G35 with 17x7 rims, these would be my final choices based on a particular primary criterion.

Lowest cost: I'd pick the Avon Tech M500 or Tech M550 A/S.

Best cost-wear trade-off: I'd pick the Avon Tech M550 A/S.

Best wet-weather handling: I'd pick the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

Best performance: I'd pick the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2.

Best wear: I'd pick the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (but this is not clear per se!)

Most interesting: Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval. If this is as good as the SZ50EP, it wins big, imho!

Good luck!

Z

[szh]

I have an '04 G sedan...wondering about the tires. I only have about 20K miles on it but have rotated.

I hope you are rotating them every 3750 to 7500 miles, right? That makes them wear more evenly.

Quote »When do you expect these tires actually wear out? I don't want to spend a grand or more on tires when they go so am just asking in advance. [/quote]The RS-A actually lasts quite a long time. They have a harder rubber compound that give them this characteristic. But, the result is a mediocre to average handling tire. There are way better tires available, where the total cost of ownership (per mile) may be better - even if you had to go through two sets to get the longetivity (if that is your only criterion for buying a replacement!)

For example, you could go through two sets of Avon Tech M500 or Avon Tech M550 A/S tires from Tire Rack for less than the price that the dealer quoted Sean for the stock tires. And, get a far better tire as a result!

Z

[szh]

As an aside (not applicable to you guys), never, ever, use any tire for more than four or five years past the date of manufacture (it is "stamped" on the sidewall of the tire.)

By that time, the rubber has vulcanized, hardened, cracked, and could be very, very unsafe. You should consider discarding that tire, almost no matter what the mileage is - even if the tread is still unused!

On my wife's Acura, for example, which came with Goodyear RS-A tires, after five years, the tread was only half-used, but the rubber inside the grooves (where it does not touch the ground), you could easily see micro fractures in the surface of the tire. She does not drive a lot of miles!

For safety, I immediately swapped out the tires ... I want her and my son to live and not experience any tire blowouts due to aging.

I think there is legislation proposed (or pending) that a tire manufacturer would not be allowed to store or sell a tire past a certain number of months beyond the date code. To ensure that problems of this type do not arise!

Z

[04G35guy]

I hope you are rotating them every 3750 to 7500 miles, right? That makes them wear more evenly.

Z

every 2nd service or 7500

over 90% of my mileage is highway cruising so not too worried about it.

[szh]

every 2nd service or 7500

Good!

Z

[joshcloud9]

Just got a set of 4 Falken Ziex Ze 912 Tires 235/50/R17 (exact same diameter as the standard 215) $370.60 shipped to Atlanta NTB tires who charged around $60 to install.

Tires came from http://www.edgeracing.com/tire/5558/

Tires seem great, very quiet and grip well.

[audtatious]

CoWorker of mine put Kumho AVS tires on his and loves them.

[SVTCOBRA]

I put Yoko Avids on wife's 05 G sedan and daughter's 00 MaxMy G coupe had Yoko S-drive's on it.So far pleased with all!!!

Oh, and this thread is 3 YEARS old!!! SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[Q451990]

We had these installed on the wife's G last week... so far so good! Much quieter than the Bridgestone Turanza stock tires - even when new, and they seem to handle as well or better than the OEM tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...ing=V

Heath