Caveat - I have no association with the tire business whatsoever, just sharing what I found with fellow 02ers.
I looked around all the tire shops locally and spent a good amount of time on the internet as well.
For those of you wanting to stay with a 13'' X 5" OEM steel wheel you'll soon find that tire choices are a bit limited.
They're out there, but the 185-70r-13 is extremely limited. However, I did find a Toyo 185-70-13 which appeared to be a decent tire and was available at one of the tire stores. Bottom-line on the 185-70-13 is this, unless you're looking for a snow or winter tire, good luck as they all seem to be discontinued. Now, if you go with a 175-70-13 (just less than half inch width of the 185, it opens up a whole new list of tires available, but still limited.
I decided on the Michelin Defender XT 175/70/13. Available from "Tire-rack" for around $83-85 each, but I'm a COSTCO member and picked them up there for $85, and they did the mounting etc.
My logic for purchase flows like this: 1. I've been running the Michelins on my wife's Jetta and have really liked them, they handle well and are quiet, so basically I had a positive history experience. 2. I was looking for a firm sidewall to compensate for the 70 aspect ratio, I didn't want a soft tire with much side roll and this one seemed to meet that criteria. So, once Becky is back on the road, I'll give a read-out on how they perform, as I do considerable mountain driving. A few pics attached, wanted to show you the rubber mounted and the contact measurement with ruler.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now