Resourceful-Mom

Tire size surprise

In my mind, I never paid more than $100 for 4 tires when I owned my ’91 Tercel.  Of course, when I talk to my ex husband, I’m off by about $50 but for 4 tires… that’s still not a bad deal. Years later, when I purchased the ’99 Corolla and had to buy tires, I was shocked when I found that the tires were closer to the tune of $300 than my imaginary $100.   I was so shocked that I practically stormed out of PepBoys on a quest to find a “better deal”.  Well, to my dismay, there was no better deal.  Now, for a woman, it is very difficult to grasp that there is a situation where there is no better deal.

Why was there no better deal?  Because the ’99 Toyota Corolla LE came with 15′ tires standard where as the ’91 Tercel’s tire had a 13′ tire.   The most important part of that sentence is the word standard as it pretty much means, 15′ tires don’t normally go on sale.  Now, is a 15′ tire the largest tire in the world?  Of course not.  It’s also no where close to the most expensive tire in the world, on sale or not. But tire size is something that should be taken into consideration when gauging just how much a car will cost you in the long run.

Tire size should be something considered just so you are aware but it is nothing to obsess over.  For me, the most important thing to note is that the rim diameter, which I have referred to as the tires “size”, is expressed in inches. Also, although all the other numbers contained in the tire size are important and influence the tires size, it’s easier for me pay attention to the rim diameter.  That’s the P225/50R16 part of the tire size.  Rim diameters  can range from 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 with some unique types of diameters that you may or may not run across.  Just remember the higher the tire/wheel diameter the more your will pay for your tires.

Just food for thought for a mom on a budget.