High oil and gas prices have been in the news for months now.
The trickle down is affecting everything from the food you buy, to the planes you fly and the tires you ride on.
It's not just what is going into your vehicle that's more expensive, it's also what's going on it.
If you haven't bought tires in the past few years, your wallet or purse will not be spared.
"Last year, year 2010, we had price increases anywhere from 25 to 90 percent. This year, they've gone up 8 percent in the first two months, and they've already announced another 6-8 percent increase in April," said Jerome Feldman from Belle Tire.
"Over the past 12 months, I'd estimate it at about 30 percent," Delta Tire's Mike Crittenden said. "Recently on the 15th, there was a 9-10 percent increase on the Cooper-made product that we also sell. which also went up 4 percent in March."
Aside from the increase in petroleum products used to manufacture tires, steel prices have risen 50 percent since early December. From February last year to this year, rubber has doubled in price.
Customers like Todd VanHentenryck of Grand Blanc feel like they're getting nailed by the higher costs. "Two years ago, I bought tires for my Grand Prix. It cost #300. I got them priced today, and it's $508. So that's $200. I haven't had a raise in two years."
Some others are not that concerned with the increased pressure on pricing. "Not too much. I get the max out of my tires. I rotate them the way I'm supposed to. I take care of my car," said Dwight Bocksnick from Flint. "If I get 50-60,000 miles out of them, that's a lot of miles on a set of tires."
Another issue is there are fewer tires being manufactured to limit older tires sitting on store shelves.
"I've never seen in this last year, so hard to get tires. It's just crazy," Feldman said.
It's not just passenger car tires affected by the price spikes. Truck, agricultural, construction and other commercial tires haven't been spared, either. With increases of 8-15 percent already this year, more price hikes are on the way.
Getting the right set of tires at the right price can be a challenge.
The best person to ask is a tire expert.
Although price is certainly an important consideration, so is getting the right tire for the right vehicle.
"Manufacturers will make three different levels of the tire. Some people used to call it a, good, better, best," Crittenden said. "It's like a 40,000, 60,000, 80,000-mile rating on the tires. The 40,000, of course, are going to be cheaper. But your initial investment to step up to the 80,000 is usually not significant. Just $60 to $80, as an example, on a set of four tires."
So is the type of tire.
"A Mercedes Benz will take a different tire than a Chevy Cobalt. The Benz will take what is called a performance tire that has a higher speed rating, does better in higher cornering, braking. The Cobalt will just take a regular tire," Crittenden explained.
Mid-Michigan's four seasons demand a tire that can handle all types of weather.
One thing to look for is the tire siping in the tread area, Crittenden said. "Some tires, your starter, your 40,000-mile entry-level tire will only have one sipe in the tread block."
(Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/consumer&id=8040824)
No comments:
Post a Comment