Help with new tires for the Malibu

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Wife's car, 2016 Chevy Malibu is going to need new tires ( 225/55R17 ).. I see that Walmart has Goodyear Viva 3 all seasons on rollback for $93 each. Anyone know if they are a good tire?

Trying to find a good tire at a decent price since I have been out on sick leave from work since Feb 22nd and the cash isn't exactly pouring in at the moment..
 
My father had to return a set to WalMart. Couldn't get them balanced in 3 tries. I've had good luck with Coopers if you're looking for a budget tire.
 
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Do you use a separate set of tires for the winter? How important is snow/winter performance?
smile.gif
 
I've had really good luck with my Nankang SP-9's. They're $69 each in your size. Nice and quiet, good in rain and even handled winter weather reasonably well.
 
Quoting from this website.

"The truth is that these are Walmart exclusive tires meaning only Walmart sells them, they have an agreement with Goodyear, and no self-respecting tire shop probably wanted to carry these tires. Goodyear and Walmart probably came up with a tire formula that's "Good enough" for the average Walmart shopper where it's not "terrible-terrible," should be profitable in volume, and will do for day-to-day driving. Sure, Viva 3's will hold air and are mostly round but the discerning tire shopper who actually cares about tires should stay far, far away from these Walmart specials."

That is pretty much the recipe for all Walmart's exclusive tires, I would avoid them.

Would you consider ordering them online? Discount Tire Direct has free shipping and many better options that beat the price of the Viva 3. Check them out, the reviews are especially helpful. You can also have them ship to the tire shop of your choice if you don't feel like handling the tires.

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/fitmentresult/tires/size/225-55-17
 
Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
Quoting from this website.

"The truth is that these are Walmart exclusive tires meaning only Walmart sells them, they have an agreement with Goodyear, and no self-respecting tire shop probably wanted to carry these tires. Goodyear and Walmart probably came up with a tire formula that's "Good enough" for the average Walmart shopper where it's not "terrible-terrible," should be profitable in volume, and will do for day-to-day driving. Sure, Viva 3's will hold air and are mostly round but the discerning tire shopper who actually cares about tires should stay far, far away from these Walmart specials."

That is pretty much the recipe for all Walmart's exclusive tires, I would avoid them.

Would you consider ordering them online? Discount Tire Direct has free shipping and many better options that beat the price of the Viva 3. Check them out, the reviews are especially helpful. You can also have them ship to the tire shop of your choice if you don't feel like handling the tires.

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/fitmentresult/tires/size/225-55-17

Unfortunately that sounds like a good chunk of GY tires.
 
Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
Quoting from this website.

"The truth is that these are Walmart exclusive tires meaning only Walmart sells them, they have an agreement with Goodyear, and no self-respecting tire shop probably wanted to carry these tires. Goodyear and Walmart probably came up with a tire formula that's "Good enough" for the average Walmart shopper where it's not "terrible-terrible," should be profitable in volume, and will do for day-to-day driving. Sure, Viva 3's will hold air and are mostly round but the discerning tire shopper who actually cares about tires should stay far, far away from these Walmart specials."

That is pretty much the recipe for all Walmart's exclusive tires, I would avoid them.

Would you consider ordering them online? Discount Tire Direct has free shipping and many better options that beat the price of the Viva 3. Check them out, the reviews are especially helpful. You can also have them ship to the tire shop of your choice if you don't feel like handling the tires.

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/fitmentresult/tires/size/225-55-17


That's the most "contrived" review I have ever read.....on anything. I was waiting for "they will kill you and those on the road around you"..........

Obviously-that website doesn't get any of Walmart's massive advertising budget.
 
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If winter performance is important, and you don't use separate tires for the winter, consider a 3-peak all-season tire. Walmart carries the Toyo Celsius for $119 each. If that is too much, there is the Radar Dimax 4 Season is $80 each.

Honestly, you're better off with Douglas than the Vivas. Both are Walmart-only and made by Goodyear, but the Douglas is a better tire. It also costs less, under $80 each
smile.gif


For $100 each, you can get actual Goodyear tires that are not Walmart specials. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric AS. Out of stock now, but when they get them in, they are worth considering.
 
Do you have a Discount Tire nearby? Looks like they have a few nice choices in that size at that price point.
 
IMHO & based on experience, those VIVA tires will be OK for about 10k-15k miles and then start turning to junk. They're a decent tire if you're getting rid of the car soon and just need tires.

If you folks are keeping the Malibu(a very nice car IMO) for any length of time, there are waaaaaaaay better tires at reasonable prices that will allow you guys to enjoy the vehicle in terms of ride, sterring, comfort, hiwy tracking and overall quality. Not life altering mind you but, peace of mind.

IMO/experience, those VIVA & other low quality tires will only cause you to want a better set of tires soon(er). Therefore, costing you money for tires & installation AGAIN instead of enjoying the car and saving that extra money by not having to do it all over.
 
Originally Posted by CKN
That's the most "contrived" review I have ever read.....on anything. I was waiting for "they will kill you and those on the road around you"..........

Obviously-that website doesn't get any of Walmart's massive advertising budget.


True enough, but the paragraph I grabbed from it is pretty much the truth (take the rest with a grain of salt). It said it better than I could; there are simply much better tires for the price than Walmart exclusives.
 
BobsArmory: Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Hopefully you get back to work soon. Do you belong to any warehouse clubs like Costco, BJs or Sam's Club? They always have tire specials and their discounts are at the register now a mail-in. I saw Bjs has a $70 discount plus $30 installation discount on Bridgestone tires until April 29th. Just a thought.

I've had good luck with Cooper CS5. Quiet, good grip and decent price. It should be able to handle light snow.
 
I recently put a set of Falken Ziex tires on a 1998 Accord. I also used them on our old 1993 Lexus ES300.
Wheel Works is a local tire shop in Northern CA; I generally get a pretty good price; I think they were about $60 a piece.
Great road feel and handling; great tire for the price.
Good luck.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Get the 737s .
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hankook-Kinergy-PT-H737-225-55R17-97H-Tire/107355122

We are liking our PT H737's on the Corolla so far. Made in USA and excellent in rain. Only 1K miles so cannot report on life or snow yet. Price is right at Walmart, too. I ordered online for delivery to a Walmart with a tire shop.

Got a great deal at BJ's with coupons for the truck, definitely check them out if they are nearby.
 
I have wore out a set of Viva 2 and they were fine. Actually pretty good traction in shallow snow and sanded ice. Better than some. Got about 40K miles for what I paid it was worth it.

Rod
 
Is Walmart really your only option? That would be one of the last places I'd buy tires from. Check out some local GY dealers, or Discount Tire (if you have them).
 
Also check out Amazon. Last set of tires I bought for my wife's car were from there. Sometimes the prices are better.
 
I'm partial to RT43's myself.

If cash is tight you could hit up CL and see what is out there. you might score some take-offs, or someone might have a decent set. There are tire shops who advertise used sets or cheap new sets. I realize some shudder at the thought of buying used tires, but it is a cheap option.
 
The Hankook PT tires already mentioned are nice. Another budget friendly tire that should be of good quality and performance is the Cooper Starfire Solus AS that was released July 2018. Right now they are listed on Amazon for $65.58 in your size.

https://www.amazon.com/Starfire-Solarus-All-Season-Radial-Tire-225/dp/B07FRLL6CY/ref=sr_1_18?crid=3B8S394MR7Y2S&keywords=225%2F55r17+tires&qid=1556119711&s=gateway&sprefix=225%2F55r17%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-18
 
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