My experiences with tires:


Michelin
Yokohama


Goodyear
Firestone

Experiences with tyres? Don't they just stop you scraping along the road?

They protect the wheel, provide grip and all the rest.

My experience with tires is that my car isn't worth enough to warrant spending more than the cheapest available in the correct size

Exactly

I spend more time thinking about what ones to use in Gran Turismo than I do in real life

Although in that case, it's more about the type of compound used, rather than the brand. Grip vs speed of wear for a long race and all that stuff nobody but me is interest in ...

I am totally rubbish at driving games but I used to enjoy all that kind of stuff like weight v. agility for armour in 'Vagrant Story'

The right tyres can save significant amounts of fuel too.

Ahem.... Almost nobody.

Yeah, this is correct but it matters not when one has the wrong car in the first place

Welcome.

I tend to think of them as the part of the car that enables me to change direction, accelerate, and brake, in dry and wet conditions. If they aren't working properly, and especially if they suddenly decide to stop working properly, my car, and quite possibly me, will be toast very very quickly. This view is partly based on having a retread go pop on me, when I got my first "proper" car (after I graduated). The dealer I bought it from told me he would put new tires on it. When I picked it up a few days later it had "new" retreads on it. He assured me they were "very good", and they had "never given any problem". A few months after belting up and down the M4, I was, entirely coincidentally, just a few hundred feet from the dealer's lot when I heard a "POP" sound as I slowly (less than walking pace) turned right in a crossroads. The tire had ripped 2-3" next to the hub, and then ripped a similar length radially at one end, making a triangular flap. The dealer offered to replace it for free; I told him to remove them all and put on a set of Michelins. If the problem had occurred on the motorway, the outcome would likely have been very different.

I hated the Pirelli Scorpions I had on my F150, they would flat spot over night and thus the first several miles every morning were a bone shuddering experience when the temperature drops. I was so happy when they finally died (60,000 miles(ish). These were the OEM original 20" ones on my factory 20" rims, not sure if this may explain the differing opinion?

On a little side note, I almost bought a complete new set of, smaller, rims and tires for my truck (18" I believe) when it came time to replace these, it would only have worked out a fraction more than the 20" tires prices I was being quoted. I then found the tires I am using now. When these die I may be in the same position if I can no longer get them at the good price I paid.

I have to admit i have been pleasantly surprised by Cooper tires, they seem to wear well and behave excellently, plus I believe they are made in the USA so a bonus there!

Two things I very rarely skimp on is tires and brakes, when you need them, you REALLY need them.

Do I need pretty green colored headlights? No!
Do I need chrome wing mirrors? No!
Do I need the ability to stop quickly and safely in all kinds of weather and road conditions?

I've put over 100,000 miles on my car using the same tire brand, compound, type and whatever other variable and they do the job for me