American Tires: Times Are Changing

There was a time when the only tires the American public would buy were American tires. Times are changing and it shows. Now when someone goes out to buy new tires, often times they do not even ask where the tire is made. If the price is right and the performance is there, they will buy it.

One of the few tires still considered an American tire company is in the Cooper tire company. The other two are Kelly Springfield and Goodyear. If you thought Firestone, you were wrong. They are Japanese. From France we have BF Goodrich and Michelin.

Convenience And Price Rule

Over the recent years tire sales have dropped across the board. The public is no longer concerned where the tire is coming from. Super center discount stores are being partly held responsible for this. With so many different stores now having tire and service centers connected to the store, people are liking the fact that they can drop off the car, do the shopping, and go pick up the car when they are done. It has come down to a matter of convenience. Convenience and price.

Imports

Many of the super stores offer very good deals on their selection of tires. These are not American tires. They are imports from China, Japan, and other foreign countries. However, the consumer does not seem to care. The price of the import tires is less than the American tires. The quality and performance seem to be on par with the American tires. This is what is important when buying tires.

Unless you ask you may never know whether you are actually buying American tires. It may not be of any importance to you. The safety of your vehicle rests mainly on your tires. If a lower priced tire can perform like the big name brands, it should not matter where they come from. But for some people it is still important.

Supply And Demand

There are import tires just like there are import anythings. We buy fresh produce from Brazil, electronics from Japan, and cocoa beans from Argentina. International trading goes on in every market. Most of the time the American public is aware of it. There are certain products, like tires, that are often over looked as being imported. This does not stop the law of supply and demand. Whether you prefer American tires over foreign tires is entirely up to you. The key to the purchase is the safety factor.

When you buy a tire, whether it is an American tire or not, check the ratings on the side of the tire. Make sure it has been manufactured for your vehicle. You do not want a tire which has a lower load capacity than what it expected for your vehicle. You want a tire capable of dispersing the heat when you are on a road trip. You want good gas mileage. All these things factor into your choice of the tires you buy. So whether you buy American tires or Japanese, you need to be safe.