Serving lunch at church on Feb 5th | Buying new tires in the winter

[Michael Liu]

Hello brothers and sisters,

I hope you & family are keeping warm and safe in this cold weather. I have a couple things to share:

Announcement - Our fellowship is assigned to serve lunch on Feb 5th and please plan ahead of time. I will share more details as soon as I get them.

Personal sharing about buying new tires - As winter and snow hits, many drivers frantically look for new tires. Yesterday afternoon, the line at my local Discount Tires backed up all the way to the street. Please let me share my knowledge as your brother (not a salesperson, blogger, etc)

• Don't buy cheap tires - It's basically a risk and reward. Cheaper tires tend to require longer braking distance on wet surfaces. Please spend that extra couple hundred dollars to avoid a possible collision.
  
• Think twice before going for the high mileage warranty - Many tires come with a 70 or 80 thousand mile warranty. However, tires are made of rubber and they deteriorate over time even without mileage. Tires tend to last ~5 years if kept outdoor, and ~6 years for indoor. So, let's say you drive 8K miles per year on average, which means 40K in 5 years. Then, you will need to retire the tires way before the warranty.
• Pay attention to traction rating (here) - The rating is based on braking ability on wet surfaces, and is separated into AA, A, B and C. While the salesman boasts about the tire performance, be sure to ask for the traction rating. For example, AA-rated tires provide 42% more G-force than B-rated tires on asphalt during lab tests.

OK, it's time for a real-life story: I love sports cars and always choose Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season tires. These may be the only all-season tires with AA traction rating, but only have a 45K mile warranty in exchange. My Toyota Sienna came with Michelin tires & only a B traction rating, and it clearly suffers in wet condition. I recently swapped those tires with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season and the difference is massive! I can't be happier with my choice and praise the Lord for these new tires just before the snow.

In short, don't just buy any tires. Please do your homework in advance. Stay safe and warm !

Michael