Budget all-season tires for a daily driver
I’ve run a variety of cheap tires trough the years for daily driving. At the time of this writing this article I’m at 238k miles. I’m running Fullway HP108 225/45/17 oversized tires on the stock 17×7 Scion tC split spokes without any issues. I also run Fullway on my 18″ rims.
Fullway HP108 All-Season Tires
At the time of writing this article, the Fullway HP108 225/45/17 tires from Amazon cost about $70 each (after tax and free shipping). A set of 4 tires for $280 aint bad. You can get the mounted and balanced at your local tire shop. They aren’t any louder or quieter than other tires in this price range.
Stock is 215/45/17
With an oversized 225/45/17 tire driving will feel looser overall. Bumps will feel a little more mushy. Your speedometer will be a hair off because your rolling diameter is larger. A jump from 215 to 225 is insignificant IMO. I talk more about that in this article. I keep the tire pressure between 32-33psi on all 4-corners, even on my 18″ setup.
For the Scion tC if you’re looking for tire pressure OEM settings it will be found on the sticker in your driver side door jam:
If you’re not trying to break the bank, you’ve looked at cheap tires too. In the end the Fullway HP108 All Season tire has great reviews from other owners and they offer great value for what you are paying. Keep in mind these are 380AA rated tires so they won’t last as long as more expensive name brands. Expect to get about 2-3 years from Fullways.
Tread and handling
For an All Season tire the Fullways do just fine in wet handling but keep in mind I live in San Diego, it doesn’t rain a ton here. I don’t have any experience running the Fullway HP108s in the snow. Here’s a look at the tread:
Some road hazard accesories I keep with me
I keep a portable 12v tire inflator in my car. Here’s a link to the digital tire pressure gauge. I also carry a telescoping lung wrench for the lug nuts, it has an extension so you can get better leverage. I just use the stock jack.
It is possible to fit a full size in the trunk with some minor trimming to the edge of the hatch panel seen here.
