In the quest for a new set of tires, it’s normal for you to go all sorts of avenues for your search. With so many people afraid to solely shop online for them, it’s only natural you might go into stores to have a look around. One potential brand of tire you could go with if that is what you decide to do is that of Definity. Today, we take a closer look at them in our review to help you get a better idea of what we dealing with.
Definity Tires Company Background
The name ‘Definity’ is definitely a bit of a strange one. It sounds kind of like infinity, but it has a ‘D’ sound on the front of it. You might be remiss to believe it is a brand new company seeking to make its way onto the tire landscape. However, that is not really the case. Definity Tires, as you may already know, are sold at Pep Boys auto stores. Pep Boys is a company that has been around since 1921 and is widely known throughout the United States. What once started as an answer to folks’ burgeoning love of cars has now expanded to a massive brand that takes care of all sorts of needs. One of those needs is, of course, tires.
It should come as no surprise at all to see that they have made deals to carry their own tires. In addition to selling products, they also do service, too, which is a bit of a rarity in today’s world. Many companies either do one or the other. Some don’t like that they do both, but we will leave that solely up to you. At any rate, Definity is a brand that is sold under the banner of Pep Boys tires. However, Pep Boys does not make them. That duty, in fact, falls to Cooper Tires, which is also based out of the USA, in Ohio, actually. Cooper is a much more well known brand than Definity, but within their ranks there are a number of smaller brands that fall under them. One of them happens to be Definity, which is being made out of China. A lot of people do not understand this. While Cooper is an American company and Pep Boys is as well, these tires come from China. There are two main manufacturing bases for Cooper Tires in China, serving to illustrate this choice.
Definity Tires Cost and Pricing
One very valid question that you might have about Definity Tires is just why would Pep Boys and Cooper Tires have them. After all, both brands are well established and have their own ‘things’ to do. Cooper has a brand, so why would they want to essentially siphon off their own business? While that is logical, it also doesn’t take into account a couple of factors. For one, they would know that some people just can’t or won’t buy their more ‘premium’ lines of tires. That would naturally set them up to come up with and back another brand like Definity.
On top of that, they also have the chance to get new eyeballs on a product by placing them in a store where it is more exclusive. Yes, you are here, but a lot of people don’t go online to shop. Plus, there is just something to it when you see that a product is ‘only sold here.’ Pep Boys, meanwhile, wins because they are able to sell products- tires- and also be able to service them as well. They are able to sell them under one roof in a much better capacity than if they were only bringing in tires. By ‘doing it all,’ they can capture more folks. As far as pricing goes, as you can imagine, the fact that they are made in China helps with the price. Also, having them at Pep Boys dictates that they must be lower than on average. So, you will not be overawed at the price you are asked to pay if you go with them.
Definity Warranties
A lot of tires that come from China come with no warranty, so you will be pleased that Definity tires do have one attached to them. Having said that, it’s not the easiest thing to understand. The biggest bit is that for 90 days you will have all defects or craftsmanship problems taken care of. After that, it’s up to Pep Boys to take care of. Some folks, again, have had mixed times with this, so good luck dealing with whomever the luck of the draw puts you with. They all also have a mileage warranties, with the 800 and 100 having a 50,000 mile one and the 200 having a 30,000 mile one. Many people have complained that they don’t hold up for that duration, so be advised on that.
Options
When it comes to options for Definity Tires, there are not too many to speak of here. They have three lines that they offer. They have a tire built for all seasons (the 800), a tire that is made for non directional summers (the 100), and they have a directional summer tire as well (the 200). that’s it, plain and simple. There is not a lot of head scratching to be done. If you are seeking a lower priced option and you have a car, truck, or SUV, then you will just pick the one you want out.
They don’t have a ton of choices, which is helpful for making choices, but it can also limit your options a little bit too much for some folks. If that is how you feel, we don’t blame you, but just know that this is part of the reason why they do not cost very much in relation to other tires. As far as finding Definity Tires goes, the best bet is to, of course, get them at your local Pep Boys stores. With that said, they can also be found online, though it is harder to do so unless you, again, utilize Pep Boys, of which they have that strong affiliation with. It’s exclusive-ish, is what we would deem it as. You just don’t see many of them sold that are not out of there.
Definity Tires Technologies and Features
As far as technology goes, Definity Tires are not going to exactly be among the highest on the totem pole. Definity Tires, though, are not going to be scraping down at the bottom of the barrel, either. That is because they do, at least, have that partnership with Cooper Tires. Having that helps them a bit with incorporating technology and having features, but it does not help a ton, seeing as how they are lower priced and just not going to have much of that stuff crammed into them. This may seem unfortunate to you, but it is just a fact of life. You’re not going to be able to have everything you want in one package, and this definitely illustrates that picture for you clearly. They have very typical tread patterns that will get the job done but will not do anything revolutionary. It’s also worth saying that they are two-ply sidewalls. So there is a little bit more likelihood of a puncture with them, obviously, than there would be with a triple wall of protection.
Durability
As with just about any set of tires from China, durability is going to be a big question mark beside them. These tires are not going to be the greatest, most durable things you have ever seen, but we also don’t think they are awful either. There are much worse companies out there. With that said, how you drive and operate can play a key role, too. Harder, rougher drivers are probably going to be best served with a premium tire set, while softer, easy going drivers will probably be just fine with them. We don’t think you are in supreme danger with them, but you do get what you pay for and will have to sacrifice somewhere.
Summary & Final Thoughts
Knowing all of the facts is a key part of picking out a new set of tires, and that rings true with Definity Tires. A lot of people just don’t know much about them, or are misled about their origins. They are made from China, but this is not an automatic downgrade of them. They can still provide you with a decent amount of quality for a good, low price, provided you realize that they are not perfect. If you can accept that, then you will be set!
Definity Tires Models
- HP800
- HP200
- HP100
* There do also appear to be some discontinued tires out there but it looks like all they offer for now are the tires listed above. Anything special may or may not be able to be found.
* It’s also worth noting that Pep Boys used to sell tires under the name of ‘Futura.’ It’s unclear if they are related to Definity or not (ie a brand change or if they have changed companies).