Should I get new tires for a 16-year-old car?

I have a 2002 Honda Civic sedan. Lately, I've noticed tires spinning when I accelerate on wet pavement or try to accelerate quickly. Of course, if I take it to a garage, they are going to try to sell me tires. With winter coming, I'm concerned about them, but do not want to invest in a whole set of tires on a car I may be trading in next year. Any suggestions?

Buy the tires. They're not an investment. They're a safety measure.

Tyres are the one thing between you and the road - and if they are not good, you are not safe.

Tread depth is the criteria. In the UK 2mm is the recommended minimum. There should be blocks in the tread which you can feel with your fingers which when level with the tread indicate the time to replace.

So save $400 to have an accident. Huh? Buy some tires.

You can buy used tires. Go to a tire store they'll be happy to sell you used street legal tires. You'll get at least 10k miles. Hopefully long enuf before you sell it.

Tires wear out a lot faster than cars. The age of a car is not an indicator of how often you
need tires. If you don't have any traction or the tires are bald, you need new ones. If you aren't keeping the car long, just get cheaper tires.

Bad tires should always be replaced. You don't want to be killed, whether the car is old or new. Check the tread depth and for proper inflation.

If you're going to think that way, then you may as well get rid of the car now.

Tyres are just a running cost of maintaining a car. The current set appear to have hardened with age and likely have low tread levels. So even a set of brand new budget brand tyres are going to be an improvement on what you have now.

Alternatively try to find remoulded tyres (NOT retreads). They can be far better than cheap new tyres as they have rubber compounds which are really soft and grippy, far more like motorcycle tyres have. But they also tend to last about half as long as new tyres. Not a problem if you're chucking the car in next year.

Modern remoulds are absolutely as safe as new tyres. They're good enough that aeroplane tyres are routinely remoulded, as are many racing tyres.

New tires will help the trade-in value.

So you're willing to risk your own life, as well as possibly other road users, simply because you MAY trade in the car next year?

Buy a set of quality tires!