Are you sure different sized tires(different outer diameter ) will wreak havoc on the awd transfer case/viscous coupling of my Aztek.
The new set of wheels I am seriously considering, in my computation, has 28.04 inches in diameter and and 255 millimeters tire width for the rear wheels and 27.61 inches in diameter and 245 millimeters tire width for the front wheels. The rear wheel is about half inch taller and ten millimeters wider than the front.
Could you please elaborate or give the details as to why or how it will wreck havoc on........
On a Pathfinder or they'll hit the tops of the wheelwells and rub the fender liners in hard turns.
I had an Infiniti QX4 (same basic vehicle) and OE was 245/70-16. I went to 265/60-17 and they fit perfectly except for the slightest bit of rub in hard-over turns (like making a sharp U-turn).
Check your owner's manual to see if it has anything regarding different tire sizes for the AWD Aztek. In general though, it is not a good idea to stagger tire sizes on an AWD/4WD vehicle.
Drew Host Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
They can probably go to the taller tire size if they put on a lift kit. However, they mentioned doing mostly highway driving, so I wonder if the 30X9.5 would be best here.
For that matter, wouldn't a minivan serve even better in those conditions?
I recently bought a set of 15" wheels to replace the standard 14" wheels and god-awful Firestone FR690 tires on my 2001 Civic LX sedan. I am considering going to a 1956015 tire which is the same diameter as the 1857014's that are on it now. A couple of the customer service reps. at Discount Tire tell me that the car will accomodate a 2056015 tire with minimal affect on the speedo and gearing. I like the idea of a little larger tire on this car (lower rpm's on the highway) although it will have some affect on acceleration but don't want to have any clearance problems. Any idea if the 2056015 size are OK for this car or am I better off to "play it safe" with the 1956015?
I have 195/55R14 on my 1992 Civic DX (in place of 175/70R13 or 185/60R14).
I say in hindsight that you are better off sticking with (pardon pun) the "more normal", closer to stock size and just getting a better quality tire. It looks right, and eliminates any weird fitting issues, especially if you get a flat while traveling!
Anybody driving on the BF Goodrich Long Trail tires? My dealer can't get Michelins to replace my Firestones and said these are just as good if not better, but are $20 more expensive per tire than Michelin. What about gas mileage? I'd appreciate any input.
I have a '99 Concorde with 28,000 miles and the noisy tires need to be replaced.I would like recommandations for a quiet tire.They have to be 4-seasons.
I'd like to know exactly what Michelin tire they are offering to you.
Sounds like somebody is BSing you a bit. The BFG Radial Long-Trail T/A is a mid-priced tire. Sam's CLub sells them for about $70-75/tire in size 235/75-15 (I'm guessing that's your tire size).
The comparable Michelin is the LTX M/S. In that size you'll pay $100-125/tire.
From what I've heard the BFG is a good tire except for so-so performance in wet and snow. The Michelin seems to do everything well.
If you can, try to hold out for the Michelins. I think you'll be happier and they'll be quite a bit better than the Firestones and BFG's.
It was Michelin Cross Terrains 255/70/R16 - $140 each including tax and mounting The other choice was BFG Long Trail TA 255/70/R16 ROWL - $157 including tax and mounting
BTW.. Tirerack.com has the BFG's listed at $114 each with no tax, but $25 per tire shipping...mounting & balancing are extra.
OK, if it were me I'd go Michelin. There has been some discussion in here about that tire so you may want to scroll back some posts and read about it. Also Michelin's website has a lot of info on that tire.
IMHO, the BFG price is a rip-off. It makes sense that the 16" version is more $$$ than the 15" but more than the Michelin? Uhhh, no.
But it's your call. Just my two little cents. Perhaps others will chime in.
I am a helluva guy. I am!! Know why? Cuz I spend my time shopping prices for total strangers. What can I say? I'm weird.
Anyway, I went to Sam's Club and got prices on tires in 255/70-16 for the Exploder.
The only tire in that size they stock is the... ta dah!!... BFG Radial Long Trail T/A. $116.99 each.
Everything else is special order. Gotta pay 100% up front - takes about 5 days to get in.
Michelin Cross-Terrain - $117.26 Michelin LTX M/S - $118.94 Goodyear Wrangler AP - $117.36 in blackwall. $121.17 in white letter. Goodyear Wrangler RT/S - $102.76
Hey, I'm just tryin' to live up to the lofty standards set by Tireguy.
I would like to replace the factory Firestones on my 01 Focus ZTS. The factory Firestones don't seem to do well in the rain. I checked tirerack.com which has the following (Firestone excluded):
I saw some of the comments and have no experience with these particular tires and am confused. They mention that the Pirelli's make a lot of noise. Any suggestions on these or other tires?
The Pirellis do make noise but in my opinion the handling both dry and wet are worth the noise. The Goodyears and the BFGs I feel are bad in the wet. I would go with the Pirelli 7000 or even the 6000 if you want to save a little cash. I've used the 6000 and like them. Would use them again but now I have trucks and they don't come in my sizes.
But I will admit a bias. Every Pirelli I have used from the 77s to the 6000's and Scorpion Zeros have been excellent. Can't say that about any other tire I have used including Mich, Goodyear, BFG, Firestone, Falkans and older Nittos.
I recently purchased a 1999 certifed Camry from my local Toyota dealer. The car came equipped with brand new General Ameri*TE which were terrible. I was having vibration problems etc that no amount of balancing could remove. Finally, after reading the informative postings from my fellow Pensacolan, TireGuy, I decided to change to Michelin X1's. I priced them at the local Sam's Club and, just for grins, called the Toyota dealer to see what they would do on a swap. I spoke to the Service Manager who admitted he could not match Sam's price but was able to quote me a price which was only $30 more. This included balancing, mounting, road hazard - the works. He also offered me an $80 credit on the Generals, which brought the price to $50 less than Sam's. Admittedly I might have been able to sell the Generals for more on my own, but I really didn't want to hassle with it.
I had them put on today - Michelin T-Plus which (and I verified this with Michelin customer service) are the same as the X1's and the X Radial Plus which Sam's sells. To top it off, they did a complementary alignment which they normally charge $50 to do. So - I feel like I got a great deal - and the added comfort of having the dealer do the installation (assuming that, if they did screw something up, at least they would be able to fix it).
The point - don't rule out the dealer as a potential source for tire replacements. Get your best price elsewhere and give them a chance to beat it.
Did someone post info about Michelin offering some kind of freebie with a tire purchase.(walkabout radio's I believe). Any more info on this, I haven't seen anything. Not that I really want them but I may be able to get a few bucks for them on ebay to help defray the extra cost for Michelins a bit.
ecarmack posted something (#721) on 8/6. Looks like the promo starts on 8/26 or so? He must get some of the promo info in advance.
"What is it with all the freebies tiremakers conjure up? G-Force monitors, safety kits, etc. etc. Now I see Michelin is including a set of Motorola Talkabout 5200s with a set purchase (starting 8/26). A Talkabout set goes for about $60 on Amazon. I would much rather just have an extra discount on the tires."
The tires.com ad (Discount Tire/America's Tire) in the September issues of the car mags details the Motorola promo - Purchase any 4 Michelin tires 8/26/01 through 10/31/01 and get a free pair of Talkabout T5200s.
Well, if you want smooth and quiet then I think the Michelin Symmetry would be a great choice. They are OEM on the Lincoln Town Car among others so it is known as more of a luxury tire. I can't say how good the snow performance is but it will do what you want it to.
You may also want to consider the Michelin X-One for better 4-season use at the expense of comfort, and the Goodyear Aquatread 3 for the same reasons. The Aquatread and the X-One directly compete with one another.
I need to replace the tires on our Honda Mini Van after 40,000 miles ( Michelin Symmetry and yes rotate every 6,000 miles and check pressure, 35 psi, monthly, 215/65/16) I live in NJ and need tires that are good in snow and wet weather. After reading this page it seems we have a lot of people that really know tires, any help would be great, thanks in advance for your help. :-)
The X-One is designed for very high mileage and very good all-season traction. It is great for most folks who want a top-quality tire that offers long tread life. It's not a performance tire or a touring tire like the Eagle GA's and Michelin does not promote it as such.
You saw "goyankees" comments about the Symmetry's tread life. I think that's about par for the course. It's a tire that's designed more for a smooth ride and good all-around performance but sacrifices some tread life. 40K is pretty good for a tire like that, especially on a minivan. That's a testament to "goyankees" excellent maintenance regime.
Speaking of "goyankees", whom I'll cut a little slack as I'm an Atlanta resident and a Braves fan, I think if you want more treadlife (80K warranty) then the X-One is the choice. From the reports I've read the Rainforce MX4 will perform very well for you but has a shorter treadlife warranty (65K). I'd shop price between the two and if there's a significant diff, buy the lesser priced one. I'm not sure you'll notice a huge performance diff.
IIRC, the Rainforce MX4 didn't score as highly in Consumer Reports' test. It was good in the wet, but not as good as you would think from the name. Other tires were on par of that category, or even better all-round. Consumer Reports did recommend the Yokohama (can't remember the model right now). We don't have that model in Canada, which is why I went with the BFgoodrich Control T/A M65. The Pirelli P4000 Touring tires were the top rated tires, but they were noisier, rolling resistance was higher, and weren't as well rounded (snow and ice performance was only average) as the BFGs.
The Michelin Symmetries are supposed to be excellent, but they were a lot more expensive over here.
Drew Host Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I have Buick Regal with tires of the same size, P225/60R16, as your Concorde LX. The OEM tires with the Buick, Goodyear Eagle LS, are decent and the car is not noisy.
However, when it will be time to replace them I will buy Firestone SH-30 - except even better tires did appear recently or will appear in future.
I bought these tires a year ago for my other car, 98 Chevy Malibu, and it was the best thing what happened with the car. My wife and I are enjoying to drive it again.
Why SH-30? Mostly for its outstanding wet handling, i.e. safety. They are gripping wet pavement as dry one - practically, no difference. And resist hydroplaning.
In out experience, the SH-30 tires are not noisy. The performance tires are more stiff than touring ones, but we like it.
At Tirerack user surveys, the SH-30 used to receive the best ranking in category of the high performance all-season tires. Sometimes switching to the second place with Michelin Pilot XGT H4 the first.
Overall, these two tires have very close ranking. SH-30 are better for rain, Pilot for snow. I live in Connecticut, and rain is more of problem than snow here.
However, a new tire, Bridgestone Potenza RE950, holds the first place now, while with much less driving experience reported. Probably, does make sense to look at them too.
I can't think of a significantly better tire. The Michelin Pilot Sport, Dunlop SP9000, Pirelli P-Zero, BFG g-Force T/A, Goodyear F1, are right there.....
1/4 of passenger car tires and 1/3 of light truck tires are underinflated according to this study. 55% of the people didn't know where to find the manufacturers recommended tire pressure.
on CNN. They used video and images from the Explorer fiasco to "highlight" the need for proper inflation and regular maintenance.
Ya know, I think that's the first time I've seen the media suggest that Explorer owners had some culpability in their own deaths. I mean, now that Firestone has been completely demonized, they settled out of court in that case in Texas which most folks will assume that means Firestone has admitted guilt.
Thanks for your recommendation on the 205/50-R16s. Yes, the cost of the 7000 ($121) seems more than what I want to pay for an econocar. I don't know if I can trust a 6000 as a all-season tire. I guess you get what you pay for.
You mentioned Falkans and Nittos, I saw a Sears ad for Falkans and Nitto 450s are available at discount tires. What are your thoughts on them? I just want something that is a little better than the Firestone Firehawk GTA 02, which I think is poor in the rain.
It is not necessary to buy the very top model (currently Potenza RE950). Any 3 or 5 top ones would be fine.
Exclude the tires reported with low miles. E.g. SP Sport A2 currently is reported with less than 6k miles. Probably only one owner took the survey, and even he have the tires for several months only, never seen the winter. The Dunlop can turn to be a great tire, but I would wait till at least 200-300k miles reported. A million miles is even better.
By the way, the Firestone Firehawk GTA 02 you mentioned are between the worst in the survey. Dead last in rain and in snow.
However, the same company also makes a couple of the best tires: the above mentioned Potenza RE950 and Firehawk SH-30.
I was told that I should buy 2 new tires. I have almost 42K miles on my 2000 Maxima. My questions are:
1.) Should I just buy 4 since I am at 40K?
2.) Tire Rack shows my options as follows:
Bridgestone Potenza RE92 $154 each (current tire) Michelin Pilot XGT Z4 $183 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S $206 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 $183
I am in So. Cal, so I have no "winter" issues. I drive 35 miles one way to work daily and drive at speeds over 65 as often as possible. What do you recommend.
I've been lurking on these boards(especially the Seville board) for over a year. It's time I started inputting a bit. :-)
There have been a few comments lately about Firestone SH 30 tires. While I can't say how they'd do on other vehicles, I do have a definite opinion for my own vehicle, a 95 STS with 101K.
In short, they are some of the worst tires I have ever purchased. Wet traction is nil, even with the STS's traction control which kicks in all the time with these tires, they are by far the noisiest tires I have ever owned, and the ride is deplorable.
I live in Missouri, and the snow traction is non-existant. Last winter I got stuck twice in my own driveway with less than 3 inches of snow. Both times, my Explorer (in 2WD mode) easily got in and out. Didn't even have to put it in 4WD auto...
Lateral traction in on dry pavement is ok, but nothing to write home about. Traction during acceleration and braking is well below even the Goodyear GT+4's that I had before. They even ride worse than the GT+4's did.
I have 34K on these tires, and can't wait to get rid of them later this month.
I've read the reviews and comments at tirerack.com, and I honestly think the people who posted must have been driving on another tire. The comments there are 100% opposite of my experience.
I could not recommend these tires to anyone that ever drives in rain or snow, or anyone that like's to 'nail it' once in a while.
They may work fine on other vehicles, but I would never put them on a performance oriented car. Just my $.02 worth...
In my experience, installing them was the best thing that happened with the car. My wife and I like to drive it again.
Since installing the tires, my wife always asks me not to turn so fast. The tires hold the wet pavement as dry, rain and puddles do not matter.
The tires are stiff, but not noisy. Less noisy that the Affinity it replaced. However, with the Malibu I cannot judge the noise, because the car itself is rather noisy. Always drive with music.
There was a lot of snow the last winter in Connecticut. The tires were dependable in the snow, but nothing exceptional.
I bought the tires last fall, and the last Monday had the first rotation. Have 6,000-6,500 mile experience only. Do not know how the tires will behave at 35k miles. However, given they are designed to serve 50k miles, about 2/3 of thread probably must be worn out. Time to start looking for relacement.
By the way, the OEM Affinity are designed for 80,000 miles. Replaced them at 37k, but this was an error: had to do it at 32k. Driving through the last summer was unsafe.
Well, it looks like there aren't too many choices in the oddball 225/50-17 size.
The RE92 is a so-so tire in the Bridgestone line, IMO. I like the RE950 but, alas, not in your size. Actually nothing in your size from BStone except for the RE92. Yuck. BTW, you got all the miles out of those RE92's. 40K is all they got. Time for 4 new ones.
What else can we find...... nothing at Firestone, nothing at BFG, nothing at Yokohama, nothing at Nitto........
There's the Goodyear Eagle GS-D.
And those Michelins. The MXM is a hi-performance plus luxury tire. The XGTZ4 is hi-performance plus all-season traction (not like it's a snow tire but it will be pretty good in the wet). Don't know anything about the A/S. Sorry. For you the other two are a toss up.
If I stumble across anything decent in your size I'll shout out. Hopefully others have found a gold mine of 225/50-17's for you and will post here.
There is a M+S version of the P6000. I think it is called P6000 Supersport.
However, I think you may be making a common mistake. A M+S rated or "All season" tire mayt actually be worse in the rain than the regular "summer" tire.
The M+S means that the tire has tread blocks that will grip (to a point) in lose stuff like mud and snow (duh) Just for education purposes check out Tirerack., They did a comparo of the P6000, P6000 Suoersport and the Mich MXVS. The comments in it will help explain why summer tires nay be what you want. I would use All season only if I was occasionally in snow country. (Of course in real snopw country, dedicated snow tores)
Yes, I'm familiar with Nitto. They make a good line of value-priced tires, mostly performance models. I compare them to Toyo and Falken. The NT450 is a decent, performance-related tire that appeals to folks looking at price as much as quality or performance.
But they don't offer anything in your size. Neither does Toyo or Dunlop. Or Pirelli.
I'm lookin' but I caint see nothin'.
OK, I found a Falken ZIEX S/TZ01 in your size.
If it were me, I'd go to Wheel Warehouse in Anaheim (Lemon Ave exit off the 91). They are on a level with Tire Rack for expertise and selection. I had friends that worked there and for years that's the only place I went to get tires and wheels. If they don't have a selection then no one does.
Yurakm: Since your experience with the Firehawk SH30 is obviously very different than mine, I'm courious, what size do you have?
Mine are 225/60/16. I'm wondering if they vary dramatically between sizes? For example, if yours are 215/60/15 (which I believe is the stock size for Malibu's) could the 10mm tread and 1" of height make that much difference?
I don't doubt that you like the tires, I'm just trying to figure out how our experience with the same basic tire is so different. I don't think I have a bad set; there's no vibration, treadwear has been good, and they've worn evenly. I wonder if the different sizes use a different compound?
Your Malibu has a softer suspension than the STS, which could explain the ride difference, but it's the traction I'm really courious about. I can be driving down a Interstate in fairly light rain and the car will start to get loose rather quickly. Hit a puddle on the road and forget it; it will immediately start to hydroplane at any speed above about 60.
I got these tires about 1 1/2 years ago, and they've been like this since day one. I'm actively comparing tires right now in order to get new ones later this month.
A couple of local tire dealers have 30 day satisfaction 100% refund guarantee's, so I'll probably try a few different tires before I settle on one.
I'll post a separate message with what I'm looking for and asking for recomendations.
Comments
The new set of wheels I am seriously considering, in my computation, has 28.04 inches in diameter and and 255 millimeters tire width for the rear wheels and 27.61 inches in diameter and 245 millimeters tire width for the front wheels. The rear wheel is about half inch taller and ten millimeters wider than the front.
Could you please elaborate or give the details as to why or how it will wreck havoc on........
Any info you give are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
The BFG Radial Long Trail T/A is $69.00
The Cross Terrain is $125.00. If Sam's can beat either price I say buy 'em.
In between those two are Pirelli, two Bridgestone's, Continental, Dunlop Radial Rover, Yokohama, and General.
Lots of choices...........
If you don't go off road much, your price can come down and ride quality go up.
I got BFG TA KO's for I think $112 each in 31X10.5R15.
Or, you could move to a 75 series tire, and your options might improve. How about 255/75 or 265/75?
Let us know how you made out.
I had an Infiniti QX4 (same basic vehicle) and OE was 245/70-16. I went to 265/60-17 and they fit perfectly except for the slightest bit of rub in hard-over turns (like making a sharp U-turn).
Do not go to 31" tires on a Pathfinder.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
For that matter, wouldn't a minivan serve even better in those conditions?
Do they even exist?
I have 195/55R14 on my 1992 Civic DX (in place of 175/70R13 or 185/60R14).
I say in hindsight that you are better off sticking with (pardon pun) the "more normal", closer to stock size and just getting a better quality tire. It looks right, and eliminates any weird fitting issues, especially if you get a flat while traveling!
Let us know how you make out...
Thanks
Sounds like somebody is BSing you a bit. The BFG Radial Long-Trail T/A is a mid-priced tire. Sam's CLub sells them for about $70-75/tire in size 235/75-15 (I'm guessing that's your tire size).
The comparable Michelin is the LTX M/S. In that size you'll pay $100-125/tire.
From what I've heard the BFG is a good tire except for so-so performance in wet and snow. The Michelin seems to do everything well.
If you can, try to hold out for the Michelins. I think you'll be happier and they'll be quite a bit better than the Firestones and BFG's.
Thanks.
The other choice was BFG Long Trail TA 255/70/R16 ROWL - $157 including tax and mounting
BTW.. Tirerack.com has the BFG's listed at $114 each with no tax, but $25 per tire shipping...mounting & balancing are extra.
IMHO, the BFG price is a rip-off. It makes sense that the 16" version is more $$$ than the 15" but more than the Michelin? Uhhh, no.
But it's your call. Just my two little cents. Perhaps others will chime in.
Anyway, I went to Sam's Club and got prices on tires in 255/70-16 for the Exploder.
The only tire in that size they stock is the... ta dah!!... BFG Radial Long Trail T/A. $116.99 each.
Everything else is special order. Gotta pay 100% up front - takes about 5 days to get in.
Michelin Cross-Terrain - $117.26
Michelin LTX M/S - $118.94
Goodyear Wrangler AP - $117.36 in blackwall.
$121.17 in white letter.
Goodyear Wrangler RT/S - $102.76
Hey, I'm just tryin' to live up to the lofty standards set by Tireguy.
Pirelli P7000 SUPERSPORT
Bridgestone Potenza RE92
Goodyear Eagle RS-A
BFGoodrich Radial T/A
I saw some of the comments and have no experience with these particular tires and am confused. They mention that the Pirelli's make a lot of noise. Any suggestions on these or other tires?
But I will admit a bias. Every Pirelli I have used from the 77s to the 6000's and Scorpion Zeros have been excellent. Can't say that about any other tire I have used including Mich, Goodyear, BFG, Firestone, Falkans and older Nittos.
I recently purchased a 1999 certifed Camry from my local Toyota dealer. The car came equipped with brand new General Ameri*TE which were terrible. I was having vibration problems etc that no amount of balancing could remove. Finally, after reading the informative postings from my fellow Pensacolan, TireGuy, I decided to change to Michelin X1's. I priced them at the local Sam's Club and, just for grins, called the Toyota dealer to see what they would do on a swap. I spoke to the Service Manager who admitted he could not match Sam's price but was able to quote me a price which was only $30 more. This included balancing, mounting, road hazard - the works. He also offered me an $80 credit on the Generals, which brought the price to $50 less than Sam's. Admittedly I might have been able to sell the Generals for more on my own, but I really didn't want to hassle with it.
I had them put on today - Michelin T-Plus which (and I verified this with Michelin customer service) are the same as the X1's and the X Radial Plus which Sam's sells. To top it off, they did a complementary alignment which they normally charge $50 to do. So - I feel like I got a great deal - and the added comfort of having the dealer do the installation (assuming that, if they did screw something up, at least they would be able to fix it).
The point - don't rule out the dealer as a potential source for tire replacements. Get your best price elsewhere and give them a chance to beat it.
Ken S.
Only promos I know of is BFG and Uniroyal. Check their websites for details.
"What is it with all the freebies tiremakers conjure up? G-Force monitors, safety kits, etc. etc. Now I see Michelin is including a set of Motorola Talkabout 5200s with a set purchase (starting 8/26). A Talkabout set goes for about $60 on Amazon. I would much rather just have an extra discount on the tires."
You may also want to consider the Michelin X-One for better 4-season use at the expense of comfort, and the Goodyear Aquatread 3 for the same reasons. The Aquatread and the X-One directly compete with one another.
PS
If you think another tires is better let me know!
"Michelin X-One for better 4-season use at the expense of comfort"
You saw "goyankees" comments about the Symmetry's tread life. I think that's about par for the course. It's a tire that's designed more for a smooth ride and good all-around performance but sacrifices some tread life. 40K is pretty good for a tire like that, especially on a minivan. That's a testament to "goyankees" excellent maintenance regime.
Speaking of "goyankees", whom I'll cut a little slack as I'm an Atlanta resident and a Braves fan, I think if you want more treadlife (80K warranty) then the X-One is the choice. From the reports I've read the Rainforce MX4 will perform very well for you but has a shorter treadlife warranty (65K). I'd shop price between the two and if there's a significant diff, buy the lesser priced one. I'm not sure you'll notice a huge performance diff.
Hope all this helps!
The Michelin Symmetries are supposed to be excellent, but they were a lot more expensive over here.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
However, when it will be time to replace them I will buy Firestone SH-30 - except even better tires did appear recently or will appear in future.
I bought these tires a year ago for my other car, 98 Chevy Malibu, and it was the best thing what happened with the car. My wife and I are enjoying to drive it again.
Why SH-30? Mostly for its outstanding wet handling, i.e. safety. They are gripping wet pavement as dry one - practically, no difference. And resist hydroplaning.
In out experience, the SH-30 tires are not noisy. The performance tires are more stiff than touring ones, but we like it.
At Tirerack user surveys, the SH-30 used to receive the best ranking in category of the high performance all-season tires. Sometimes switching to the second place with Michelin Pilot XGT H4 the first.
Overall, these two tires have very close ranking. SH-30 are better for rain, Pilot for snow. I live in Connecticut, and rain is more of problem than snow here.
However, a new tire, Bridgestone Potenza RE950, holds the first place now, while with much less driving experience reported. Probably, does make sense to look at them too.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp
Anyone tried S-03?
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/08/29/tire.safety/index.html
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Ya know, I think that's the first time I've seen the media suggest that Explorer owners had some culpability in their own deaths. I mean, now that Firestone has been completely demonized, they settled out of court in that case in Texas which most folks will assume that means Firestone has admitted guilt.
You mentioned Falkans and Nittos, I saw a Sears ad for Falkans and Nitto 450s are available at discount tires. What are your thoughts on them?
I just want something that is a little better than the Firestone Firehawk GTA 02, which I think is poor in the rain.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp
It is not necessary to buy the very top model (currently Potenza RE950). Any 3 or 5 top ones would be fine.
Exclude the tires reported with low miles. E.g. SP Sport A2 currently is reported with less than 6k miles. Probably only one owner took the survey, and even he have the tires for several months only, never seen the winter. The Dunlop can turn to be a great tire, but I would wait till at least 200-300k miles reported. A million miles is even better.
By the way, the Firestone Firehawk GTA 02 you mentioned are between the worst in the survey. Dead last in rain and in snow.
However, the same company also makes a couple of the best tires: the above mentioned Potenza RE950 and Firehawk SH-30.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
1.) Should I just buy 4 since I am at 40K?
2.) Tire Rack shows my options as follows:
Bridgestone Potenza RE92 $154 each (current tire)
Michelin Pilot XGT Z4 $183
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S $206
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 $183
I am in So. Cal, so I have no "winter" issues. I drive 35 miles one way to work daily and drive at speeds over 65 as often as possible. What do you recommend.
Also one tire store mentioned Nitto. Are they any good?
Thanks much. I really aprreciate the boards. Came in handy when buying my Max.
There have been a few comments lately about Firestone SH 30 tires. While I can't say how they'd do on other vehicles, I do have a definite opinion for my own vehicle, a 95 STS with 101K.
In short, they are some of the worst tires I have ever purchased. Wet traction is nil, even with the STS's traction control which kicks in all the time with these tires, they are by far the noisiest tires I have ever owned, and the ride is deplorable.
I live in Missouri, and the snow traction is non-existant. Last winter I got stuck twice in my own driveway with less than 3 inches of snow. Both times, my Explorer (in 2WD mode) easily got in and out. Didn't even have to put it in 4WD auto...
Lateral traction in on dry pavement is ok, but nothing to write home about. Traction during acceleration and braking is well below even the Goodyear GT+4's that I had before. They even ride worse than the GT+4's did.
I have 34K on these tires, and can't wait to get rid of them later this month.
I've read the reviews and comments at tirerack.com, and I honestly think the people who posted must have been driving on another tire. The comments there are 100% opposite of my experience.
I could not recommend these tires to anyone that ever drives in rain or snow, or anyone that like's to 'nail it' once in a while.
They may work fine on other vehicles, but I would never put them on a performance oriented car. Just my $.02 worth...
In my experience, installing them was the best thing that happened with the car. My wife and I like to drive it again.
Since installing the tires, my wife always asks me not to turn so fast. The tires hold the wet pavement as dry, rain and puddles do not matter.
The tires are stiff, but not noisy. Less noisy that the Affinity it replaced. However, with the Malibu I cannot judge the noise, because the car itself is rather noisy. Always drive with music.
There was a lot of snow the last winter in Connecticut. The tires were dependable in the snow, but nothing exceptional.
I bought the tires last fall, and the last Monday had the first rotation. Have 6,000-6,500 mile experience only. Do not know how the tires will behave at 35k miles. However, given they are designed to serve 50k miles, about 2/3 of thread probably must be worn out. Time to start looking for relacement.
By the way, the OEM Affinity are designed for 80,000 miles. Replaced them at 37k, but this was an error: had to do it at 32k. Driving through the last summer was unsafe.
The RE92 is a so-so tire in the Bridgestone line, IMO. I like the RE950 but, alas, not in your size. Actually nothing in your size from BStone except for the RE92. Yuck. BTW, you got all the miles out of those RE92's. 40K is all they got. Time for 4 new ones.
What else can we find...... nothing at Firestone, nothing at BFG, nothing at Yokohama, nothing at Nitto........
There's the Goodyear Eagle GS-D.
And those Michelins. The MXM is a hi-performance plus luxury tire. The XGTZ4 is hi-performance plus all-season traction (not like it's a snow tire but it will be pretty good in the wet). Don't know anything about the A/S. Sorry. For you the other two are a toss up.
If I stumble across anything decent in your size I'll shout out. Hopefully others have found a gold mine of 225/50-17's for you and will post here.
However, I think you may be making a common mistake. A M+S rated or "All season" tire mayt actually be worse in the rain than the regular "summer" tire.
The M+S means that the tire has tread blocks that will grip (to a point) in lose stuff like mud and snow (duh) Just for education purposes check out Tirerack., They did a comparo of the P6000, P6000 Suoersport and the Mich MXVS. The comments in it will help explain why summer tires nay be what you want. I would use All season only if I was occasionally in snow country. (Of course in real snopw country, dedicated snow tores)
But they don't offer anything in your size. Neither does Toyo or Dunlop. Or Pirelli.
I'm lookin' but I caint see nothin'.
OK, I found a Falken ZIEX S/TZ01 in your size.
If it were me, I'd go to Wheel Warehouse in Anaheim (Lemon Ave exit off the 91). They are on a level with Tire Rack for expertise and selection. I had friends that worked there and for years that's the only place I went to get tires and wheels. If they don't have a selection then no one does.
Best of luck!!
Mine are 225/60/16. I'm wondering if they vary dramatically between sizes? For example, if yours are 215/60/15 (which I believe is the stock size for Malibu's) could the 10mm tread and 1" of height make that much difference?
I don't doubt that you like the tires, I'm just trying to figure out how our experience with the same basic tire is so different. I don't think I have a bad set; there's no vibration, treadwear has been good, and they've worn evenly. I wonder if the different sizes use a different compound?
Your Malibu has a softer suspension than the STS, which could explain the ride difference, but it's the traction I'm really courious about. I can be driving down a Interstate in fairly light rain and the car will start to get loose rather quickly. Hit a puddle on the road and forget it; it will immediately start to hydroplane at any speed above about 60.
I got these tires about 1 1/2 years ago, and they've been like this since day one. I'm actively comparing tires right now in order to get new ones later this month.
A couple of local tire dealers have 30 day satisfaction 100% refund guarantee's, so I'll probably try a few different tires before I settle on one.
I'll post a separate message with what I'm looking for and asking for recomendations.