Lincoln LS

goodyrl

I have the indash radio/cd alpine system. For a while now (inconsistently) when i try and change the channel using the steering wheel button the volume goes up & down instead of the channel changing. In addition (inconsistently) the cd player stays on even after the door is open and i am leaving the car. Has anyone had this problem ?
Any thoughts as to what the cause might be. Originally the local dealer was going to put a radio in now they say they'll give me a loaner and send it out to be fixed. Thanks

ezaircon4jc

My radio did that on delivery. I have the CD changer in the trunk and the cassette head unit. There is some kind of self-diagnostic in the radio. The radio kept saying the switch was bad even though it turned out to be the radio! After the dealer replaced the steering wheel control switch and that didn't alleviate the problem, they replaced the radio and all's been well since.

karzz

More on the 2003 Town Car:

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10296&make_id=trust

And other future products of Lincoln (new Continental concept coming):

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10295

badazzls6

OK,OK,OK; I do wear my seat belt but most and probualy everyone of you do not know were I live and don't know that our inter-city speed limit is only 25MPH! The community I live in is only 10MPH. My whole argument was in MY OWN OPINION that the chime that you get if you don't wear your seat belt, I think it's annoying. But that MY OWN OPINION!! I put the original message up too help someone out with a question/problem hopefully to resolve it and a little of my own two cents. I did not know it would start a chain reaction on seat belt safety and how the governments five-star rating works a how it is useless without the aid of seat belts. I already knew that. Oh, it does beep even if you go under 25MPH.

This is supposed too be a helpful forum for people too talk about there vehicals (LS) and ask questions if something goes wrong with-it. We should not be here to bicker some ones thoughts and opinions; maybe rebuttal but, no slander. There alot of smart and helpful members on this site and I like to aide in answers, opinions, and questions.

ronniepooh

Sorry to reply to the initial thread so late, but wanted to add in my thoughts. Have 44k on my original Sport Package Firestone Firehawks, still not down to the wear bars. Had a huge rain two nights ago, and even worn, I had no problem with wet traction. Bought a set from Tirerack that I have stored and awaiting installation, probably late next Spring. Two thumbs up all the way around is my experience with these tires.

ronniepooh

Ok Guys. I know we have discussed this before, but here is my final analysis. Im 90% certain that at least my own 2000 LS V6 Sport/Auto has a top speed limiter that kicks in around 124-126mph. I tested it again this past weekend on a wide open stretch of empty highway. Car pulled strongly to about 110mph, then hit a slight downhill stretch, car climbed steadily to about 123, then I could cleanly feel some sort of rev/top speed/gas limiter engage, slowing the car slightly...almost as if the gas was being cut from the engine. I know Lincoln guys on this forun have stated that only the non-sport 6's have top speed limiters, but Im certain mine does have a limiter. True, venturing into 124 plus territory isnt legal on US roads, but bottom line is, shouldnt the car perform as its supposed to? Is there any way for a Lincoln dealer to verify my suspicions, and if found to be the case, correct it? I'm not intending to make a big issue out of this, but if Sport Packaged LS's dont have limiters at 124mph, then can I get my limiter removed or raised?

akirby

Excuse us for caring about you and not wanting to see you hurt. We'll try to be more callous in the future.

dbossman

Anyone catch the article on forbes.com about the Premier Auto group at Ford (which includes Lincoln)?

http://forbes.com/2001/11/19/1119flint.html

Here is an interesting quote:

"The newest car, the Lincoln LS, which was to be the start of a rebirth, is off 22%. Talk about one-year sensations. Why hasn't Ford spent some money to broaden its Lincoln LS line?"

Any thoughts?

socal_steve

ronnie - I put an Alpine DVD/NAV system in my 2001 LS. I did not put monitors in the rear headrest but did see another LS which the guy who did mine had completed with the same size 6" monitor monitor as I had in my Alpine flip up.

Contact Marco at Henry's in Anaheim, CA (714) 995-5353 and ask him about the LS he did for Steve and the one that was done for Sal (has DVD, NAV and Playstation.) In addition he was able to put an infra-red control so the steering wheel control was able to function with DVD and CD. This has been a great system to have and I highly recommend the Alpine products, I am comteplating XM radio as an add on.

brunobus

What about finding a way to jack up the vehicle safely and run it without the tires touching the ground. That should give an idea of if/where the limiter is set. Just gotta make sure that whatever is holding the car up will ABSOLUTELY not be able to fall with the tires turning at 140 MPH.

One would probably need to disable the traction system though in case it relies on seeing the front wheels turning for its (non)operation (and I think it does). I remember reading an article somewhere on someone testing a BMW on a dyno and could not achieve full power because the front wheels were not turning.

Bruno
LLSOC member

airwolf1000

What is Marco's Last name in Anaheim? I have a cousin that owns a stereoshop in that area. Actually he is an Alpine Dealer also.
Regards,
Airwolf

johnnylinc

The TC headrests won't fit, either; like the Sable that you saw, the posts are farther apart than the LS. My mom's TC is a '99, but I think the '98 thru '02 models are the same.

alphanstein

It might not be a speed limiter, it might be the air intake limiting the air/fuel mix to the point that the engine cuts out. One of the engineers at Wixom mentioned this as a known problem with high speeds and the engine under heavy load from drag and all. Have you done any mods to the intake/exhaust? If not, this may help you.

scottc8

Many of us have had brief encounters with the Lincoln stability control. I had one this AM worth sharing: Tight right-hand city corner, glare ice with a light dusting of snow on top of it, about as slick as slick can be, road surface sloping away from the curb. I slowed almost to a stop approaching the turn, and started around it with the barest touch on the throttle. Still too much; the front end slid a couple inches out of line, then I heard the ABS working on what felt like one or two wheels and the car tracked right around the corner just inches wide of my intended path. Never touched the brakes. It was fantastic, like a slow motion demo. If a salesman could set this up he'd sell the car on the spot. Many hats off to the people that designed this system.

badazzls6, lighten up, or switch to decaf, or something.

Scott
LLSOC Member

ronniepooh

No, ive done no mods at all to the intake, exhaust, or engine at all for that matter. Thanx for the input. I think I may try the airbox mod soon, just been putting it off, and also seeing how others have enjoyed the modification long-term.

ronniepooh

Thanx for the tips, and I just spoke with Marco. Nice guy, quite helpful. I *think* he stated that he used 6.8 inch Alpine monitors in the stock LS headrests? I could be wrong, maybe he said 6 inch, but regardless he said plenty of room. He also gave me tips by saying to heat the vinyl during the install so it stretches around into and around the internal frame for a flush mount. Told me to cut small and work from there, always leaving plenty of material to work with. The guy at Specialvehicleconcepts.com got back to me as well, and stated they used 6 inch monitors in their project LS. So, Im going to go with 5 inch monitors, so I should be quite safe. My only dilemma now is whether I want to risk cutting my own headrests, or simply take the headrests and monitors to a local shop and let them do the cutting/install of the monitors into the actual headrests. Hmm..I'll keep you guys posted, if your interested.

badazzls6

I had my re-flash done today on my trans. Feels a little better than before. The dealer told me that it will take a couple of days for the computer to reconise and relearn Park to Reverse and from reverse-neutral-drive. He said it will smooth out even more, he also said, that there's a flash upgrade every several of months or so. They should make a upgrade to delete the rev & speed limiter or a computer mod. that would accommidate for a new muffler or air box setup. That would be nice for a couple of more freed up ponys under the hood.

Hey Scottc8, why don't you lighten up buddy! I don't drink coffee; it makes your breath stink! Just like your words. Try some water, it's better for you!

Best regards,
Mike

swauger

First, the bad omen. Did you all read your American Luxury magazine this month? In an article on investing or some such in the back, the author says "you might have thought these were going the way of the manual shift." to some subject (don't have the mag at work with me). Great, might just be her way of writing an article, maybe the 5 spd is even more threatened? Time will tell.

Secondly, I am interested in the Borla and airbox mods, but have a question. I live in Central Florida, and we get some intense rainstorms with street flooding. Does opening up the air box and/or venting it with hoses increase the risk of aspirating water into the engine? Especially if you run it into the wheel well or something.

Finally, has anyone done a swap on the rear end on the V8 sport, back to the 3:58 gears? Any hassles from Lincoln? How much $? Did you like the result.

ls1bmw0

DO NOT DO the hoses! The way the hoses are being discussed involves taking air in from the bottom of the air dam essentially. You could definitely suck water in if you went through a flooded street. The only way I would recommend doing it is to just have the hose coming up but not connecting to the airbox but stopping about 6 inches or so from the hole. Even better if you had the hose perpendicular to the hole in the airbox. That way you'd get some of the benefits of a cold-air intake without the possibility of sucking in water.

The rear end swap costs about $250 for the gears. Figure on another $50 for assorted seals that may need to be replaced, and I'm not sure how much labor would cost. The calibration would need to change since there is a calibration for a 3.58 gear ratio but only for the non-Sport model. Makes sense since the 3.58 was only available before the Sport model came into being.

On our simulations that jnowski put together 0-60 times showed a tad slower but that's because the simulation takes into account a shift from 2-3 that doesn't necessarily have to be there. Top speed moved up to 149 from 143 interestingly enough. Shows that the engine has more power at top end and is just drag limited with the current gearing.

Brian
LLSOC Kahuna

ls1bmw0

Lincoln will begin to equip all Lincoln LS Premium, Sport and LSE models with 17-inch Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires. The above LS models total 66% of LS sales. The 235/50R/17 95V Michelin Pilot tires will replace the 17-inch Bridgestone Turanza tires which will no longer be available.

Ford decided to change to Michelin because they felt that a "premium vehicle like the Lincoln LS should feature a premium tire brand such as Michelin."

johnnylinc

According to a brief blurb on Blue Oval News, the Bridgestone Turanzas are being dropped from the Sport, LSE, and Premium in favor of Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires in the same 235/50-17 size as the Firehawks and Turanzas. In typical BON fashion, there's no attribution for the information. There's also an unattributed quote about "premium tires for a premium car".

I checked Detroit News & other sources to see if I could find a corroborating article, but didn't have any luck.

I know the T-Bird comes with Michelins, but I don't remember if this is the same tire. It does come up as a match on Tire Rack for both the LS and the Bird; Tire Rack's price is $190. It's V-rated and is in the same category (grand touring all-season, I think) as the Firehawk.

JohnnyLinc, LLSOC charter member

(Note: I was writing while Brian was posting; sorry about the duplication.)

akirby

These appear to be the same tires use on the T-bird, which makes perfect sense.

cdnpinhead

Should I buy MIchelins at $190 per or Firestones at $67 per?

I guess if you want to make sure people know you put high-dollar tires on your car, there's no choice.

If, on the other hand. . .

brucelinc

I have a non-sport with the 3.58 and I have driven an LS with the 3.31. The biggest difference I noticed was stronger off the line performance and a stronger 1-2 shift with the 3.58. The 3.31 will exceed 60 in 2nd, though, while the 3.58 is pretty well wound out just prior to that speed.

swauger

Hey, thanks for the detailed reply. Web site's looking great too. I keep my LLSOC charter member hat in the back seat so I can wear it whenever I need to, to either keep the sun out of my eyes or to act snitty to the BMW folks. ;-)

I'm curious about the rear end swap. Price is reasonable, but what needs recalibrated? The engine or transmission computers? Is this easily obtainable or does it need a special vendor instead of Ford/LM?

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't put hoses down the front, the streets here flood terribly (but not at Disney, so you can tell where our road money goes, but that's a common rant by the locals). Too bad there's not a cowl induction scoop, but that'd probably frighten the old Lincoln TownCar buyers.

stanny1

In a way you are lucky. The 3:58 were initially planned for the LS V-8 and a few early owners got them. Somewhere near the 2000 MY, CAFE concerns dictated using the 3:31 gears, which was also the prototype ratio for the V-6 Manual but never produced for CAFE reasons also. Your speedometer will read properly because the ABS wheel sensor sends the signal to the speedo. No problem there. But according to Mark, there may be concerns with the main computer as to Traction Control,etc. You may want to shoot an E-mail to Mark about those complexities. Ford Parts Network quoted me $200 for the 3:31 gear set many months ago, but as Brian says, you must have seals for the pinion gear and maybe for the side axes as well. I would also suggest using a specialist for this work as rear end techs are not as common as general line mechanics. Luckily, here in San Diego we have guys like Pro-Gear who eat this stuff for breakfast. The new T-Bird comes with 3:58's from the factory, and that's why with even more weight than the LS, it turns a 7.0 in 0-60.
I would drop the 3:58's in my 2000 Manual in a New York minute. But the Getrag has a 1:1 fifth, no overdrive, and I already spin at 3000 rpm at 75 mph with the 3:07 rear. I can't even imagine the estimated 3500 rpm with 3:58's. I'm not looking for a dedicated drag car. And since I can't find an LSD unit, it would also be a tire smoker extraordinaire. But I am lucky in one way. Since I do not have TC, I could drop in gears without any complications. Drop in, drive off. Maybe 3:31's after I put in the RX-7 OD five-speed tranny (Don't I wish). Let us know your new 0-60 time. Should be 6.9 or so. Stanny1 from overrev land out.

akirby

I tried to convince myself to get another set of Firestones because of the ridiculous price, but I chose Michelins not because I want to show off but because they're really good tires - slightly smoother over small bumps and irregular roads, anticipated better treadwear (400 rating) and better wet performance (Pilot Sport A/S). Because of the last two they probably give up a little to the Firestones in dry performance but not much and certainly not enough to be noticed 99% of the time (for me that is). But my main problem is that I simply don't trust Firestone and have never liked them. I replaced Radial ATX's with Michelin LTX on my old Explorer and it was like a new truck. I'm biased to Michelins because of past experience, and I'm willing to pay extra for the peace of mind that I get. If you or anyone else likes the Firestones, them get them. They're a great deal and I found nothing wrong with them. But I'll take the Michelins (and so will Lincoln apparently).

cdnpinhead

akirby -- You make excellent points.

I've also used Michelins for decades and generally prefer them. The "special cause" event here is that the Firestones were literally designed for the car and, depending on one's taste, do a pretty decent job.

If the Michelins were $100 and the Firestones $80, I'd have a much harder decision. But, with 25K+ miles on the Firestones, I really can't fault them. . .and the price is more than right.

ls1bmw0

I believe it's the engine computer that needs calibration. Actually the engine and transmission computer is one and the same. Trivia tidbit: our LS run a serial bus network, kinda similar to your local computer network with all the points hooked up to a central processing unit.

Depending on how well you know your service department folks and how nice they are, it requires using the WDS diagnostic tool and overriding the calibration for your VIN and inputting a different calibration. This is obviously something that most dealers won't touch with a ten foot pole since it is a modification to the system and is not authorized by the factory. If something broke they'd be able to make a case that it voided the warranty.

All that legalese BS out of the way, it takes about 10 minutes to download a new calibration. I'm very lucky. My dealer's service gang is outstanding and is open to experimentation.

omega8

How can you tell which gear ratio is installed on your LS Sport-V8(8/99)?

dbossman

I saw the BON article earlier and looked up the Michelin's on TireRack. The marketing hype is really funny stuff....

"Driving on the Pilot HX MXM, you become more confident, comfortable, and formidable than ever before. "

Who wouldn't be willing to pay $190 per tire for that?

airwolf1000

Well,
My new set of Stone Hawks got put on. I will pick up my car today. Thank god the ICE Storm didn't hit..

I guess for me its a Law of Diminishing Returns the Michelins at almost three TIMES the cost of the Firestones can't make up for anything except for name recognition and Quality which would probably be unobservable to the average LS User. I think we all here push the Stones hard and none of us have had any safety issues with them. If you have please bring it to light.

I like Michelin to and I believe is better than Firestones but Like the BMW 530 Is it Really better than the LS? I would say marginally Yes but not worth the price differential.

Also Remember the Firestone Relationship was severed for the EXPLORER Issue not at all for any Firehawk Issues. Quite the contrary..

Regards,
Airwolf Firehawk Promoter--Until Proven otherwise.
P.S. the TREADWEAR on the HAWKS is 500.

rgnmstr

<<<<<<I tried to convince myself to get another set of Firestones because of the ridiculous price, but I chose Michelins not because I want to show off but because they're really good tires - slightly smoother over small bumps and irregular roads, anticipated better treadwear (400 rating) >>>>>>>>>>

DUH........ Don't see how the 400 is better. The Firestone's treadwear is 500. And just how do you know the Michelins are "slightly smoother over bumps and irregular roads"? Especially on the LS. Or I should say how would you have known that before you bought them.
I just bought a set of the Firestones at the $69 price to store in the corner of my garage. I currently have the Bridgestones on my 2002 Sport. I'll be patting myself on the back in a couple of years when I'm saving $400. I have all the confidence in the world that Firestone wouldn't goof up a V speed rated tire. If you read anything about the Explorer/Firestone fiasco you will learn that in every case the people who had problems had their tires underinflated. Big problem especially since 90% of the roll overs , accidents etc. occured in states with high temp. such as Arizona. My personal opinion is those tires would have failed when fitted on any car under the conditions they were being subjected to and on the same token the Explorer would have rolled no matter what tire was under it. Just my 2 cents. Or excuse me $400 savings.

akirby

Who said anything bad about the Firestones?? Not me. I just said that I prefer Michelins. Personal choice. I even encouraged rgnmstr to get a set of Firehawks. I'm very happy with my Michelins. They're worth the extra cost TO ME.

Are the firehawks really rated at 500?? Do performance tires and sport utility tires have different relative ratings? I got 60K out of my LTX M/S on the explorer with a 400 rating but only about 25K out of the firestones with a 500(?) rating? I could see 30K maybe under good conditions but not much more. I guess the ratings don't mean that much.

andyl2

There will be no effect on the speedo according to Mark. Jonathan says that the speedo uses 4 wheel averaging, so there will be no effect there either. You should not have to do anything, other than change the gears out, as I understand it.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

cwesley

Got my LS back from the shop yesterday to take care of the climate control problem posted last week. Turns out that the dash had to be removed to replace a bad blower speed controller. With the holidays, it took an extra day to get the part, but Lindsey L/M in Evansville fixed my car, washed it inside and out, and even replaced the drivers seat cover as the dye had worn thin where my fat a** rubs the bolster as I slide in and out. Was glad to get my car back and to have it fixed right.

buckwheat

This, purported, exclusive photo shows a partally masked front end of the new 2003 LS. Also the new wheel design is also purported to be a new Lincoln trademark. An all new interior is supposed to complete the package. The source of this photo has had challenges as to credibility.

http://www.thehollywoodextra.com/lincoln/04.jpg

scottc8

Anyone who switches, or has switched, to the above mentioned Michelins and can report on their usefulness as part-time snow tires, please do so.

I'm wondering what the (numerically) higher gear ratio really does to fuel economy. The LS8 at 75mph is turning around 2400rpm , so far away from the power band it's hard to believe it's very efficient. On a vacation this past spring I drove quite a bit of mountainous interstate using D4, for engine braking and to keep the revs up while running AC in very hot weather. I didn't notice an appreciable difference in mpg, at least no more than one would expect in mountain driving. OTOH, brucelinc raises another question. Right now 3rd is so perfect for highway passing from 60 mph or so.

Overall, Lincoln did an excellent job matching gear ratios to the V8, IMHO. But it seems trading a few rpms at cruising speed for some off the line punch might be a good deal.

Scott
LLSOC Member

johnnylinc

This car may have been mentioned here before, but I don't remember it. Just happened to run across it while surfing. Steeda has been around for several years & is best-known for building hot-rod Mustangs. There's certainly nothing revolutionary about their LS package, but it's a nice-looking car, IMO; the wheels work particularly well, I think.

http://www.steeda.com/-vehicles/00ls.htm

reneleblanc

My LS-8 Sport has 32356 miles on it on the original Firehawk tires.

My tires still have a full 1/8" tread depth, well above the wear marks. Most of my LS's miles have been on long trips with lots of 80+ MPH miles. I have also done a fair amount of mountain driving (like all the way up Highway 1 in CA). I thought I must have used up at least a thousand miles of tread life at the LS Mania I autocross ;-)

I keep them inflated at 32 PSI. I have done 4-tire (Front-to-back) rotation about every 12K miles.

So far, they seem to be wearing quite well and I have been especially impressed with traction on wet roads. Perhaps, now that they have as much wear on them as they do, they might be more prone to hydroplaning in rather deep road water, but on just plain wet pavement they still seem to grab better than most tires I've experienced.

I'll be very surprised if I don't get 40K miles on them at least.

ls1bmw0

"...So for now, if you want a sport sedan &#151; the real McCoy, anyhow &#151; and want to buy American, the Lincoln LS is pretty much the only choice there is. Luckily, it's not a half-bad choice by any means. The LS, which came out about a year ago and remains mostly the same for the 2002 model run, is remarkably competitive with class-leading European sport sedans in the entry-luxury price range. That includes models such as the Jaguar X-Type, BMW 3-Series and 5-Series, Audi A4 and A6, Mercedes C-Class and E-Class. Check the car out: It has comparable (even superior) power as compared with most of those cars, a similar level of refinement and features, and is also a larger car for the money than many of those other machines."

Link to the Car Connection article: http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4408

akirby

I don't get it, guys. I never said anything bad about the Firehawks. They fit the LS very nicely. I had them for 2 years. No major complaints. I've recommended them, especially with the blowout pricing at tirerack.com. Tests indicated the Michelins would be a little smoother and quieter and that turned out to be true. Dry handling isn't quite as good at the extreme upper limit but wet traction should be better. If the treadwear ratings are accurate then they may not wear quite as good, but I really don't care. Compared to the stickier ultra high performance dry tires with ratings of around 200, 400 is great.

I've had bad experiences with Firestones in general, and nothing but good experiences with Michelins. That's what my preference is based on - nothing else.

You guys have your firestones, I have my Michelins and $400 less. Sounds like we're both happy with our choices. Can't we just leave it at that?

akirby

At last, a journalist that "gets it". Well, almost. He said that the computer would upshift for you automatically, which we all know it won't. And the only time it won't downshift is if it would damage the tranny. But otherwise a fair comparison.

drolds1

You're absolutely right. You didn't say anything bad about the Firestones. I guess the point that everyone's trying to make is that at almost 3 times the price, the Michelins are not 3 times better. But, as always, it gets back to perceived value. If it's worth it to you, then it's worth it.

Anyone who's been around long enough knows that the Firestone/Explorer issue was not the first scandal involving Firestone. Remember the Firestone 500's? There were jokes going around at the time about driving a Pinto (exploding gas tank) on Firestone 500's- the ultimate death trap.

After getting totally fed up with the OE tires on my 1972 Olds Cutlass, I bought my first set of Michelins in 1973. I paid the, then, outrageous price of $55.00 per tire. (Consider that you can get the Firehawks for 69 2002 dollars) It was worth it to me for the peace of mind they brought. So, I can understand where you're coming from. Like everyone else though, I must admit how impressed I am with the Firehawks.

Everyone have a great LS day.

Artie
Charter Member-LLSOC

akirby

Thanks. That's exactly my point. They're not 3 times better. But if Kroger is selling generic coffee for 1/3 the price of your favorite name brand, but you don't like the generic brand, would you buy it anyway and not enjoy it or would you buy what you like even though it costs more? Fortunately I'm able to buy what I like. If I was on a budget I probably would have gotten the Firestones.

marsha7

your analogy is perfect, but would it still be valid if we changed the supermarket from Kroger to Winn Dixie???:):)

lolaj42

This article sounds similar to the initial write-ups on the LS when it was first released, particularly from Motor Trend. The writer definitely "gets it". the writer's perspective very closely matches my own, and, IMO, clearly identifies the competition, both in terms of price and performance.

Not to disparage Chrysler here, but isn't it telling that the writer exludes the 300M!

Chris
LLSOC Charter Member

lolaj42

To date, I have had no complaints with my Firehawks, they seem to perform admirably. Granted, living in Phoenix shelters me somewhat from poor/wet road conditions (although our mountains get more of the cold/wet stuff than the low-land deserts). However, I share Akirby's concern with the Firestone brand in general. Over the past 20 years, Firestone has had a spotty reputation for quality. The Ford people assured us that the Firehawk tire was purposely designed for the LS, and I have no doubt that the design specs are well suited for LS.

MY concern (and perhaps akirby's) is that Firestone has been known to build "an occasional tire" outside their own specifications that results in an inferior product. They've also been found to mis-lable their tires as well. I'm just a little more cautious/leery about buying a product from a company that seems to have trouble adhering to their own manufacturing processes and lets someone else discover their shortcomings.

Michelin, to my knowledge, has not had any such difficulty. I also have had excellent, long-term experience driving on Michelin tires on previous vehicles. I've never experienced a vibration problem or anything else that would make me question Michelin's quality, or driving characteristics.

The main question is, how much is peace of mind worth to you? At $69/tire at Tire Rack, the Firehawks are a screaming deal, but if you don't trust them, it's $69/tire too much. Thankfully, I, nor anyone else that I know of have had a significant problem with the Firehawks (although we have heard from many people here complaining about vibrations -- attributable to tires???)

glenns3

I'd like to say if someone wants to pay more for a set of Michelins, then we get to have input on tire performance from another set of tires, which is good. Also, a question for the people with 25k+ miles on their stones, do you guys have autoboxes and/or traction control? I've slipped with 10k on my tires, but I have a manual, no TC, and drive very (too?) aggressively when I have a chance to do it safely.

leadfoot4

I'll throw in my $.02 worth on Firestones....My 2000 LS8 had the 16" Firehawks as original equipment, and I had no vibration problems whatsoever. My plan was to leave them on the OE wheels for winter use, so I bought a set of Continentals last year, when the Tire Rack was blowing them out @ $44 each, along with a set of aftermarket wheels.
The Continentals work just fine, but the weather forcasters started predicting a bad winter, so my wife says she'd feel better with snowtires. Firestones off, snowtires on the OE wheels. Firestones are now on my friends' PT Cruiser.
My winter driver 4x4 has Firestone Winterfire snowtires on it, and I like them very much. They're now 3 years old and still wearing well, with good traction and relative quiet.
Years ago, I had 2 or 3 sets of the Firestone S/S Radials, if anyone remembers them. A great riding and handling performance "summer" tire. I wish they still made them!! I also own a new Corvette, and as such, I check in on the Corvette Forum, and many 'Vette owners like the Firestones
a lot better than the OE GoodYears.
That's the beauty of America, freedom of choice!!