Acura TL Tires and Wheels

scottm123

Acura has listened to your complaints and they are making
necessary changes so people like yourself no longer
complain about the life of the tires.

Introducing the new 2009 Acura TL


The newly designed stone tires have a 600,000 mile warranty

Now, go open a lawsuit with Tootsie Roll.
I feel there should be more than 3,000 licks in a Tootsie Pop.
:P

tlhater

I don't understand what that means. Fill the tires with Nitrogen? What does that do?

laurasdada

"I don't need to research a car first. That's what people with nothing better to do with their time do..." :surprise:

As I truly believe the TL to be a fine automobile, tires/wheels and all, I do empathize with those that have received what they perceive to be a sub-standard version. But that statement, well, I wouldn't use that in court... Caveat emptor as Mike and Greg Brady were wont to say!

I envy your wealth as I tend to research any purchase I make, especially one at $30k+! :confuse:

tlhater

Actually that's already held up in court. A consumer makes a purchase in good faith with the assumption that the manufacturer has delivered the product in good faith. Anything else (stealing the car or delivering a faulty product) is a breach of law or contract.

tlhater

One more piece of news. A leading consumer magazine has agreed to investigate this as they've received many letters regarding this problem.

Not so stupid after all, huh?

habitat1

"I don't need to research a car first. That's what people with nothing better to do with their time do."

"Not so stupid after all, huh?"

You really want me to answer that?? O.K., pretty stupid, indeed. You don't do your research up front and then waste your time and your attorney brother's pursuing small claims court after the fact because you didn't know the difference between performance tires and non-performance ones.

As far as Acura's response to pay you half, I'm a bit dissapointed. A real waste of goodwill, IMO. Porsche would have told you to pound salt, as they should. I'm no mechanic or engineer either, by the way, but if I ran my company based upon the theory that ignorance is bliss and I'll sue anyone that doesn't cater to stupidity, I wouldn't be driving either a TL or a 911, more like Fred Flintstone's car above.

The attorneys I engage in my business carry an average billing rate of $500 per hour and are fully booked. So if your brother is costing you nothing, that says a lot in and of itself.

Good luck, but stay off the witness stand.

scottm123

I rely on experts to perform evaluations and give me their advice. Then I make an informed decision.

I hate to see this become a personal attack cause this is not the purpose of these forums.

With that being said, the above statement makes absolutely no sense at all.
You rely on experts.... who has determined their level of expertise? You?
How can you be sure you are making an informed decision if you are relying on other people's evaluations?
If this is the case, then maybe you should be suing the "Expert" who evaluated the TL and informed you to purchase the car.

You almost made sense with your first post, and your case has gone straight downhill with every post you have made since.

Maybe you should depend less on others, and pick up a brochure.

I also am very disappointed in Acura offering you half off, but it just shows how the company tries to keep it's customers safe and happy.... even if it's a lost cause on some.

xrunner2

Any new info by new readers on what kind of 17 inch 45 series replacement tires they put on their 04-06 TL?

goodegg

An H rated tire will cost much less than the OEM tires and deliver performance you'll be happy with.

pat

insults and name-calling do not belong here. Some posts have been removed. Let's just stick to the subject and not make personal judgments, please

By the way, posting here for me to take care of a problem doesn't do you any good. By the time I see your post, I've already found the problem. If you had emailed me instead of posting, I would have been here hours ago.

kennyg8

"I rely on experts to perform evaluations and give me their advice. Then I make an informed decision"

"the above statement makes absolutely no sense at all." "You rely on experts.... who has determined their level of expertise? You? " "How can you be sure you are making an informed decision if you are relying on other people's evaluations?"

What TLhater is referring to is called the business judgment rule, albeit he used it out of context. That rule, a judicially fashioned ruling, states that a director of a corporation is not liable for a "breach of duty of care" claim if he made an informed business decision based on expert advice. The informed decision, however, must be made with reasonable care.


"If this is the case, then maybe you should be suing the "Expert" who evaluated the TL and informed you to purchase the car."

TLHater mentioned that he relied on Consumer Report's recommendation in purchasing the TL, and he also mentioned that Consumer Report did not say anything about TL's tires. Do you think he may have a claim against Consumer Report for negligent representation? Perhaps he could argue that he reasonably relied on the Report to his detriment, and the Report should be liable to him because they failed to conduct a thorough review of the TL before they made the recommendation.

Hmmm ... what a litigous world?

In any event, I believe TL is a fine automobile, even though it comes with a few rattles that I hate.

scottm123

I was at the dealer again last night, looking at the red 07 TL Type-S... pretty car.

Anyway, the wheels are now inset slightly from the edge of the tire, and the tire itself has a slight lip that protrudes from the edge of the rim (I forget what that tire lip is called)

These little changes will help to protect the wheels from those slight curb scrapes.

tlhater

People's experience with products and processes make them experts. Just reading something in a book doesn't mean the person that wrote it is a subject matter expert.

Hopefully Acura has hired experts to design and test their vehicles.

Consumer Repots knows about the problem but didn't experience it with their test vehicle as they didn't drive it for 17000 miles.

tlhater

I'm actually not suprised nor should anyone reading this that Acura has redesigned the wheels and their distance from a curb. Does anyone think Acura did this for style? I'm sure they did it because of the tremendous fall-out from past designs that caused their 'sport' wheels to chip, bend, and finally fail.

scottm123

Ah, the always pleasant TLHater.
Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up...

The fact of the matter is that ALL cars with these performance tires have had issues with wheels getting scraped and scratched.
It's due to the fact that the side wall is so small and that the rim extrudes past the edge of the tire.

Recently, changes have been made to tires to allow for them to now extend past the edge of the rim, and also include extra material on the tire's edge near the bead which offers extra protection as well.

It's not only Acura cars... it's all cars with performance tires and wheels.
Acura was smart enough in include this newer technology, as did Lexus and many other manufacturers.
I'm sure your experts told you all about this before making your so-called informed decision.

Again, you should have bought the Accord.

scottm123

Acura offers a service for removing scratches from your rims.
Price depends on the scratch... you could always ask your service guy next time your in.

As for polishing... nothing that will remove deep scratches.
I wash my wheels and wax them with the same wax I use on the car. (NXT Generation Tech Wax)
It keeps brake dust from sticking... washes off quickly.

animalsrush

Waxing rims. That's a good idea. I will do that next time i wax my car ..

hky

depends on the scratch and amount of damage, most of them can be repaired by a wheel shop, you wouldn't notice any difference. I fixed one rim before (chipped) for 150.

vroom5

WRONG -
I've only had my 07 TLS for 6 days and one of my wheels is already scraped up. And i've been meticulous! Worst part is the rims are painted (or coated with something) and I suspect reparing the rims may be very difficult to do. I love the look of these rims, but now I wish they weren't painted. Anyone know how to repair them?

luminance

If you've upgraded wheels and have the original 17x6.5" rims in your garage, or you're looking to upgrade, I'll buy them off you to mount my snows.

animalsrush

After suffering thro' the OEMs , i am thinking of replacing the tires for the Chicago winters on my 06 TL ( Just 3k miles on it).The bridgestones are horrible. We had rain for few months now and car slips and on highways it tends to drift into other lanes.

Here are few options:
1) Yokohamas (don't know the model)-- discount tire ( $170 each)
2) goodyear Eagle
3) Michelin Pilot sport AS -- Costco ( $210 installed each)

The yokohamas have three different treads for cornering, wet and snow. The Michelins are directional. Both have good ratings .

So which one should i get. I want all season handling, not so much on preformance ( Speed limit in IL is 55 mph). Also i wanted to go 245/45/17( to avoid curb scrapes). The guy at discount tire said it was ok. However the guy at costco said it may mess with traction control

I am confused.. But need to get the tires soon

Thanks
P

z71bill

You can go over to www.tirerack.com and look up the tires - then click on the review section - it will give you some feedback from actual customers.

The problem is - every tire will have some bad reviews.

As far as size - I also plan to go up to a 245 45 17 - the 245 45 17 is .3 of an inch taller - it needs 801 revolutions per mile - the 235 takes 811 revs.

This will not impact the traction control - now if you put different size tires on the front and back - then it may cause problems - but if you replace all 4 you will be fine.

I always buy tires from Discount Tire - but the last time I bought Michelins - I gave Sams wholesale a call first and got a price quote from them (they would need to order the specific tire I wanted) - they were a lot less $ - Discount Tire matched the price and had them is stock.

luminance

The November 2006 edition of Consumer Reports has a test review on high-performance all-season tires and high-performance winter tires. Tirerack does some testing but mostly has driver opinions (which I find useful). However, I have seen highly-rated tires that do poorly in objective testing. Best to go with the testing, which is often quite comprehensive. Also check out http://www.consumersearch.com/www/automotive/tires/index.html. They consolidate the testers/reviewers and provide summary results. Finally, the December Road and Track (or is it Motor Trend?) has a feature on tires. (I've been researching tires myself for my 2002 TL-S.) Let me know what you decide on. My brother has an 06 TL.

scottm123

WRONG - And i've been meticulous!

Did they scrape themselves?

animalsrush

Are there advantages of going 245/45/17 over 235/45/17. I believe Michelin have a lip at the top for preventing from rims touching the curb. I leaning towards Michelins since i had some experience with them even though they are $60 expensive for each tire

z71bill

Sort of a long explanation -

Although I am not 100% sure yet - I may be getting a set of Kumho ASX for our TL. I bought this tire for my daughters Mazda3 - and they have been great so far (only 4,000 miles though). Much better then the Goodyear RSA that were stock. The Mazda3 with Goodyear RSA had great handling - but the ride was a little on the harsh side - and the tires were very loud - the Kumho ASX has made the car ride much better - also very quiet - and I have not noticed any loss in handling (but understand at the limit I have given up something) - and I drive pretty hard in the corners. Main reason for the change is because the Kumho tire has a softer sidewall.

The Kumho gets slammed for being a cheap tire - which it is - the 205 50 17 that I put on the Mazda3 were around $400 VS $700 if I went with the RSA. But when I read the reviews and look at the actual testing they come out as a good tire. The small amount I gave up in handling is no big deal to me.

The Bridgestone EL42 has some of the same characteristics as the Goodyear RSA - a little stiff in the ride - a little loud (thump thump - thump thump over expansion joints - whine on some roads surfaces) - I think the ASX will be an improvement.

The Kumho tires that I have evaluated are always slightly smaller when compared to a Michelin or Bridgestone. For example the Bridgestone EL42 in a 235 45 17 is 25.5 inches in diameter - a Kumho ASX in this size is 25.4 inches, if I move up to a 245 45 17 - the ASX is 25.7 inches.

Although small differences - I don't want to go down in size. I would rather increase the amount of rubber between the road and the wheel. Again small change in ride (softer) is for me a good thing.

If you go to tirerack.com and compare the Michelin As with the Kumho ASX you will see that they are very close - same rating for traction, temperature & wear (420 AA A) - the Michelin does edge out the Kumho in a few rankings but not by much. At around $100 per tire IMO they are a screaming bargain.

Lastly - if we drove more miles I would most likely go with Michelin - the TL will see 8-9,000 miles per year - my daugher will only put 5,000 miles per year on the Mazda3 - so in my case the up charge for slightly better tires was not worth it.

animalsrush

Thanks so much for the explanation. I put about 7000 miles a year on my TL also. So i guess Michelins maybe an overkill.. I will definitely consider Kumho ASX and yokohamas now. Thanks for your help. I will keep researching

habitat1

I'll come to vroom5's defense on this issue.

The TL, for some unknown reason, comes with rims that are actually wide enough (17" x 8.0") to accomodate 245 and possibly even 255 width tires. By comparison, our MDX, which also has 235 width tires, has 17" x 6.5" rims, a full 1 1/2" narrower.

On the TL with the standard 235 width tires, the very first thing that will touch any curb or even pothole edge is the rim. It sticks out beyond the face of the tire. Unless you plan on parking 1' away from every curb, someday, sooner or later, your rims will look like you ground them with a rough belt sander. And it's not just the very edge of the rim, the "spokes" of the 5 spoke design also protrude slightly past the face of the tire.

I have 10" wide rims on my 911S and have on one or two occassions "touched" a curb parallel parking with my tire. No damage. Same thing with the TL, a nice scrape on the rim. Since I replaced my 235 width tires with 245's, no scrapes.

So rather than challenge vroom5's meticulateness, I think a question should be sent to Acura on why they put 235 series tires on 6.5 inch wide rims on the MDX, but 8" wide rims for the TL. I'd actually like to have wider rims on the MDX to accomodate wider tires, but the standard rims are maxed out with puny (for an SUV) 235's.

moto7

I talked to TireRack about tires that would give my 04 TL a little more smoother ride without TOOO much compromise to performance, and asked if going to a higher profile tire would help, such as a 225/50 (not an over aggresive driver). They said 225/50 SHOULD work, but recommended 245/45 but gas mileage would suffer a little. Has anyone using 245's noticed improved ride or MPG drop, - or experience with 225/50???
Oh yea,, 235/50 tires get a little pricey and may be a little too big (circumference).

habitat1

I have 245/45's, courtesy of Tire Rack. They are a little noisy, but no change in ride quality (I have 6 speed with stiffer suspension).

They are slightly larger in circumference than the standard 235/45's, but the Acura speedometer/odometer reads too high from the factory, so the larger tires actually result in a more accurate reading. I've tested against a laptop GPS system. As far as gas mileage suffering, that would only be on the highway where rolling resistence is a more significant factor than in city / mixed driving. And I still get 30+/- mpg on the highway. The difference is in the decimal places.

z71bill

What brand tire did you buy?

xrunner2

Are there advantages of going 245/45/17 over 235/45/17.

There is a disadvantage of weight. Depending on tire brand, the "245" might be as much as 8 percent heavier than the "235". Tires are unsprung weight and more unsprung weight diminishes handling to some degree.

Another disadvantage is increased rolling resistance which would translate to slightly reduced gas mileage.

Believe that suspension engineers of sport/sporty cars try to specify the lightest possible (and strongest) unsprung components to effect best combo of handling and ride on common everyday road surfaces. Of course they would bias toward handling and sacrifice a little ride comfort.

bejocund

Consumer Reports recommends that you buy tires with the same or greater speed rating as the original equipment. This is a shame b/c the Michelin Exalto A/S ranks high on Tire Rack and Consumer Reports, but it is an "H" rated tire and not "V". Is it unsafe to buy an H rated tire, or only unsafe when going over 130 mph.

Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 was rated top "V" rated tire by Consumer's Report, but ranked at the bottom on Tire Rack. I've never paid attention to my Michelin Pilot MXM4 performing poorly until i started slipping and sliding at 45-48k. If only I had paid more attention when the tire was fresh. How do you feel about your MXM4? Does its grip agrees with Consumer Reports as being the better, or perhaps it's more at the bottom of the list like Tire Rack's survey?

does anyone have the Exalto tire installed on their TL by chance?

Also, the Continental Pro Contact ranked high on both Consumer Reports and Tire Rack in the "V" rating. But Consumer Report says the ride comfort is fair and noisy, whereas reviews on Tire Rack says it is smooth and quiet. Anyone using the Continental ProContact by chance?

ggesq

wow...you got 45-48k out of your factory tires before they started slipping anf sliding?? i hope my Michelins last that long

To answer your question- so far the Michelin's on my TL are fine. I have 22k miles.

z71bill

I would not worry one bit about using an H rated tire - unless you plan to drive 130+ MPH for an hours at a time.

You will give up a small amount in cornering - but unless you drive like an idiot around corners I would be surprised if you even notice.

BTW - the Bridgestone EL42 has a W speed rating (235/45R17 93W) so it is rated to 168 MPH - hard to see a stock TL going anywhere near that fast - much less finding a place on the road where that would be a safe thing to do.

moto7

I'm also considering H-rated tires (I don't exceed 100mph) primarily hoping they will provide a little more comfortable ride, and longer tread life. The reviews (CR, and tire rack) give conflicting data on ride and noise maybe because of the different speed ratings, size/profile of the tires evaluated, not just by BRAND. I can't believe a 235/45 is going to have the same values as say a 215/55, or 60. Or a speed W,Z compared to H or V.
So, it's hard to decide on a tire that gives the qualities your after - lot's of guesswork. I'm also thinking of going up to 245/45 for ride improvement but even that has doubtful benefit.

kennyg8

I do not have a copy of the CR. Is the Michelin tire tested in that Report MXM4 the EXACT same OEM tire that is installed in our later model TLs? Sometimes, I find it difficult to reconcile the tire ratings by various sources, such as CR, Tirerack or some other tire dealers. Do you think there might be bias involved on the part of the dealers because they might get a better commission from the tire manufacturer?

moto7

The top rated V speed Mich Pilot HX MXM4 tires tested by CR were the common P205/55R 16, which is not "exact" same tire (size)as TL's 235/45 17, so comparison would have to be evaluated. I would trust CR's integrity, since they don't sell products, but even they, indicate there are variables between the specs of H and V tested tires. I would suspect there is some brand bias from tire retailers, but probably not so from source's like Tire Rack since they sell most brands.
I find it difficult to make a decision based on consumer reviews/surveys since some experiences are exact OPPOSITE for the same tire, and also from the various types of drivers and their personal requirements. I'll probably gather the overall "drift" from reviewers, analize specs, input from tire suppliers, consider the cost factor, and then take a wild "gut" choice.

bejocund

Here's my take on CR. A few years ago, before epinions and amazon, i bought a CR top rated vacuum cleaner. After a few months, i realized the vacuum cleaner was junk. Ever since then I've been weary of lab tested environment and Consumer Reports. Being an audiophile, i've noticed the same thing about CR testing of audio equipment.

In the lab, they test your tires maybe 50-100 hours, whereas, real life experiences have been tested by thousands of hours of use. So i take CR reviews in consideration, but it is not the bible.

My philosophy on doing research, combine what CR has to say along with other editor reviews of your product on other sites, and then combine that with overall real world reviews.

So what did i come up with? If you want a great tire, then you may have to consider an "H" rated tire like the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, but it is going against recommendation of buying the same "V" rated tire as your TL.

If you want to say in the "V" category, the Continental ContiProContact.

Just my opinion. For those who are curious how my tires have not worn out (not even to Lincoln's head yet) at 48,400 miles, I rotated the tires every 6,000 miles and i had them balanced immediately after i bought the car (to my surprise, the tires were not balanced at showroom). I drive mostly highway.

I heard somewhere that if you go from "V" rated to "H" rated tire, the "H" will wear out faster? Anyone want to confirm this at their dealership or tire chain? I can't seem to get an answer.

My brakes have not squealed yet, but at 48,400 miles, should I be concerned?

Any feedback on the Exalto or ContiProContact would be great!

rocky99

One of Tirerack's top sellers for the TL is the Avon Tech M550 A/S. They rate them very highly and there only $108 a piece. Sounds too good to be true. I've never heard of Avon. Do they exist outside of Tirerack? Are they worth the risk?

bejocund

Here's another link for more reviews on tires aside from Tire Rack and Consumer Reports:

http://www.epinions.com/auto-Tires-All

http://www.carreview.com/cat/parts/tires/PLS_1577_770crx.aspx

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/

"Actually going down one speed rating may not make the ride softer, it may make it a tad bit rougher. Thats one of the reasons Lexus tends to use V rated tires on their cars is the lower rolling resistance and higher quality rubber compounds coupled with the sturdier construction of the tire make for a smoother more stable ride. The choice of speed rating has nothing to do with the speeds you can safely achieve with the car, it has everything to do with the construction of the tire, the compounds used, and the way all these things interact with the suspension geometry of the vehicle. The car was designed for V rated tires.

I would try to stay with Vs if you can, but if the tire you're interested only has an H rating you're probably okay. Personally I'd never put an H rated tire on the car, but thats just me. "

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t25246.html

http://experts.about.com/q/Tires-2359/New-tires-2002-Camry-1.htm

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee95103/5795

http://www.presidentire.com/en/technical/faq.html#faq13

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=524624

habitat1

I bought them for my 2004 TL 6-speed. They seem to be O.K., but have a fair amount of road noise at only 5,000 miles.

wornout

My 05 TL tore the Michelin Pilots off the rear in less than 15,000 Km (9,000 miles). I went after Acura and dealer and after a number of calls they replaced all 4 tires at no charge and did a bump stop warranty fix as well as a wheel alignment. I was pleased with this, but wear on rear continues and projection is 30,000 Km at best before tires are shot. I am now in discussion with Acura Canada again and not off to a good start like last time. They said that it is sports car and sports tires, so if they find nothing wrong with the alignment I should expect to only get this low mileage. I have sent info to Michelin suggesting they should be insulted that Acura says this of their tires. (Michelin advertise the tire as "long lasting"). I have had a number of vehicles in past and no problems getting 85,000+ KM life on any tire.

mike072

I've read on another forum that 255/40-17 tires will work on the 8"wide std. rims. Anyone have any comments?

acurat

Hi all,

My 2004 TL AT non-navi is at 43,000 miles on the original Turanza EL42s. TIme for some new shoes. Consumer Reports rated the Falken Ziex 512 #1 in its category and they are quite reasonable--less than $100 a tire at America's Tire. Michelins would be more than 2x as expensive unless I can score some 17" take-offs at the dealer for about the same price. Anybody have experience with the Falkens? Considering going up to 245/45-17.

Would appreciate advice from anyone who is not currently suing anybody else. :confuse:

z71bill

The - Rim Width Range - for a 255 40 17 is 8.5 to 10 inches. The Measuring Rim Width - is 9 inches.

What this means is - this tire should be installed on a wheel that is at least 8.5 inches wide and no wider than 10 inches. In order to have the diameter and section width (size of the installed tire) equal the specification of the manufacturer - it must be installed on a wheel that is 9 inches wide. So sure they will fit on the stock wheels - but putting a tire this wide on an 8 inch wheel will reduce the section width of the tire by about .4 of an inch - and it may cause the middle of the tire to wear a little faster than the outside - because the outside edge of the tire will have a tendency to pull up (slightly) off the road. You may not even be able to see this if you look at the tire - but after 5,000 miles you will see the uneven wear. I assume you want a wider tire so you get a larger footprint. Putting a wide tire on a narrow rim reduces the footprint and in a way sort of negates the benefits of using a wider tire.

Plus this size tire has a smaller diameter that the stock 235 45 17.

So even if it will fit on the wheel - why would you want to do it?

IMO the 245 45 17 would be a much better fit.

dutch56

Just curious. Does anyone else have a drift problem? I have a '06 TL (auto) with 18" wheels wearing Yokohama 235/40Z/R18. All purchased with the vehical. After about 2000mi, the car drifts to the right.In about 6sec, I'm in the next lane if I don't hold on. The dealer noticed it also and has aligned the car twice and actually changed out all 4 tires. Stills drifts to the right. Dealer suggests Michelins but wants me to pay the difference ($300). I just want the car to travel straight long than 6 secs. Any suggestions?

z71bill

Sounds like an alignment problem - or it could be something as simple as a tire out of balance.

But the one thing that I know for sure - it is a dealership problem - any dealer worth $.02 should be able to find and solve this common problem.

I would find another dealership - have them take a look at it. I would be nice to the second dealer - tell them up front that XYZ dealer tried to fix it but could not. They like to be able to say - we fixed it when they could not!

Or if you want to try a few things on your own -

Since the tires were already changed out and the car still pulls to the right it does not seem like a tire issue. But if you rotate the tires/wheels - move the front to the back on the same side - move the back to the front but switch sides. Then if your car still pulls right in the same way it would be almost impossible that it is a tire /wheel issue.

As far as asking you to pay the $300 difference for a second set of new tires - IMO that is pretty low - and reinforces my feeling that this dealership is second rate.

alsalsero

I FOUND A GOOD DEAL ON YOKOHAMA P215-55R-16 91V FOR MY 99 TL CAN THESE TIRES BE MOUNTED ON MY ORIGINAL RIMS AND ARE THEY SAFE TO USE ? :confuse:

moto7

TireRracks chart shows normal rim width for that size tire is 7" but range that will fit is 6 to 7.5".

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=Yokohama&model=AVID+V4S&vehicleSearc- h=false&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=155VR6V4S&tirePageLocQty=%26partnum%3D155VR6V4S-