I run ES100s as my summer tire on my 240sx. No wear issues and great grip. It's pretty light car though. The ES100s are also great grip for the $ as they are significantly cheaper than other summer performance tires.
25k and 2+ years of use is a good time to swap em out. Did you run these tires in the winter? If so how cold did it get, this could also adversely effect the wear on them.
Our current Mazda MPV's OEM Dunlop SP 4000 tires are due for replacement soon. At 30,000 miles they probably have another 6-7k of legal tread in them, but tire grip and performance in wet conditions has become a concern.
Currently I am looking at 3 tires to replace the size 215/60-17 OEM tires. They are: Yokohama Avid TRZ, the Goodyear Tripletred, and the Michelin Hydroedge.
The high performance OEM Dunlops are not the most comfortable tire, so that is why they are not being considered. So comfort, safty and handling performance are my main concerns... not so much how many miles I can get out of the tires.
Any comments or opinions on the 3 tires I mentioned? Thanks.
I put the TRZ on a Honda Element, a bit wider and shorter than the stock tires. They are quiet and hard wearing, I have 15,000 miles on mine. Started at 10/32 and are down to 8/32 now. They seem to not hold their balance as well as other I 've owned, but my dealer has free rotation and balance every 5000 miles, so they get rebalanced then.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three you mention, but I have had Yokohamas on several cars and never a tire problem. I have had poor wear from Goodyear adn Michelins, but they were the OEM versions.
Currently driving a 2006 Impala LT with 225/60/SR16 Goodyear Integrity tires. They were OEM and have 14,500 miles on them. They are wearing well, but I find them to be noisy and very rough riding. I keep them inflated at the Chevy specs of 30psi. Rain peformamce is less than desirable, but they do work well in snow (go figure).
In any event, I was thinking of replacing them with the new Toyo Versado LX tire. Same size, 225/60/16. They only difference is the speed rating. The Toyos would be H-rated. Not a problem as the Impala only requires S rated.
I am looking for a tire that will smooth out the ride, absorb more of the road imperfections, and be quieter. I have always found the Goodyears too willing to transmit road vibrations and imperfections/bumps into the cabin.
Does anyone have any insight on what I could expect by switching to the Toyo Versados? The price, out the door, would be $500 for all four.
I am considering the purchase of an 07 Accord; however, the tires are rated poorly for traction in bad weather conditions in the tirerack survey and I live at 7400 feet in Colorado. The OE tires are Michelin Energy MXV4 (Grand Touring "V" speed rating). What problems are possible if I replace them at time of purchase with Goodyear Triple Treds (Passenger All-Season "H" speed rated)? Has anyone worked with the dealer to replace OE tires at the time of purchase and get a credit for the tires being replaced? I have had a good experience with the Triple Treds on my 2001 Camry. Thanks to anyone who offers some thoughts on this issus. Ralph
Traction complaints on OE tires tend to be regional in nature.
Put another way, when Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, etc. test their tires before they go into production, they do traction testing on a given surface. In some parts of the country there are road surfaces that give completely different results. It's not that the test they performed was invalid, it's that traction is very highly dependent on the road surface and it is possible for a tire to be better on surface A, where a different tire would be better on surface B - a reversal.
So while there may be reports of traction problems on some OE tire, it just might be that they will be fine where you live.
Keep this in mind when you are considering what actions you may take.
Do not be surprised if a tire shop refuses to install H speed-rated replacements on a car originally equipped with V speed-rated tires. Many tires shops would not want the liability of such a swap. It is usually no problem going to a higher speed rating, but going to a lower speed rating is usually avoided.
The $125 from my local dealer is all costs (mounting, balancing, valve stem, taxes, etc). If I ordered online for $90 each, by the time shipping, mounting/balancing, valve stem and other costs were tacked on I would only be saving $5/tire. Not really worth it to me.
I read an article that Toyo does not sell their tires to any internet resellers. If the tires are purchased online, it is not with Toyo's "blessing". Toyo is trying to encourage their customers to go to an authorized Toyo dealer for their tires.
Thanks for the "heads up". I'll make sure to check with the tire shop before proceeding. An alternative tire is the Goodyear Response Edge with has the same "V" speed rating. Is it a handling issue that's involved? Thanks. Ralph
I just had the Versados mounted on my '05 TL. They have to be better than the Bridgestone Turanza EL42s... I hope!
Initially, very quite tire. Smooth ride. But that's just my very first impression. Time will tell.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
It is not really a handling issue. The speed rating has to do with how "fast" a tire is rated to be able to go before failure due to heat, pressure, etc.
A V-rated tire can handle speeds slightly over 140mph (I believe). An H-rated tire can be driven safely up to 130mph.
A manufacturer will put tires on a car that are speed rated to match the potential top speed of the vehicle. It is mostly a liability issue. They do not want to mount, for example, a T-rated tire that can only handle speeds of 120mph, and then have someone drive 140mph on the tires and wind up in a tragic tire-related accident because the speed rating of the tire didn't match the performance potential of the car.
Many tire shops follow the same rule. If the car came originally equipped with V-rated, then only install V-rated or higher replacements.
If you never drive faster than 75-80mph, then it may not be a big deal to the driver, but the shops just don't want the liability that someone may out drive the tires at some point and blame them.
I ended up w/the Versados as my tire shop was highly recommending them. Origianlly I was going to buy Ultra High Performance tires, but after considering what I wanted in a tire, and some online advice, I decided to go the Grand Touring route. Should be quieter, smoother and longer lasting than the UHP AS tires.
Do you know of anybody with any miles on the Versados? Snow experience? The Turanzas didn't handle too badly, did hydroplane easily in the latter part of their lives (which may be normal), but were a bit loud and terrible in the snow. I don't expect the Toyos to be Blizzaks, but I just hope they are much better in the snow than the Turanzas...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
The Versado is a very new tire, so the only reviews I have seen are online from the early adopters. They are reporting very quiet and smooth tires, just like you have experienced. I would like to hear more about their handling characteristics.
I am sure the Versados won't perform like Blizzaks in the winter, but they should be good for a couple of inches of snow (enough to get you home when it starts snowing). I think Toyo says they are good for lightly snow covered roads.
I have never used Turanzas, but based on what I have read about them I would guess that the Versados should be a better all-around tire.
Had these on my last car and they were an awesome tire. Changed the driving feel of the car dramatically. Don't think they make them anymore though. Their Serenity(?) brand took it's place I think. The Toyo Versados seem to be a nice tire just by looking at their tread design. The Toyos we had as oem on our '05 Mazda 3s weren't that great, so I'm not a huge Toyo fan. The Goodyear Responce Edge tires also have a meaty looking tread design although a little pricey. The Goodyear RS-A's on my '06 Civic look almost brand new with alost 9300 miles on them so I will probably look at the Responce Edge's when it does come time to swap out for new sneakers.
put a set of Versados on my 05 Avalon - went from 215/55/17 to 235/50/17 the stock 7" wide wheels. About 7k on them now - and they are still marvelously quiet especially compared to the OEM Michelins (which I got 50k of painless miles from). Gas mileage wenr down (1-2 mpg) initially but has since returned back to normal. Wet as well as dry grip has improved - maybe because of the extra rubber on the road. Considered also the Bridgestone 'Serenity' which I believe was previously sold as the LS-Ts and Vs as well as the Comfort Assurance Goodyears but didn't want to lose the speed rating - and me buying a Brdigestone product is about as likely as me spending money at a Ford/Chrysler dealer. Paid $600.00 bottom line for the Versados, installed balanced, taxes etc. The Versados - highly recommended - seem to be wearing just fine although it is certainly too early to tell. Did have a lot of trouble finding them locally (Houston), and ending up having to call the local distributor for a 'where to buy' - the large chains (Discount and NTB) had never heard of them a few months back
Thanks for the review, Cap'n. You certainly got a much better deal than I did!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I had ultra high performance tires worn out by 20,000 miles. However, I've never noticed a drop in grip (minimal, if any) on any tires, ever. These tires had minimal tread as the tread bars were even with the tread itself already, but they performed basically as good as always.
Keep in mind I live in San Diego, where it never rains, and definitely never snows, and it was summer time. In the winter where there is a small chance of rain I wouldn't want to stretch it, but the dry traction performance (at least on Dunlop Sport Maxx's) never faltered due to wear. In fact, when your tread wears completely off, don't you have slicks now??? better dry but horrible wet?
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
andres - I'll agree with paisan on this one - that recent set of Michelins (Energy S8s) I just replaced were still well short of the wear bars and likely good for another 10 or 15k miles as least as far as the inspection stations are concerned. Down here on the Gulf Coast where a rainstorm isn't considered 'heavy' until it can be measured in feet and street flooding can be a daily occurrence - my wet grip is easily the first thing that seems to go even at 50% or so of tread life - can't imagine it wouldn't be even more apparent for those folks that have to drive on the white stuff. IMO, tires become potentially dangerous well before those tread bars appear and especially under those conditions where tread depth should make a difference...
I agree with you guys, I'm talking specifically dry road performance with little tread left. Dry roads in places where it rarely rains (like southern California) don't bring potential hazards to worn out tires very often, and even then only near the winter months.
I've also read a ton of tire reviews on America's Tire's website, and it seems perhaps certain brands/models of tires wear worse in terms of performance as they get older than do others.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
It can depend on the tire. A lot of tires now use two different rubber compounds (perhaps even more). The tread has a softer grippier compound for traction, and the tread base has a stiffer compound to support the tread better (reduce squirm). Also, as a tire ages, the rubber becomes harder, and traction falls off. I'm talking of 5 years and on here.
Another effect is when the tire stiffens, it can lift part of the tread off the pavement, instead of the tread flexing and staying put.
Next time you have a chance, watch the tires when "Motorweek" tests a vehicle in the slalom course. Quite scary how much they flex. Last week the vehicle wheel rims almost touched the pavement!
It's true that some tires have more traction when the tread is "worn". Usually you see this when certain racing classes must use "street tires", and they shave the tread way down to minimum specs for the class to reduce heat buildup and tread squirm and increase the amount of rubber on the road.
You may wish to go to the tirerack site and read the survey results and reviews for the tires that fit your car. I had good luck buying tires from them and having them sent to a local installer fo subsequent placement on my car. Ralph
If you want a smoother, quieter ride and 80k warranty get the Goodyear comfort treads. They do not handle as well as my oem Michelins or probably your tires but smooth,smooth,smooth.
I was thinking of getting "sticky" summer tires to improve the handling of my car in warm weather. My plan is to use the same wheels and remount the all-season tires in the fall.
Is there any problem with mounting and unmounting tires from the wheels multiple times? Will this cause damage to the tires?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Is there any problem with mounting and unmounting tires from the wheels multiple times? Will this cause damage to the tires?
I wouldn't recommend it. I bought a dedicated set of wheel/tires for winter, simply because it's easier to swap wheels (and less expensive) rather than mounting/remounting tires twice per year. Plus, some wheels don't take the constant abuse very well either, especially most aluminum rims.
My winter wheels (steel) ran about $60 each, and with the local costs of swapping tires about the same price, they'll pay themselves off after two years. Plus, it keeps my "good" OEM wheels from corroding/wearing down due to winter sand/salt.
Almost time for new sneaks for our 2005 Odyssey. Very odd size (235/65-16). Until recently, only the OEM tires were available, but thankfully some other brands have shown up.
Anyway, I have pretty much settled on the Yokohama Avid TRZ (based largely on tirerack tests and customer review). ANyone here have experience with these?
The other choice (courtesy of the guy at the tire shop) is a Toyo Versado LX. He said they are a new model, similar to the Yokos, but the online tire places I checked don't carry them.
Probably going with the Yokos, but will hold off until November most likely. WIll have about 33K by then, and the fronts are shot. THe backs could probably do another 5 (yeah, I guess I missed a rotation in there..), but they will all get done together.
I have to check if we have a discount tire by me. I don't recall ever seeing one.
I may end up buying them at Tirerack and having them shipped to the local NTB, which is where I might have bought anyway. They offer lifetime free rotation and balance (and road hazard warranty I think)for $9.99/tire, so that will still be cheaper than buying normal retail.
BJs (we are members)offers free rotations, not sure about balance, but they only sell the OEM Michelins, which I ain't getting again!
THe Odyssey has a real funny size tire, so there aren't a lot of choices yet
That works too. FYI, NTB also has excellent prices for 1, 3 and 5 year plans with unlimited wheel allignments. The plan is transferrable one time if you trade for a different car.
I thought they might just match the price. If nothing else, they can order the tires themselves!
Shipping is about $10/tire, so they can add that to the price and it will make no difference to me. i will still save about $100/set over the rack rate.
The Yokos are really cheap right now on Tirerack. Maybe I should just get them now instead of waiting!
Will run up to NTB tomorrow at lunch to get some $$ figures and see what the logistics are.
In June, I purchased a new set of Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires from my dealer for my Accord. Just last week, I went in for my next scheduled service, with my new tires now having 5k miles on them. When the service people at the dealership measured the tire tread depth, each of the tires was at 6/32. I wondered how that could be, as I thought that those tires, when new, had 10/32. They told me that my tires didn't always come with 10/32 when new - some only had 8 - and so this was perfectly normal. They said that since all the tires had the same tread depth, there was no problem.
Does this make sense to you, or is something a bit fishy here? Thanks for any facts or experiences you can share.
I agree with Blufz1. The dealers near me charge way more than tire shops or mail order.
Regarding tire wear on the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus, these tires give an extremely soft ride and have very short tire life. This is the tire of choice for my wife, who has had back surgery and suffers from residual lower back pain. We get 2500-2800 miles per 1/32nd of tread loss, with 80% city driving and regular rotations. She drives a Toyota Avalon.
Michelin does not offer a mileage warranty on these tires, however NTB put a 30,000 mile warranty of their own on my last set. Our next purchase of this premium-priced tire should be at a discount.
Gentle highway driving should extend the tire life. Any aggressive driving will wear these tires out quickly. This is a great tire if you want a soft ride regardless of cost. Otherwise, check with tire discounters, locally or by internet (such as TireRack.com), for alternatives.
The first thing folks should do when confronted with rapid tire wear is check the inflation pressure.
And the second thing is to check the alignment. Toe in can cause rapid wear without generating a pull - and of course the more toe in, the fast the wear.
But it is good to remember that most tire wear occurs in cornering, so if you spend a lot of time in the city, you won't get as good wear as when you are in the country. I used a term - "Turns per Mile" - to gauge how much turning people do compared to how much time they are driving straight. I only count essentially 90 degree turns. (A freeway off ramp that loops around 270 degree is 3 turns, while a gradual turn in the road doesn't count.) Somewhere around 1.0 "Turns per Mile" seems to be the dividing line.
I'd like to get some feedback on this to see if this "1.0 TPM" really is a good value to differentiate.
(Oh, and the point I wanted to make concerning "Turns per Mile" is that the OP may be experiencing this and there is nothing really wrong.)
My son bought an old car that has pretty decent rubber, with one exception.
One of the front tires was driven flat (don't know how far). It was enough to scuff half of the lettering off the sidewall. There is also a slight depression in the sidewall as if something is not right on the inside of the tire.
My question: Would driving on a flat "crack" the sidewall and make this tire unsafe? This is an old beater car and he doesn't want to put much money into it. I would rather replace the tire to be safe. Any advice?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
If you do measure the tread yourself, please let us know the result.
I agree about tire pressure and alignments. For what it's worth, I check tire pressure regularly and the alignment every six months on a pre-paid plan.
Thanks for your feedback. A few comments: An alignment was done at the same time that I bought the tires. I live in a rural area. With very few exceptions, I do not drive aggressively. I haven't made my Michelins squeal once yet, and that should tell you something. I get 36-39 mpg with my 06 Accord, so not much room for hot rodding there. Inflation pressure was fine. The only thing I haven't done is check the tread depth myself.
But the claim my dealership made that new tires of the same kind vary in tread depth seemed a bit of a stretch to me. That would be like buying a gallon of milk, and finding that you only had three quarts. Who would want to pay full price for a tire with only 75% of its advertised tread depth? Could I have been sold used tires, and how could I tell? Perhaps there's no way I can know for sure, but it doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth.
one thing you can do is check the dot date and that will tell you when they were made. it is not a common practise for most reputable dealers to sell take offs without the customer knowing it. it is possible though. is there a mileage statement with your tire warranty. some michelin tires have material and workmanship warranties only. this wear may slow anyway. do you drive on gravel at all.
But the claim my dealership made that new tires of the same kind vary in tread depth seemed a bit of a stretch to me.
He's right about the difference, but they are all 9 or 10/32nds. For tread depth by tire size, check here: link title
Could I have been sold used tires, and how could I tell?
It's possible, but unlikely. You probably cannot tell at this time.
I like the suggestion that you check the tread depth for yourself. Check all the tires before you get upset or complain. The dealer may have had a bad gauge, held the probe horizontally, measured an outside tread or read the markings incorrectly. Be sure you check the center tread or treads and that you extend the probe all the way.
Comments
25k and 2+ years of use is a good time to swap em out. Did you run these tires in the winter? If so how cold did it get, this could also adversely effect the wear on them.
-mike
Currently I am looking at 3 tires to replace the size 215/60-17 OEM tires. They are: Yokohama Avid TRZ, the Goodyear Tripletred, and the Michelin Hydroedge.
The high performance OEM Dunlops are not the most comfortable tire, so that is why they are not being considered. So comfort, safty and handling performance are my main concerns... not so much how many miles I can get out of the tires.
Any comments or opinions on the 3 tires I mentioned? Thanks.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three you mention, but I have had Yokohamas on several cars and never a tire problem. I have had poor wear from Goodyear adn Michelins, but they were the OEM versions.
Currently driving a 2006 Impala LT with 225/60/SR16 Goodyear Integrity tires. They were OEM and have 14,500 miles on them. They are wearing well, but I find them to be noisy and very rough riding. I keep them inflated at the Chevy specs of 30psi. Rain peformamce is less than desirable, but they do work well in snow (go figure).
In any event, I was thinking of replacing them with the new Toyo Versado LX tire. Same size, 225/60/16. They only difference is the speed rating. The Toyos would be H-rated. Not a problem as the Impala only requires S rated.
I am looking for a tire that will smooth out the ride, absorb more of the road imperfections, and be quieter. I have always found the Goodyears too willing to transmit road vibrations and imperfections/bumps into the cabin.
Does anyone have any insight on what I could expect by switching to the Toyo Versados? The price, out the door, would be $500 for all four.
I have a 2006 odyssey and am buying them for $90 each.
What problems are possible if I replace them at time of purchase with Goodyear Triple Treds (Passenger All-Season "H" speed rated)?
Has anyone worked with the dealer to replace OE tires at the time of purchase and get a credit for the tires being replaced?
I have had a good experience with the Triple Treds on my 2001 Camry.
Thanks to anyone who offers some thoughts on this issus. Ralph
Traction complaints on OE tires tend to be regional in nature.
Put another way, when Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, etc. test their tires before they go into production, they do traction testing on a given surface. In some parts of the country there are road surfaces that give completely different results. It's not that the test they performed was invalid, it's that traction is very highly dependent on the road surface and it is possible for a tire to be better on surface A, where a different tire would be better on surface B - a reversal.
So while there may be reports of traction problems on some OE tire, it just might be that they will be fine where you live.
Keep this in mind when you are considering what actions you may take.
Do not be surprised if a tire shop refuses to install H speed-rated replacements on a car originally equipped with V speed-rated tires. Many tires shops would not want the liability of such a swap. It is usually no problem going to a higher speed rating, but going to a lower speed rating is usually avoided.
I read an article that Toyo does not sell their tires to any internet resellers. If the tires are purchased online, it is not with Toyo's "blessing". Toyo is trying to encourage their customers to go to an authorized Toyo dealer for their tires.
Is it a handling issue that's involved? Thanks. Ralph
Initially, very quite tire. Smooth ride. But that's just my very first impression. Time will tell.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
It is not really a handling issue. The speed rating has to do with how "fast" a tire is rated to be able to go before failure due to heat, pressure, etc.
A V-rated tire can handle speeds slightly over 140mph (I believe). An H-rated tire can be driven safely up to 130mph.
A manufacturer will put tires on a car that are speed rated to match the potential top speed of the vehicle. It is mostly a liability issue. They do not want to mount, for example, a T-rated tire that can only handle speeds of 120mph, and then have someone drive 140mph on the tires and wind up in a tragic tire-related accident because the speed rating of the tire didn't match the performance potential of the car.
Many tire shops follow the same rule. If the car came originally equipped with V-rated, then only install V-rated or higher replacements.
If you never drive faster than 75-80mph, then it may not be a big deal to the driver, but the shops just don't want the liability that someone may out drive the tires at some point and blame them.
I will be anxious to hear what you think about them after about 1,000 miles when they are broken in and you have had a chance to drive on them.
Do you know of anybody with any miles on the Versados? Snow experience? The Turanzas didn't handle too badly, did hydroplane easily in the latter part of their lives (which may be normal), but were a bit loud and terrible in the snow. I don't expect the Toyos to be Blizzaks, but I just hope they are much better in the snow than the Turanzas...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
The Versado is a very new tire, so the only reviews I have seen are online from the early adopters. They are reporting very quiet and smooth tires, just like you have experienced. I would like to hear more about their handling characteristics.
I am sure the Versados won't perform like Blizzaks in the winter, but they should be good for a couple of inches of snow (enough to get you home when it starts snowing). I think Toyo says they are good for lightly snow covered roads.
I have never used Turanzas, but based on what I have read about them I would guess that the Versados should be a better all-around tire.
The Toyo Versados seem to be a nice tire just by looking at their tread design. The Toyos we had as oem on our '05 Mazda 3s weren't that great, so I'm not a huge Toyo fan. The Goodyear Responce Edge tires also have a meaty looking tread design although a little pricey. The Goodyear RS-A's on my '06 Civic look almost brand new with alost 9300 miles on them so I will probably look at the Responce Edge's when it does come time to swap out for new sneakers.
The Sandman
Considered also the Bridgestone 'Serenity' which I believe was previously sold as the LS-Ts and Vs as well as the Comfort Assurance Goodyears but didn't want to lose the speed rating - and me buying a Brdigestone product is about as likely as me spending money at a Ford/Chrysler dealer. Paid $600.00 bottom line for the Versados, installed balanced, taxes etc.
The Versados - highly recommended - seem to be wearing just fine although it is certainly too early to tell. Did have a lot of trouble finding them locally (Houston), and ending up having to call the local distributor for a 'where to buy' - the large chains (Discount and NTB) had never heard of them a few months back
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Keep in mind I live in San Diego, where it never rains, and definitely never snows, and it was summer time. In the winter where there is a small chance of rain I wouldn't want to stretch it, but the dry traction performance (at least on Dunlop Sport Maxx's) never faltered due to wear. In fact, when your tread wears completely off, don't you have slicks now??? better dry but horrible wet?
I've also read a ton of tire reviews on America's Tire's website, and it seems perhaps certain brands/models of tires wear worse in terms of performance as they get older than do others.
Another effect is when the tire stiffens, it can lift part of the tread off the pavement, instead of the tread flexing and staying put.
Next time you have a chance, watch the tires when "Motorweek" tests a vehicle in the slalom course. Quite scary how much they flex. Last week the vehicle wheel rims almost touched the pavement!
It's true that some tires have more traction when the tread is "worn". Usually you see this when certain racing classes must use "street tires", and they shave the tread way down to minimum specs for the class to reduce heat buildup and tread squirm and increase the amount of rubber on the road.
Is there any problem with mounting and unmounting tires from the wheels multiple times? Will this cause damage to the tires?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I wouldn't recommend it. I bought a dedicated set of wheel/tires for winter, simply because it's easier to swap wheels (and less expensive) rather than mounting/remounting tires twice per year. Plus, some wheels don't take the constant abuse very well either, especially most aluminum rims.
My winter wheels (steel) ran about $60 each, and with the local costs of swapping tires about the same price, they'll pay themselves off after two years. Plus, it keeps my "good" OEM wheels from corroding/wearing down due to winter sand/salt.
That's a good point. I never thought that the newer lightweight "alloys" might get dinged up in the process.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Anyway, I have pretty much settled on the Yokohama Avid TRZ (based largely on tirerack tests and customer review). ANyone here have experience with these?
The other choice (courtesy of the guy at the tire shop) is a Toyo Versado LX. He said they are a new model, similar to the Yokos, but the online tire places I checked don't carry them.
Probably going with the Yokos, but will hold off until November most likely. WIll have about 33K by then, and the fronts are shot. THe backs could probably do another 5 (yeah, I guess I missed a rotation in there..), but they will all get done together.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I may end up buying them at Tirerack and having them shipped to the local NTB, which is where I might have bought anyway. They offer lifetime free rotation and balance (and road hazard warranty I think)for $9.99/tire, so that will still be cheaper than buying normal retail.
BJs (we are members)offers free rotations, not sure about balance, but they only sell the OEM Michelins, which I ain't getting again!
THe Odyssey has a real funny size tire, so there aren't a lot of choices yet
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Shipping is about $10/tire, so they can add that to the price and it will make no difference to me. i will still save about $100/set over the rack rate.
The Yokos are really cheap right now on Tirerack. Maybe I should just get them now instead of waiting!
Will run up to NTB tomorrow at lunch to get some $$ figures and see what the logistics are.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Does this make sense to you, or is something a bit fishy here? Thanks for any facts or experiences you can share.
Regarding tire wear on the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus, these tires give an extremely soft ride and have very short tire life. This is the tire of choice for my wife, who has had back surgery and suffers from residual lower back pain. We get 2500-2800 miles per 1/32nd of tread loss, with 80% city driving and regular rotations. She drives a Toyota Avalon.
Michelin does not offer a mileage warranty on these tires, however NTB put a 30,000 mile warranty of their own on my last set. Our next purchase of this premium-priced tire should be at a discount.
Gentle highway driving should extend the tire life. Any aggressive driving will wear these tires out quickly. This is a great tire if you want a soft ride regardless of cost. Otherwise, check with tire discounters, locally or by internet (such as TireRack.com), for alternatives.
And the second thing is to check the alignment. Toe in can cause rapid wear without generating a pull - and of course the more toe in, the fast the wear.
But it is good to remember that most tire wear occurs in cornering, so if you spend a lot of time in the city, you won't get as good wear as when you are in the country. I used a term - "Turns per Mile" - to gauge how much turning people do compared to how much time they are driving straight. I only count essentially 90 degree turns. (A freeway off ramp that loops around 270 degree is 3 turns, while a gradual turn in the road doesn't count.) Somewhere around 1.0 "Turns per Mile" seems to be the dividing line.
I'd like to get some feedback on this to see if this "1.0 TPM" really is a good value to differentiate.
(Oh, and the point I wanted to make concerning "Turns per Mile" is that the OP may be experiencing this and there is nothing really wrong.)
One of the front tires was driven flat (don't know how far).
It was enough to scuff half of the lettering off the sidewall. There is also a slight depression in the sidewall as if something is not right on the inside of the tire.
My question: Would driving on a flat "crack" the sidewall and make this tire unsafe? This is an old beater car and he doesn't want to put much money into it. I would rather replace the tire to be safe. Any advice?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
They're probably going to try to sell you a new set of tires in about 6 months. Meaure the tire tread depth yourself... probably fine.
I agree about tire pressure and alignments. For what it's worth, I check tire pressure regularly and the alignment every six months on a pre-paid plan.
-mike
But the claim my dealership made that new tires of the same kind vary in tread depth seemed a bit of a stretch to me. That would be like buying a gallon of milk, and finding that you only had three quarts. Who would want to pay full price for a tire with only 75% of its advertised tread depth? Could I have been sold used tires, and how could I tell? Perhaps there's no way I can know for sure, but it doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth.
He's right about the difference, but they are all 9 or 10/32nds. For tread depth by tire size, check here: link title
Could I have been sold used tires, and how could I tell?
It's possible, but unlikely. You probably cannot tell at this time.
I like the suggestion that you check the tread depth for yourself. Check all the tires before you get upset or complain. The dealer may have had a bad gauge, held the probe horizontally, measured an outside tread or read the markings incorrectly. Be sure you check the center tread or treads and that you extend the probe all the way.