Tires, tires, tires

snuke

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME.....I am looking for a tire that gives me good milege and low noise. Considering those two, again, which one is best?

obyone

Kumho KH16 survey

Michelin Energy MXV4 survey

ruking1

"I have a 2000 V6 Honda Accord. The car came with the Michelins and were replaced with the same tire at 51,000 miles. I now have nearly 25,000 on the replaced tires. My complaint is although the tread wear is not bad, however the tires were over $100.00 per tire, the tire noise is now nearly unbearable. I am considering replacing the Michelins. I have read good comments about the price, ride, durability and low noise of the Kumho tires. Does anyone have any suggestions? "

Truly the answer is in your past posted quote. In your case, I'd go with the Kumho's. What this choice does is let you consider changing the tires as your tolerance for the tire noise decreases (given fairly similar and close tire performance); as you would have less money in the Kumho's. Michelin MXV4 seems to have mixed results for your preferences. The math would indicated far better per mile results for the Kumho's.

Since I have had long life from a so called "lesser tire" (GY LS-H) and I SWAG I would do better with the Michelin MXV4. The Michelin MVX4 Primacy represents the latest gen with higher UTOQ AND a 60,000 mile warranty (MXV4 has NO mileage warranty). I personally would tend to favor the Primacy looking for 135,000 miles and above! .

snuke

Thanks obyone for the surveys of both tires from Tire Rack. In fact, I had not only read those but printed them as well for future reference. It was the comment of the Discount Tire employee (feels Michelin runs extremely superior over Kumho) that confused me. I think I have finally received enough information now to know which way I will go next time around.

snuke

You are absolutely right ruking1. I guess I really answered my own question.

ruking1

Happy to help and hopefully add value to the discussion! If anyone is just popping in, the (for example) math looks roughly like this: 1. 195/65/15H
a. Michelin MXV4 $107.*4=$428/51,000 miles =.0083921 cents per mile driven
b. Kumho Solus KH16 53*4=$ 212./51,000 miles=.0041568 cents per mile driven

So (given very similar test results) and the fact you will probably want to replace the tires when the increased noise starts to annoy you, you need only get 25,262 miles on the Kumho Solus KH16's to have the same cost per mile driven as the much more expensive Michelins. So if you get 51,000 miles (closer to the 60,000 mile warranty), your cost per mile driven ((.0041568) will DROP.

ruking1

I have also come to factor in the hidden cost of switching from the "BEST" oem tire. Most OEM tires have the LOWEST rolling resistance, as they need to physically be able to meet and or exceed the EPA stated mileage.

To make a long story short " non oem" tires can exact 1-5 mpg more over the tire life. In my case 110,000 to 120,000 miles. For illustration purposes 1-2 mpg. @ 3.58 per gal diesel fuel that is UP to 100 gals. That would be $358. (coincidently the cost of a new set of tires) or 5,000 miles of fuel.

PF_Flyer

Today's blog entry on the Alternate Route deals with the all season vs dedictated snows question with a bit of a humorous twist :P

tfowler

I'm thinking about replacing the worn original tires on my 2005 G35 6 MT with one of the two tire types mentioned in the title. Does anyone have any experience with either, or knowledge about either that you think would be useful? Or any alternate recomendations?

My tire size is 225/40ZR19 front and 245/40ZR19 rear. Discount tire only has the Michelins in that size. Tire rack has those two and a few others (the original Bridgestone's Michelin Pilot Sports (without the "PS2"), Pirelli Pzero Rosso)

shark715

I have the PS2's on my SLK55, and I think highly of them versus the original equipment PZero Rosso's. An amazingly huge difference in ride quality with no apparent negative effects on handling. I've never replaced a set of tires on any car I've ever owned and experienced such an immediately noticeable difference. Also, I found the Pirellis to be much too easily damaged by potholes. I've hit much worse potholes with the Michelins with no apparent damage.

okko1

the michelins cost about twice what the pzero will. and the pzero's are not much in the snow.

tfowler

I don't think any of the tires I'm considering are any good in the snow. They are all summer high performance tires.

At tire rack the michelins costs slightly less than the PZero, about the same as the Yokohama ADVANs and a little more than the original Brigstones

okko1

are getting a z rated performance. i work for a michelin dealer and the rosso is much less than the comparable michelin. if you can get a z rated michelin for the same price as a yokohama i would buy it. i will check tomorrow and let you know what i find. :confuse:

ny540i6

Of the two tires you mention I am familiar with the PS2... I've used them on my 540, and I really really like them. The only other that compares for me is the Eagle GSD by Goodyear. The Michelins are great driving, very comfortable for a high performance tire, and amazing in the wet. The Goodyears are better looking, but tend to get loud as they wear. Sorry I can't offer anything on the Yokos.

okko1

much to my surprise all three of those tires were within 30 bucks of each other. the pzero is a run flat but doesn't provide the comfort or wet traction as someone else mentioned. :surprise:

newb1

Hey, I am still a novice when it comes to cars, so excuse me if this seems like a simple questions.

My manufacturer calls for 87H or 89H tires, would it be ok for me to get 91H tires installed on the car?

ruking1

Yes it would be ok. Going UP load ratings is good. What require research is whether or not you want to go up in increased load. I would stay within the load rating limits of the vehicle, even as if you have a higher load rated tire.

capriracer

I am hoping you didn't change tire size - which would complicate the matter,

Put another way, if you are going from Standard Load to Extra Load in the same size, then this is OK and you would use the same pressure as the standard load tire.

imidazol97

I had a new set of tires put on recently. I drove a mile from the store home and parked. An hour later the tire was low at 20 pounds. I took it off and went back to the store. They couldn't find anything leaking. They said the aluminum rim was slightly rough along the bead area so they put on a tar-like sealer. There are a couple of bubbles on the chrome on the inside of the wheel that they wondered might have leaked.

Any suggestions on what to do about the tire? No problems since.

ray80

Kinda sounds like what I had with chrome wheels on one of my vehicles. The bubbles that come up over time wouldn't allow a good seal aound bead so they applied some kind of heavy duty bead sealer (like they might use on truck tires) and it worked pretty well until it came time to replace tires. They tried the same solution to no avail so I ended up getting new wheels. If there is something special about the wheels and you really want to keep them, perhaps you could get them re-chromed and with luck better bead seal.

miragesea

Hello:
I'm still learning how to post messages here...
I plan to buy 4 new tires for 96 Olds Cutlas Ciera. The car's original tire size is 185-75-R14. However I'm having difficulty finding this tire size and was recommended to buy 195 instead. My question is will I have problems going to 195?
Will the 195 have any visibly different look? Like appear bigger?
Will there be any transmission problems?
Or, any other problems you can think of, many thanks.

Sarah

ny540i6

I plan to buy 4 new tires for 96 Olds Cutlas Ciera. The car's original tire size is 185-75-R14. However I'm having difficulty finding this tire size and was recommended to buy 195 instead. My question is will I have problems going to 195?
Will the 195 have any visibly different look? Like appear bigger?
Will there be any transmission problems?
Or, any other problems you can think of, many thanks.

Assuming you have the original wheel size then the 10mm addition is not going to do anything negative.

You are adding 10 mm in width. I've owned a Ciera, and I believe I ran 215/60 tires without problems. You are also going to a marginally taller tire - the total addition in sidewall height is 15mm(around 1/2 inch or so), so you are not looking at speedo error, transmission or any other problems.

The tire might appear slightly wider, however that is much more a function of brand/tread design than any real change... all you are adding is 10mm.

Hope this helps.

miragesea

Thank you. I wonder why a mechanic said that there might be "transmission" problems. The tires I am planning to get thru Costco are the Michelin X Radial DT.

S.

Mr_Shiftright

There will be a minor 1.5 mph speedo error. Your speedo will say 60 but you will be going 61.4. No biggie.

imidazol97

The difference is 848 to 868 for a 195x70x14 compared to 185x70x14 just to compare revolutions per mile for the Michelin X from their website. They do not have a 185x75x14 so I compared two similar sizes. That's 20 revolutions per mile at 45 miles per hour. Not something that would upset calibration of the computer, I would think.

Michelin tire specs by tire name

miragesea

Would a 195-70-14 also fit my car? And, would it be a better fit for the original 185-75-14? thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, looks like it would fit. You'd have a speedo error also. Your speed would show 60 mph but you'd be going 59.6.

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
185/75-14 5.5in 12.5in 24.9in 78.3in 809 0.0%
195/70-14 5.4in 12.4in 24.7in 77.7in 815 -0.7%

laurasdada

What would the Staties radar gun read?

paisan

Yes, looks like it would fit. You'd have a speedo error also. Your speed would show 60 mph but you'd be going 59.6.

IIRC Speedos are only accurate to +/- 3%

-mike

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah the speedo error is of no real consequence I agree.

maxwell10

I need a set of P215-65-15 tires for my van.

Are there any tires in this size still made in the US?
I would like to buy a set of US made tires.

Michlian - Canada
Toro - China
Yokohama - can not determine orgin

Company's make different size tires at various locations, so until you find the tire in the size you need, you can not determine country of orgin.

okko1

you might check continental-general

pjm16

okko1 when i bought my 08 cobalt it came with Hankook Optima P205/60R16,i didn't like the way they were performing, so i put on 4 Brand New GoodYear Eagle ResponsEdge P205/60R16s, was that a good choice? Come to think of it now i DIDN'T pay a whole lot of attention to the things you're supposed to. Are the Responsedge's a better choice? If not i feel like an a**! Spent $614 on those tires.

virgiesmom

Hey Maxwell..
Yokohama has a tire plant right down here in Salem Virginia.

sandman46

Very good tires from what I've read but a bit pricey for my tastes and wallet. Saw some Nexem tires last week with a nice meaty tread but already have 2 Fuzion tires on the rear due to unexpected road debris a couple of months ago. Like the Nexem tires better and they are cheaper from the independent store I went to, but they offer no road hazard protection like I got on the Fuzion tires and it's probably better to just have the same tires on each axle with the road hazard also. Seems a bit silly to buy from two different places eventhough the Nexem tires will save me about $40.00 overall.
Tempted to just go buy them and hope that I don't run over any nails or whatever. Are these Nexem brand tires any good?

The Sandman :confuse:

okko1

fuzion is a firestone brand and fierce is the equivalent brand by goodyear you will probably see longer service from the fierce brand.

canddmeyer

No one has mentioned BFG Radial T/A's, a tire I have used in the past and would heartily use again if I had a vehicle that could use it. Odds are they're made somewhere in North America.

sandman46

Have these on the wife's Mazda 3 and they seem to be pretty good tires at about $100.00 / tire. Not a great deal but they have a 60,000 mileage rating. So far...so good.

The Sandman

nwroads

I recently bought a Vibe in serious need of tire replacement. (surprised the previous owner was still driving on these tires!) I've started searching through CR etc., but would appreciate any suggestions from people with experience. One tire place was suggesting only their own tire brand to me, even when pressed.

I'm looking for just a basic, good all-around tire that will last a decent time; nothing high-end or expensive. Average driver, mostly in city (freeway/city streets) driving. Handling is probably a bit more important than noise, but both would be nice. I'm in the Pacific NW: plenty of rain, not much snow, but I do go up to the mountains on occasion.

My Vibe is 2005 model, manual-shift, 2WD, no extras. Any recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you. p.s. 16" tires (not sure what other info would be helpful, I'm new at this)

sandman46

Have these on our Civic and Mazda 3s. Both pretty good rain tires.

The Sandman

bremertong

My car has 6400 miles on it and I got a message from Onstar suggesting that I do my first rotation at between 6000 and 8000 miles. I took to a Schwab Tire Center and they said could be rotate at any time
but said the tires were wearing well and there was no urgency at the moment. Owners manual recommends
rotation at 7500 miles which at the moment is my target number or guideline. I rarely slam on the brakes or brake hard so am pretty easy on both brakes and tires. If I were to never rotate the tires given my driving pattern how much sooner would the front tires need replacement (or all tires). Many times when I took previous cars to dealership for service they would say tires are wearing fine, no need to rotate, sometimes it was up to 10,000 miles between rotation. My main objective is to become more knowledgeable about this issue so I don't rotate any more often than I need to. All suggestions appreciated. The DTS is a front wheel drive car.

okko1

i work for a tire company so cost is not an issue for me. i am rotating about every six thousand miles. the idea is to rotate before there is signs of wear. because of the angle changes in steering the front tire tends to round the shoulder of the tire. the rear will usually have a square look to the same edge as it pivots when turning. :shades:

mz6greyghost

Many times when I took previous cars to dealership for service they would say tires are wearing fine, no need to rotate, sometimes it was up to 10,000 miles between rotation.

Yeah, but the idea of tire rotation, as mentioned, is to get them rotated BEFORE there's any sign of abnormal wear. Besides, no matter how well the tires seem to be "wearing", the tires up front that steer the car and have the majority of the braking stresses (as well as acceleration in this case) still tend to wear differently than the rears.

I rotate my tires every 7500 miles, and find them to wear evenly, as well as last for a fairly long time.

kyfdx

If you have a symetrical, non-directional tire, you can probably get away with longer intervals...

But, if your tires are directional or asymetrical (sp?), then 5K-6K rotation intervals would be better, IMHO..

regards,
kyfdx
visiting host

ruking1

I have followed the oem rotation recommendations (10,000 miles, happens to be) for two currently owned front wheel drive vehicles. One set of tires is going on 103,000 miles and from the factory alignment.

So I would stay pretty close to YOUR oem's recommendations, which I understand to be at 7,500 miles.

blufz1

I get mine done for free at discount tire cause I bought them there. I prefer 7500 mile rotations. I don't want the "impact wrench" removing my aluminum wheels any more than necessary.

nwroads

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, my tires are 205/55R-16's. I've looked at tirerack and other resources and have rec'd a little feedback but not much. I'm leaning toward the BFgoodrich Traction T/A, which someone else suggested and has rec'd good reviews.

A few others that have been mentioned:
Yokohama Avid TRZ
Falken Ziex ZE512 (though I haven't seen 55's)
Bridgestone Turanza LS-H

Anyone have good/bad experiences with the above tires? :confuse:

kyfdx

The Turanzas are great tires... I put them on an Acura Legend.. pricy..

I hear good things about the Traction T/As.. Another popular choice is Goodyear TripleTreds (not ComfortTred). Also, pricy..

Though not as low profile as you will have on the Vibe.. I have Nokian WRs on my Honda CR-V.. They are H-rated, all-seasons... but have winter capability (the only all-season tire with the snowflake symbol). I really, really like them... also, pricy..

The Yokohamas would probably be cheaper than these choices... The Subaru guys love them..

sandman46

Wearing quite well on the wife's Mazda 3 and bought them for $92.00 per tire at Sears about a year ago. Great tires!

The Sandman

carlovernj

I have had great success with the Turanza LS-H. I have them on my Nissan 240 sx. They are smooth riding, quiet, and very good in the rain and snow. All around, a great tire.