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Wouldn't that mean the new tires you buy could have 30 days worth of miles on them? I find it hard to believe they send all those "test drive" tires back to the factory.
In my case the 30 days would not have been enough. The Bridgestones I have were great when brand new, but now they howl on some roads. I don't think Discount tire would take them back now, with 35k miles on them. I hate to buy new tires when the Bridgestones still have plenty of grip, and perform great. I certainly wouldn't buy them again, knowing how loud they get at only half their lifespan.
I used this program once. No muss, no fuss. Put something cheaper on my maxima (generals I think, when they had just come out with a new line that seemed promising). Felt squirrelly, and I just did not like them, so i took them back and got Dunlops that I had planned to get in the first place.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Well, they do!
First, it's not very many.
Second, most dealers are smart enough to allow the customer only one changeover. Only PITA customers would need more than one try.
Third, tire manufacturers record who sends these tires back - and if a dealer was sending back too many, he'd start being charged for them. So the dealer has an incentive to get it right the first time.
Certainly a tire dealer (who is an independent businessman) can do what he likes, but the tire manufacturer will accept them back if the tires meet the terms.
".....My Bridgestones are not worn much at all, at 35k miles, but they are getting louder and louder as the tread wears. I really doubt they would take them back at this point..........."
The terms include a time limit - usually 30 days. Needless to say a tire with 35K would not qualify.
But if I were to diagnose your noise level problem, I'd say you have an alignment issue.
2) the legal way is when tread depth falls below a certainly level (probably 3/32). Which is also about when the tread is down to the wear bars. You can do the lincoln's head penny test, or just feel for the wear bars in the tread. Or stop at any tire place for a free check. If you get oil changes at the dealer, they usually tell you what the measurement is.
a more practical way to know when it is time to replace is when they stop working well, usuallly in the wet (they get slippery or "squirrly" ) and for sure the snow. I prefer to change them a little early for safety/peace of mind, instead of milking every mile out of a set of baldies.
3) everyone has opinions on brands. And what works for them. The Michelins I believe tend to be good on noise, but you often trade off comfort for handling. I would say look at reviews/tests on different options at tirerack.com. THere is a ton of info over there, but be prepared for some contradictions in the owner comments!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Going to a T is a little dicier because you are down to 118 mph and the car could potentially go faster than that. If you are comfortable it is your car - go for it. 118 mph is go directly to jail in every state even Montana now.
Also, as far as speed rating go, I run Q rated winter tires which are only good to 98 mph a speed almost every new car on the road can best, yet most winter tires are Q rated.
You should look at consumer reports, they test tires and Michelin makes the top rated touring tire and it is H rated. Primacy MXV4 Sams club sells them and there is a $70 rebate if you buy 4. I will get these in the spring when I take off the snows.
I also have a stick - keep shifting and don't turn to the dark side.
Any official publication is going to recommend the most conservative choice as they don't want to get sued on the off chance some yahoo goes too fast. Here is where I am coming from. If the base model has T rated tires and the mid model has H rated tires and the top model has V rated tires are you really obligated to put back V rated tires if they all have the same top speed? Pros don't want amateurs to make decisions so they will say put the same rating on. But intuitively if it is the same car with the same engine and transmission then it can use the same tires as the base model.
Not sure what the base Accord had for ratings, but I know in my case the SE had V and the LX has H so I am fine with H I have a 2007 SE 4 cyl stick. You could take a peek and see what the most basic Accord has for speed ratings at the dealer and you should be fine with that.
If you are not confident then just go with an H - tires are relatively cheap and tires like the Michelin will save you money with low rolling resistance.
I'm not entirely convinced it is simply a matter of how fast you intend to drive. If it were, I'd go with the H, since 80 mph is just about tops for me, generally speaking. But, having read through the 450 or so reviews at Tire Rack, the V rated tire does appear to provide the more stable ride, even at moderate highway speeds, and especially in windy conditions. Something to consider when I'm ready to buy.
Then again, I may just decide that I don't need Michelins after all. H or V, it is a lot of money, and I could get by with something cheaper. Still undecided...
I still have the OEM Michelin tires on my 04 Accord, and when I replace them I will be looking for a softer tire to get a smoother ride. I really like the car except when driving rougher roads.
Mrbill
And, since your OEM Michelins are six years old, chances are you'll be replacing before I do (mine are only 4 yrs/17,000). I'd be very interested if you do decide to go with the Primacy H option. If you get the better ride you're looking for, you may very well make my mind up for me. To get the overall better tire and spend less money doing it makes good sense, to be sure.
What's the speed rating on the Goodyear ComforTreds you chose? At the Tire Rack site, I see that the V-rated Goodyear is about the same price as the H-rated Michelin Primacy.
I had recommended that tire to a family member for his SUV which rode very rough. He installed the Comfort Tread tires and was thrilled with the difference in ride. The difference was substantial and they decided to keep the vehicle longer now that it rides much better.
The Comfort Tread tire is at the top of my list so far as a replacement tire for my Accord. I only have 40K miles on the car (I have an older truck I mainly drive) and the OEM tires look like new yet, so it may be a while before they are replaced. I'm willing to sacrafice a little handling and maybe a mpg or two, and with the max speed limit in WI at 65, I don't see the need for high speed ratings.
Mrbill
This is all planning ahead for me, probably by a year or two, so it's a tire on my "watch list," for the time being.
One minor complaint I've noticed is that the tire does not have a rim guard, which means (I guess) that the rim is more exposed than it would be with most other tires. I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe it's just nit-picking.
Those specs are for 15" (LX). For my car (EX, 16"), the options differ. Only the Touring model is listed.
I want to go to Reno/Tahoe this winter, but I have never drove my car in snow, and I was wondering if my tires are all seasoned tires, or will be required to purchase the tire chains when I drive in snow. If so, I would like to know what "size and type of tire chains" I should buy, and I prefer something easy to put on. but it would be depending on the price. (I also would like to know the Tire chain price). Where can I find the source(s) to look up the information?
I searched Honda dealer web site, Wikipedia, and this Edmunds web site/forum, but I couldn't find the information.
Thanks for your advice in advance.
In "chain up" areas, typically people will install your chains/cables for you for a fee. I did it myself but I practiced installing them in a warm location so I'd be able to do it quickly in the cold.
You may or may not need them on your trip. If you encounter snow, slowing down and taking it easy may be all you need. Your car will do okay with all-season tires if the snow isn't too bad, especially if it is mostly flat. Chains might be necessary for mountain passes or extreme conditions.
As for price, you'll probably pay somewhere around $70 for chains. Again, call a reputable auto parts store and give them your tire size to get a more exact price.
This is a link to Les Schwab's chain page for more info but you may want to check other places too. There is a video here that shows you how to put them on and it gives some fairly good advice about chains in general. Less Schwab Chains
Thanks!!
Nice to hear positive feedback about Primacy MXV4's, but I'm already convinced they are the tires as advertised; if price weren't an issue, I wouldn't even think twice about it (except for the speed rating question, which still bugs me.)
I think the widest wheel I can have with a 215 is like a 7" or 7.5" and the narrowest tire I can get on an 8" rim is a 225. Can I run a 225/50R17 and clear my fender lip and suspension? I have seen people running the Acura TL 17x8 rim on the Accord (and it looks good, IMHO) but other people are more willing to accept rubbing/binding than I am.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I would totally do that if I could find inexpensive V6 coupe or HFP wheels but I don't care for the V6 sedan wheels. I would also like something that isn't too much heavier than what I have now. The TSX wheel is also a 17x7 I believe and takes a 215/50R17 which should fit fine.
The car has just shy of 60k and the Bridgestones that came on it prolly have until the end of summer so I have sometime to find something good.
I replaced the tires with the same brand and model with the Michelin Primacy MXV4 H. As soon as I drove the car, it was BUMPY beyond belief. It was as if I was in a wagon traveling in the West, before it was developed. Well, maybe not that bad, but did not drive like the old set, at all. I returned the car to the tire dealer today. The air in the tires were set at 37 PSI. according to the tire dealer and 40 PSI, according to my car repairman (checked with him prior to going back to the tire shop). The Honda manufacturer recommends 32 PSI front and 29 PSI back. The tires have a recommended 40 PSI, I was told. The tire salesman said he would drive the car before and after letting air out to see if that would help. However, when he called he told me he did not have time. I told him to drive it because I did not want to take the car back and forth after just paying over $1K for 4 tires. He called back to say he thought it was okay, but if I was not pleased, they would work with me about other tires. I went to pick up the car. Before leaving, the owner said he drove the car and did feel every bump in the road. He thought the air reduction might help though. Both of the them said I was just probably not used to new tires though. Not true, as I remember what a great feel they had in 08 when I first drove the old set. The feel of these tires are not even similar.
I will now be going in a THIRD time for $1K tires, which seems totally unacceptable. I feel all the bumps in the road still. as the air reduction DID NOT help very much, at all. Between the owner and the salesman, they have told me this about four times I could get new tires. Am I missing something here? Do you think they think they are defective?
Are there known problems with Michelin? I had always liked the old set of Michelin. Could the bumpy ride be due to defective tires? Note the steering wheel does not shake and the car does not veer to either side. There did seem to be a lot of play in the steering wheel when I picked up the car though. I am not sure why.
How on earth were they a thousand dollars. They were half that at Sams club with lifetime balance etc. There was a $70 rebate at the time (for all 4 not each).
I will say that when mine were brand new they seemed a little skittish because of the oils in the top layer and the nubs take a long time to wear off. Also tread squirm is its worst at full depth tread.
Have different michelins on the minivan and noticed that made a strange sound going over bumps (sounded like a big red gym ball bouncing - sproing). That went away after a few thousand miles.
Tires change a lot over their lifetime. They tend to get better in every way except for wet/snow traction. If it never rained we would all drive with bald tires as they provide maximum dry grip and have no tread squirm.
I recommend that you drive 1,000 miles or so to get the tires broken in then have them rebalanced. At that point they should start feeling better. You might even rotate them then too to help the nubs wear off sooner. Also rotating well help you figure if there is a bad tire, since moving a bad tire from the front to the back will change the way your car feels.
For me, these tires did not even began to last 100K though. They were full of dry rot in all four tires. My old tires lasted 47,000 miles and were down to the thread. I googled Michelin and dry rot and found consumer complaints about Michelin dry rot. I called Michelin and they said all tires have dry rot. They also said I can not go a rating down from V rated to H rating. He said that was the reason they did not ride well. He could not explain why the other tires rode well from the start. Hmmm.... He argued repeatedly about it as if I never told him the previous Michelins rode great. Also, I told him I was told you could go down ONE rating from V to H, but he said the tire salesmen were all wrong on telling me that previously.
I'm not sure what I am going to do at this point. I seriously doubt I am keeping this particular set of tires though.
First of all, trying to improve the ride of the Accord with softer tires doesn't seem to work well, from the reviews that I've seen. An Accord is what it is -- most of us were prepared for the rougher ride when we bought it. I've got no complaints.
What concerns me most, though, is the potential for damage to wheels and suspension with the more pliable sidewall of the H rated tire. Potholes are inevitable, as much as I try to avoid them, and tires are the first line of defense. So far, my V- rated tires have held up very well (Michelins are, no matter what the critics say, a quality tire, and probably worth the premium pricing). I'm inclined to replace the original set with a V-rated Primacy set, until someone convinces me that I'm wasting my money. For protection's sake, if nothing else.
When were the tires made - you can check on the sidewall for the date code it is the year and the week 1108 is the 8th week of 2011. Old tires might have problems. I doubt it is all 4 tires that are bad, but one may be - rotate them and it will be apparent which one.
I also went from V to H. No problems. I don't think that this would cause a problem when other models of the same car with the same engine etc come standard with H.
Tire give is more a function of tire pressure than sidewall stiffness.