Infiniti M35/M45 Tires

bobicg · January 2009

Shmang. Thank you for your brief attempt at contrition. Do you own an M? Do you work for a Infiniti Dealer or Infiniti repair shop? Most people who buy these cars dont beat the hell out of them on a regular basis. I bought mine for a variety of reasons not just pure handling. Paid cash for it and attempt to get maximum wear out of all components. Also this thread is about tire suggestions and I still think for most drivers the Michelins are a very good choice and a good value. My point in my original post was all my expectations regarding a good tire for this car were being met after 25k miles: ride, handling, tread wear and traction in foul weather.

PS: If you dont own an M why dont you go post on the Civic board?

shmang · January 2009

As a matter of fact, I do own a M - The M45, which is more powerful and faster than any M35 (X or not) and I have friends that owns M35 or M45 (several of them). We do not beat the hell out of the car on regular basis, but we do drive them hard from time to time. If you don't, just save your $$ and buy a Avalon or something. Sure the M is about luxury, but it is more about sports and performance - well, maybe not for you, but any other M owners agree.

The Michelins might be a good choice - and I never said it was not. I was just simply point out that you are over exaggerated the durability of the tire and give other M owner an honest opinion. What's wrong with that?

shmang · January 2009

Just FYI. Although I never worked at an Infiniti shop or dealership, I do have connection with them and I have obtained some information before I bought my M45 and the average tire life for the stock tire are about 26K (In case you do not know the rating of the stock tire - they are rated for 40K miles).

So, most M drives do spirited driving. I guess you are the exception. But, that is OK, I just learned something new.

shmang · January 2009

"PS: If you dont own an M why dont you go post on the Civic board? "

Just FYI - Not everyone that does not own an M will own a Civic. There are other cars to be considered - in case you did not know that.

I am not sure where you live. But, if the place you live only have M and Civic, I can understand why you bought the M and drive conservatively ALL the time. I am sorry to learn your situation and now I understand more about your situation.

Enjoy your M, but when a Civic pass you, don't panic. Your car has the undiscovered power to destroy the Civic.

hhiggins · January 2009

Hey:

Here is my story. I replaced the factory tires with Eagle F1's. Great traction, but super loud. I rotated and balanced every 5K. Like the first post after yours, by 10K they were loud as anything. At 20K I noticed severe tread wear on the outer edge of the driver's tire, which was 500 miles after the dealer rotated and balanced the tires and told me they were in great shape.

I took the car back to be inspected, and the delaer told me the tires were all cupped and they all needed to be replaced. They wouldn't even talk about alignement or unmounting the tire, just that I had to buy 4 tires immediatley. Notwithstanding the trust issues I now have with the dealership (since they take no responsibity for the inspection failure, and a tire dealer has told me that my tires still have life in them), don't buy the F1s. If you look at Tire Rack online and read the F1 reviews, everyone is having this trouble with these tires. They all cup after 5K miles, which leads to the crazy noise. I guess I have to be thankful that I managed to get 25K miles out of the tires as many people get less than 15K miles. They are far too expensive to buy for that many miles.

BTW, does anyone know if there is any truth to the dealer stating that only "they" can align an M35x. The head of the service department at my dealership told me that no repair shop dealer has the right equipment to align my car. I don't believe him, but I have no idea.

Thanks.

rlbinatl · March 2009

I am starting to look for new tires on my M45S. Anyone tried anything other than the factory tires that they really like? I have the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A on there now.

coltom · March 2009

I was dreading getting new tires because of the expense related to the size tire on my M35x - I kept pricing the local tire dealers, the internet tire retailers, Sams, Costco, etc and finally found a clearance on Tire Rack.com for a set of Goodyear F1's - got them for about $90 each. Even with the road hazard added, the shipping and the installation costs, I still saved almost half off from the cheapest place I could get them here (PA) locally. I've been very pleased with the tires thus far too. I was impressed with how easy TireRack was - I know several people who've used them and after all was said and done, they didn't recommend them but finding those tires on clearance it was did it for me.

bruceomega · March 2009

coltom,

Was wondering which specific Goodyear F1s you got. Was it the All Season F1s?

Thanks
Bruce

mako5 · April 2009

I have a m35 with 17k miles on it . The rear tires have about 45 thousands less thread than the front ones . Shouldn't the front ones wear out faster ?

james27 · April 2009

It's a rear-wheel drive car! The rears usually wear out first. On any car, if you rotate the tires when indicated, you will even out the wear and extend the useful life of the set.

shmang · April 2009

Yes, the tires on the driving wheels will always wear faster. Even the M35X will wear the rear tire faster - since it is not real time AWD - only when there is slipery detected or when launch, the power is distributed to the front. So, rotate tires will extend the life of your rear tires / tire set.

addams · April 2009

Dunlop SP Sport Signature
Yokohama AVID W4S
Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum

coltom · April 2009

Bruce - they are the F1 GS-2's - they were doing a clearance on them thus the great price

jvsb · May 2009

I have a 2006 M35Sport. I replaced the first set of tires with another set of Potenza run flats and only have about 17000 miles on them.. They need replacement. Has anybody switched to the low profile non run flats and if so have you had any problems. I know I have to get a spare but that should be cheaper than the run flats although a bit of a problem with space in the trunk. Any other suggestions for tires? Any thoughts on the Federal 595. thanks. jvsb

gluckmanm · May 2009

Do you still like the Generals? I have 30K on my 2006 M35x and have to make a tire decision. Generals seem the most cost effective and have a high rating.

barryend · May 2009

I replaced the OEM tires with Continental Contact Extremes. The were excellent in the rain and winter and reduced the trammeling caused by the M35X inherently defective design. They had an aggressive tread but were not as quiet as some less aggressive tires. Every thing is a trade off. My priority was go in snow and safety in the rain.
Lease on 2006 M35X was over 2/09 with 44,000 miles. Dealer replaced steering rack at 25,000 miles. Helped but no cure.

shmang · May 2009

Personally, I would never use run flat tires. Everything is a trade off. You get better tires for the same amount of money that you spent on run flat. I would just go buy a can of FixFlat and put in the trunk and be done with it (Ok, I will replace it every 6 month to make sure it is still effective). That is still cheaper and the regular tire will provide you better performance IMO.

turley99 · May 2009

After 10,000 miles with the OEM Goodyears which I hated, I switched to Bridgestone Potenza Re 960AS Pole Position tires and it was an amazing improvement. Much quieter, smoother, better wet and dry cornering....a superb tire. I have 45,000 miles on them with at least 7,500 miles left. These tires bring out the performance and ride qualities of the car.

mltsurger · September 2009

Shmang,What happened to bobica and his long tire mileage project. You two seem to have gone at it,but it has been a while.I also drive safely but the M is made to enjoy.I have the M45X and have tried on back country roads to utilize my tires to hold the road in a corner at no more than 130-140.Has anyone found the electronic limiting at 155.I would hope that would only come on a closed track and a straight- away or gentle turn.

shmang · September 2009

Well, it is just ridiculous... It is hard to believe someone will put hard tires with 80K warranty on M and I was pointing it out that this is not the normal case for most M drivers. and it backfires so I was just trying to fix that.

As far as the speed, I have not taken the M over 130 either - even we do have the road to do it here in Dallas area. There is a new toll road just opened with NO speed limit and on Sat. morning, it is pretty much empty ($4.8 for a 5 mile drive), so me and a buddy tried it there twice (me in my M45 vs. him in his MB E350) - not a race but just a high speed cruise and reached 130ish, the speedo says 138, but at that speed, I am guessing it is more like 132 or so (due to the tire slipping). It was fun though.

mltsurger · September 2009

Was the M smooth or was there a fair amount of front end movement.I had tried going a little fast with my M but found some movement..I then went to the dealer and had the wheels balanced and a front end alignment.Then no problem.I wonder if I can get 80K out of the tires.

mltsurger · October 2009

I have a 2008 M45X with Goodyear RSA's .Do I need snow tires?I live in Minnesota and drive about 40 miles to work.Thanks

james27 · October 2009

Personally, I never liked those tires. I have an M35x, and while I could probably get by without snow tires here in NH, I have run all of my cars with them. An all-season tire is a compromise all seasons. A good snow tire will stop faster, corner better, and get you out of places an all-season never could. Just make sure you take them off when the average temp exceeds 45, or they'll begin to wear excessively. Now, if your winters are mild (not likely in MN), it won't matter much, but you'll be safer with them. I've got some Michelin PA2's, but the equivalent tire today is PA3. Some swear by Blizzaks and maybe the newer ones are decent, but the one set I had a long time ago was so soft, you could easily feel it when cornering. The PA2's are quieter than the RSA tire, and the handling is nearly the same on dry. I opted to downsize to 17" from the 18" to gain a little more sidewall height. This gives you a little more leaway if you hit a pothole before smashing the wheel and may account for the slight difference in max cornering power (which you should minimize in the winter, anyways!).

mltsurger · October 2009

thanks!Off to the store.Do I need TPS on the winter wheels?

james27 · October 2009

I didn't buy them for my new wheels. Keep in mind, though, that in some states, you would not pass inspection if you did not have them. Infiniti's TPS are about 2x the cost of many of the other brands out there, even if you buy them at a discount somewhere.

golfgod2k3 · October 2009

Goodyear RSA's are horrible and WAY overpriced!!!!!!!!!!! If you end up going all season I highly suggest the Kuhmo LX Platinum http://www.kumhousa.com/Tire.aspx?id=6e4e0466-b6b3-42a3-a047-58f1418be802&cat=22-

The have a 600 treadware rating, ride and handle great (almost as good as sport tires I had before) and are very reasonably priced.

jeffry · October 2009

I just replaced my RSAs (@30K) w/ MXV4 Primacys, wanting something smoother & quieter. Both CU & Tire Rack indicated the Primacy & Turanza were. After 5 ds I can't say I notice any difference at all.
QUESTION: is it worth it to bother w/ getting an alignment? There was no pulling or unevenness to the wear w/ old tires, as such seems like a rip off at $98.

infinitisvc · October 2009

Always align your car when you install new tires. In fact for most people it is good practice to align your car on an annual basis. I am an Infiniti Service Consultant in the Dallas area where the paving is pretty good, and I have seen alignments after 6 months that were off.

Just look at it as part of the annual maintenance expense like rotation and balance.

BTW, I have to agree with another member who suggested Kumho tires. I put a set on my wife's car and I have been very pleased with the ride and performance.

ghstudio · October 2009

I've been driving for 40 years and I could count the number of good alignments I've had on one hand. The vast majority come back with the steering steering wheel not being level when going straight ahead. Yes, I keep having it done, but usually it requires two visits...the first where they get the steering wheel wrong and the second when I make them drive the car and fix the steering wheel.

air2air · October 2009

I've used BFG A/T K/O offroad on my FJ Cruiser with great success. Does anybody know anything better?

jeffry · October 2009

Thanks infinitisvc, but help me understand the advantage when there is no pulling & old tires lasted 30K to 4-5/32 & even wear. It just seems like a money maker for tire stores w/o specific obvious issues. Thanks.

macajasmith · January 2010

Hi, researching tire for 2006 M45 Sport. Looking for a combination of low tire noise and best treadwear. I do occasionally put my foot in it, but keep it under 100.
Thanks

c5_4fun · January 2010

I've had good luck with Michelin Primacy MXV4. Great handling, good traction in all weather, plowed uphill through 12" of snow. I drive my M35 pretty hard and have been very happy. The only downside is they ride pretty hard so you have to be OK with that. With 15K miles, they look brand new.

slyfox16 · February 2010

I am picking up my 2010 M35 in the next couple of days. With all the posts about tramling, I am paying to have the Goddyears replaced.(The dealer says he contacted Infiniti and they didn't know anything about a problem and wouldn't do anything.) I live in NYC which would give a better ride the Michelin Pilot Sport or the Continental Extreme Contact, as these seem to be the most mentioned as replacement tires.

barryend · February 2010

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/ Search this Federal database. The dealer is a lair. Kill the deal.

slyfox16 · February 2010

Since I am sort of losing faith in the dealer, can anyone tell me what the correct pressure would be, mainly doing city and some high way driving in NY, for the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Thanks.

james27 · February 2010

Multiposting won't necessarily get you more answers! I've used 34#. Good, even wear, acceptable ride.

bruceintexas · March 2010

Bought a 2007 M35 with 25k miles on it...had the OEM Goodyear RSA's...tread was wearing uneven and there was some tramlining on uneven roads. Took it to Infiniti dealer and they checked steering arm and said ok...but said REAR alignment was out, and tires had 5/32 in some areas, but were uneven wear...and recommended new rubber.
I researched online and decided to get Michelin Primacy MXV4's...got 500 miles on them now, and a new four wheel alignment...and noticed a much better, quieter ride, and also, haven't felt tramlining since. 60k mile rating...hope they make it close to that. so far, so good.

redg356mt2005 · March 2010

just bought a new 010 M35. I've noticed the tire pressures are 41 front and 40 rear. Is this OK? The door jam says 33 psi. The ride seems fine.

ghstudio · March 2010

Well, it won't damage the tire and the tire will probably last a little longer, but the ride will be much firmer. Personally, I would set them to 33psi.

bobicg · March 2010

Set to 33 psi COLD, air expands/pressure increases with temperature. Set at 33 cold they should read between 36 and 39 depending on the outside temp and speed.

ghstudio · March 2010

Yippee!!!! for those thinking about acquring an M37, it now comes with Michelin asymetrical tires as standard (not sure which tire model).

They have to be better than the Goodyear's on the M35's.....

ridesouth · March 2010

My'07 M35 sport was doomed. I was ready to trade it on anything else that rode without jarring my teeth, allowed me to hear the radio or converse on the phone, have a conversation. etc. The car hunted on uneven pavement, etc. On a last ditch effort, since I love so much else about the car, I changed out the Potenza's for Pilot Sport AS Plus. I was rewarded with a new car...the one I actually thought I bought in the first place. She's now a keeper, nestled in alongside my 540i wihich also runs Pilot Sports. By the way, the AS Plus has a 550 tread rating and a milaege warranty, not the 220 rating of the other Pilot Sports that wear out at 25K.

mltsurger · March 2010

I have 22,000 on the goodyear RSA's.They are bad tires,worn unevenly and worn out.I just had winter tires on and they were great. What tires should I buy next.I plan to use them about 9-10 months a year.I drive 40 miles to work,am conservative most of the time and occasionaly like to see what the V-8 can do?

smarty666 · March 2010

I've got the RSA's on my 2010 Maxima and I'm with you these tires are typical OEM tires, mediocre at best and poor usually in all things! I only have 5k miles on them and I can't wait till they wear out so I can put better tires on them!

they are the loudest, most noisiest tires I have ever had on a car; the road and tire thum echo's through the cabin and even with the Bose system turned up, on highway and interstate even that is not loud enough to drone out the road noise these tires bring into the cabin! really ruins the ride sometimes with how loud they become and take away from the luxury ambiance of the really nice comfortable ride quality of the suspension!

not only are the RSA's noisy as crap, they handle extremely poorly in even just light rain, and are completely unsafe in heavy rain and snow/sleet!

Infiniti and Nissan should be ashamed for using these tires at all on these premium vehicles; should have Michelins, Kumhos, or Pirelli's on these cars!

interesting enough, the new 2011 M37 Sedan at my local Infiniti dealer has Michelin Primacy MXM4's on the car! maybe, Infiniti finally got the message!

if ride quality and noise level are any priority for you and your M35/M45 I would make the following tire recommendations for anyone replacing their RSA's!

UHP tires: Pirelli PZero Nero A/S or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

HP tires: Michelin Pilot Exalto's A/S (one and only best HP and would be good replacements for RSAs since the RSAs are also HP tires)

Grand Touring Tires: Michelin Primacy MXM4 or MXV4 (if you can afford it) or Kumho Escta LX Platinum for a cheaper but nice alternative to the Primacy tires!

the grand touring tires would really quiet down the ride and smooth it out tremendously!

best of luck to all Infiniti owners replacing these absolutely atrocious RSAs!

dan41 · April 2010

Several days after taking delivery on my 2010 M35, I visited with the service manager regarding the tramling and excessive road noise I was experiencing. He told me he was aware of others complaining about the stock RSA's and that he would ask for permission from the regional Infiniti rep to replace my RSA's with Michelin Primacy MXM4's. Well, yesterday the tires were replaced and the difference in ride, tramling and road noise is absolutely profound. I feel like I'm driving a completely different car.

I never realized how much difference one tire manufacturer can have over another. Infiniti made a wise decision to go with the Michelin Primacy MXM4's on their 2011's. If these tires last a well as the previous Michelin tires I've owned, they will, no doubt, be the only type of tire I'll have on my M.

slyfox16 · April 2010

Wanted to know what anyone thought about Michelin Pilot MXM4 245 45 r18 tires on a 2010 M35x?

getright40 · May 2010

I currently have Hankook tires and they aren't bad. Anyone have any dealings with these tires and what's your take? I am due for a new set and considering trying some of the tires suggested here.

Thanks

blueyfish · June 2010

I also spoke to the Service Mgr. regarding the tires on my 2008 M. I was not happy with the RSA's on my 06. Within the hour, he called to tell me that Infiniti had approved Michelin Pilots. Wow! What a difference. Now I am ready for 2011 and Michelin is included.

mako5 · August 2010

Infiniti M35/M45 Tires

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