Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Even if you don't drive aggressively (neither do I :shades: ), putting different tires front to rear, especially touring tires on one end and performance on another is going to upset the handling of the car. The car may go from having slight understeer tendencies to oversteer, or vice-versa. You may not notice the difference under normal driving conditions, but they would probably show up in an emergency situation (such as a high-speed lane change or if you find yourself going into a turn too fast), or when driving in the rain.
I had Yoko Avids on another car and felt that for the price they couldn't be beaten. They had only one deficiency.....a little ponderous in the snow.
I have had Yokos in the past on another car (Yoko Avid V4S all season), and for the price I was very happy.....just didn't find them quite as good in the snow as the Michelin Pilot A/S they replaced.
When I was looking two years ago in TireRack, the Continental ExtremeContact and the Bridgestones I bought (see above) were the two top ranked all-season tires in the summarized Winter categories, regardless of price. I chose the Bridgestones for my G35 RWD Coupe, and in the original offset tire sizes: P225-45-18 fronts and the P245-45-18 rears.
The Michelin Pilots (Summer tires) on my (rear wheel drive) G35 Coupe were LESS THAN USELESS IN THE SNOW as you would naturally expect. Just a dusting and the car had to be left in the garage. The best way I can describe things: like the car was riding on glare black ice covered with a thin coat of water. The car could not get out of its own way in the snow.
I liked all of the other aspects of the Michelin Summer tires, except for the price. But I live in New England and wanted to be able to drive the G Coupe year around, including the Winter months, without investing in a second set of dedicated tires and rims.
With the G Coupe's minimal overall ground clearance and the proximity of the front air dam to the pavement, I had no illusions of going out when there were over four inches of the unplowed white stuff of the ground. I just wanted to be able to safely navigate, albeit carefully, when the accumulation was lower and/or after the roads had been treated. Living in a medium populated area, the road crews take care of things in relatively short order.
In the worst of the storms I figured the car with the all-seasons might be laid up a day, worst case two before the roads were clear enough. I was not wrong and have gone two winters on the Bridgestones. Pleasantly surprised at that.
No, these all seasons were not confidence inspiring on the rear wheel drive Coupe. But they are what I would term passable and a night versus day improvement for Winter over the Michelin Summer tires..
Since you have an all-wheel-drive X, you should far ahead of me in every snow situation except stopping distances, ahead of me because of your AWD, higher ground clearance in the front, and the narrower rear tires .....then we're about even. I don't think you will be disappointed in your tire selection. In fact, you might get overly confident when you first hit the snow because of the vast improvement in the snow traction of your all-seasons versus your Michelin Summer tires.
If you read tire road tests thoroughly, you know Summer tires are better in all dry applications. What you might not know is that Summer tires for three seasons of the year are superior to all-seasons in the rain (I couldn't believe that one myself until I read it and saw the performance statistics). And in the Winter, as the temperatures drop below 44 degrees, the softer rubber compound in the Summer tires do a very respectable job adhering to the dry road. But add snow and they are useless..
The Summer tires wear faster because of their softer compound, so your all season Continentals should last longer. When it comes to ride comfort and noise, the all- seasons have the Summers beat in my opinion. I don't need to be taking the exit ramps at 55 mph in my G Coupe.....I've got another car more suitable for that. So giving up the Summer tires was a no brainer for me.
Good luck to all on your tire choices. The amount you spend does not necessarily translate necessarily into a better tire for your use. I am not trying to advertise, but I have found TireRack to be a tremendous resource researching tires before picking the finalists and getting the bang for your buck.
When I took my G in for tires, I walked the service manager around the car to point out the pristine rims, the TPMS that worked, the condition of my car (no dings, etc.) and also observed the old tires and suspension settings worked smooth as glass up to 120!!!!! That is how I expected when I got the car back, along with the new tires. "Put the right tech on the car."
Yup, you guessed it. Three of the four rims got gouged, on the spokes no less (not merely scratched). Someone got fired, and the tire dealer had to have the rims refinished. What a pain! For me!
If the TPMS worked when you took the car in for new tires, they had better work coming back out.
The responsibility is on the tire installer. Take the car back to them and let them figure it out.......that is what you paid them to do, simply swap out the tires and return the vehicle to you otherwise unaltered. And don't wait, call them now. Or you will find them blaming you or something you did AFTER you left their shop.
Odds are they screwed up the monitors. Common problem. They may have to be replaced......on their dime.
Another thought, if the tire monitors are set for 35 psi and the techs put in 32, it would show up on the monitor. The shop can reset each of those at the tire to make sure it matches up with the pressure specs of the tire and the car.
Hope that proves to be an easier way to fix your problem. Let me know if it works in your case.
I live in Texas, and spent $$ going through Goodyear Eagle GTII's, don't waste your money. Yeah, they look good but just turn the other cheek. The GTII's are too soft for this ground.
I've use the 'Kooks at the track and they hook up nicely. Hankook has a page on Fb, and you can also go directly to the 'Kook site. They will reply to your query.
As far as price, I've been able to get price match at Disc Tire Direct, and if your a first time buyer on a set of 4, give a shout to PerformancePlusTires.com (or Net) out of Long Beach Calif.
What I need to know what is the stock tire on the G35. 225/45/19 on the front, and 225/40/19 on the back.
Thanks.
You expect to be able to buy the exact same tire as what came on the vehicle OEM from the factory? Then YOU CHOOSE to switch tire brand. And then YOU CHOOSE to blame Infinity when you don't like the outcome?!?!?
You were not forced to buy your tires from your Infinity dealer just as you were not compelled to blindly accept their recommendation for a replacement tire brand and model.
There are plenty of people who find the Hankooks fulfill both their needs and expectations on a G35X, at a particular price point. You didn't do your homework. If you want to blame someone, take a good look in the mirror.
Tire choice isn't black and white due to driving preference, and there is no such thing as a tire that does everything better, regardless of price.
If they have a tire dealer close by, they may be able to do a credible job servicing a broader set of customer performance expectations, but not nearly as good as a tire dealer.
My tire preferences are far different now than when I was younger. Back then, I was into ultra high performance Z-Y-W rated, grippier tires. I did not mind a harsher ride, a noisier tire, longevity, or (so much) one with better poor weather performance. My preference today is the direct opposite.
When the OEM Michelin Pilot Summer tires that came on my G35 Coupe were cooked, I went in the opposite direction with an all-weather tire that ranked near the top in poor weather performance, followed by a more compliant ride and a lower noise factor. I also did not want to spend over $1,000 for replacement tires. I bought a set of the Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position tires and am VERY happy with them. But I did the reaearch.
But these are MY driving preferences and my price point preferences, not someone else's.
The Bridgestones will not rate near the top in dry weather performance versus a Summer tire, but they do everything quite well (compromise). If I want to revert to the days when I took exit ramps at 60MPH (in dry weather), I'll go back to a Summer tire.
As it pertains to price, I would assume a car dealer would be the highest priced alternative for a tire I could get a whole lot cheaper down the street.
"I elected to go with Hankook Ventus."
Elected. With so many tire choices available, it is impossible for the sales personnel to know which type of tire is going to appeal to an individual consumer. Some offer firmer/stiffer ride, some are better for traction, some better handling, quieter ride, etc. It is up to the consumer to communicate what he/she finds appealing in a tire. My guess is that in this case, it was price:
"I spent nearly six hundred dollars..."
Those are pretty cheap tires. When I replaced my G35 tires nearly 5 years ago, I spent $750, and I knew at the time that I was getting decent, but not top-of-the-line, tires.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
The Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS Pole Position tires I bought 3 years ago came to $800, just for the tires.
I don't mean to be disrespectful to the original poster, but his frustration is grossly misplaced. He owns the greatest responsibility in this matter.
I am no longer a boy-racer. I drive only moderately aggressively from time to time. Secure handling and a quiet ride matter a lot to me now. In other words I am tilting slightly towards the luxury side of the sport/luxury combination that attracted me to the G a decade ago (this is my second G). Recently I perused the available tires for my car (235/45/18 V rated) on Tire Rack. It appeared to me that a grand touring tire from Michelin was the best fit for me based on survey responses and specs -- Michelin MXM4. Am I about to make a colossal blunder by going for this tire? Should I just play it safe by staying with the Continental DWS or the Michelin MXV4 instead? Any comments in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Raj
I would recommend you shop at TireRack. That is where I go, and their on-line help and info helping you select the right tire is superb. So is their pricing.
I will grant you I overdid my research. But I was looking for a more moderately priced all season tire for my wife's 2004 G35 Coupe. That was a couple of years ago. Our G Coupe came with Michelin Summer tires. I was interested, however, in a tire with a softer (ride), quieter, had better grip in wet weather performance, a lower price tag, and would wear a bit longer.
After hours of comparing tires, reading the road tests, and then reading the comments of purchasers including those with a G, I bought the Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS (All Season) Ultra High Performance. I could not be happier with the tire. Period. They were highly ranked by purchasers, no weak points......except for light and heavy snow, which you don't have to worry about.
Bridgestone also makes an R970 as well with a new rubber compound.
Your needs and wants may be different. Let us know what you choose!
PJ
PJ
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Second, it could be the device you are using to check the pressure is faulty - so to be sure it is the TPMS, over inflate the tire a bit - say 5 psi. Then see what happens.
If the light comes on again, then it might be the TPMS. If not, the problem is likely your pressure gauge.
I have checked pressure using different devices at home and at the service centers. I have a powered air pump with a pressure gauge at home and have, as a first step, checked pressure in all tires and have slightly over-inflated them. Before I needed to replace my first sensor, this used to fix the problem. Not so lately. As against the recommended tire pressure of 33 psi, I currently have 35-36 psi in my tires, partly because it is winter. Clearly one of the sensors is defective, but we are unable to figure out which one needs to be replaced. The service guys are stymied precisely because of that issue. Resetting the system with their hand-held tool seems to fix the problem (TPMS warning light goes out), for a while. Is there a way to figure out which sensor is the culprit?
Thanks, again, for your willingness to help.
It was time for new tires, so I thought I'd let the tire dealer rectify the TPMS matter. Tire dealer could not reset and eliminate the warning light but told me that one sensor was bad, told me which one. I drove to my Infinity dealer and got a replacement sensor for about $150. The tire dealer installed it and the TPMS light issue was resolved......though the light has come back on once since then, it went off when the psi was adjusted about 3 psi in one of the tires.
I did some reading up on this when I was having the issue. The batteries in the sealed sensors are not replaceable. The battery life according to what I read should be about 7 years, maybe less. I am still running the original sensors on the other three wheels. So I am living on borrowed time with them.
Maybe your tire dealer can tell you which one is bad.
PJ
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Thank you all for your help!
p.s.: The nearest Infiniti dealer is 2 hours away, and another is 3 hours away!