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Tire Brand

20K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  iggibar 
#1 ·
If i were to decide I wanted to sell these Honda installed Michelin tires, what brand is better?

-fred
 
#3 ·
I've always heard that too. I just wondered if things had changed in the tire industry...

-fred
 
#4 ·
Nope, I'm in a tough mental debate of wether to put michelins on my F250, or jsut say screw it and slap some BFG all-terrains on there. The prices are $4 apart, and everyone I've talked to said the michelins I picked out are hands down the best 3/4-ton truck tire, just they're mainly a highway tire, and I love the way a BFG looks lol
 
#5 ·
I was delighted that CT came with Michelin Latitude HP tires.
Apparantly they're pretty darn good for original rubber according to the tire guys at Active Green and Ross. (I've dealt there for some time now.)

I was considering upgrading the new OEM rubber on the CT since I wanted very good tires, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that wasn't going to be necessary......:)

Colin.
 
#6 ·
I was considering upgrading the new OEM rubber on the CT since I wanted very good tires, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that wasn't going to be necessary......:)

Colin.

I've always heard that Michelin was the best too. I have them on my truck and on the Accord Sedan. The bike has Dunlops. Anyway, I was thinking that if it turns out that one of my tires as seperated, (see the thread on vibration on the front end) Then I may as well use it as a chance to buy the best tires available and just sell the three remaining Michelin tires.

-fred
 
#14 ·
I remember when I recommended you those sets of tires. Well, now there's a new set of Yokohamas available. They are the Parada Spec-X. These tires are absolutely INCREDIBLE, and only set you off $600(not including discounts). These tires are wonderful in snow, and actually provide even more comfort and sound dampening than the ENVigors as well as the Michelins. I will be getting these on my '11 Pilot as soon as I can.

Here's a link http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Parada+Spec-X&partnum=26HR8PSX&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2011&autoModel=Accord%20Crosstour&autoModClar=EX-L
 
#10 ·
Remember your speaking about brands when you say Michelin or BFGoodrich. No different than saying General Motors makes a better car than Ford. Obviously a Corvette is better than a Pinto and a Mustang is better than a Chevette. Michelin, Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Pirelli, Firestone, Bridgestone, General, Continental, Cooper, Yokohama, Kumho and others make lots of various models of tires that could suit what you are looking for. Compare a tire against another tire! Are you looking for a tire for winter traction? High Speeds? Quiet? Wet Performance? Longivity? Comfort? There is no one tire that can fit all these criteria perfectly. To some degree, you must compromise. First, decide what your requirements are! They will not be the same from person to person. Then go tire shopping. Personally, I've found the best tire deals at Costco and Sam's Clubs. But those are places that suited MY tire needs and requirements. It might not be the same for you. I've only had one experience with ordering tires mail order believing I was getting a good deal, but should you have a problem, and need to send back a wrong size or such, the mail order deal becomes a problem. I won't do it again.
 
#11 · (Edited)
If you're at all fond of the Consumer's Union, then you'll want to hear this...

For light SUVs (read Crosstour) the Michelin LTX M/S, X Radial LT 2, the Latitude Tour HP and the Latitude Tour took places 1, 2, 4 & 5 in that order. 3rd place went to the Continental CrossContact LX20 EcoPlus. I personally had the LTX M/S's on a 99 Pathfinder and my 06 Ridgeline. Both sets gave me just shy of 85K miles (Wow!). I had Primacys on my Accord, which gave me 70K miles. Lastly, and more relevant to this thread, I had the Latitudes on my Pilot, which looked great when I traded the old workhorse in.

If you're familiar with any of these, then you know the LTX M/S and its Costco and Sam's Club brother, the X Radial LT 2, is better served on a heavier and more truck-like platform. As for the Crosstour, I, personally, couldn't think of anything else on the market right now I would want my wife and kids riding on.

As for mileage, I NEVER get my tires aligned (no accidents I might add) and always run my tires using filtered/dried air just two pounds shy of the tire's max rating. It makes for a slightly harder ride, but the tires last soooo much longer. My driving is 60/40 town/highway.

If you're interested, the Hankook Dynapro HT and the Nokian WR G2 Sport Utility took 6 & 7.


I couldn't get the hyperlink to work, but the other answer to this thread can be found at www.tirerack.com Click> Survey Results then> Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season
 
#12 ·
Good Info Jay. Tire pressure is something that gets bounced around a lot. You can adjust your CT tires PSI according to the:

1) Owner’s Manual.
2) Placard Decal on the door post inside the driver’s door
3) What is molded on the actual tire.

I don’ t like to use the owner’s manual as the manufacturer usually have the manuals printed up long before tire selection. Likewise, the manufacturer sometimes will switch tires mid-year depending on who can give them the best deal, but won’t change the manual. For that matter, they don’t even list the manufacturer of the tire in the owner’s manual.

The tire placard is usually also printed at the time of the manual and often reflects what the manual states. On my CT, it states exactly what the owner’s manual says being 33 psi.

In looking in my owner’s manual, page 360, Honda is recommending that for my CT, EX-L (4wd) that I run 33 psi for both front and rear tires.

What tire pressure did my Honda dealer set my tires at prior to delivering the car to me? It was set at 30 psi. When I worked at a dealership, the New Car manager always told the service department to set the tire pressures as low as possible to give the new car a softer smoother ride. The New Car department didn’t care about tire longevity, as the car was normally sold within 30 days. This should be a lesson to all CT owners to check your brand new CT for correct tire pressures.

I always go by what is molded into the tire and work backwards. Nobody knows better than the tire manufacturer what tire pressure should be in their tire. As for what Jay mentioned prior, going two pounds less than the maximum inflation pressure would be a good number to run with which will give you great tire longevity, best MPG but slightly sacrificing comfort giving a bit of a bumpier ride. In my younger days, I never minded the road feel, but with my worn out back and the bumpy roads around my neighborhood, I now prefer the softer ride and go with 35 PSI. If this becomes unbearable, I’ll drop to 33 or even less. Yes, I’ll likely have to purchase tires more frequently, but my back will be thankful.

Using dry clean air like Jay mentioned is very important especially since you now have electronics inside your tires. Don’t forget your TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). You don’t want water slapping against it with each revolution of your tire. Likewise, if your TPMS is wet and then freezes, it can crack your TPMS. I’m attaching a picture of a TPMS and a typical TPMS tool used to test them. The tool is only needed if you get a fault code.

How do you make sure you get good clean dry air? Here is my setup in my garage. I run dual 120volt compressors (See attached picture). I have them air hose linked together and then all the air runs through a filter, water separator, and regulator with a gauge to monitor the pressure. I use to have an upright compressor that ran on 220, but for doing small jobs, it became too loud and bulky. I normally run just one compressor unless I’m doing a big job, but running both gives me over 10 SCFM at 100 PSI. You can see the hose connectors for running up to 3 air lines. Sorry for the messy garage, I normally keep it cleaner, but that’s an upcoming winter project. The filter, water separator, and regulator came from Harbor Freight, about $40 (not expensive). It does pull out a lot of water. I also drain the compressor tanks about twice a summer (depending on how much I use them) as it gets humid here in Kansas during the summer. I also have the compressors on a thick rubber mat as it tends to keep them much quieter.

As for tire Rotation and Balancing. I rotate tires with each oil change or about 8 or 9K. Having your own lift makes it pretty easy to do while the oil is draining. As for alignment; unless the car is pulling, the steering wheel is off center, or unusual tire wear, (I think the wife actually tries to hit the pot holes), then like Jay said, you should never have to do an alignment.

One more note on air pressure. Air pressure is pretty much a compromise on comfort and tire life/MPG. You can set your tires 15 PSI below max and have a very comfortable ride. You can set your tires to 10 PSI above max and you can probably squeeze out a tenth of a MPG and your tires will last longer, but you will likely feel every little bump in the road. It will make driving very uncomfortable. Only you can decide how much road noise and bumpy feel is OK.

On my 2012 CT, it came factory equipped with Michelin Radial X tires, 225/60/R18. The maximum pressure listed on the tire is 44 PSI. It also showed a TREADWEAR of 440. The 440, is a good compromise between longevity and tire grip. Generally a tire with a lower Treadwear rating will handle better (though it may not last as long). As a general rule, you can double your TREADWEAR number and get the approximate miles the tire will last. These Michelins should then last me approximately 88,000 miles. Of course, it depends on the way I drive and such. Every tire manufacturer rates their own tires and therefore the ratings are pretty much biased.

TIPS: All rubber tires lose air. A new tire will leak (through the rubber) about 1 pound every 6 months. This is one reason why Nitrogen is better in tires. It is in essence a thicker gas and cannot permeate through the rubber like regular air. Also try to avoid using ‘Fix A Flat’ or any other chemical in your tires, unless an emergency. These chemicals can harm your TPMS. Parts and labor to replace a TPMS on one tire would easily be close to $150.

There is lots of good information on the Internet for more tire information. Hope this helps a bit.
 

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#13 ·
I believe what the name on the tire only relegates it to a certain price. The UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading) system is the way to look at a tire. The tread # is numeric anywhere from 100-800 Tempature and traction are alpha AA down to C. Why pay for a Michelin tire that grades as 360 A & A for $200.00 when you can buy a comparable Continental, Yokohama and Huhmo for alot less money. You are paying a premium for the name Michelin, and I have had more that my fair share of problems with some of their tires. They make alot of good tires, but so do Yokohama, Continental and Kuhmo, for less money
 
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