A first time for me.

[gizzsdad]

I am paying $600+ to take off OE tires on my new Maxima. The OE tires are Continental ProContact TX, 245/45R18. They seem more noisy than they probably are - given how quiet the rest of the car is. I have a great tire dealer who really worked with me to make a decision, and I'm going with Michelin Premier A/S's.

The Michelins are obviously expensive, but I have had very good luck with prior Michelins, especially the MXV4's that the Premiers replace.

Kind of a risk, but I will know by this weekend whether I wasted my money. Every time I get in the car - i dread hearing the tire noise spool up as my speed increases. But noise is the primary reason for my decision.

 

[zach1900]

My old worn out Michelins Mxv4 Primacies were quieter and handed better than my new Good Year tires, next time I am coughing up the dough for better tires.

 

[mrsilv04]

Hope they're a lot quieter than the Michelin Defenders that I have.... and that they ride better as well.

 

[The Critic]

I have a set of the Premier A/S tires on my daily driver. Great tire in the rain and for ride quality. Very stable on the road as well. Dry traction and cornering could be a bit better, but it is very competitive with other tires in its class. Noise is decent too -- very quiet at first, but got noisier over time. But still quieter than the Primacy MXM4 they replaced.

My set has 15k on them and they have 7/32 left...they were 8.5/32 new.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Got 'em on craigslist?

 

[Mr Nice]

Just turn up the radio. I would not replace new tires on your car.

 

[SteveSRT8]

We replaced the Goodyear RSA's on our new RAM when they were nearly brand new. Why not?

The new Michelin LTX's are quieter, ride better, get far better traction especially in the wet, and will last longer, too.

I say do it, because it is a new car...

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
I am paying $600+ to take off OE tires on my new Maxima. The OE tires are Continental ProContact TX, 245/45R18. They seem more noisy than they probably are - given how quiet the rest of the car is. I have a great tire dealer who really worked with me to make a decision, and I'm going with Michelin Premier A/S's.

The Michelins are obviously expensive, but I have had very good luck with prior Michelins, especially the MXV4's that the Premiers replace.

Kind of a risk, but I will know by this weekend whether I wasted my money. Every time I get in the car - i dread hearing the tire noise spool up as my speed increases. But noise is the primary reason for my decision.

You trade new OE tire Continental ProContact TX 245/45R18 to Michelin Premier A/S for $600 OTD(Tax and mounting/balancing included) ? If this is your cost then it is a fair price.

If you like Michelin I think Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 V-rated (High Performance Season) is better performance tire than Premier A/S(Grand Touring All Season), the advantage of Premier A/S is it has 15k more tread life warranty, 60k vs 45k of Pilot Sport A/S 3 for about another $50/ea.

If you can wait until Black Friday DTD/DT may have some rebates to bring down the cost, just buy 4 Michelin from them and sell almost new Continental on Craigslist. Or inquire your local tire store about Pilot Sport A/S V-rated cost.

 

[stephen9666]

How many miles are on the OE tires?

I actually recently bought a set of take-off Continental ProContact TX. They were brand new and were replaced because the owner put bigger wheels on the new car.

So far, the Continentals have been pretty darn quiet for me, but they only have a few thousand miles on them.

 

[gizzsdad]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
How many miles are on the OE tires?


Less than 700 miles. The dealer gave me a $400 credit for them.

 

[BrocLuno]

Wow, I'd be all over web sites looking at noise ratings. I had trouble with my last two sets of Michelin's (balance & noise), made in Romania ... I just a took a set of Primacy's off at half wear due to road noise and harsh ride.

There are some quieter tires out there. Bridgestone and Yokahama make some real quiet tires. But there is always a trade off ...

Modern lower aspect tires at higher inflation pressures just are not as quiet as some of the big balloons we used to ride around on

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
How many miles are on the OE tires?


Less than 700 miles. The dealer gave me a $400 credit for them.


Interesting, so I have significantly more miles on them than you. No noise complaints here.

Although, who knows if the ProContact TX used between the two brands are different. There could be some OE specified differences.

 

[HTSS_TR]

$400 credit for 4 used tires is very generous, they have to sell it at $130-140/ea to break even, which is hard to find buyer who is willing to pay that much for a take of tire.

 

[gizzsdad]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
$400 credit for 4 used tires is very generous...


Agreed. Michelins are quieter that the Contis, but not as much as I had hoped. Impact harshness is much reduced.

I'm guessing that part of the issue is that the new car has almost zero wind noise, and the absence of that makes the tire noise seem more noticeable. I really thought the Primacy MXV4s were the quietest tire I'd ever had. Maybe it just seemed that way because the cabin of the prior car (2010 Maxima) was not as quiet as the new one.