Are Michelins really better than the other brands?

[cchase]

The first set of Michelins I owned were for a downhill bike. They were fine other than poor traction in any condition. The tubeless set I am still running are about 10 years old (though the defect was present when they were new). They're 26x2.1 tubeless semi-slicks (Jet S if you can remember back that far) for a cross-country mountain bike although I use it mainly as a commuter/around town bike now.

I also use their road tires on my road bike and have had great luck with them.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I'd just like to add another point about Michelin tires.
I strongly beleive that Michelin builds some of the best tires on the market but, they also need to compete in a lower/entry level tire market as well and not just top of the line tires. You know, those particular Michelin tires that no one hears about...You know, those tires that you will throw on a vehicle that your selling. Michelin doesn't want to miss out on the entry level tire market as they know that they need to stay competitive across the board.

It would be poor business practise to do so. They shouldn't want their good name on an "econo" line of tires.

I know of a company that - like Michelin - has a good name and high-level product, but wanted to get into the low end, econo, business as well. They bought out such a business, run it, but keep the old name to the econo-line.

 

[ueberooo]

that'd be the sensible thing to do.

So, does Michelin own any other tire brands that they use as a lower end brand?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I'd just like to add another point about Michelin tires.
I strongly beleive that Michelin builds some of the best tires on the market but, they also need to compete in a lower/entry level tire market as well and not just top of the line tires. You know, those particular Michelin tires that no one hears about...You know, those tires that you will throw on a vehicle that your selling. Michelin doesn't want to miss out on the entry level tire market as they know that they need to stay competitive across the board.

It would be poor business practise to do so. They shouldn't want their good name on an "econo" line of tires.

I know of a company that - like Michelin - has a good name and high-level product, but wanted to get into the low end, econo, business as well. They bought out such a business, run it, but keep the old name to the econo-line.


Cisco?

 

[LineArrayNut]

Every Michelin on every car or bike has been superior to all else in every respect except... price. On my VTR, I'll not run aught else. On the cars as current (I've been on a budget as of late) nope, it's hankook, cheaper gyear, general & bfg or kumho...

 

[cchase]

Doesn't Michelin own BF Goodrich and Uniroyal? I was under the impression they used those brands as the "cut rate" cheaper tires so they could get in on that market segment.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Doesn't Michelin own BF Goodrich and Uniroyal?


They own both. Not sure if marketed though as budget tire. Bridgestone definitly has budget brands like Peerless and Fuzion which take their designs and have them made in the far east.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Uniroyal is marketed as a value brand. And I really like what's become of BFGoodrich. Interestingly, t's almost entirely either an "enthusiast" brand or an OEM-spec brand. They have a number of very competitive hard-core off-road tires, and number of very competitive on-road performance tires in their g-Force line, and then some OEM stuff in between (like the Rugged Trail T/A and Traction T/A Spec). They've recently had success with some more mainstream products like the Long Trail T/A Tour and the Advantage T/A, but their market still seems to be predominantly either enthusiast-based or OEM-based.

 

[ltslimjim]

I've had success with UNIROYAL Tiger Paw touring tires on a couple sedans.

 

[VicVinegar]

I had a great run with a set of Sears-specific Michelins on my Civic. They didn't make it the whole 80k warranty, but I think I got to 70k.

I replaced them with Pirelli P4s based on Tire Rack feedback, and while they performed well when newer, they are ready for replacement at a bit over 50k on a 80k tire. They were regularly rotated and I see no evidence of uneven wear. They are just done.

I had Tiger Paws before the Michelins and they performed well in Upstate NY year-round, but again, they fell a little short in the tread life department.

I was going to get Yokohama Avid TRZ tires instead of the Pirellis, but they were out of stock at the time. My Dad had a good run with two sets of those on an Accord in Upstate NY, including winter.

I'm back to the old debate though for my next set here. Do I spend $120-$130 more for the set on a set of Michelin Harmonys that will more than likely perform well and last somewhat close to 80k miles, or take a shot with the Hankook H727 (based on Consumer Reports and positive reviews on Tire Rack) or go to the Yokohamas I meant to buy last time, and also fairly well reviewed. I drive ~22k miles a year in the DC area, so I care most about tread life and ability to handle weather more than noise or ride comfort.

 

[HTSS_TR]

The Michelin Harmony on my LS400 for more than 80-90k miles and still have about 2-3/32" tread remaining. That car had many different tires in its 270+k miles, nothing else lasted more than 35-40k miles.

 

[demarpaint]

I had cord seperation with Michelin tires, IIRC at least three of them over the 35+ years I've been driving. I'm sure I'll catch some heat for saying so, but.................

 

[HTSS_TR]

I just remember that the Michelin OEM of my 1991 Honda Accord SE lasted more than 70k miles, even the tread wear was only 170. The other owner of similar car didn't change his Michelin OEM tire until 110+k miles.

Michelin may have good quality control, but like anyone else they do produce and sale few defective products, when you are unlucky you may get some of the very few defective tires. In general, Michelin has much fewer defective tires compares with other manufactures such as GY, Firestone ... That is one of the reasons their price is usually higher than others.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I had a defective Michelin tire once. It's the only brand I've bought a defective tire from, but then again, it's primarily the only brand I've bought ANY tires from.

Though Continental has some products out now that are catching my eye. The Honda might get some ProContact EcoPlus tires this spring...

 

[kr_bitog]

So far what I noticed, the Michelin normally have stronger bead than other brand.

 

[zyxelenator]

What I noticed, that they like to stick to the rim and it is easy to rip sidewalls if your take them off for repair.

 

[ueberooo]

I've noticed this is a trend in bicycle tires as well. Compared to the 90's I think it's become much more of a pain to change tires due to a really stiff fit. Tire manufacturers seem to be getting paranoid that the tire will somehow miraculously fall off the rim while in use.

 

[nleksan]

I have always had good luck with Michelin, personally. I have run many sets of Pilot Sport 2's, Pilot Sport Cups, and I really like the new Pilot Super Sport tires. They have all had unbeatable traction, exceeding my expectations for street tires, and the Cups are excellent for both Autocross and Road Course racing (and I've even driven to and from the track on them when the weather permits). As far as UHP tires go, they are my favorites.
When I first got my J-Line wheels (18" forged lightweight wheels, 9" wide up front and 10" in the rear: all under 20lbs), the first set of tires that I ran on them were BF Goodrich KDW T/A 2's, the ones with the very unique tread pattern, and I loved them. NVH was comparable to the PS2's, which is to say extremely low, and traction in both wet and dry was phenomenal. For a UHP tire, treadlife was incredible and while I switched them out after 25k miles, I still have them and the tread is still about 40-50% there. I would buy them.again for street use.
I also like Pirelli tires, and I have had good luck with the entire P Zero line of UHP.tires. Treadwear was average but they made up for it by sticking like glue. They were useless, however, once the temps dropped below about 45*f.
The Michelin and Pirelli tires also allow for "stretched" tires better than most, IME, so if you need that, they are a good choice. I had to run a stretched setup front and rear until I had my fenders widened, and it was not too bad.
I have used dozens of other tires, but I stick with Michelin and Pirelli.

 

[Pastapusher]

It depends on which michelins you have. There are low grade and high grade tires from every manufacturer.

I believe the best advice regarding tires literally is “Your mileage may vary.”

The two best sets of tires I have ever had were Michelins…one set of Energy MXV4s on an Acura that lasted almost 100,000 miles with great traction and handling, and an Energy Saver A/S set that went 90,000 miles on my Fusion with no issues whatsoever.

That being said, the worst set of tires I ever experienced also was a set of Michelin Energy S8s that replaced the MXV4s I mentioned above. During almost the entire 30-day trial period those tires had truly abysmal traction, even on dry pavement. I almost lost control of my car on a routine downgrade, and it felt like I was riding on marbles. I returned those for a set of Toyo Versados, and then traded in the Acura shortly thereafter. Because the MXV4s were so incredibly good, I looked upon the S8s as either a bad set or an inferior product line.

I also have had good luck with Goodyear Eagles and two Yokohama models, but have had challenging encounters with Kelly (unbearable, unacceptable road noise), Goodyear Integrity (lack of stability), Pirelli P6 (punishing ride quality) and Continental LX25s (tramlining and severe tire squirm).

Going forward I will probably stick with Michelin, Goodyear and Yokohama as my “go-to” brands. But for my money, even with my S8 encounter as an outlier, if I had to pick only one brand it would be Michelin.

I think the overall consistency of their product line is hard to beat. And my newest set, the CrossClimate 2s on my MKC, might turn out to be even better than the earlier Michelins that served me so well.

I know that Michelins can be expensive. But in my experience their durability and longevity can make them a better overall value. My two $1,000 sets of long-term Michelins gave me eight years of use, for an average cost of $125 per year. In contrast, my $700 sets of Yokohamas lasted just four years, for an average cost of $175 per year. I know the initial outlay is higher, but in my view the additional durability is worth it…as long as it’s a highly-regarded, quality model in the first place.

 

[OVERKILL]

I believe the best advice regarding tires literally is “Your mileage may vary.”

The two best sets of tires I have ever had were Michelins…one set of Energy MXV4s on an Acura that lasted almost 100,000 miles with great traction and handling, and an Energy Saver A/S set that went 90,000 miles on my Fusion with no issues whatsoever.

That being said, the worst set of tires I ever experienced also was a set of Michelin Energy S8s that replaced the MXV4s I mentioned above. During almost the entire 30-day trial period those tires had truly abysmal traction, even on dry pavement. I almost lost control of my car on a routine downgrade, and it felt like I was riding on marbles. I returned those for a set of Toyo Versados, and then traded in the Acura shortly thereafter. Because the MXV4s were so incredibly good, I looked upon the S8s as either a bad set or an inferior product line.

I also have had good luck with Goodyear Eagles and two Yokohama models, but have had challenging encounters with Kelly (unbearable, unacceptable road noise), Pirelli (punishing ride quality) and Continental (tramlining and severe tire squirm).

Going forward I will probably stick with Michelin, Goodyear and Yokohama as my “go-to” brands. But for my money, even with my S8 encounter as an outlier, if I had to pick only one brand it would be Michelin.

I think the overall consistency of their product line is hard to beat. And my newest set, the CrossClimate 2s on my MKC, might turn out to be even better than the earlier Michelins that served me so well.

This is a thread from 2011....