OP - What year/make/model car are these on?
Do I reallyyyyy need new tires?
- Thread starter A_User55555
- Start date
- Status
They are probably OK in the summer in Los Angeles in commuter traffic. I'd definitely not drive them in NY going to a ski trip. If you want to save money buy some cheap ones from Tire Rack / big chain, even the cheapest Chinese fresh tires would be safer than yours.
Whoa! Okay so I definitley did not expect my post to generate all these responses. Ive read through all of your comments and placed an order for 4 New tires in the afternoon. They will be installed Saturday.
The car is a 2011 Cadillac DTS. I do not drive in gravel except for the handful of times when I've visited various state parks. This car is not a daily driver and I only drive it on weekends or holidays. I live in New York City and if it does snow, I don't drive. The roads I drive on are mostly paved highway and some city streets.
The previous owner lived in New Jersey and had a driveway and garage. When I saw the car in April 2018, I was frustrated how worn the tires looked. In NYC I have to constantly park my car on the street. The tires on my old car after being exposed to the elements for ~5 years never looked close to these. I didn't even know tires could wear like this from being garage kept and presumably normal driving. These are supposed to be Michelin's Top of the line tire and seemed to last almost half of their service life.
While these tires were in hindsight bad when I bought the car, I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather. Never while driving did I feel or suspect the tires would lose grip. I've had my car bought to a dealer and a tire shop for minor things and no one ever told me "OMG these tires are a death trap". In September, A Service advisor commented that they were close to being worn and shouldnt be driven on snow. I decided that I would buy tires in April, or December/January if I expect to encounter snowy conditions while driving. I spent a bunch of time in November narrowing down the brand and installer and made a choice. In December I was going to buy them as a birthday present for myself, but I got busy.
So today I decided to buy 4 BfGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires from Tire Rack. I sent an email to BfGoodrich asking when their next rebates would be, and they said they would have them in April. My plan was to get them then, but after reading the suggestions here, I decided to buy them today. On my previous car I had BfGoodrich Advantage T/A tires and thought they were excellent. The price was a bit steep @143 a tire, but I really wanted that specific tire.
No I wasn't trying to be cheap, but if the main point of this Michelin tire is that its designed to still handle well at 2/32" and mine hadn't reached the wear bars yet, I figured I might as well keep using them until I encounter snowy weather.
But I'm also disappointed at Michelin, the long term quality of their most expensive tire just sucks.
The car is a 2011 Cadillac DTS. I do not drive in gravel except for the handful of times when I've visited various state parks. This car is not a daily driver and I only drive it on weekends or holidays. I live in New York City and if it does snow, I don't drive. The roads I drive on are mostly paved highway and some city streets.
The previous owner lived in New Jersey and had a driveway and garage. When I saw the car in April 2018, I was frustrated how worn the tires looked. In NYC I have to constantly park my car on the street. The tires on my old car after being exposed to the elements for ~5 years never looked close to these. I didn't even know tires could wear like this from being garage kept and presumably normal driving. These are supposed to be Michelin's Top of the line tire and seemed to last almost half of their service life.
While these tires were in hindsight bad when I bought the car, I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather. Never while driving did I feel or suspect the tires would lose grip. I've had my car bought to a dealer and a tire shop for minor things and no one ever told me "OMG these tires are a death trap". In September, A Service advisor commented that they were close to being worn and shouldnt be driven on snow. I decided that I would buy tires in April, or December/January if I expect to encounter snowy conditions while driving. I spent a bunch of time in November narrowing down the brand and installer and made a choice. In December I was going to buy them as a birthday present for myself, but I got busy.
So today I decided to buy 4 BfGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires from Tire Rack. I sent an email to BfGoodrich asking when their next rebates would be, and they said they would have them in April. My plan was to get them then, but after reading the suggestions here, I decided to buy them today. On my previous car I had BfGoodrich Advantage T/A tires and thought they were excellent. The price was a bit steep @143 a tire, but I really wanted that specific tire.
No I wasn't trying to be cheap, but if the main point of this Michelin tire is that its designed to still handle well at 2/32" and mine hadn't reached the wear bars yet, I figured I might as well keep using them until I encounter snowy weather.
But I'm also disappointed at Michelin, the long term quality of their most expensive tire just sucks.
Last edited:
> But I'm also disappointed at Michelin, the long term quality of their most expensive tire just sucks.
Tires do age, regardless of however many miles were driven on them. You mentioned they were manufactured in April of 2014 so they are more than four years old. Tires are not lifetime parts, they're parts that are wear and tear items.
I think you're getting caught up in the marketing of "safe when new, safe when worn". But you said yourself "I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather." so I'm not sure what your complaint with the tires are. I don't think anyone expects tires to "handle well" with 2/32" left other than to get them to the nearest tire shop.
Sounds like the tires did their job and lived a good life. They kept you on the road so that's a win to me.
Tires do age, regardless of however many miles were driven on them. You mentioned they were manufactured in April of 2014 so they are more than four years old. Tires are not lifetime parts, they're parts that are wear and tear items.
I think you're getting caught up in the marketing of "safe when new, safe when worn". But you said yourself "I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather." so I'm not sure what your complaint with the tires are. I don't think anyone expects tires to "handle well" with 2/32" left other than to get them to the nearest tire shop.
Sounds like the tires did their job and lived a good life. They kept you on the road so that's a win to me.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2018
- Messages
- 127
Originally Posted by A_User55555
Whoa! Okay so I definitley did not expect my post to generate all these responses. Ive read through all of your comments and placed an order for 4 New tires in the afternoon. They will be installed Saturday.
The car is a 2011 Cadillac DTS. I do not drive in gravel except for the handful of times when I've visited various state parks. This car is not a daily driver and I only drive it on weekends or holidays. I live in New York City and if it does snow, I don't drive. The roads I drive on are mostly paved highway and some city streets.
The previous owner lived in New Jersey and had a driveway and garage. When I saw the car in April 2018, I was frustrated how worn the tires looked. In NYC I have to constantly park my car on the street. The tires on my old car after being exposed to the elements for ~5 years never looked close to these. I didn't even know tires could wear like this from being garage kept and presumably normal driving. These are supposed to be Michelin's Top of the line tire and seemed to last almost half of their service life.
While these tires were in hindsight bad when I bought the car, I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather. Never while driving did I feel or suspect the tires would lose grip. I've had my car bought to a dealer and a tire shop for minor things and no one ever told me "OMG these tires are a death trap". In September, A Service advisor commented that they were close to being worn and shouldnt be driven on snow. I decided that I would buy tires in April, or December/January if I expect to encounter snowy conditions while driving. I spent a bunch of time in November narrowing down the brand and installer and made a choice. In December I was going to buy them as a birthday present for myself, but I got busy.
So today I decided to buy 4 BfGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires from Tire Rack. I sent an email to BfGoodrich asking when their next rebates would be, and they said they would have them in April. My plan was to get them then, but after reading the suggestions here, I decided to buy them today. On my previous car I had BfGoodrich Advantage T/A tires and thought they were excellent. The price was a bit steep @143 a tire, but I really wanted that specific tire.
No I wasn't trying to be cheap, but if the main point of this Michelin tire is that its designed to still handle well at 2/32" and mine hadn't reached the wear bars yet, I figured I might as well keep using them until I encounter snowy weather.
But I'm also disappointed at Michelin, the long term quality of their most expensive tire just sucks.
I will warn you that the T/A Sports are absolutely nothing like the old Advantage T/As. They are (in some sizes at least) a 3PMS tire, have a VERY aggressive tread, and make quite a bit of noise. I highly doubt you will be happy with anything but the traction on a DTS. They don't fit the character of the car at all. I hope I'm wrong.
When they first came out, we had a number of people jump on them, both due to prior experience with BFG car and truck tires, and because there was an incentive to certain sales staff (not me) in selling them of $1/tire sold.
Four of the first five people attempted to return them under our 30 day satisfaction guarantee. They didn't like the absurdly blocky styling of the tread, or the noise they generated. They are, however, quite pleasing on SUVs.
I will also warn you that BFG is owned by Michelin. No, they are not "Michelins at a cheaper price," as some people claim. But they do suffer from similar aging issues, so if these tires are going to see little action, you will probably replace them after 3-4 years due to the same issues.
If your DTS has the base 235/55R17 wheel/tire package, I would suggest Pirelli P7 Cinturato Pluses. They look very good, fit the character of the vehicle very well, are very quiet, age better, last longer (70k), and have shockingly good snow traction ratings (see Tire Rack). They are, however, more expensive.
Whoa! Okay so I definitley did not expect my post to generate all these responses. Ive read through all of your comments and placed an order for 4 New tires in the afternoon. They will be installed Saturday.
The car is a 2011 Cadillac DTS. I do not drive in gravel except for the handful of times when I've visited various state parks. This car is not a daily driver and I only drive it on weekends or holidays. I live in New York City and if it does snow, I don't drive. The roads I drive on are mostly paved highway and some city streets.
The previous owner lived in New Jersey and had a driveway and garage. When I saw the car in April 2018, I was frustrated how worn the tires looked. In NYC I have to constantly park my car on the street. The tires on my old car after being exposed to the elements for ~5 years never looked close to these. I didn't even know tires could wear like this from being garage kept and presumably normal driving. These are supposed to be Michelin's Top of the line tire and seemed to last almost half of their service life.
While these tires were in hindsight bad when I bought the car, I have not had any issues the past year with traction in both Wet and Dry weather. Never while driving did I feel or suspect the tires would lose grip. I've had my car bought to a dealer and a tire shop for minor things and no one ever told me "OMG these tires are a death trap". In September, A Service advisor commented that they were close to being worn and shouldnt be driven on snow. I decided that I would buy tires in April, or December/January if I expect to encounter snowy conditions while driving. I spent a bunch of time in November narrowing down the brand and installer and made a choice. In December I was going to buy them as a birthday present for myself, but I got busy.
So today I decided to buy 4 BfGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires from Tire Rack. I sent an email to BfGoodrich asking when their next rebates would be, and they said they would have them in April. My plan was to get them then, but after reading the suggestions here, I decided to buy them today. On my previous car I had BfGoodrich Advantage T/A tires and thought they were excellent. The price was a bit steep @143 a tire, but I really wanted that specific tire.
No I wasn't trying to be cheap, but if the main point of this Michelin tire is that its designed to still handle well at 2/32" and mine hadn't reached the wear bars yet, I figured I might as well keep using them until I encounter snowy weather.
But I'm also disappointed at Michelin, the long term quality of their most expensive tire just sucks.
I will warn you that the T/A Sports are absolutely nothing like the old Advantage T/As. They are (in some sizes at least) a 3PMS tire, have a VERY aggressive tread, and make quite a bit of noise. I highly doubt you will be happy with anything but the traction on a DTS. They don't fit the character of the car at all. I hope I'm wrong.
When they first came out, we had a number of people jump on them, both due to prior experience with BFG car and truck tires, and because there was an incentive to certain sales staff (not me) in selling them of $1/tire sold.
Four of the first five people attempted to return them under our 30 day satisfaction guarantee. They didn't like the absurdly blocky styling of the tread, or the noise they generated. They are, however, quite pleasing on SUVs.
I will also warn you that BFG is owned by Michelin. No, they are not "Michelins at a cheaper price," as some people claim. But they do suffer from similar aging issues, so if these tires are going to see little action, you will probably replace them after 3-4 years due to the same issues.
If your DTS has the base 235/55R17 wheel/tire package, I would suggest Pirelli P7 Cinturato Pluses. They look very good, fit the character of the vehicle very well, are very quiet, age better, last longer (70k), and have shockingly good snow traction ratings (see Tire Rack). They are, however, more expensive.
Yeah, I cringed just a little bit when I saw the type of tires purchased.. While the BF Goodrich Advantage T/A Sport tires are not the worst ones out there, they definitely are not worth what they charge for them, IMHO.
I would have gone with a set of Cooper CS5 Grand Touring or General Altimax RT43 tires well before I even considered the BF Goodrich tires. The Pirelli P7 tires mentioned above would also be a good option, although they are more expensive. For my money, the Cooper CS5's are the way to go.
OP - Is that order set in stone at this point, or can you still change it?
I would have gone with a set of Cooper CS5 Grand Touring or General Altimax RT43 tires well before I even considered the BF Goodrich tires. The Pirelli P7 tires mentioned above would also be a good option, although they are more expensive. For my money, the Cooper CS5's are the way to go.
OP - Is that order set in stone at this point, or can you still change it?
We just replaced 2 sets of Premier A/S with General Altimax RT43 and Continental PureContact LS. They handle as well as the Premier A/S and are better rated on ice, plus start with 10/32 of tread instead of 8.5/32. The RT43's are the best value on the market, the PC LS last a bit longer but are more expensive (without a rebate). Both were top rated in Consumer Reports. In the CR tests, the only better rated car tire with 'good' or better dry, wet, snow and ice ratings was the Michelin CrossClimate+ (which is nearly double the price of the RT43)
Last edited:
Originally Posted by NO2
We just replaced 2 sets of Premier A/S with General Altimax RT43 and Continental PureContact LS. They handle as well as the Premier A/S and are better rated on ice, plus start with 10/32 of tread instead of 8.5/32. The RT43's are the best value on the market, the PC LS last a bit longer but are more expensive (without a rebate). Both were top rated in Consumer Reports. In the CR tests, the only better rated car tire with 'good' or better dry, wet, snow and ice ratings was the Michelin CrossClimate+ (which is nearly double the price of the RT43)
We actually have 3 sets of RT43s for our 3 cars now, mine are only for "summer" use.
They were not a good choice to use for my car as I run snows and the winter capabilities of the RT43 don't do much for me...they are fine in rain and for normal driving, but are not really any fun for sporty driving. I had GY Eagle Sport A/S tires before and they were much more to my liking.
For all season use on our other 2 cars, I think the RT43s are great. My wife's tires were similar to the OPer's and I finally took her car to a shop for her and got the RT43s...she was actually happy I made the decision for her and took care of dealing with the tire place.
We just replaced 2 sets of Premier A/S with General Altimax RT43 and Continental PureContact LS. They handle as well as the Premier A/S and are better rated on ice, plus start with 10/32 of tread instead of 8.5/32. The RT43's are the best value on the market, the PC LS last a bit longer but are more expensive (without a rebate). Both were top rated in Consumer Reports. In the CR tests, the only better rated car tire with 'good' or better dry, wet, snow and ice ratings was the Michelin CrossClimate+ (which is nearly double the price of the RT43)
We actually have 3 sets of RT43s for our 3 cars now, mine are only for "summer" use.
They were not a good choice to use for my car as I run snows and the winter capabilities of the RT43 don't do much for me...they are fine in rain and for normal driving, but are not really any fun for sporty driving. I had GY Eagle Sport A/S tires before and they were much more to my liking.
For all season use on our other 2 cars, I think the RT43s are great. My wife's tires were similar to the OPer's and I finally took her car to a shop for her and got the RT43s...she was actually happy I made the decision for her and took care of dealing with the tire place.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2018
- Messages
- 127
Originally Posted by NO2
We just replaced 2 sets of Premier A/S with General Altimax RT43 and Continental PureContact LS. They handle as well as the Premier A/S and are better rated on ice, plus start with 10/32 of tread instead of 8.5/32. The RT43's are the best value on the market, the PC LS last a bit longer but are more expensive (without a rebate). Both were top rated in Consumer Reports. In the CR tests, the only better rated car tire with 'good' or better dry, wet, snow and ice ratings was the Michelin CrossClimate+ (which is nearly double the price of the RT43)
I would be very careful with either of these on a DTS. Heavy car, hard on tires. The front is mostly just the weight, the rear chews tires because it's a semi-trailing arm design (i.e. the tires pivot forward and inward).
I have seen G-/H-/K-body cars chew through RT43s in 30k. And the older PureContact (the LS is brand new and an unknown) probably wouldn't last much longer. Both designs seem to be very fragile on certain platforms. Both would be great overall tires, but not last very long.
The Eagle Sport is a good choice, but is only a 45k tire IIRC, and is overtly performance-oriented for a DTS without the Performance package (18" wheels, MR suspension).
I'm a fan of the Cooper/Mastercraft lineup, but many people with a luxury car looking for quiet cruising seem to be underwhelmed with their noise suppression.
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is an excellent choice, but probably only comes in W-rated sidewall in the sizes available. Probably not the best choice for ride quality.
I have direct experience with P7 Cinturato Plus on this exact platform (an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0) and it's a very good fit.
I'd also try the Nokian enTyre 2.0 as a budget choice, as they are extremely quiet and offer subdued styling. However, they are V-rated XL tires in the 17" size, can flat-spot due to a weak sidewall, and the longevity is rather flaky based on build date (they also wear the middle hard on heavy cars).
We just replaced 2 sets of Premier A/S with General Altimax RT43 and Continental PureContact LS. They handle as well as the Premier A/S and are better rated on ice, plus start with 10/32 of tread instead of 8.5/32. The RT43's are the best value on the market, the PC LS last a bit longer but are more expensive (without a rebate). Both were top rated in Consumer Reports. In the CR tests, the only better rated car tire with 'good' or better dry, wet, snow and ice ratings was the Michelin CrossClimate+ (which is nearly double the price of the RT43)
I would be very careful with either of these on a DTS. Heavy car, hard on tires. The front is mostly just the weight, the rear chews tires because it's a semi-trailing arm design (i.e. the tires pivot forward and inward).
I have seen G-/H-/K-body cars chew through RT43s in 30k. And the older PureContact (the LS is brand new and an unknown) probably wouldn't last much longer. Both designs seem to be very fragile on certain platforms. Both would be great overall tires, but not last very long.
The Eagle Sport is a good choice, but is only a 45k tire IIRC, and is overtly performance-oriented for a DTS without the Performance package (18" wheels, MR suspension).
I'm a fan of the Cooper/Mastercraft lineup, but many people with a luxury car looking for quiet cruising seem to be underwhelmed with their noise suppression.
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is an excellent choice, but probably only comes in W-rated sidewall in the sizes available. Probably not the best choice for ride quality.
I have direct experience with P7 Cinturato Plus on this exact platform (an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0) and it's a very good fit.
I'd also try the Nokian enTyre 2.0 as a budget choice, as they are extremely quiet and offer subdued styling. However, they are V-rated XL tires in the 17" size, can flat-spot due to a weak sidewall, and the longevity is rather flaky based on build date (they also wear the middle hard on heavy cars).
Last edited:
- Status
