As some of you know, I purchased a 2000 Audi A6 from my wife's great aunt's estate almost a year ago. It had 48,000 original miles and was immaculate. The only downside was the wheels and tires. It had Michelin MXV4 Plus'on it at the time. As an older lady (97) she had used the wheels and tires as curb and pothole feelers for a long time. The factory wheels were gauged up and the tire sidewalls had chucks of rubber missing. The two front tires were at 8/32 and the back two were at 4/32 with horrible wear. Apparently she had replaced the front two when she blew them out on New Jersey potholes!
I didn't plan on keeping them on there for long because they were in awful shape. After about 3 months of ownership I had my excuse to purchase new wheels and tires when the belt started separating on one of the older tires.
I did a lot of shopping and price comparison. I bought a set of four Sport Edition 5-spokes from Tire Rack in the original 205/55R16 size. Then I cross-shopped tires.
I have had a fair amount of tires on my rides in the past. Pirelli P4 (great in the wet, horrible MPGs), Goodyear RS-A (OK in the dry, terrible in as little as a puddle), Falkens (decent for the price, but loud), Kuhmos (so boring I forgot anything about them), Hankook 727 (great grip, decent price) and Michelin MXV4 (amazing tires, had them on an Audi A4, Mazda 3, Honda, etc).
After looking at the pricing, I was down between the Hankook 727 and Michelin Defenders. As much as I love the MXV4s from the past, they were too expensive since I had already shelled out some money for the wheels. For $20 per tire more I decided to go with the Defenders for $134 each as priced from DTD.
I then called my local tire installer chain and told them the price I could get on the Defenders online and asked if they could match it. To my surprise they happily matched the price with very little haggling, down from their original quote of $160 ea. This was accompanied by free roadside and flat assistance and rotations for life.
Suffice to say, the difference between the old and new tires way amazing. I expected it since the old tires were so shot, but it was beyond my expectations. The car drove smooth, tracked like a bullet and there was very little road noise.
Now with almost 10k miles on the tires and one rotation, here are my observations of my Michelin Defender 205/55R16s.
Noise: These are fantastically quiet tires. Hardly any noise makes it into the cabin. Even with the windows rolled down there is just a whisper from them, even on old pavement.
Ride: Ride quality is less than average. The Defenders have a 90k mile treadlife warranty (ie: hard rubber) and it shows. The tires don't feel rough over imperfections necessarily, they just feel like they are solid rubber donuts with a very small air chamber in them. Compared to the MXV4s I had on my previous Audi, these are definitely harder riding. That being said, they are not unforgiving. Washboard roads do not unsettle them and vibration is damped, but the Defenders are not a comfort geared grand touring tire like MXV4.
Wear: With almost 10k on the tires, there is hardly any noticeable wear occuring, a little over 1/64. They are wearing even and smooth with no feathering or cupping. This impressed me because Quattro Audis are notoriously tough on tires.
Durability: About 3 months after getting the tires I was turning left in a dark intersection and there was a curb jutting way out that I did not see until it was too late. I hit it at about 30 mph with both drivers side tires. Hopped right over the curb. After inspecting the tires and wheels, I had the car balanced and aligned. The tires balanced no problem, not discernible damage.
Wet: This has been a very wet summer and the Defenders have taken it in stride. Great grip, even in torrential showers. I felt one tire lift over a puddle the interstate once, but it lasted no more than a split second before the tire reconnected. Didn't phase the car's trajectory.
Snow/Ice: This last winter was rather mild, so I have not had the chance to test the tires in this environment. This winter will be the true test!
Value: For the price I paid, $134/tire, I think these were a fantastic value. Mid-grade all-seasons run about $20-30 less per tire, but the premium is worth the real-world treadlife that they Defenders are providing on my car.
Verdict: I am very satisfied with my purchase. I have always had good experiences with Michelin and the Defenders are no different. I am planning on keeping my Audi at least 100k more miles and I have no doubt the Defenders will be on it for most of that time. MXV4s may have been more complimentary to the Audi's suspension tuning, but I was looking for longevity/durability over ride, so it was a worthy compromise for me. Will I put replace the OEM MXV4s on my Honda Odyssey with Defenders when it comes time? Probably not. My wife values a smooth ride of all else. So, in summary, if you are willing to give up a little ride comfort for treadlife and durability, the Defender is hard to match and worth the upgrade from a less expensive brand.
I will update in another 10k miles!
I didn't plan on keeping them on there for long because they were in awful shape. After about 3 months of ownership I had my excuse to purchase new wheels and tires when the belt started separating on one of the older tires.
I did a lot of shopping and price comparison. I bought a set of four Sport Edition 5-spokes from Tire Rack in the original 205/55R16 size. Then I cross-shopped tires.
I have had a fair amount of tires on my rides in the past. Pirelli P4 (great in the wet, horrible MPGs), Goodyear RS-A (OK in the dry, terrible in as little as a puddle), Falkens (decent for the price, but loud), Kuhmos (so boring I forgot anything about them), Hankook 727 (great grip, decent price) and Michelin MXV4 (amazing tires, had them on an Audi A4, Mazda 3, Honda, etc).
After looking at the pricing, I was down between the Hankook 727 and Michelin Defenders. As much as I love the MXV4s from the past, they were too expensive since I had already shelled out some money for the wheels. For $20 per tire more I decided to go with the Defenders for $134 each as priced from DTD.
I then called my local tire installer chain and told them the price I could get on the Defenders online and asked if they could match it. To my surprise they happily matched the price with very little haggling, down from their original quote of $160 ea. This was accompanied by free roadside and flat assistance and rotations for life.
Suffice to say, the difference between the old and new tires way amazing. I expected it since the old tires were so shot, but it was beyond my expectations. The car drove smooth, tracked like a bullet and there was very little road noise.
Now with almost 10k miles on the tires and one rotation, here are my observations of my Michelin Defender 205/55R16s.
Noise: These are fantastically quiet tires. Hardly any noise makes it into the cabin. Even with the windows rolled down there is just a whisper from them, even on old pavement.
Ride: Ride quality is less than average. The Defenders have a 90k mile treadlife warranty (ie: hard rubber) and it shows. The tires don't feel rough over imperfections necessarily, they just feel like they are solid rubber donuts with a very small air chamber in them. Compared to the MXV4s I had on my previous Audi, these are definitely harder riding. That being said, they are not unforgiving. Washboard roads do not unsettle them and vibration is damped, but the Defenders are not a comfort geared grand touring tire like MXV4.
Wear: With almost 10k on the tires, there is hardly any noticeable wear occuring, a little over 1/64. They are wearing even and smooth with no feathering or cupping. This impressed me because Quattro Audis are notoriously tough on tires.
Durability: About 3 months after getting the tires I was turning left in a dark intersection and there was a curb jutting way out that I did not see until it was too late. I hit it at about 30 mph with both drivers side tires. Hopped right over the curb. After inspecting the tires and wheels, I had the car balanced and aligned. The tires balanced no problem, not discernible damage.
Wet: This has been a very wet summer and the Defenders have taken it in stride. Great grip, even in torrential showers. I felt one tire lift over a puddle the interstate once, but it lasted no more than a split second before the tire reconnected. Didn't phase the car's trajectory.
Snow/Ice: This last winter was rather mild, so I have not had the chance to test the tires in this environment. This winter will be the true test!
Value: For the price I paid, $134/tire, I think these were a fantastic value. Mid-grade all-seasons run about $20-30 less per tire, but the premium is worth the real-world treadlife that they Defenders are providing on my car.
Verdict: I am very satisfied with my purchase. I have always had good experiences with Michelin and the Defenders are no different. I am planning on keeping my Audi at least 100k more miles and I have no doubt the Defenders will be on it for most of that time. MXV4s may have been more complimentary to the Audi's suspension tuning, but I was looking for longevity/durability over ride, so it was a worthy compromise for me. Will I put replace the OEM MXV4s on my Honda Odyssey with Defenders when it comes time? Probably not. My wife values a smooth ride of all else. So, in summary, if you are willing to give up a little ride comfort for treadlife and durability, the Defender is hard to match and worth the upgrade from a less expensive brand.
I will update in another 10k miles!
