Prielli P5 or Michelin Destiny for my 97 Camry

[teddyboy]

The car isa 97 4cylinder Camry with 209,000. It gets driven on the highway some as it goes to football games. The Michelin is about $40 more per set. Are they worth it? The selection from Discount Tire in size 195-70-14 is pretty limited so there aren't many options. I wouldn't consider buying elsewhere.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Discount Tire Direct has Pirelli Cinturato P5 at $65/ea shipped, it's almost the same as Pirelli P4 Four Seasons which is highly rated tire. Print out the price of Pirelli Cinturato P5 with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct and asking Discount Tire to match that price.

 

[Drew99GT]

I'd go with the Michelin - it's simply a better tire. Has 1/32 more tread depth then the Pirelli, and the P5 has been know to be loud and decrease fuel mileage. If you drive in any kind of snow, the Destiny will be a better tire.

 

[Corvette Owner]

Go to tirerack.com and compare the reviews of people who have used them.

 

[Drew99GT]

Neither tire is available from Tirerack; they're both Discounttire exclusive.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The Pirelli P4 and the Michelin Harmony are the main-line equivalents, so you should be able to get a pretty good understanding of how they perform. In this size, the Michelin is likely 150% the price of the Pirelli. I'm usually a Michelin person, but in this case, I don't know...it's a close call.

The Pirelli P5 did score pretty favorably in Consumer Reports' last all season tire test (last year). Unfortunately, no Michelin Harmony/Destiny variant was tested, just the HydroEdge. The P5 had some ups and downs, in terms of scores. Its wet performance appears to be second to none. Interestingly, it's snow traction was rated only fair, but it's ice braking was rated very good. It did score very good for noise also.

If comparing cost, and especially cost of ownership, the P5 only scored fair for rolling resistance and good for expected tread life. I think the Michelin Destiny would easily best either of those scores if tested, so it may be a cheaper tire to own, on a dollar per mile basis.

Honestly, I think it's probably a toss-up, and I'd likely lean toward the Michelin just based on my own experience with the brand. Also: are you considering the $70 Michelin rebate in your cost comparisons? If not, that might push you toward the Michelin.

 

[sciphi]

I'd look at the Pirelli P4, not the P5. I've had a set of P4's on the Buick for 50k miles, and they look good for another 20k or so. Wet traction is superb, dry traction is amazing for an all-season, and snow is pretty good too. My Buick can't break them free in the dry, and has to work for it in the wet. Pump them up to sidewall if you don't want them rolling over in the turns. They don't mind being chucked into a corner. Getting understeer with these is hard to do. They are noisy and stiff-riding, though. Most of the noise in my Buick is tire noise from these tires. I don't mind the stiffer ride since the car's suspension is tuned to be yacht-like, and it needs the help turning.

That's my experience with them in 205/70-15 on a 3500 lb 205hp, 230 ft/lb V6 FWD sedan, using max sidewall pressure in the fronts and 4 PSI less in the rear.

 

[hate2work]

The Pirelli P4s are very good tires. I'd buy them over the ones you're referring to.

I agree, Discount Tire is great

 

[FZ1]

Michelin's are cheaper, net of the $70 rebate offer. The Michelins have an 80k warranty vs.50k for the Pirelli. Good luck with it.

 

[Shuttler]

The little problem with tests and ratings is that they are applicable to brand new tires. Some tires are notorious to lose their edge after a rather short while. I would try to investigate the consistent trend from real world users' experience.

 

[FordFocus]

I'd go with the Michelin's for sure.

 

[FZ1]

Already checked it out. I got the Michelins. Rotations are free at DT. Just keep up with the rotations and you get a prorate on your next set of tires if they don't last the warranty miles.

 

[Trav]

I put P4's on my 2000 Grand Prix and love them,they are quiet and handle well for a all weather tire.
My personal experience with Michelin is terrible,I put them on my brothers 2002 Denali AWD while at the same time i put Conti's on my Expedition AWL the Expedition has 20k more on the tires and going strong the Michelin are done.They also cost almost double,IHO Michelin are not worth a P hole in the snow.

His wife's van had Michelin PAX tires and they only lasted 19k before they were skins,absolute rubbish.

 

[FZ1]

Don't matter much,if you keep up with the rotations on a warranteed tire,'cause they credit you.

 

[teddyboy]

I really appreciate the replies. I've owned both the P4 and the Destiny and like both a great deal. I wasn't factoring the $70 Michelin rebate into the equation so thanks for that tip. With the rebate, the Michelin is $30 cheaper. At $40 more for the Michelins, I was thinking that it's a close call. At $30 cheaper, I'll go with the Michelin. Again, many thanks, the information in the responses helped clarify my thinking.

 

[FZ1]

Sure,man.

 

[woodibly]

That would have been my choice also!

 

[CharBaby]

Teddyoy, read the reviews on the TireRack just to make a comparison between the Pirelli P4 and the Michelin Destiny. The P4's are at least comparable to the P5's(DiscountTireDirect exclusive). Buy which tire shows the highest ratings and highest reviews from people who drive on them. Then get the best ones. For $40.00($10.00 each tire) difference in the Michelin, if the Michelin are truely better, than their worth it.

I have the Pirelli P4's(205-65-16) on my 04 Altima and run them only in the winter time and love em. Great A/S tire in the snow/ice. They can get a little hard in the cold temps compared to the warm temps but they're not really harsh nor noisy. I'll put them on the car in late OCT early NOV and run them through winter til spring(late May). I'd love em all year around but have 17" whls/tires for the summer. The 16" Pirelli P4's are so much better than the 17" Good/Year Eagle LS that I use in the summer months. Quieter, better handling, straight tracking on the highway and no shimmp/shake as the P4's balance well, so do Michelin tires.
I don't know how the Destinys rate but, the P4 are rated high on the TireRack and Consumer Reports.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Shuttler
The little problem with tests and ratings is that they are applicable to brand new tires. Some tires are notorious to lose their edge after a rather short while. I would try to investigate the consistent trend from real world users' experience.


This ^^

Not to change the subject, but I had a set of tires that I bought new for my '07 Corolla. They were fantastic in warm weather, and I was a happy camper. But when the weather turned cold, they'd become hard as a rock. Even feeling the (full depth) tread with your fingers, this T-rated rubber felt like super stiff W-rated UHP fare. The Michelins on the van right next to it in the garage stay pliable, even in the cold.

This is another one of those "intangibles" that rarely show up in instrumented testing, but become apparent with ownership. Based on that experience alone, I tend to stick what works for me. And given that the Michelins are cheaper anyway, it's a can't-lose situation.

Nice choice.

 

[FZ1]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Teddyoy, read the reviews on the TireRack just to make a comparison between the Pirelli P4 and the Michelin Destiny. The P4's are at least comparable to the P5's(DiscountTireDirect exclusive). Buy which tire shows the highest ratings and highest reviews from people who drive on them. Then get the best ones. For $40.00($10.00 each tire) difference in the Michelin, if the Michelin are truely better, than their worth it.

I have the Pirelli P4's(205-65-16) on my 04 Altima and run them only in the winter time and love em. Great A/S tire in the snow/ice. They can get a little hard in the cold temps compared to the warm temps but they're not really harsh nor noisy. I'll put them on the car in late OCT early NOV and run them through winter til spring(late May). I'd love em all year around but have 17" whls/tires for the summer. The 16" Pirelli P4's are so much better than the 17" Good/Year Eagle LS that I use in the summer months. Quieter, better handling, straight tracking on the highway and no shimmp/shake as the P4's balance well, so do Michelin tires.
I don't know how the Destinys rate but, the P4 are rated high on the TireRack and Consumer Reports.
Waaaay to complicated. Economics is all you need to know. Warranty is 50k Pirelli.......80k Michelin.