Tire Recommendations and Experiences

[Automaton25]

Hello Everyone,

I drive a 2014 Forester and have been running Continental True Contact tires with good experiences. This last set only lasted 26,000 miles which is a bit disappointing for an 80,000 mile tire. The tire shop recommended the Michelin Cross Climate 2 as a good alternative. They show that these tires average about 58,000 miles which is good for having a 60,000 mile warranty. Does anyone have experience running an all weather/severe duty tire?

The vehicle sees about 20,000 miles a year through the mountains in all weather. The tires will see a few thousand miles of dirt in their lifespan and will be expected to hold up on light offroading trails (larger rocks, some mud, etc.).
I swear I read a while ago that these all weather tires get some of their traction improvements through softer treads which seem like they would be more likely to chunk and puncture on dirt roads. The car is frequently loaded down with camping gear and rockhounding equipment and materials.

I have run 3 sets of the Continental True Contacts and never had an issue in the dirt; traction was good for a street tire, and I never had a flat or chunks of rubber torn out. I'm just disappointed in the longevity as it is tiring buying tires every 1.5 years.

Anyone have any recomendations for a good all around tire with an emphasis on wet traction?

Cheers

 

[Propflux01]

Continental LX25?

 

[Ronn]

Hello Everyone,

I drive a 2014 Forester and have been running Continental True Contact tires with good experiences. This last set only lasted 26,000 miles which is a bit disappointing for an 80,000 mile tire. The tire shop recommended the Michelin Cross Climate 2 as a good alternative. They show that these tires average about 58,000 miles which is good for having a 60,000 mile warranty. Does anyone have experience running an all weather/severe duty tire?

The vehicle sees about 20,000 miles a year through the mountains in all weather. The tires will see a few thousand miles of dirt in their lifespan and will be expected to hold up on light offroading trails (larger rocks, some mud, etc.).
I swear I read a while ago that these all weather tires get some of their traction improvements through softer treads which seem like they would be more likely to chunk and puncture on dirt roads. The car is frequently loaded down with camping gear and rockhounding equipment and materials.

I have run 3 sets of the Continental True Contacts and never had an issue in the dirt; traction was good for a street tire, and I never had a flat or chunks of rubber torn out. I'm just disappointed in the longevity as it is tiring buying tires every 1.5 years.

Anyone have any recomendations for a good all around tire with an emphasis on wet traction?

Cheers

Believe it or not, Firestone Sure Drive Touring (AKA Bridgestone) is a great choice. I'm on my second set with a Sonata.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Welcome to BITOG

The CC2 is a very popular tire. Everybody seems to like it.

You might also like the Cooper Enduramax

But if you only get 26k from an 80k tire, it's your driving conditions. If it keeps costing too much to spend money on tires, just go cheap. You might like the Milestar Weatherguard AW365

 

[stevejones]

I have the CC2's on a 2008 Cobalt - no AWD nor offroad conditions. Through the heat, rain & snow; I'm happy with the tire. My wife's '23 Equinox AWD came OE with Bridgestone Alenza's. Those tires are terrible & will be getting replaced with CC2s more than likely.

 

[The Critic]

My neighbor has a 14 Forester 2.5. The Michelin CrossClimate2 tires have 40K on them and have been rotated 7 times. All 4 tires still have 7/32" remaining.

I am pretty sure those tires will outlast the vehicle.

 

[IveBeenRued]

Hello Everyone,

I drive a 2014 Forester and have been running Continental True Contact tires with good experiences. This last set only lasted 26,000 miles which is a bit disappointing for an 80,000 mile tire. The tire shop recommended the Michelin Cross Climate 2 as a good alternative. They show that these tires average about 58,000 miles which is good for having a 60,000 mile warranty. Does anyone have experience running an all weather/severe duty tire?

The vehicle sees about 20,000 miles a year through the mountains in all weather. The tires will see a few thousand miles of dirt in their lifespan and will be expected to hold up on light offroading trails (larger rocks, some mud, etc.).
I swear I read a while ago that these all weather tires get some of their traction improvements through softer treads which seem like they would be more likely to chunk and puncture on dirt roads. The car is frequently loaded down with camping gear and rockhounding equipment and materials.

I have run 3 sets of the Continental True Contacts and never had an issue in the dirt; traction was good for a street tire, and I never had a flat or chunks of rubber torn out. I'm just disappointed in the longevity as it is tiring buying tires every 1.5 years.

Anyone have any recomendations for a good all around tire with an emphasis on wet traction?

Cheers

Seeing how you have run previous sets of the Continentals without tread wear issues, has something changed about your vehicle? Possibly an alignment or suspension component issue. 26K is unusually low tread wear for these tires. I usually get 70-100K out of those.

Out of curiosity. Your tires should have a series of letters stamped on the road surface towards the outer side tread blocks. They aren’t on every tread block but every 10 or so. You might see just a D, DW, or a DWS. Can you let us know what letters are currently reading?

They might look something like this:

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’ll be honest the CrossClimate 2 are the most returned tire at my dealership because people complain that they are too noisy. My parents bought a set for their Camry and they like the ride feel and smoothness of them but the noise is no joke. They are very noisy. I can also confirm from the cars I’ve test drove with them on there that they are noisy.

I recommend Uniroyal Tiger Paw they are an excellent tire and Uniroyal is owned by Michelin. That’s our top seller at work and we have those on our other Camry and really like them. They grip so well and are very quiet and the tread pattern is great. Continental is also a very good brand. I just ordered a set of Continental CrossContact LX 25 for my Ford Escape and they look to be good tires are are rated very high for rain and snow. The only reason I didn’t get Tiger Paw for my Escape is because they don’t make them in the size I need for it.

 

[hrv]

I’ll be honest the CrossClimate 2 are the most returned tire at my dealership because people complain that they are too noisy. My parents bought a set for their Camry and they like the ride feel and smoothness of them but the noise is no joke. They are very noisy. I can also confirm from the cars I’ve test drove with them on there that they are noisy.

I recommend Uniroyal Tiger Paw they are an excellent tire and Uniroyal is owned by Michelin. That’s our top seller at work and we have those on our other Camry and really like them. They grip so well and are very quiet and the tread pattern is great. Continental is also a very good brand. I just ordered a set of Continental CrossContact LX 25 for my Ford Escape and they look to be good tires are are rated very high for rain and snow. The only reason I didn’t get Tiger Paw for my Escape is because they don’t make them in the size I need for it.

what about the coni contact TX???

 

[AutoMechanic]

what about the coni contact TX???

Honestly not sure. Couldn’t get those thru my dealership and I’ve never installed a set so not sure how they are. Look like a good tire though and are rated highly. One con for me is those aren’t available with white letters like the ones I got.

 

[bugeye]

I like the Continental DWS 06. I've had them on three different vehicles. Quiet, good in rain and snow.

 

[Davejam]

I've run Continental True Contact tires twice for greater than 60k miles, i can't understand why you'd get vastly different performance.

 

[kam327]

I have Goodyear Eagle Exhilarates on my Mazda6 which are very well reviewed on tirerack.com. I noticed a degradation in wet performance after putting them on but that's probably because I previously had Bridgestone summer tires so that's to be expected. Main issue is I can't get them perfectly balanced after several attempts. Still a very slight vibration at highway speeds. An old school tire guy told me Goodyears are notoriously hard to balance. No idea if that's true or not.

 

[Rand]

Welcome to BITOG

The CC2 is a very popular tire. Everybody seems to like it.

You might also like the Cooper Enduramax

But if you only get 26k from an 80k tire, it's your driving conditions. If it keeps costing too much to spend money on tires, just go cheap. You might like the Milestar Weatherguard AW365

It shouldnt cost him much he should be getting tires for 67.5% off prorate. 26/80 = 32.5% life so 100-32.5= 67.5% off prorate.

So if he liked the contis.. I'd keep running the same tires and let the tire dealer prorate the replacements.

CC2 you will likely lose 5-10% fuel economy.. otherwise its an outstanding tire if you want traction as a main priority

 

[Automaton25]

Welcome to BITOG

The CC2 is a very popular tire. Everybody seems to like it.

You might also like the Cooper Enduramax

But if you only get 26k from an 80k tire, it's your driving conditions. If it keeps costing too much to spend money on tires, just go cheap. You might like the Milestar Weatherguard AW365

Thank you for the recommendation here, I was not previously familiar with this tire. It looks like a a great option for us. I'm definitely looking into it and for good experiences in the snow.

My neighbor has a 14 Forester 2.5. The Michelin CrossClimate2 tires have 40K on them and have been rotated 7 times. All 4 tires still have 7/32" remaining.

I am pretty sure those tires will outlast the vehicle.

I'm not sore worried about them lasting under normal circumstances. My concern is their durability on gravel and otherwise rough roads.

Seeing how you have run previous sets of the Continentals without tread wear issues, has something changed about your vehicle? Possibly an alignment or suspension component issue. 26K is unusually low tread wear for these tires. I usually get 70-100K out of those.

Out of curiosity. Your tires should have a series of letters stamped on the road surface towards the outer side tread blocks. They aren’t on every tread block but every 10 or so. You might see just a D, DW, or a DWS. Can you let us know what letters are currently reading?

They might look something like this:
View attachment 237428

All I have is a D the tires are all at 3/32 and 4/32. There have been a lot of reviews on the tires lately expressing abnormally low mileage. We get an alignment once a year, when there are issues, and when new tires are put on. Alignment is almost always spot on, suspension is newish, ball joints, tie rod ends, and wheel bearings are all in good shape as well.

The previous set was taken out by a flat head screwdriver hiding in a pothole at about 30,000 miles. AWD necessitated all tires be replaced. The previous set got 60k out of the tires.

what about the coni contact TX???

The trad looks fantastic, but general reviews don't seem to like the tire.

I've run Continental True Contact tires twice for greater than 60k miles, i can't understand why you'd get vastly different performance.

It shouldnt cost him much he should be getting tires for 67.5% off prorate. 26/80 = 32.5% life so 100-32.5= 67.5% off prorate.

So if he liked the contis.. I'd keep running the same tires and let the tire dealer prorate the replacements.

CC2 you will likely lose 5-10% fuel economy.. otherwise its an outstanding tire if you want traction as a main priority

Funny you say that. I figured the same thing. The problem is that the proration is based on what you paid for the last set. When tires don't last their mileage warranty or get damaged by road hazards, you get screwed. My last set was taken out by a flat head screwdriver hiding in a pothole. The pothole got one tire, the screwdriver got the other one on the side. I was able to use certificates to replace the two damaged tires and bought two outright. So my mileage warranty is only based on the purchase of two tires, so I get a grand total of $225 towards a new set. I managed to get them up to $340 total credit, but that's still nowhere near what I or you were expecting.

Price isn't the biggest issue, safety is always an important factor. The other issue is that we live in Colorado and during winter, the mountains have the snow traction law in effect. In 2019, minimum tread depth was changed to 3/16 or 6/32 for the legal minimum. Which makes a short lasting tire almost impossible to have around here. We cross the rockies at least 4 times a month in all weather conditions and our roads are atrocious.

My only concern with the CC2 is the durability on gravel given the softer compound. I have also heard they are pretty lackluster with steering feedback, but that's a general Michelin issue unless you get their sport lines.

 

[Rand]

In Colorado I'd definitely be looking at all weather tires.
Being its a relatively light AWD subaru and you dont get much wheel spin.. on gravel definitely less taxing on the tires than some vehicles.

You should add your location to your profile.

 

[ae101]

i'm liking the stock yokohama geolandar a/t g015 on my 2023 Forester wilderness. they said it is more on highway focused all terrains and I agree with it. Maybe not as quiet vs all season touring tires on the highways but my wife and kids can still sleep during the ride so I think noise is acceptable. Approaching 30k kms and the tread depth still at 10/32". Handled northern Canada winter very well. Fresh powder, slush. It performed well. Can't handle black ice but even the best winter tire will be no match against it. Wet performance is also good. Been through some forest roads last spring with mix of ice and muds and also performed very well.

 

[krzyss]

Thank you for the recommendation here, I was not previously familiar with this tire. It looks like a a great option for us. I'm definitely looking into it and for good experiences in the snow.

I'm not sore worried about them lasting under normal circumstances. My concern is their durability on gravel and otherwise rough roads.

All I have is a D the tires are all at 3/32 and 4/32. There have been a lot of reviews on the tires lately expressing abnormally low mileage. We get an alignment once a year, when there are issues, and when new tires are put on. Alignment is almost always spot on, suspension is newish, ball joints, tie rod ends, and wheel bearings are all in good shape as well.

The previous set was taken out by a flat head screwdriver hiding in a pothole at about 30,000 miles. AWD necessitated all tires be replaced. The previous set got 60k out of the tires.

The trad looks fantastic, but general reviews don't seem to like the tire.




Funny you say that. I figured the same thing. The problem is that the proration is based on what you paid for the last set. When tires don't last their mileage warranty or get damaged by road hazards, you get screwed. My last set was taken out by a flat head screwdriver hiding in a pothole. The pothole got one tire, the screwdriver got the other one on the side. I was able to use certificates to replace the two damaged tires and bought two outright. So my mileage warranty is only based on the purchase of two tires, so I get a grand total of $225 towards a new set. I managed to get them up to $340 total credit, but that's still nowhere near what I or you were expecting.

Price isn't the biggest issue, safety is always an important factor. The other issue is that we live in Colorado and during winter, the mountains have the snow traction law in effect. In 2019, minimum tread depth was changed to 3/16 or 6/32 for the legal minimum. Which makes a short lasting tire almost impossible to have around here. We cross the rockies at least 4 times a month in all weather conditions and our roads are atrocious.

My only concern with the CC2 is the durability on gravel given the softer compound. I have also heard they are pretty lackluster with steering feedback, but that's a general Michelin issue unless you get their sport lines.

Why not proper winter tire for winter?

Krzyś

 

[Sequoiasoon]

What trim level? What size tire? The wet vs winter grip normally conflict so trade offs. Combine that with looking for decent off road traction.

I might look at Nokian Outpost APT, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail, Conti Terrain Contact AT, The Yokohama G015 or other "On Road All Terrain" versions. Those Nokians and some others have the Aramid sidewalls also.

The CrossContact LX25 gets really good all around reviews for wet and winter. The TerrainContact H/T good wet, not as good winter

I'll always promote true winter tires for winter for safety, mounted on spare rims so you can swap easy. I think @edyvw said his newer Blizzaks are surprisingly good in the wet.

When do you do the "off roading" is that winter or just the other 3 seasons? If you have to be above 6/32" anyway for winter you'll be buying new tires and losing 1/2 tread. Might as well get others for that time.

My experience but that is in NY but physics still apply for the tread depth in winter.

My sister and BIL love their CC2's and with our winters lately pretty much giving up on winter tires. No complaints of noise in summer or other. That is on a Rav4 Hybrid and Tiguan R-line.

The Falken Wildpeak AT Trail on FIL's Jeep Renegade are wearing quickly IMO BUT so did his factory Falkens and the Pirelli Scorpion AT that replaced them. He drives almost all local around town so always stop/go and can't use him as a "mileage" indicator. They AT Trails are still quiet, and wearing very even/flat. The Scorpion AT's had really odd wear and got very noisy by this point. I'm contemplating the Nokian Outpost APT for his next set. He wants the sidewall look no matter what I get.

The Conti ProContact TX that FIL had on loaner Cherokee (for 9 months) were good in wet/dry but seriously safety hazard on the snows we had. I let my kids try it as compared to their VikingContact 7's and they were like these things suck even in 4WD.

I put the Conti TrueContact Tour on my sons car this spring so can't give mileage details. They have been quiet and I bought as big reason for their wet performance reviews/tests. So far they have been good. They are now discontinued and being replaced by TrueContact Tour 54. Neither one has the severe snow rating for all weather.

 

[factorytuned2012]

Hello Everyone,

I drive a 2014 Forester and have been running Continental True Contact tires with good experiences. This last set only lasted 26,000 miles which is a bit disappointing for an 80,000 mile tire. The tire shop recommended the Michelin Cross Climate 2 as a good alternative. They show that these tires average about 58,000 miles which is good for having a 60,000 mile warranty. Does anyone have experience running an all weather/severe duty tire?

The vehicle sees about 20,000 miles a year through the mountains in all weather. The tires will see a few thousand miles of dirt in their lifespan and will be expected to hold up on light offroading trails (larger rocks, some mud, etc.).
I swear I read a while ago that these all weather tires get some of their traction improvements through softer treads which seem like they would be more likely to chunk and puncture on dirt roads. The car is frequently loaded down with camping gear and rockhounding equipment and materials.

I have run 3 sets of the Continental True Contacts and never had an issue in the dirt; traction was good for a street tire, and I never had a flat or chunks of rubber torn out. I'm just disappointed in the longevity as it is tiring buying tires every 1.5 years.

Anyone have any recomendations for a good all around tire with an emphasis on wet traction?

Cheers

I don’t have long a term review but replaced the wife’s tires with these Yokohama around 6 months ago and we’ve been happy with them. Dry handling is crisp and responsive wet handling is predictable and braking both wet/dry has been a positive experience.