Why Michelin? Thinking about spending a bit more..

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Funny how everyone for the most part likes Michelin Tires. My father swore he'd never buy them again, and has me thinking the same way. Over the years he had cord seperation with 3 sets of Michelin Tires, totaling 5 tires. Twice he had 2 bad tires from a set of 4. He'd never buy them again. He is currently running a set of Firestone tires he grabbed for a high mile beater. They are the loudest tires I've ever heard, but the ride in rain and snow is better than he expected. YMMV

BTW I am not suggesting Firestone Tires, just stating an observation.

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Originally Posted By: ADFD1
Funny how everyone for the most part likes Michelin Tires. My father swore he'd never buy them again, and has me thinking the same way. Over the years he had cord seperation with 3 sets of Michelin Tires, totaling 5 tires. Twice he had 2 bad tires from a set of 4. He'd never buy them again


There is nothing "funny" about people liking Michelin -- your father's experiences are not typical. Michelin would not be the second-largest tire company in the world, it would not be around after 111 years in the business, if it did not make decent tires. And it would not be recommended by so many drivers here if they did not like its performance.

Most of us do not buy enough tires from enough manufacturers, to perform our own testing -- so we make buying decisions based on what OE tires came on the vehicle, on what is on sale at the tire store, on personal recommendations, and (infrequently) what other owners report at places like http://www.tirerack.com

Michelins are popular OE tires, and most owners like them. They tend to have consistently good manufacturing quality -- once they are mounted and balanced, they tend to stay balanced. They tend to wear evenly, if you take care of them. They are expensive, but most folks decide that they are worth it. Lastly, it is a safe decision -- no one will criticize you if you buy Michelins. So it is a no-brainer, even for those with no brains.
 
We are supposed to share opinions and experiences on this board aren't we? I shared mine. That's it! BTW w/o any insulting or attacking anyone, especially those with brains :).


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I have to say that I even consdier Michelin buyers a bit brainwashed. I mean, some of these guy say they nevr buy anything except Michelins. Than, how do you know?

I never bought Michelins, until recently.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie

I have to say that I even consdier Michelin buyers a bit brainwashed. I mean, some of these guy say they nevr buy anything except Michelins. Than, how do you know?

I never bought Michelins, until recently.

This reminds me of the Chevy and Ford fans here on BITOG. Would never buy anything else.
 
We've used a lot of different tires over the years, with mixed results. The cord seperation issue stopped my father from buying Michelin tires again.

He's not thrilled with the loud Firestone tires either, but in that case, he got what he paid for. BTW the Tirerack review of those tires he said was quite positive. Great tires he said, just loud. YMMV

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The only tires I've hard that were actually bad (done in less than 30K for whatever reason) were Continentals, old Goodyear Wranglers, and a set of Generals.

I have had good experiences with BF Goodrich, Yokohama, newer Goodyears, Nitto, Michelin, Pirelli and even Firestone.

But for absolute longevity, the Michelin X Radial LT (very similar to LTX M/S) are the best I've seen personally.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie

I have to say that I even consdier Michelin buyers a bit brainwashed. I mean, some of these guy say they nevr buy anything except Michelins. Than, how do you know?

I never bought Michelins, until recently.


I had one set of michelins as OE equipment on a 4 runner before. Those were decent tires with a great ride. I bought this set of LTX's based uponmy eperiences and the great reputation on quality and safety that Michelin has.

These tires are great. Great traction, great ride and the smell of new tires in the garage!!! OK they all smell new but they are probably the equivelent of those that only run Synthetic oils.. yet I would rather spend the extra money on tires than on oil. Seems to be a more material gain to me.
 
Yokohama usually win the tyre performance tests here but we get different tyres than you do. I have AVS dB decibel V550 225/40 18 and 235/40 18 on my BMW which replaced ContiSport Contact 2 and Bridgestone RE050A.. My 2c
 
My winter Michelin Pilot Alpins were pretty mediocre when it came to winter performance. And my MXV4+ which came OEM on the Accord were terrible in just about every performance category. I think they were only designed to deliver good MPG at the expense of everything else.

I also have some experience with Michelin E3A tires sold in Europe - comfy, quiet, and long-lasting, but very weak when it comes to dry/wet grip.

At this point, the only Michelin tire that I would consider buying would be Pilot Sport PS2 - their top of the line summer tire, but not at the price that they charge for it. The price you pay is not proportional to what you get. Having had experience with other tires such as Bridgestone S03 or ContiSportContact2, I don't think Michelin's price is justified.

YMMV
 
Years ago when I did buy Michelin tires or, when they came on a vehicle that I purchaced, I paid dearly for them! I bought Michelin because they balanced better, rode better, experienced less or no radial pull with them and they were quiet and lasted a decent amount of time. I sort of expect that out of most tires today but, with other brands of tires, I still experience that radial pull or have to return to the place of purchace for a rebalance. I don't particularly like paying Michelin prices for the everyday passenger tire so I have moved elsewhere. I've had succuss with Pirelli and would like to try Kumho and Bridgestone/Firestone with Uni-T. GoodYears are now off of my list since every set of GY tires that I have purchaced in the past 10 years(at one time all 4 of my vehicles were running GY's) all gave me something to complain about. When I have better tires on my vehicles, I don't notice their there. And that a good thing!
 
I wound up buying the Michelin Pikot Exalto A/S in 225/45/17 and getting them installed this morning.
 
My brother will be needing tires soon for his VW Beetle. I said I would help him find some good tires. He drives 1700 miles a month, all highway. I am looking for a long lasting tire. He doesn't have the money to buy a new set every year.

After doing some research online. I narrowed it down to 2 tires.

Michelin MXV4 Primacy 620
Cooper CS4 560

The Beetle came with H rated tires. So I will not go down to T rated tires. I would have more tires to choose from with a higher UTQG ratings though.

I called around and found the CS4's for $500.00 installed. The cheapest I found the Michelin's were $624.00 installed at Costco. I know they always have the $70.00 off coupon every few months. So that will bring the the cost down to around $550.00.

Both of these tires have been getting good reviews. I guess it will be a toss up.
 
Originally Posted By: Finklejag
My brother will be needing tires soon for his VW Beetle. I said I would help him find some good tires. He drives 1700 miles a month, all highway. I am looking for a long lasting tire. He doesn't have the money to buy a new set every year.

After doing some research online. I narrowed it down to 2 tires.

Michelin MXV4 Primacy 620
Cooper CS4 560

The Beetle came with H rated tires. So I will not go down to T rated tires. I would have more tires to choose from with a higher UTQG ratings though.

I called around and found the CS4's for $500.00 installed. The cheapest I found the Michelin's were $624.00 installed at Costco. I know they always have the $70.00 off coupon every few months. So that will bring the the cost down to around $550.00.

Both of these tires have been getting good reviews. I guess it will be a toss up.

No comparison. The Primacy MSV4 is probably the best "performance touring" tire on the market. It has a proven track record-- just look at the Tire Rack tests and user reviews.
 
Originally Posted By: JoeFromPA
I wound up buying the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S in 225/45/17 and getting them installed this morning.


This is the exact tire I chose in a slightly smaller size for my accord, and couldn't be happier with them. They replaced a set of MXV4's that came with the used car and a very noticeable step up.
 
Had a set of Bridgestone HP50 from Sears for 3 years, used as the front only tire as my rear is riding on some worn out Dunlop SPA2 that I try to retire with the Bridgestone (long story).

Not sure if the HP50 is closer to the Fuzion HRi or Bridgestone's own Potenza G009 / G019, but they do grip ok, are comfortable, and seems to last well so far. Used only for the front of my FWD Integra for 40k and still have at least 1/2 left, and doesn't crack like the Dunlop SPA2. Snow traction seems ok but I really haven't driven to Tahoe much to Ski.
 
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