Cooper CS5 - 95H or 95V

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I am about to get new tires on a 2002 Lexus ES300. Pretty set on the CS5 Ultra.

It comes in both speed ratings in the size for this car. Which would be better? I know what I would choose if it were for a high performance car or motorcycle, but is there any downside to choosing the V rating on a lightly loaded commuter car that never goes over 75mph? The cost difference is trivial ($7/tire).
 
Given that both have the same treadwear warranty and UTQG ratings, I'm guessing they are otherwise identical except for the belt overlays, which is what the speed rating would be about.

I think for $7.oo more, you'll be getting a better built tire - more failure resistant - but there will be very little difference, otherwise.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe the higher rated V tire might be made "more carefully" such that it can be rated faster even though your won't utilize the extra possible smoothness.
One feature may be that the bead construction might be such that the wire used to construct it is terminated without overlap and thus can be balanced more easily.
However, the H rated tire might be made with similar care.
The V rated tire will have softer rubber and will wear faster no matter what.

The H rated tire will do ya'.
 
The higher the speed rating, the better the grip and stopping power but the lower the tread life.
 
UTQG is the same (640) for both tires. Tire Rack has the V rated for a little bit less. Personly I'd go with the V rated:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=Lexus&autoYear=2002&autoModel=ES300&autoModClar=&width=215%2F&ratio=60&diameter=16&sortCode=45400&skipOver=true&minSpeedRating=H&minLoadRating=S
 
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I just had a set of these put on a Vibe, 205 55 R16 size. At Discount Tire, the V-rated was $3.00 cheaper than the H. Both are listed with a 70,000 mile warranty.

Discount's site has the wrong specs, though. Tire Rack matches what's above and what my sidewall says: 640 AA. I don't know about the H, but the V says Tread plies: 1 nylon, 2 steel, 1 polyester; Sidewall plies: 2 polyester.

I like the tires so far. Nice and smooth compared to the whump-whump-whump of the previous Dunlop Signature II.
 
I was led to believe "H" rated tires were more quiet than "V" rated tires. Maybe someone else can give better insight.
 
I don't know what kind of ride you're after but I put these on my wife's minivan and boy are they stiff. Rides like a tank now. They are smooth and quiet, but the ride is horrid.
Just FYI.
 
I am not sure the V inherently has softer rubber, but definitely construction to shed the higher heat. I could imagine it being stiffer a little bit.

Seems theoretical that an added belt, or stronger one, would add puncture resistance, which is nice. All things considered, I would go with the V I guess. I am sure the H would be more than adequate and probably great, but the V has a little more added value.

Egg_Head, do you mean a Garelli moped in your sig? My uncle had a shop that solds those; I worked in it as a kid and sold and serviced those. Have not thought of those in a long time...
 
The CS5 Ultra Touring H&V speed rated tires have the same tread compound and are both made with the same level of quality and 'care.'
smile.gif


Get the speed rating/load carrying capacity that your vehicle manufacturer recommends.
 
I don't think you have a choice. You probably have to get the V anyway.

I know that Toyota has spec'd a V-rated tire in that size for many years. Most tire shops won't install tires of a lower speed rating than the original one, except for winter tires.
 
Originally Posted by Silver
I don't know what kind of ride you're after but I put these on my wife's minivan and boy are they stiff. Rides like a tank now. They are smooth and quiet, but the ride is horrid.
Just FYI.


This is an excellent point! I currently have the CS5 Ultra on my Cadillac and chose them because they are somewhat stiff, which works well with the FE1 suspension (softest for that model year CTS). Depending on the desired ride quality and the type of suspension in the ES300, the OP may wish to consider the pros/cons of going with the CS5 Ultra (stiff) or the CS5 Grande (softer).
 
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Originally Posted by Oro_O


Egg_Head, do you mean a Garelli moped in your sig? My uncle had a shop that solds those; I worked in it as a kid and sold and serviced those. Have not thought of those in a long time...


Yes sir, 1979 Rally Sport, dark blue.
 
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Originally Posted by Kira
Correct me if I'm wrong. ….


Well, you asked ……

Originally Posted by Kira
…..I believe the higher rated V tire might be made "more carefully" such that it can be rated faster even though your won't utilize the extra possible smoothness.
One feature may be that the bead construction might be such that the wire used to construct it is terminated without overlap and thus can be balanced more easily.
However, the H rated tire might be made with similar care.
The V rated tire will have softer rubber and will wear faster no matter what. …….


Sorry, but most of this is incorrect.

Ya' see, speed rating is mostly about the construction - how much cap plies are put in. The more cap plies, the higher the speed rating.

These cap plies not only reduce the amount of growth due to centrifugal forces, but because of this restriction, they also reduce the running temperature.

HOWEVER, since higher speed rated tires tend to be used more for high performance cars, they also tend to use grippier, but worse wearing tread compounds. They also tend to be lower aspect ratio, for better handling.

But in this case, everything about the 2 tires in question is the same - except for the speed rating.
 
Good question, I've wondered something similar. Have a couple vehicles that came spec with V rated and that's what I've gone with. I have read here that H rated tend to ride better, don't know if that's true? I never approach the speed rating for either, so I've wondered 'IF' H rated ride better if I could use either.
 
How about comparing load ratings. I noticed on some tires I recently bought that were very stiff that the load rating was a few hundred lbs higher than the ones they replaced, which were much softer riding.
 
Originally Posted by Silver
How about comparing load ratings. I noticed on some tires I recently bought that were very stiff that the load rating was a few hundred lbs higher than the ones they replaced, which were much softer riding.



Ah ……. Mmmmm …… I'm not quite sure how to address this, but here goes:

Long version:
Barry's Tire Tech - Tire Standardizing Organizations

Short version: What is probably going on here is the difference between Tire Standardizing Organizations and the way they calculate load carrying capacity. The differences are small enough to basically ignore, but in these kinds of discussions, it's kind of hard to keep that in perspective.

Put another way, a tire with a set of given dimensions (size) has a given load carrying capacity table (load vs inflation pressure) The problem is describing this. Over the years, several people have attempted to do this, and they wind up with slightly different results - the operative word being "slightly". But for practical purposes, it's the same. I explain that in greater detail in the webpage link above.

But soft ride is controlled by the stiffness of the sidewall - which is different from its strength and can vary considerably. Besides, it's the inflation pressure that basically controls the load carrying capacity, not the sidewall stiffness.
 
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