Noob with specific Revo/Xterrain tire questions

[pipspeak]

I just got rid of my Jeep and bought a 2004 4Runner SE (29K miles) still (amazingly) with about 5-10K left on the stock Dunflop AT20 treads but with the tires starting to show some cracks and generally looking like they could blow up at any minute. So I'm now starting to scout around for new rubber. I wanna stick with the stock size (however oddball it might be... why did they pick that size??) and have read all the threads here from Revo fanatics, Michelin diehards, etc etc. but still have a few specific questions that I did not see covered.

I like the look and reviews of the Revos but am concerned about gas mileage/rolling resistance. Consumer Reports (bless 'em) rated them "poor" on for rolling resistance vs. "Excellent" for the Michelin Xterrains. OK, so you're comparing an AT with a highway tire, but I'm still curious what people's experiences have been with the stock-size (P265/65/17) Revos and any changes in gas mileage. I'm also curious how quiet they are... reviews suggest there's no increase in noise from the Dunflops. Is that true?

And about the Michelin Cross Terrains: are they really capabile of anything off-road? I go off road maybe twice a year (generally dry/rocky), and also drive in snow a half dozen times on winter ski-trips and am worried that the Michelins will suck for anything except dry/wet highway driving (I would have loved LTXs but alas cannot get them in the silly SE tire size). Has anyone really tested the Xterrains off-road and in snow? They just look too wimpy to me.

 

[Koz]

Looks don't mean shit! What matters is personal experience. If you look at the consumer's reviews and ratings you will see that the REVOs are GREAT tires. Also the Nitto Grapplers are starting show the same consumer's reviews/performance as the REVOs. Why would you take a chance on a un-proven tire?

Koz

 

[pipspeak]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I said I liked what I read about the Revos (as well as their looks) but my specific question was about rolling resistance and whether folks running the stock size (265/65/17) had noticed any siginficant drop in gas mileage.

Consumer Reports (just one of my sources) said the Revos were excellent tires but gave them a "poor" rolling resistance rating (good on everything else though).

I'm trying to decide between them and the Xterrains. If the Xterrains are decent off road (which their tread does not suggest) then I'll take 'em. If the Revos don't really create a huge hit on mileage compared to the stock 'flops then I'll probably go with them.

 

[Koz]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I said I liked what I read about the Revos (as well as their looks) but my specific question was about rolling resistance and whether folks running the stock size (265/65/17) had noticed any siginficant drop in gas mileage.

Consumer Reports (just one of my sources) said the Revos were excellent tires but gave them a "poor" rolling resistance rating (good on everything else though).

I'm trying to decide between them and the Xterrains. If the Xterrains are decent off road (which their tread does not suggest) then I'll take 'em. If the Revos don't really create a huge hit on mileage compared to the stock 'flops then I'll probably go with them.

Rolling resistance has a direct relationship to traction and gas mileage. The better the traction the more rolling resistance and less mpg (which is a very small part of rolling resistance). To get great traction you will have to sacrifice!

Koz

 

[pipspeak]

yeah, comparing highway tire and A/T tire ain't fair, I know

Have you noticed any change in gas mileage at all with the Revos vs what you had on before?

And anyone got an direct experience with the Michelin Xterrains off-road?

 

[Falls]

Rolling resistance has a direct relationship to traction and gas mileage. The better the traction the more rolling resistance and less mpg (which is a very small part of rolling resistance). To get great traction you will have to sacrifice!

Koz

I totally agree ! Koz, know's Revo's in and out, although some of my post's may reflect different ( because I'm old school & ingnorant sometimes...lol ) I do like the Revo's and they are a good tire's. The rolling resistance is not that big of a deal and I would'nt worry about gas milage,it's not like your running a mud terrain or anything. I went to a 265/70/17 and never noticed hardly any diff. in milage and still get the window sticker rating or better. they also look alot better, we were at the Yota dealership yesterday and I was looking at the exact same truck as mine with the 65 series tire's and really noticed the diff. until side by side.

I cannot comment on the Cross-Terrain's since I've never seen them. Look's don't mean anything for traction , only the look you want to achieve.

 

[pipspeak]

I'm definitely thinking of getting the Revos, not least because they're cheaper than the Xterrains. If you're still getting EPA mileage, that's good enough for me!

Xterrains sounds better on highway from what I've read, but I just wanna check whether they're any good off-highway. Their tread rating and sipes suggest they're not going to be as good as the revos.

 

[Lone Ranger]

Maybe a different way of asking the question: Are the Revos the right choice on a 4Runner that will see almost all of its life on the highway?

 

[jharris2]

Maybe a different way of asking the question: Are the Revos the right choice on a 4Runner that will see almost all of its life on the highway?

And for that question, the right answer is to search and read the other threads where this has been discussed at length.

 

[Lone Ranger]

I will when I am ready to replace my Dunlops. Any hints in the meantime?

 

[Thai]

I will when I am ready to replace my Dunlops. Any hints in the meantime?

Many choices to look at for YOUR purpose: Michelin Crossterrains, Goodyear Fortera (either Tripletred or SilentArmor), Bridgestone Dueler H/L, and Yokohama Geolander HT/S. I would pick these over REVOs and other AT tires IF you don't plan to take your SUV off the highway.

There are cheaper option, but the above tires are well-proven in all-weather conditions and are perfect for highway-bound SUVs.

If you want something for occasional off-roading, then I would stick with REVOs, Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor, or Michelin LTX M/S. My pick would be GY Wrangler SA because i believe that it is stronger (e.g. Kevlar and Durawall) than REVOs, yet still offer good on-road manners. REVOs are very nice quality tires with great traction on all surfaces, but the sidewall is a weak point as is the case with most passenger and AT tires (e.g. Nittos, Yokohamas, LTX M/S, etc.).

For more severe off-roading, I would suggest either BFG AT KO or Goodyear Wrangler SA. Both have durable sidewalls, but BFG AT KO's sidewall is much thicker. I personally prefer BFG AT KO for moderate-severe rocks (thicker sidewall and more aggressive thread).

For muddy terrain, i would suggest getting Mud-Terrains. Two popular choices: Goodyear MT/R or BFG M/T. Personally, i would go with BFG M/T because it cleans much better than MT/R. However, if you do more rock crawling, then MT/R is better because of it's super-duper strong sidewall. If you want more extreme, then i cannot help you...not enough knowledge/experience with the more redneckish tires.

Hope this helps. I tried to give my recommendations on all types of driving.

 

[Lone Ranger]

Thai,

Thanks for the great response. I have the Yokohama Geolanders on a Suburban and they are excellent tires.

Regards,

LR

 

[benhar]

Lone Ranger, I just replaced my Dunlops with 265/70-17 Revos this past weekend. I was having the same problem you are now before I bought them. I stay mostly onroad, with the occasional offroad for camping or on muddy, poorly kept dirt roads. I only have a 2wd (which, depending on where I am, may actually increase my need for a better traction tire). Here is what I think so far...

I have absolutely no complaints about the ride quality. The Revos seem to ride as good or better than the Dunlops, and having the bigger tires gives the 4Runner a more "superior" feel on the road. You definitely notice the 1/2 inch lift, especially when the previous tires were as bald as mine. The 4Runner also seems to handle dips and bumps in the road much better now.

It's too soon to say anything about mileage, but if I have any complaint it's the noise. I knew I was taking a risk with the aggressive treads, so I was listening intently for an increase in noise. I definitely hear the Revos more than I heard the Dunlops, but it's not really enough to be annoying. Of course, I'm oversensitive to such things, and neither my girlfriend nor my sister seemed to notice the noise. They thought I was crazy when I asked. I've heard the Revos get louder with time, so that does have me a little concerned.

I don't think there is a perfect tire out there; there will have to be a tradeoff somewhere. I see the increase in noise and probable hit on gas mileage as a tradeoff on the GREAT looks of the tires, and the lower probability of getting stuck in the mud and looking like an idiot for having a 2wd 4Runner. I've seen 2 different versions of the Cross Terrains, and while one version looks decent, the other version looked almost like a glorified minivan tire. Also, neither have white letters for the stock size. So, I sacrificed silence for looks.

I like the Revo's, but my other choice was the Goodyear TripleTred. I have also heard they make a little more noise than the Cross Terrains, so I really don't know if I would have benefited from them. I guess time will tell if I made the right decision.

I hope that helps, if not, sorry for the long-winded post

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Nittos are a great option between the Revos and the BFGs since they are more agressive (better off road) than the Revos and much cheaper than the BFGs which the Nittos are a better tire on road and in the wet but still kick butt off road.

BFGs are great if you truly off road more than occasionally but on a daily driver they leave a bit dry and wet on road performance to be desired.

If you never leave the pavement then none of these tires I mentioned are a good choice.

 

[seadweller]

Drop in the bucket!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think rolling resistance is anything to really worry about on the Revos. You are not getting really aggressive tires where noise or rolling resistance would be an issue. In fact, as long as you don't put tires with monster looking treads you should'nt worry about such things.

Read the posts here about Revos and the ones on Tirerack and you will see how these tires are.

I just bought some by the way and have no complaints. No rolling resistance eating up my mpg, no noise issue, nothing but way better than the stock Dunlops with only 14k miles I just sold.

They look way better, perform much better, just as quiet and grips much better.

Also this is another thing I don't understand, just like other folks here who put 87 octane in their +$30k 4runner when they know 91-93 octane will make it perform better, if you can afford such a vehicle, fork out the extra dough or don't worry too much over a few cents difference.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I said I liked what I read about the Revos (as well as their looks) but my specific question was about rolling resistance and whether folks running the stock size (265/65/17) had noticed any siginficant drop in gas mileage.

Consumer Reports (just one of my sources) said the Revos were excellent tires but gave them a "poor" rolling resistance rating (good on everything else though).

I'm trying to decide between them and the Xterrains. If the Xterrains are decent off road (which their tread does not suggest) then I'll take 'em. If the Revos don't really create a huge hit on mileage compared to the stock 'flops then I'll probably go with them.

 

[Koz]

Re: Drop in the bucket!!!!!!!!!!

Also this is another thing I don't understand, just like other folks here who put 87 octane in their +$30k 4runner when they know 91-93 octane will make it perform better, if you can afford such a vehicle, fork out the extra dough or don't worry too much over a few cents difference.

If your engine doesn

 

[ddd269]

I'm also interested on the revos, but I noticed something interesting on the 265/70/17 size.

On the tirerack site (under specs of revo sizes) there are two 265/70/17s. One with 113S and 121/118R ratings. The first 3 designate load rating and the letters following that is the speed rating. The "R" rated revo is WIDER than the "S" rated revo by almost half an inch! (well... .4" to be exact) 113S = 7.8" 121/118R = 8.2". There were other minor differences, but the biggest difference between the two were the load rating, width and price (about $20).

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=Bridgestone&model=Dueler+A%2FT+Revo&partnum=665SR7ATREVOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=6

It is my understanding that due to rounded edges of modern tires, it is hard to compare between manufacturers, because it is a matter of who chooses where to measure from. But, specs from the same manufacturer, for the same model, supposed to be in same range. In other words, they measure from the same point, so the differeces in width between the two must be real.

To investigate further, I went to Bridgestone's web site and, they showed the same info.

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tireselector/dpp/sizespecs.asp?passproductid=1055

I realized that the R designated tire is the LT version of the same size witch expains the higher load rating. But I'm still puzzled why the different width.

The only logical reason for this could be the thicker sidewall design of the LT model... Then again, the gain in thickness should be from the inside (not extending out-ward). I'm even more confused now. lol

Can someone explain this???

 

[rhodee90]

running premium fuel is not wasting your money. I will glady pay $2-$3 more filling up with premium fuel than using crap gas. Using premium fuel might not cause your 4runner to perform any better, but I can almost bet that it will prolong the engine, especially anything having to do with the fuel system. Run premium gas for one year and crap gas for one year in the same car with the same miles on them....pull your injectors out after that year and see what car looks better and that is just one thing. Again, 2 to 3 extra dollars per tank is worth it on your 30-40 thousand dollar SUV.

 

[Thai]

pull your injectors out after that year and see what car looks better and that is just one thing. Again, 2 to 3 extra dollars per tank is worth it on your 30-40 thousand dollar SUV.

This is going off-topic. I don't think the grade of the gasoline has much to do with how clean your injectors are...given that you fill up with the same quality gas everytime.

 

[rhodee90]

Yes it is off subject but someone else brought us off subject. You can continue running crap gas as far as I am concerned. I just don't see why 4runner owners that spend big bucks on their SUV don't want to baby their 4runner and only give it the best. Why not spend 3 bucks more per tank (in today's gas prices) to ensure you 4runner is treated the best? There HAS to be benefits of running good gas over crap gas throughout the life of the car. But go to Mcdonald's and spend it on a med. fry, and two double cheeseburgers instead.