Not Another Annoying Tire Thread!

[MikeinCincy]

I would take TireRack's consumer reviews with a grain of salt. Koz knows this better than anyone...he used to use TireRack ranking as the premier example of REVO's superiority over other tires...but, nowadays, REVOs are ranked 3rd or 4th depending on the day you look at it.

Grain of salt...it may not be good for your health, but with TireRack consumer review, it is worth while to take it for the benefit of your wallet.

I'm confused by this statement. If you say to take Tire Rack's reviews with a grain of salt, then by that logic, I shouldn't take the tires that are currently at the top too seriously since you are basically saying that the reviewers of the tires aren't always credible.

 

[MikeinCincy]

~~then again.

I have found Tire Rack reviews to be excellent sources on the real driving experience of people like me who don't know alot but know what they want or what they are looking for. I have found them much more informative than many sales reps. As an example, when I finally chose the Pirelli ATR Scorpion the America Tire guy was like......well of course if you want to spend that much money it's an excellent tire with great feedback. I think taking a little information from all sources is a good idea. At least for me, the tire rack reviews the number of miles reviewed and the location of the driver were invaluable.

Have you had any problems with flat-spotting? I have seen threads on here where people have complained of that. I live in Cincinnati and it gets pretty cold for the winters. You have had pretty good experiences with them in the snow correct?

 

[alaskaman]

no I have not. the reviews and the experience of those in Alaska convinced me that the flat spotting is due to the composite material used in the making of the tire. In all reports the flat spotting goes away after a few miles. I did consider that in my choice, but found the other benefits outweighed the flat spotting issue at least for me. Imagine my surprise on a closed interstate with no plowing and I am cruising down the drifts and bumps without a hitch. it was quite an eye opener let me tell ya. The pic is the bridge over I 80. The freeway itself did not enjoy the same tracks that were on the bridge so I had to make my own path. no problem for the Scorpions.

 

[MikeinCincy]

no I have not. the reviews and the experience of those in Alaska convinced me that the flat spotting is due to the composite material used in the making of the tire. In all reports the flat spotting goes away after a few miles. I did consider that in my choice, but found the other benefits outweighed the flat spotting issue at least for me. Imagine my surprise on a closed interstate with no plowing and I am cruising down the drifts and bumps without a hitch. it was quite an eye opener let me tell ya. The pic is the bridge over I 80. The freeway itself did not enjoy the same tracks that were on the bridge so I had to make my own path. no problem for the Scorpions.

That's a great picture. So, they do well in the snow. I wonder if the Revos are comparable in the white stuff. Have you gone off-roading with them? If so, how did they do?

 

[alaskaman]

I have not been in the Revos and I made the assumption that they are as good as the Scorpions or they are superior. Many swear by them and after reading the reviews many feel that the handling is superior in snow. For myself, I wanted an AT tire that had a superior track on wet (being in California now) and the Pirellis were at the top of the list in Tire Rack's reviews. the fact that they did so well in snow (confirmed reviews) came as a real nice bonus. If you go off road then the Revos might be a better pick. The Scorps are touted as a pure AT tire but the tread pattern on the Revos is far superior for any off road.... be sure to dissect each category on tire rack's reviews and that should help with your decision. Either way, IMHO I think that you will be pleased with the performance in snow.........if you are close to a river up there that might be an additional consideration as I think roads freeze faster......??

I was initially disappointed with the performance of the Scorps on ice but after talking with several people to improve that performance on ice I would have to go with a dedicated winter tire with studs. Finally most of my driving is on freeways at this time and the Pirelli tire has tremendous road feel.

 

[Koz]

~~then again.

I have found Tire Rack reviews to be excellent sources on the real driving experience of people like me who don't know alot but know what they want or what they are looking for. I have found them much more informative than many sales reps. As an example, when I finally chose the Pirelli ATR Scorpion the America Tire guy was like......well of course if you want to spend that much money it's an excellent tire with great feedback. I think taking a little information from all sources is a good idea. At least for me, the tire rack reviews the number of miles reviewed and the location of the driver were invaluable.

When some people look at the ratings and don't agree because the tire of their choice is not rated as good as they think it should, they have negative comments about the ratings system.

You are absolutely correct about it being an excellent source of thousands of people who give their personal experience to rate the tires. I can't see any better way of getting real world opinions. There will some people who have a bug up their a$$ for one reason or another but with so many people participating it really doesn

 

[alaskaman]

I agree. as the number of reviews increases the math gets better. Revos with the number of miles reported are by far the most statistically relevant. the other tires like the Scorps one really has to dissect and read other sources to make an informed decision in my view.

 

[Climb14er]

Have you had any problems with flat-spotting? I have seen threads on here where people have complained of that. I live in Cincinnati and it gets pretty cold for the winters. You have had pretty good experiences with them in the snow correct?

The Scorpion ATR's have a huge problem with flat spotting in cold weather. THis has been mentioned here and throughout the web.

I checked this tire out here in Denver but was recommended to stay away from it due to the cold weather here in Colorado.

I drove in a car with the ATR's and the first few miles, it was bumpity bump.

For my money, that was a hugh factor as who wants to hear and feel bumpity bump every time they drive off after parking the car in the cold, at the movies, overnight outside, at the ski areas, after a party at a friend's house.

You asked what the 'other recommendations':

I did my research, spoke with my long time tire dealer who sells all of the tires you listed, who knows my driving style which is highway, off road... and I mean off road, snow, ice, and most of all high quality...

I bought the Michelin Cross Terrains in the factory sizing.

Could not be happier as I've driven 'em on the hwy... super smooth, on snow and ice... very effective... but not off road yet, but I'm not worried about this at all as I've got their cousin the LTX M&S's. :

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I've fortunatly had opportunities to drive on various tires over my 20+ years of driving but most of my experience with A/T tires has been mostly with BFGs and then my Nittos for the last 3 years and I'm one of the few people with experience with both but I get crap for ripping BFGs on road manners. I've never said one negative thing about BFGs off road which they do kick ass but for the cost my Nittos are pretty close.

BFGs are so-so in the wet compared to my Nittos period and I'd love to see a formal test but I've yet to find one anywhere.

 

[Koz]

I have not been in the Revos and I made the assumption that they are as good as the Scorpions or they are superior. Many swear by them and after reading the reviews many feel that the handling is superior in snow.

I was initially disappointed with the performance of the Scorps on ice but after talking with several people to improve that performance on ice I would have to go with a dedicated winter tire with studs.

The REVOs are actually rated a little better then the Scorpions in the snow. The Scorpions are rated better in steering response, cornering and noise. I had REVOs and I was very satisfied with high speed handling and noise, so that would not be an issue. The one most important reason I like the REVOs is they provide the same traction even when they are reaching the end of their life. I really like the Scorpions and have one more season on the OEM tires so if they work well at the end of their life I may give them a try. The one thing I really like about them is they seem to be a better highway tire and that is what I mostly do.

Koz

 

[alaskaman]

nice pic. love the 3rd gens.

 

[alaskaman]

.....wish I had many Runners with Revo Nitto and Coopers.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

If I rarely off roaded I'd look at Revos or Michelins since their wet manners seem quite good.

 

[Thai]

I'm confused by this statement. If you say to take Tire Rack's reviews with a grain of salt, then by that logic, I shouldn't take the tires that are currently at the top too seriously since you are basically saying that the reviewers of the tires aren't always credible.

Bingo! I much prefer comparisons made by professionals, such as Consumer Reports, off-road magazines, C&D, etc.. With TireRack consumer reviews, you see a whole vast of opinions from trolls (bash a product) and fanatics (praise it blindly). This is why TireRack is unreliable. I bought Goodyear Assurance Comfortred for my Corolla based on the TireRack's reviews...boy, was that a freaking mistake! TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

As for someone who has went thru most of the AT and highway SUV tires, I believe that all of them are very similar when you go with a big brand. It all comes down to personal preference (e.g. looks) and whether you need snow performance or not (snowflake symbol).

As a side note, from what i hear/read, according to independent testing, the Michelin LTX AT-2 outperformed REVOs and Goodyear SilentArmor in all areas. So, i would consider AT-2 if it comes in your size.

 

[TeryT]

As a side note, from what i hear/read, according to independent testing, the Michelin LTX AT-2 outperformed REVOs and Goodyear SilentArmor in all areas. So, i would consider AT-2 if it comes in your size.

Can you reference this testing? Inquiring minds would like to know. And did they look at sidewall flex (as some on TireRack have complained regarding the AT2)?

 

[Thai]

Can you reference this testing? Inquiring minds would like to know. And did they look at sidewall flex (as some on TireRack have complained regarding the AT2)?

See: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28814&highlight=michelin+ltx+a/t2

Scroll down and read the link from CanadianDriver.

 

[Ryan32]

I think these BFG AT KO 265/70 R17's look absolutely awesome...

Anyone have any experience with these in particular?

 

[alaskaman]

copy on the flat spotting. that deficit is one of the reasons that the tires when up to temp respond like a cat on carpet IMHO.

 

[Thai]

I think these BFG AT KO 265/70 R17's look absolutely awesome...

Anyone have any experience with these in particular?

Quick summary:

Good: GREAT looks, snowflake symbol, excellent off-road (relative to other AT tires), strong as a rock (3-ply sidewall, all LT-rated)

Bad: Not as well-mannered on-road as other AT tires (REVOs, LTX, maybe Nittos), sucks slightly more gas due to it's HD construction, expensive

 

[Ryan32]

Quick summary:

Good: GREAT looks, snowflake symbol, excellent off-road (relative to other AT tires), strong as a rock (3-ply sidewall, all LT-rated)

Bad: Not as well-mannered on-road as other AT tires (REVOs, LTX, maybe Nittos), sucks slightly more gas due to it's HD construction, expensive

So how much of a difference are we talking on the roads? I don't care about a little extra gas or the price, just wanna make sure it's not gonna make my ride terrible...