Tire Selection
- Thread starter CqwDad
- Start date
swaycleveland
New member
I'll second the kumho kl61 they are worth a look!
WXman
New member
This is actually a rampant problem with Michelin (and their other brand BFGoodrich) tires, which is why I'm shocked so many people in this thread recommended them.
What good is a 90,000 mile tire when it's going to dry rot before you get to use all that tread? They last a long time because the rubber is harder. Harder rubber doesn't grab the road as well and harder rubber cracks more quickly over time. Unless you drive 30,000 miles per year, the Michelin is a bad choice.
Cooper AT3 all the way... I know Mike says his are loud but with that 5-ribbed pattern I don't see how on earth they could possibly be loud. Loud is what I'm getting from my Kenda MTs. The Cooper AT3 isn't going to be a loud tire.
Really?? Is that why they are almost always rated best or at the top in braking and handling because the rubber is harder and doesn't grab the road as well?
I have used many Michelin tires over the years and recommended to friends and family. Not once has anyone every had a problem with them and never any "cracking" anywhere. I have had Goodyear, Bridgestone, BFG and Firestone AT tires on trucks and SUVs and none of them could hold a candle to the Michelins for road grip on dry, wet, snow and ice covered roads and nothing rode better or lasted nearly as long either. The only one that was very close was the Bridgestones, but after they had some miles on them it deteriorated. To the OP, I firmly believe you get what you pay for in tires. If you can find a great deal like a "buy 2 get 2 free" on a decent tire then go for it, otherwise be careful. I went to NTB and was going to do just that on a set of Cooper tires that were similar to the AT3, but made just for NTB. My gut was telling me to spend the extra on Michelins so with the old tires off and 1 Cooper on I changed my mind. Made me glad I did when both the Manager and tech told me separately that was a good decision.
WXman
New member
Really?? Is that why they are almost always rated best or at the top in braking and handling because the rubber is harder and doesn't grab the road as well?
Who rates them near the top? I've never seen it.
Get them into a snowstorm and see how they work out for you. The M+S rating on them is a joke. That tight ribbed pattern is clearly for fuel economy and long wear life and nothing more.
And, they are $200-$250 each. So you can buy 8 tires from another brand, or 4 from Michelin. How is that saving anybody money?
But I will agree they are popular tires. Michelin sells a bunch of them based upon their name. I know old men who won't run anything but a Michelin tire. I think the high price tag makes them believe they are getting a premium tire.
I know several people who own them and they all agree they are LOUDER then a highway tire. I've had tires that are louder...but the AT3's are NOT a quiet tire. I do love them..and I'll buy another set in a few months. I currently have 50k miles on them...and looks like I can get another 15k or so. But if my criteria was a quiet tire...the AT3's would NOT be it. The biggest cause of noisy tires is large wide gaps in the tread design used to grab snow and mud. The AT3 are very good in snow because of the large wide gaps in the tread design...thus the noise.
As for Michelin tires...they are EXCELLENT tires. I don't know how anyone can think they don't handle well. They always handled excellent for me. The problem I have with them is their price. For $50-$70 less per tire I can get Coopers. They perform as well or better...and cost so much less. The Michelin might get 70k miles..while the Coopers have get me to 50k miles...The higher priced Michelin just isn't justified. 20 years ago they were reasonable...then all of a sudden their prices started climbing to where they are no longer price competitive.
SureShot516
New member
the bridgestone HL & HT suck, the AT is a good tire
Check out the firestone LE 2 (all season, very highly rated)
Check out the firestone LE 2 (all season, very highly rated)
I live in MN and have had them in several snowstorms. Pushed snow with my front bumper and have yet to need the differential lock. Sorry my experiiences are not anything like what you say.
If they are $50 more per tire and they last 20K miles more that is a bargain and costs less per mile correct? I know when I got my tires last year the Cooper AT3's were only $20 less so it was a no brainer for me. Not knocking the Coopers because they are great tires.
JB.
New member
The same organization that you cited in post #2 to bolster your touting of the Coopers. The same post in which you got the ball rolling recommending an AT to a poster who seems to clearly not want one. However good the AT3 may be, it's not good enough to make a tire of the wrong type the best tire for anyone.
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Want to try the Math on that again???
The Cooper's cost me $130/tire mounted and balanced. The Michelin's cost $180. Percentage that would be a 41% increase in cost. So therefor in order for the Michelin's to be a better deal they would have to last 41% longer. From 60k to 70k is only a 20% increase in longevity. And right now I have 50k miles on my AT3's...and looks like I can get another 10k out of them.
As I said..the Coopers are a better deal. Now if the Coopers were an inferior tire then yea it might be worth buying the Michelin's...even with the increased cost. But they aren't. They are EXCELLENT tires...made in the US (although they were recently bought out by Apollo Tyres of India).
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JB.
New member
The OP is obviously not overly familiar with tires, but I'd say "don't do any offroading", "all season", and "looking for a nice, quiet ride" are strong cues.
I assume you mean "rated near the top" as you stated originally. What was your standard of "proof" to state that CR ranked the Cooper AT number one since you obviously didn't see the report?. In it , Michelin ranks at or near the top in all eight tire categories.
WXman
New member
Yes, and that's assuming that he could even buy the Michelin for the price you did. I can't find them anywhere for less than $200 a tire and some local shops are getting close to $250 a tire for them.
I stand by my opinion that the Michelin is a terrible deal unless you drive tons of miles each year. And I could do a simple web search and post up pics of dry rotting on Michelin/BFG tires all night long.
Sorry, you said you got 50k out of your Coopers. That told me you replaced them at 50k. I did not read or understand that you were still running them. At the prices you say and estimating 70k vs 60k, the Michelin costs $.0026/mile and the Coopers cost $.0022/mile so yes it is slightly cheaper. . . . barely. In my area, i just checked again, the Cooper AT3 is $10 less so the Michelin is cheaper to own. My last 3 sets of Michelin truck/suv tires have all gone over 100k. My dad has almost 90k on his with at least another 15k plus left and he drives a Ford super duty. All i am saying is that with all my experience the Michelins have far outlasted any other tire and performed flawlessly so they have been much less $$ to run. If you can get other tires a lot less $$ than Michelins and come close to lasting as long then I agree to go with the Coopers.
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Just to clarify, I want to purchase a set of "ALL SEASON" tires, not "ALL TERRAIN. As far as I see it , the Cooper AT3's sound like they reference an All Terrain tire. Again, the most important qualities I am looking for are: no road noise, good in rain/snow and durability. An all season tire such as the Michelin LTX M/S2, Michelin Latitude, Firestone LE2 and Bridgestone Alenza are some I am looking at. It appears there are a few out there that dislike the Bridgestone Tires...any reason? Are they noisy? Can some of you give me some more "ALL SEASON, 60-70K tires that are quiet and work well in rain/snow? I am not worried about dry rotting from the Michelins because my T4R is a daily driver and is always garaged. Still need some more choices to look at. Thanks for all your reply's.
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WXman....I never said anything about wanting an AT tire. Reread my post. I said there were some posters mentioning the Toyo, Dunlop and BFG, but do not know if they even make an ALL Season tire?
sluggercz
New member
[MENTION=92003]CqwDad[/MENTION] From what you're saying it looks like you want an All Season Touring/Highway Tire.
I'd look at the following:
-Toyo Open Country HT, 60K mile warranty, $133.00/tire
-Cooper Discoverer CTS, 70K mile warranty, $139.00/tire
I'd look at the following:
-Toyo Open Country HT, 60K mile warranty, $133.00/tire
-Cooper Discoverer CTS, 70K mile warranty, $139.00/tire
What Michelin tires are you comparing the AT3's to??? The comparable Michelin tire to the AT3's is probably the LTX. That tire is selling right now today where I buy my Coopers at $190 installed. The Coopers are $130...So it's actually a $60 difference. Yes Michelin makes cheaper tires...but let's compare apples to apples.
