Tires - Newb question

[boneill]

Hi. New to the forum. I was hoping to get some advice on tires.

I have a 2004 4Runner and need to replace the factory tires (16" Bridgestone Dueler H/T 840) . I have 70K miles on them, and hope to get another couple of thousand on them. But, I want to start my reserach now and order my tires online soon.

I'm looking for a tire to provide a safe ride. I don't go off road, and I am looking to have something which performs very well in snow, rain, and is very quiet.

I also rotate my tires on a regular schedule and I drive a lot of highway miles so I hope it will wear at least as well as the Bridestone tires.

I was looking at either of the following:

Michelin Cross Terrain
Michelin LTX A/T 2

I've had Michelin tires before and liked them. Any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance,
B

 

[cmar]

Michelin Cross Terrain are great tires!! Also look into Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor. Ive heard good things about them! hope this helps..

 

[4by4th]

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of posts about tires on this forum. Try the search function and you'll find more than you're looking for. See my signature for tires I'll admit to owning. The stock Cross Terrains were nice, but the slightly larger Nitto's gave noticeably better handling on the highway, although with a little vibration in the steering wheel. Everyone in the family said wow when they drove it for the first time with the new tires. The only thing wrong with the Michelin's was they lasted too long. I can think of worse things to complain about. I commute with my 2004 4R 60+ miles per day.

 

[boneill]

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of posts about tires on this forum. Try the search function and you'll find more than you're looking for. See my signature for tires I'll admit to owning. The stock Cross Terrains were nice, but the slightly larger Nitto's gave noticeably better handling on the highway, although with a little vibration in the steering wheel. Everyone in the family said wow when they drove it for the first time with the new tires. The only thing wrong with the Michelin's was they lasted too long. I can think of worse things to complain about. I commute with my 2004 4R 60+ miles per day.

Thanks 4by4th. That was part of the problem. I did do some searches, and there were so many hits. There were lots supporting the Cross Terrains and Duelers, etc.

It's difficult for someone who doesn't follow the industry to know what's changed recently so I was looking for some current advice.

How new are the Michelin LTX A/T 2's? There aren't that many miles reported on Tirerack. So, that made me a little concerned. Are they readily available?

Also, a question on the tire ratings listed at Tirerack- Is there a noticeable difference between Good, Excellent, and Superior? My Dueler's which I thought were okay only have 'good' ratings. Will I see a difference with other times which are Excellent or Superior? And, are there any web resources who test and report on tires independently from the manufacture which can be trusted?

One last question, you said above that the 'Stock' Cross Terrains were a nice. My 4runner had Dueler's from the factory. Did Toyota ship with different tires based on region or a certain package?

Thanks in advance.
B

 

[coolpop]

I have the Continental Cross Contact LX and LOVE them. They are super quiet, handle great in the rain, and the ride is smooth. Plus they are about $110 bucks a tire so you definitely cannot go wrong.

I've had the Cross Terrains and the Fortera Silent Armors, and while both are decent, the Cross Contact gives the best bang for the buck by far.

Happy Hunting.

 

[Bret04SR5]

Just curious - Why are you unhappy with your Bridgestones? You said you are looking for a tire that will wear "at least" as good as your current rubber. Regardless of "ratings", if you are happy with your current tires, why change? I have the same tires on my 04 SR5 and have no complaints. Like I said, just curious.

Later,
Bret

 

[boneill]

Just curious - Why are you unhappy with your Bridgestones? You said you are looking for a tire that will wear "at least" as good as your current rubber. Regardless of "ratings", if you are happy with your current tires, why change? I have the same tires on my 04 SR5 and have no complaints. Like I said, just curious.

Later,
Bret

Hi Bret, I was looking to see if I could do better. Maybe I was caught up in the marketing, but when I looked at the ratings of the Duelers that I have, everything was just 'good' whereas the Michelin's were all rated as Excellent and Superior. If I could buy a safer tire for me and my family, it's well worth it. This is why I asked if you can trust the ratings on tirerack, or if there are any independent organizations who rate the tires on something scientific.

If I don't go offroad, does an all terrain tire make sense at all? Or should I just cross this one off of my list? Or, does this add to the safety and traction of the tire in the snow?

I do use the cell phone a lot in the car, and it would also be great if I could get a quieter tire so this was another factor. Even though the Michelin AT tires scored favorable in road noise, I'm not sure how it compares to the Duelers or the Cross Terrains since they're a different class of tire.


Thanks again,
B