As far as price and convienence goes, I would say that you did well. Congradulations!
Cooper CS4 vs. Goodyear Viva Authority
- Thread starter onion
- Start date
- Status
I have had V-rated CS4s on my Saab 9-5 for the past two years, IIRC. I run dedicated snows in the winter, but for Spring/Summer/Fall driving the CS4s have been great.
I drive a little over 2K miles per month and the tires have seen 16 months of wear, so they have about 35,000 miles on them. They may have sacrificed 1/2 their tread depth so the 60K mile advertised life is not unreasonable.
I drive a little over 2K miles per month and the tires have seen 16 months of wear, so they have about 35,000 miles on them. They may have sacrificed 1/2 their tread depth so the 60K mile advertised life is not unreasonable.
We have V-rated CS4s on a Camry, for 40k they have been flawless in all four seasons and look to have more than half their treadlife remaining.
Good to hear. We got about 8" of snow here just a few days after I got the tires, and they've done really well in it. We don't get enough winter precipitation here in Kansastan to warrant dedicated winter tires, but these are some of the best all-seasons that I've driven in snow. And now that the snow is melting, I've found that they have very good traction on wet pavement- which is exactly why I chose these tires. So far they've been a huge improvement over the Riken Raptors in every respect. Even at highway speeds, they're more stable than the Rikens, so I think the speed rating is a non-issue.
Speaking of those Riken Raptor tires, I sold them to some poor [censored] via craigslist for $100. Probably could've got a little more than that, but I wanted to get rid of them quickly. Within 20 minutes, that $100 paid for approximately one engineering textbook. If only I'd had five sets of junk tires...
Speaking of those Riken Raptor tires, I sold them to some poor [censored] via craigslist for $100. Probably could've got a little more than that, but I wanted to get rid of them quickly. Within 20 minutes, that $100 paid for approximately one engineering textbook. If only I'd had five sets of junk tires...
So, did you end up getting the "T" speed rating?
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
So, did you end up getting the "T" speed rating?
Yes, I actually preferred the T-rated version for my purposes because of its longer warranty and higher tread-wear number. I figured that a smoother ride MIGHT be a nice side-effect of the lower speed rating... but I just see no need for a 149mph-rated tire on this vehicle. I doubt it'll ever see 90mph- I'm just not an aggressive driver, and I haven't been for many years.
I employed what some folks call 'strategery' to get this non-approved tire mounted on my vehicle. From my earlier post:
Originally Posted By: onion
I had an epiphany on the way home from work today. A few days ago, I got a pretty reasonable price quote for the Coopers at a local tire shop- and the woman on the phone was unnecessarily friendly and made a point to give me her name. That means she's paid on commission. I know how commissioned salesmen are- they want a quick sale with minimal effort on their part... including minimal research and 'due dilligence'. She hadn't asked what vehicle these tires were for- just asked what size I wanted. Furthermore, she lacks a Y chromosome- which means that she likely neither knows nor cares much about things like speed ratings. So I called her up and asked about the quote she gave me- confirming that these were in fact the 80,000 mile version of the Cooper CS4(that means they're T-rated... which I didn't bother to mention to her). So I made an appointment and had the tires installed- no hassles.
Later on after I got the tires, I told my dear wife about the strategery I employed. She looked a little annoyed and told me I was being sexist. I acknowledged that maybe I was- but more importantly, I was right.
So, did you end up getting the "T" speed rating?
Yes, I actually preferred the T-rated version for my purposes because of its longer warranty and higher tread-wear number. I figured that a smoother ride MIGHT be a nice side-effect of the lower speed rating... but I just see no need for a 149mph-rated tire on this vehicle. I doubt it'll ever see 90mph- I'm just not an aggressive driver, and I haven't been for many years.
I employed what some folks call 'strategery' to get this non-approved tire mounted on my vehicle. From my earlier post:
Originally Posted By: onion
I had an epiphany on the way home from work today. A few days ago, I got a pretty reasonable price quote for the Coopers at a local tire shop- and the woman on the phone was unnecessarily friendly and made a point to give me her name. That means she's paid on commission. I know how commissioned salesmen are- they want a quick sale with minimal effort on their part... including minimal research and 'due dilligence'. She hadn't asked what vehicle these tires were for- just asked what size I wanted. Furthermore, she lacks a Y chromosome- which means that she likely neither knows nor cares much about things like speed ratings. So I called her up and asked about the quote she gave me- confirming that these were in fact the 80,000 mile version of the Cooper CS4(that means they're T-rated... which I didn't bother to mention to her). So I made an appointment and had the tires installed- no hassles.
Later on after I got the tires, I told my dear wife about the strategery I employed. She looked a little annoyed and told me I was being sexist. I acknowledged that maybe I was- but more importantly, I was right.
Yeah, "T" speed rating tires work very nice for our driving style and they usually have a higher mileage warranty too! And as I mentioned earlier, I have had some better "T" rated tires than "H"'s and on & on! When you get the right tire for your application as you did[onion], this make all the differenct in the world.
I know that I made the right choices for my vehicles and you did for yours. Congrat's!
It certainly is nice to ride around on some of the higher rated tires these days as compared to years ago when I bought tires by price. Not life altering but noticable differences in straight line tracking, road holding and foul weather drivability as well as all of the other things we discussed.
I know that I made the right choices for my vehicles and you did for yours. Congrat's!
It certainly is nice to ride around on some of the higher rated tires these days as compared to years ago when I bought tires by price. Not life altering but noticable differences in straight line tracking, road holding and foul weather drivability as well as all of the other things we discussed.
Last edited:
Good choice. I have the CS4s on my minivan and they are excellent. Better than the Michelins that came on the thing. THey always slipped in wet weather, while these tires seem to stick much better.
I think you will really like these tires.
I think you will really like these tires.
I appreciate this thread a lot! Just got a set of CS4s for my Town & Country, partially because of the recommendations here, and I couldn't be more pleased. Great wet pavement performance, superior ride and handling. Replaced a set of GY Integritys that came with the van. One had been plugged twice, and another had a bad case of radial pull. Oh - and they were just awful on wet roads.
Big thumbs up for the Coopers!
Big thumbs up for the Coopers!
Now that we've put a couple thousand miles on the tires, my impression remains much the same. These tires have very good wet traction, they're quiet, smooth ride- exactly what I was looking for. And as an added bonus, it turns out that they're awesome in the snow. I'll probably buy a set for my Lumina when its current tires wear out.
I seem as though Cooper has something here in the CS4's. I will reconsider them for my next purchace. But, I'm good on tires for now!
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I seem as though Cooper has something here in the CS4's. I will reconsider them for my next purchace. But, I'm good on tires for now!
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Yeah, durability remains to be seen... as does performance once the tires have a little wear on them.
Which reminds me- I need to make another review of those Viva2 tires on my Lumina. I've had them for about 15 months and 23,000 miles now.
I seem as though Cooper has something here in the CS4's. I will reconsider them for my next purchace. But, I'm good on tires for now!
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Yeah, durability remains to be seen... as does performance once the tires have a little wear on them.
Which reminds me- I need to make another review of those Viva2 tires on my Lumina. I've had them for about 15 months and 23,000 miles now.
Originally Posted By: onion
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I seem as though Cooper has something here in the CS4's. I will reconsider them for my next purchace. But, I'm good on tires for now!
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Yeah, durability remains to be seen... as does performance once the tires have a little wear on them.
Which reminds me- I need to make another review of those Viva2 tires on my Lumina. I've had them for about 15 months and 23,000 miles now.
Do you ever check MPG on your car(s)? If so, do you have a baseline to measure against?
Will you be checking the MPG on these new CS4's this summer when the temps are more consistantly warm?
I'm curious as to how the CS4's measure agains the EPA rating or previous tires that you had for that car!
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I seem as though Cooper has something here in the CS4's. I will reconsider them for my next purchace. But, I'm good on tires for now!
Onion,
We'll need another review in 1 yr.
Yeah, durability remains to be seen... as does performance once the tires have a little wear on them.
Which reminds me- I need to make another review of those Viva2 tires on my Lumina. I've had them for about 15 months and 23,000 miles now.
Do you ever check MPG on your car(s)? If so, do you have a baseline to measure against?
Will you be checking the MPG on these new CS4's this summer when the temps are more consistantly warm?
I'm curious as to how the CS4's measure agains the EPA rating or previous tires that you had for that car!
I've only had this Honda for a few months, so I haven't driven it in all weather conditions. We make a road trip up to the inlaws' and back pretty regularly (about 550 miles total), and that's when I usually check the mileage. It's a long, straight, level highway drive... good for consistent numbers.
This car has been getting an average of about 30-31 mpg on these trips with the old Riken Raptor tires. This is consistent with the EPA numbers and with what other people post on Honda forums. It's a little disappointing, really. My big fat old Lumina used to get nearly the same gas mileage on the highway- it dropped a few years ago, though... as did the mileage of lots of vehicles. I suspect ethanol, but I'm not ambitious enough to really look into it. Actually this Accord was initially rated by the EPA to get 34mpg, but that was revised down to 31 for whatever reason. Probably ethanol.
I've heard lots of talk about tires affecting gas mileage, but personally I find it hard to believe that you'd see even 1 mpg difference between the best and the worst. I could be wrong... but I've never noticed any real difference between sets of tires. I know I'm not living up to BITOG standards here, but I actually haven't checked the pressure since these tires were installed. I should get around to that. Anyway, I'll post gas mileage results next time we make that trip.
This car has been getting an average of about 30-31 mpg on these trips with the old Riken Raptor tires. This is consistent with the EPA numbers and with what other people post on Honda forums. It's a little disappointing, really. My big fat old Lumina used to get nearly the same gas mileage on the highway- it dropped a few years ago, though... as did the mileage of lots of vehicles. I suspect ethanol, but I'm not ambitious enough to really look into it. Actually this Accord was initially rated by the EPA to get 34mpg, but that was revised down to 31 for whatever reason. Probably ethanol.
I've heard lots of talk about tires affecting gas mileage, but personally I find it hard to believe that you'd see even 1 mpg difference between the best and the worst. I could be wrong... but I've never noticed any real difference between sets of tires. I know I'm not living up to BITOG standards here, but I actually haven't checked the pressure since these tires were installed. I should get around to that. Anyway, I'll post gas mileage results next time we make that trip.
Originally Posted By: onion
Actually this Accord was initially rated by the EPA to get 34mpg, but that was revised down to 31 for whatever reason.
The EPA revised its calculations and formulas for estimating MPG in 2008. In an effort to make new car EPA estimates comparable with former ones, an adjustment was made to older estimates to closely approximate what they'd have been rated if they were new today. It's simply a (de)escalation factor.
Actually this Accord was initially rated by the EPA to get 34mpg, but that was revised down to 31 for whatever reason.
The EPA revised its calculations and formulas for estimating MPG in 2008. In an effort to make new car EPA estimates comparable with former ones, an adjustment was made to older estimates to closely approximate what they'd have been rated if they were new today. It's simply a (de)escalation factor.
Originally Posted By: onion
I don't particularly WANT to pay for V-rated tires- but lots of the independent tire shops around here will not install tires of a lower speed rating than what the car "requires".
Indeed......now, there is a catch you can throw at them.
Show up with the tires and loose rims in the back of a pick up truck, or similar toting vehicle capable
Have them mount the tires to the rim as a "Carry In" - they will not ask any questions regarding what the yr/make/model of the vehicle is, etc.....they'll just mount the tires on the rim, no questions asked.
In fact, that's what my brother's friend had to do. He had a Taurus or Corolla or something, and didn't like the "upper priced" speed rating tires, since he didn't have any intention of going 118 mph (T rating....), all WM could mount were T or above...they won't physically mount S's, R's or Q's or any lesser.....(but [censored], I never even heard of those lol)....
So he pulled around back, jacked the car up with his little emergency jack, and purchased each tire seperately.....since he could only jack up one tire at a rim Needless to say, he did get all 4 S-rated tires on his vehicle that called for T-rated tires....and WM knew exactly what he was doing...but for the "liability" they could not physically mount the "wheel" onto the vehicle with the lower speed-rated tire(s)....
Don't be afraid of the in-town tire shops. You may have a little Michelin/Cooper/GoodYear shop in your town and not even know it.....and usually if you go through them, you can get it cheaper, than say, through Big-O, Walmart, Tire Kingdom, etc....
But definitely shop around.
I don't particularly WANT to pay for V-rated tires- but lots of the independent tire shops around here will not install tires of a lower speed rating than what the car "requires".
Indeed......now, there is a catch you can throw at them.
Show up with the tires and loose rims in the back of a pick up truck, or similar toting vehicle capable
Have them mount the tires to the rim as a "Carry In" - they will not ask any questions regarding what the yr/make/model of the vehicle is, etc.....they'll just mount the tires on the rim, no questions asked.
In fact, that's what my brother's friend had to do. He had a Taurus or Corolla or something, and didn't like the "upper priced" speed rating tires, since he didn't have any intention of going 118 mph (T rating....), all WM could mount were T or above...they won't physically mount S's, R's or Q's or any lesser.....(but [censored], I never even heard of those lol)....
So he pulled around back, jacked the car up with his little emergency jack, and purchased each tire seperately.....since he could only jack up one tire at a rim
Needless to say, he did get all 4 S-rated tires on his vehicle that called for T-rated tires....and WM knew exactly what he was doing...but for the "liability" they could not physically mount the "wheel" onto the vehicle with the lower speed-rated tire(s)....Don't be afraid of the in-town tire shops. You may have a little Michelin/Cooper/GoodYear shop in your town and not even know it.....and usually if you go through them, you can get it cheaper, than say, through Big-O, Walmart, Tire Kingdom, etc....
But definitely shop around.
- Status
