"There is no best tire"....essentially exactly what I said. Michelins are not universally "the best" tire even in head to head competition.
Are Michelins really better than the other brands?
- Thread starter grampi
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Essentially speaking, it would seem you have an agenda.
But regardless, the brand is very well respected and almost universally the best tire most will ever drive on.
I could also bombard you with my anecdotal experiences, but I'm sure you would dismiss those as well.
But regardless, the brand is very well respected and almost universally the best tire most will ever drive on.
I could also bombard you with my anecdotal experiences, but I'm sure you would dismiss those as well.
Well now you're right about two things. The agenda is fairly simple and that is to provide what you've termed as anecdotal evidence to others trying to form an (logically concluded) opinion. The notion that Michelin tires (a brand that I would definitely consider buying) are universally superior in all direct head to head completions is inaccurate at best and mostly just fanboy-ism.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
OEM tires are designed by the vehicle manufacturer, not the tire supplier. It is not fair for you to blame the problem on Michelin.
Our Mitsubishi Eclipse GT and our PT Cruiser GT came equipped with Goodyear Eagle RS/As. Absolute worst tire I've ever owned. Maybe you could blame that on the vehicle manufacturer because of the Chrysler/Mitsubishi connection but the Mazda3S came equipped with the exact same size (205/50R17)Goodyear Eagle RS/A that the PT came with.
So that's 3 different cars built in 3 different countries (Mitsubishi, Normal IL/ Mazda, Hofu Japan/ Chrysler, Toluca Mexico) that all these manufacturers conspired to make a shoddy tire on?
I do like Michelins....on my motorcycles. Best tire I've had on two wheels. Maybe my riding style is just well suited to them. I've had Metzelers, Yokohamas, Bridgestones, Pirellis, Dunlops...etc... and I get the best ride, traction, and service life out of Michelin.
Car tires? Not so much. Good tires but not great.
OEM tires are designed by the vehicle manufacturer, not the tire supplier. It is not fair for you to blame the problem on Michelin.
Our Mitsubishi Eclipse GT and our PT Cruiser GT came equipped with Goodyear Eagle RS/As. Absolute worst tire I've ever owned. Maybe you could blame that on the vehicle manufacturer because of the Chrysler/Mitsubishi connection but the Mazda3S came equipped with the exact same size (205/50R17)Goodyear Eagle RS/A that the PT came with.
So that's 3 different cars built in 3 different countries (Mitsubishi, Normal IL/ Mazda, Hofu Japan/ Chrysler, Toluca Mexico) that all these manufacturers conspired to make a shoddy tire on?
I do like Michelins....on my motorcycles. Best tire I've had on two wheels. Maybe my riding style is just well suited to them. I've had Metzelers, Yokohamas, Bridgestones, Pirellis, Dunlops...etc... and I get the best ride, traction, and service life out of Michelin.
Car tires? Not so much. Good tires but not great.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I don't even know if my experiences are valid in a small car context, as we have Michelins on all our trucks.
I can tell you that on big vans and hard working pickups they are unbeatable. Superior performance and VERY long life compared to other tires.
X2
Got 120,000-miles from the oem set of LTX A/S on a 1T Dodge. Not all highway miles, either. 4/32's tread remaining. Not a unique experience among Dodge CTD owners by any means. (Same for oem brake linings).
First set of replacement tires are wearing at a rate that may take me to 250,000 on the truck before the second set is required.
For trucks the answer is always easy to what's the best tire? If it says MICHELIN on the sidewall, you're 90% of the way there.
.
I don't even know if my experiences are valid in a small car context, as we have Michelins on all our trucks.
I can tell you that on big vans and hard working pickups they are unbeatable. Superior performance and VERY long life compared to other tires.
X2
Got 120,000-miles from the oem set of LTX A/S on a 1T Dodge. Not all highway miles, either. 4/32's tread remaining. Not a unique experience among Dodge CTD owners by any means. (Same for oem brake linings).
First set of replacement tires are wearing at a rate that may take me to 250,000 on the truck before the second set is required.
For trucks the answer is always easy to what's the best tire? If it says MICHELIN on the sidewall, you're 90% of the way there.
.
I had a set of Bridgestone Alenza's on my MDX and they were terrible. They wore down fast and rode like bricks and were replace within 30K miles... Sorry but Michelins are much better tires then Bridgestones.
I have never had a set of Bridgestones that I liked.
Where the Goodyear Eagle RS/A was the absolute worst car tire I have ever had, the Bridgestone Exedra was the worst motorcycle tire I've ever had.
I've had Cheng Shin (Maxxis) Barracudas and they were superior in every condition to the Bridgestones. The Cheng Shins weren't good tires, the Bridgestone Exedra was that bad.
I mean I can't think of anything worse than the Chinese Metzeler knock-offs, except the Exedras
On my 400, I could easily go 10,000 miles on a rear Michelin radial. The front would age harden before wearing out. Bridgestone Battlaxes stuck as well as the Michelins but wore out the rear in about 4000 miles. I still had tread in the center of the front tire at 8000 miles but was shocked to find belts showing on the right. (pesky cloverleafs)
My Potenza RE040s car tires wore out in 20,000 miles. The Fierce Instinct tires that replaced them (Kelly/Goodyear) stuck every bit as well in the dry, were vastly superior in inclement weather and out lasted them by 20,000 miles
Bridgestone has a big fan base and I do not know why. My experience has all been overpriced and underperforming.
Where the Goodyear Eagle RS/A was the absolute worst car tire I have ever had, the Bridgestone Exedra was the worst motorcycle tire I've ever had.
I've had Cheng Shin (Maxxis) Barracudas and they were superior in every condition to the Bridgestones. The Cheng Shins weren't good tires, the Bridgestone Exedra was that bad.
I mean I can't think of anything worse than the Chinese Metzeler knock-offs, except the Exedras
On my 400, I could easily go 10,000 miles on a rear Michelin radial. The front would age harden before wearing out. Bridgestone Battlaxes stuck as well as the Michelins but wore out the rear in about 4000 miles. I still had tread in the center of the front tire at 8000 miles but was shocked to find belts showing on the right. (pesky cloverleafs)
My Potenza RE040s car tires wore out in 20,000 miles. The Fierce Instinct tires that replaced them (Kelly/Goodyear) stuck every bit as well in the dry, were vastly superior in inclement weather and out lasted them by 20,000 miles
Bridgestone has a big fan base and I do not know why. My experience has all been overpriced and underperforming.
Just an reminder:
OE tires - the ones that come on new cars are designed by the vehicle manufacturer - and each vehicle manufacturer has its own take on what they want. It isn't even consistent within the various models for a vehicle manufacturer. Heck, it's not even consistent within a vehicle model!
So comparing an OE tire with anything is a pointless exercise - too many variables.
OE tires - the ones that come on new cars are designed by the vehicle manufacturer - and each vehicle manufacturer has its own take on what they want. It isn't even consistent within the various models for a vehicle manufacturer. Heck, it's not even consistent within a vehicle model!
So comparing an OE tire with anything is a pointless exercise - too many variables.
In my experience I have had RS-A's on two vehicles bought new.
A 1998 Neon R/T and my 2006 Chrysler. Each time I decided they may be the worst tire I have ever had. They were uniformly terrible IMO even across two HUGELY different platforms.
But they wear well.
A 1998 Neon R/T and my 2006 Chrysler. Each time I decided they may be the worst tire I have ever had. They were uniformly terrible IMO even across two HUGELY different platforms.
But they wear well.
FWIW, I'm a real old guy 
. Bought my first Michelins back in the early 70's when they were molded in France and Belgium. Never bought another brand except for one set of BFG TA's in the 70's which were exchanged at 10K because they wouldn't stay round. Replacements went out of round after another 10K so Michelin's replaced them. In the 90's I bought a set of Bridgestones cause everyone liked the mileage. Again, they wouldn't stay round past 15K so they got replaced by Michelins. Lost one tire on my Buick Estate Wagon after 45K back when Michelin first started production in SC. Some interesting tires out there and family uses others, but for NO hassle "put them on and forget" tires you will not find a better tire than Michelin. All mfgs seem to make a round tire for about 1/4 tire life, only Michelin is round when you take them off. They don't ever need rebalancing. Just check the air a few times, and rotate occasionally and forget tires and tire problems. My experience covers Corvettes, Vans, Pickups, Sedans and Stationwagons. Peace of mind is worth the small premium charged. Just my $0.02. I'll stick with them for the few more tires I'll buy. And as far as the OEM Michelins it seems they are just as good as others based on my 2010 Town Car.
. Bought my first Michelins back in the early 70's when they were molded in France and Belgium. Never bought another brand except for one set of BFG TA's in the 70's which were exchanged at 10K because they wouldn't stay round. Replacements went out of round after another 10K so Michelin's replaced them. In the 90's I bought a set of Bridgestones cause everyone liked the mileage. Again, they wouldn't stay round past 15K so they got replaced by Michelins. Lost one tire on my Buick Estate Wagon after 45K back when Michelin first started production in SC. Some interesting tires out there and family uses others, but for NO hassle "put them on and forget" tires you will not find a better tire than Michelin. All mfgs seem to make a round tire for about 1/4 tire life, only Michelin is round when you take them off. They don't ever need rebalancing. Just check the air a few times, and rotate occasionally and forget tires and tire problems. My experience covers Corvettes, Vans, Pickups, Sedans and Stationwagons. Peace of mind is worth the small premium charged. Just my $0.02. I'll stick with them for the few more tires I'll buy. And as far as the OEM Michelins it seems they are just as good as others based on my 2010 Town Car.
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Originally Posted By: PopPop
FWIW, I'm a real old guy. Bought my first Michelins back in the early 70's when they were molded in France and Belgium. Never bought another brand except for one set of BFG TA's in the 70's which were exchanged at 10K because they wouldn't stay round. Replacements went out of round after another 10K so Michelin's replaced them. In the 90's I bought a set of Bridgestones cause everyone liked the mileage. Again, they wouldn't stay round past 15K so they got replaced by Michelins. Lost one tire on my Buick Estate Wagon after 45K back when Michelin first started production in SC. Some interesting tires out there and family uses others, but for NO hassle "put them on and forget" tires you will not find a better tire than Michelin. All mfgs seem to make a round tire for about 1/4 tire life, only Michelin is round when you take them off. They don't ever need rebalancing. Just check the air a few times, and rotate occasionally and forget tires and tire problems. My experience covers Corvettes, Vans, Pickups, Sedans and Stationwagons. Peace of mind is worth the small premium charged. Just my $0.02. I'll stick with them for the few more tires I'll buy. And as far as the OEM Michelins it seems they are just as good as others based on my 2010 Town Car.
I can say the same thing about GoodYear. Never any problems. I did put Pirelli P-Zero Neros on my CTS to replace the Michelins that came with it. I couldn't stand those Michelins...the Pirellis run rings around the Michelins and costs almost $70 less per tire.
FWIW, I'm a real old guy
. Bought my first Michelins back in the early 70's when they were molded in France and Belgium. Never bought another brand except for one set of BFG TA's in the 70's which were exchanged at 10K because they wouldn't stay round. Replacements went out of round after another 10K so Michelin's replaced them. In the 90's I bought a set of Bridgestones cause everyone liked the mileage. Again, they wouldn't stay round past 15K so they got replaced by Michelins. Lost one tire on my Buick Estate Wagon after 45K back when Michelin first started production in SC. Some interesting tires out there and family uses others, but for NO hassle "put them on and forget" tires you will not find a better tire than Michelin. All mfgs seem to make a round tire for about 1/4 tire life, only Michelin is round when you take them off. They don't ever need rebalancing. Just check the air a few times, and rotate occasionally and forget tires and tire problems. My experience covers Corvettes, Vans, Pickups, Sedans and Stationwagons. Peace of mind is worth the small premium charged. Just my $0.02. I'll stick with them for the few more tires I'll buy. And as far as the OEM Michelins it seems they are just as good as others based on my 2010 Town Car.I can say the same thing about GoodYear. Never any problems. I did put Pirelli P-Zero Neros on my CTS to replace the Michelins that came with it. I couldn't stand those Michelins...the Pirellis run rings around the Michelins and costs almost $70 less per tire.
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Originally Posted By: Char Baby
AlienBug & unDummy have both said it well even if a bit wordy.
On one hand, you do know what your getting with Michelin(quality/longevity and such) as AlienBug mentioned but, on the other hand with a little homework, one can find tires that still meet their criteria, get quality/longevity and save money.
IMHO, Michelin is the perfect replacement tire for those who will be keeping their car longer, and want to finaly sell the car with still good tires. Or, a tire that will last the test of time without replacing another set of tires so soon when one set of Michelins would have done the job as unDummy said.
I'd just like to add another point about Michelin tires.
I strongly beleive that Michelin builds some of the best tires on the market but, they also need to compete in a lower/entry level tire market as well and not just top of the line tires. You know, those particular Michelin tires that no one hears about...You know, those tires that you will throw on a vehicle that your selling. Michelin doesn't want to miss out on the entry level tire market as they know that they need to stay competitive across the board.
What I also beleive is that Michelin's top/highest quality tires could also be the very best around in their catigory where as other lower line Michelin tires are just another tire on the market. And it's those tires that are riding(no pun intended) on the Michelin name alone.
I beleive that in terms of longevity alone, that Michelin's best tires have the most useable tread life in their catigory. You folks know what mean? For example: Take an 80,000 mile MasterCraft Tire and and 80,000 mile Michelin...
After 10K miles the MC is starting to wobble and vibrate and even balancing won't help much. By 25K-30K miles the MasterCrafts are shot where as the Michelin stays stable longer with less balancing required and the owner will be able to push the Michelin, oh let's say somewhere past the 60K mile mark and maybe get closer to the 80K therefore costing less money overall because the owner doesn't have to go out to get new tires again so soon.
This is not to say that everyone that buys Michelin tires will have the exact same expeirence, as no manufacture of any "product" can build 100% of their procduct perfectly everytime. It's the consistancy of their quality year after year that I am talking about. Quality and R&D! I'm sure that there are thousand of Michelin haters out there due to their personal experience. They spent their hard earned money and didn't get the quality product they paid for.
I also beleive that there are specific tires that rival Michelin tires. Tires in a specific catigory per/say rather than that MFG's whole line of tires. A particular Pirelli or Hankook or Kumho or Continental or Bridgestone. But, I don't think that any of those other MFG's whole line of tires is as consistantly rated as high as Michelin's whole line of tires.
And also, I'm only using MasterCraft tires as an example as this is my experience with MC. I do know one guy that loves his MC tires as they do work well for him and he is a repeat buyer.
AlienBug & unDummy have both said it well even if a bit wordy.
On one hand, you do know what your getting with Michelin(quality/longevity and such) as AlienBug mentioned but, on the other hand with a little homework, one can find tires that still meet their criteria, get quality/longevity and save money.
IMHO, Michelin is the perfect replacement tire for those who will be keeping their car longer, and want to finaly sell the car with still good tires. Or, a tire that will last the test of time without replacing another set of tires so soon when one set of Michelins would have done the job as unDummy said.
I'd just like to add another point about Michelin tires.
I strongly beleive that Michelin builds some of the best tires on the market but, they also need to compete in a lower/entry level tire market as well and not just top of the line tires. You know, those particular Michelin tires that no one hears about...You know, those tires that you will throw on a vehicle that your selling. Michelin doesn't want to miss out on the entry level tire market as they know that they need to stay competitive across the board.
What I also beleive is that Michelin's top/highest quality tires could also be the very best around in their catigory where as other lower line Michelin tires are just another tire on the market. And it's those tires that are riding(no pun intended) on the Michelin name alone.
I beleive that in terms of longevity alone, that Michelin's best tires have the most useable tread life in their catigory. You folks know what mean? For example: Take an 80,000 mile MasterCraft Tire and and 80,000 mile Michelin...
After 10K miles the MC is starting to wobble and vibrate and even balancing won't help much. By 25K-30K miles the MasterCrafts are shot where as the Michelin stays stable longer with less balancing required and the owner will be able to push the Michelin, oh let's say somewhere past the 60K mile mark and maybe get closer to the 80K therefore costing less money overall because the owner doesn't have to go out to get new tires again so soon.
This is not to say that everyone that buys Michelin tires will have the exact same expeirence, as no manufacture of any "product" can build 100% of their procduct perfectly everytime. It's the consistancy of their quality year after year that I am talking about. Quality and R&D! I'm sure that there are thousand of Michelin haters out there due to their personal experience. They spent their hard earned money and didn't get the quality product they paid for.
I also beleive that there are specific tires that rival Michelin tires. Tires in a specific catigory per/say rather than that MFG's whole line of tires. A particular Pirelli or Hankook or Kumho or Continental or Bridgestone. But, I don't think that any of those other MFG's whole line of tires is as consistantly rated as high as Michelin's whole line of tires.
And also, I'm only using MasterCraft tires as an example as this is my experience with MC. I do know one guy that loves his MC tires as they do work well for him and he is a repeat buyer.
Couldn't agree with you more. Michelins are reliably good performing, long lasting and tend to wear well and balance well throughout tread life. Other brands are a [censored] shoot, or have one model that stands out. It's hard to go wrong with a Michelin tire. Or, I haven't found one that isn't very, very good.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
In my experience I have had RS-A's on two vehicles bought new.
A 1998 Neon R/T and my 2006 Chrysler. Each time I decided they may be the worst tire I have ever had. They were uniformly terrible IMO even across two HUGELY different platforms.
But they wear well.
I have also had the fortune of getting these tires on 2 different cars, an 07 Mazda 3 and 2011 Ford Fusion.
On my Mazda 3 they rode hard and were loud. I was happy to see them go.
So this year, I notice every Fusion I test drive had Michelins. Great I thought. Imagine my surprise after I picked up my 11 Ford Fusion with sport package, and after I get home look down and there they are! The ole' GY Eagle RSA. [censored]? So it turns out all the Fusions with 18" wheels have the RSAs, and the regular Fusions with 16" & 17" wheels have Michelins. Thankfully, the RSAs on my Fusion seem like a totally different tire than the ones on my Mazda. Smooth, quiet, handle great, nice even wear. Almost to 15,000 miles and so far no problems.
In my experience I have had RS-A's on two vehicles bought new.
A 1998 Neon R/T and my 2006 Chrysler. Each time I decided they may be the worst tire I have ever had. They were uniformly terrible IMO even across two HUGELY different platforms.
But they wear well.
I have also had the fortune of getting these tires on 2 different cars, an 07 Mazda 3 and 2011 Ford Fusion.
On my Mazda 3 they rode hard and were loud. I was happy to see them go.
So this year, I notice every Fusion I test drive had Michelins. Great I thought. Imagine my surprise after I picked up my 11 Ford Fusion with sport package, and after I get home look down and there they are! The ole' GY Eagle RSA. [censored]? So it turns out all the Fusions with 18" wheels have the RSAs, and the regular Fusions with 16" & 17" wheels have Michelins. Thankfully, the RSAs on my Fusion seem like a totally different tire than the ones on my Mazda. Smooth, quiet, handle great, nice even wear. Almost to 15,000 miles and so far no problems.
The new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tire tested by CR and TR beat the other max. performance tires by a huge margin.
I've never seen a tire that far ahead of the competition. The price is the highest as well.
Just bought my first set of Michelins...Alpine PA3. Nice tire so far.
I've never seen a tire that far ahead of the competition. The price is the highest as well.
Just bought my first set of Michelins...Alpine PA3. Nice tire so far.
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
I had a set of Bridgestone Alenza's on my MDX and they were terrible. They wore down fast and rode like bricks and were replace within 30K miles... Sorry but Michelins are much better tires then Bridgestones.
That is too bad about your Bridgestones. I would have to say the complete opposite was true with the set we had on our previous Explorer. They were one of the best tires I've drivin on. Smooth, quiet, handled well, never needed rebalancing over 50,000 miles and had lots of tread left when we traded the car in. I would guess they made it to 75,000 or 80,000 miles.
I could say the same thing about the set of Michelins on our current Explorer, with the exception of the treadwear. They seem to be wearing a little faster than I expected. But they sure do ride nice. Sadly they are out of my budget...around $225 each to replace. Based on the treadwear they are not worth it to me.
I had a set of Bridgestone Alenza's on my MDX and they were terrible. They wore down fast and rode like bricks and were replace within 30K miles... Sorry but Michelins are much better tires then Bridgestones.
That is too bad about your Bridgestones. I would have to say the complete opposite was true with the set we had on our previous Explorer. They were one of the best tires I've drivin on. Smooth, quiet, handled well, never needed rebalancing over 50,000 miles and had lots of tread left when we traded the car in. I would guess they made it to 75,000 or 80,000 miles.
I could say the same thing about the set of Michelins on our current Explorer, with the exception of the treadwear. They seem to be wearing a little faster than I expected. But they sure do ride nice. Sadly they are out of my budget...around $225 each to replace. Based on the treadwear they are not worth it to me.
Originally Posted By: cchase
Couldn't agree with you more. Michelins are reliably good performing, long lasting and tend to wear well and balance well throughout tread life. Other brands are a [censored] shoot, or have one model that stands out. It's hard to go wrong with a Michelin tire. Or, I haven't found one that isn't very, very good.
My Michelin cyclocross transworld sprint tires are absolute magic on my bike. I cannot believe they are well over 7 years old and still working (7 to 8 yrs i m guessing). The tread is 95 pct worn out in the middle but they still work; I rarely ever get flats on them; most tires show aging rubber sidewalls at half the age. I wonder if I can ride them for a decade! In comparison, I've had tires twice the price blow out in under 50 miles on my 650c bike (beyond repair).
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/michelin-transworld-sprint-tire
This company seems to have good products across all product categories. Thumbs up to Michelin
Couldn't agree with you more. Michelins are reliably good performing, long lasting and tend to wear well and balance well throughout tread life. Other brands are a [censored] shoot, or have one model that stands out. It's hard to go wrong with a Michelin tire. Or, I haven't found one that isn't very, very good.
My Michelin cyclocross transworld sprint tires are absolute magic on my bike. I cannot believe they are well over 7 years old and still working (7 to 8 yrs i m guessing). The tread is 95 pct worn out in the middle but they still work; I rarely ever get flats on them; most tires show aging rubber sidewalls at half the age. I wonder if I can ride them for a decade! In comparison, I've had tires twice the price blow out in under 50 miles on my 650c bike (beyond repair).
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/michelin-transworld-sprint-tire
This company seems to have good products across all product categories. Thumbs up to Michelin
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Ironically, I did have a set of Michelin bike tires that were rather terrible. And my current set of beater tubeless Michelin bike tires have an annoying kink in the sidewall that is some kind of forming defect.
Hmm, never tried or seen tubeless tires.
Their cyclocross tires are excellent. For what bike(s) did you get these tires?
I would not have imagined a bike tire would last almost a decade with those many miles. Then again, as the tread in the middle showed it wearing down I did move them to the front, where there's a lot less weight and hence treadwear.
Their cyclocross tires are excellent. For what bike(s) did you get these tires?
I would not have imagined a bike tire would last almost a decade with those many miles. Then again, as the tread in the middle showed it wearing down I did move them to the front, where there's a lot less weight and hence treadwear.
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