sduford Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 [quote name='boris']Check the user reviews on Tirerack. Wear seems to be a big issue with the Michelins.[/QUOTE] I disagree. There are only a few people who said the center band wears too fast. According to Connor at the TireRack that is because they overinflated their tires. If you look at the survey results, the wear is fine. When you think about it, how else could the center part wear faster then the outside? Also, if you read Michelin's description of the tire's construction, the shoulders are made of a softer compound to improve dry handling, so logically they should wear out faster. But yes, the Pirelli seems to have slightly better thread life. But even if it didn't, it is a lot cheaper so you get more miles per dollar with the Pirelli. Sylvain www.digitalfotographer.com - Audi Q5 Club - MB-GLK Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny5 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Very informative thread :) I am also looking for my next set of all-season performance tires for my LGT and so far I have it narrowed to four Falken ZE-512 Ziex Toyo Proxes 4 Hankook Ventus V4ES Avon M550 A/S I had bad experiences in the past with Pirelli, so it wasn't on my list. But since everyone seems to be satisfied with them, maybe its time to give them a second chance. A feature I really like my next set of tires to have, is a rim protector like on the RE92s. I really like havine the added insurace of the rim protection rib on the RE92. So far I have only been able to confirm a rim protection feature on the Falken and Avon tires. Does anyone know if the others also have this feature? Thanks for the info!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sduford Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 They all have some good tires and some bad ones, and no manufacturer is immune to QA issues either. I have a neighbour who robbed one of his trailer's Michelin tires on a rock and tore open the sidewall. Now he says he will never buy Michelin tires (for car, trailer, or anything) ever again because they have weak sidewalls! Sheesh... Sylvain www.digitalfotographer.com - Audi Q5 Club - MB-GLK Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerdave Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 The Toyo has a rim protector, but it's not as burly as on the RE-92. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny5 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 [quote name='racerdave']The Toyo has a rim protector, but it's not as burly as on the RE-92.[/QUOTE] Something is better than nothing. Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynerm002 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 In the past 8 years I have been through a few cars and tires. Back in the days of the Pirelli P7000SS, those things were hard to beat when new. Wet, dry and snow handling was great. Had them on a 99 Passat which I had lowered and put cross drilled rotors with upgraded pads front and rear. My friends say when it gets wet I drive faster, I say I drive the same wet or dry (the truth). Those Pirellis were fabulous in snow when new and bad at 25K, in the rain they were fantastic. I could stop from high speed in an emergency without the ABS kicking in. On the down side, I had to replace three of them dure to bubbling on the sidewall (all under warranty). They got noisy as they wore and the performance significantly decreased. Won't speak on the stock Michelins that came on the Passat. They were not that great, nor were the Good Years I got from the dealer with the 17" wheels I got from them. For the record, they were not the UHPAS type so, I won't mention them. Tried the Sumitomo HTR+, pretty good tires in the wet and dry and they cornered fairly well. Had these on the A4 1.8t quattro and liked them. They got noisy as they wore but the performance was still there for the most part. Changed these at the wear bars, that was about 25K. There were a bit hard and made the ride with the Sport Package harsh. The last one of note was the Khumo Ecsta ASX. From they were first put on the A4 I was impressed. They looked great, rode great and were very quiet. Wet traction was incredible! They were better (in my opinion) than the P7000SS and those, in my eyes were fantastic in the wet. Normal everyday driving was so smooth and serene. Quiet and comfortable. They were a little numb in their smoothness, you felt a bit isolated from the road. Thier cornering performance was not as high as the others, they would squeal at lower speeds in fast corners. I just adjusted my driving style to compensate. They had about 20K on them when I traded the car and looked about half worn. I want to give the Avons a try to see how they do. I have been trying the lower priced, high treadwear tires to see if they are up to the job and most are. I don't have a GT but know that grippier tires make a world of difference in driving performance on any car. As my commute is longer, a good UHPAS tire is enough for me as i want to get the performance and a relatively long use of the rubber. I average 25-30K miles a year and would like one that can make it past a year. I had gone to winter tires to prolong the AS tires but In about 20-25K I end up needing a new set. I will post my next tire purchase here and update on their performance. As far as what to get, choose according to your usage. I used the test and reviews from the tire rack to make my decision and I have been happy each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 if given the choice between grip which ultimately feeds into braking and handling and acceleration out of corners? i couldn't care less about tirewear. especially since those tires with high treadwear are bloody awful things to live with; the automotive equivalent of rockport walking shoes when i'd rather be exercising in cross trainers (at least). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacy_y_tu Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere, but does the Nero have the rim protector too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim1969 Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 The Neros have rim protectors too but not as burly as the RE92. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacy_y_tu Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 The only thing that bothers me about the Nero's is the A rating for their traction grade. The Toyo's are rated AA and have a 300 treadwear rating. That seems very fishy to me. I'd think the 300 rated tire would have a lower traction grade rating (A) like the Nero. Meanwhile the Nero's at 400 only rate the single A for traction. What gives? Have they not recently tested these tires to the new standards?:confused: Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Makes complete sense. Toyo's have a softer compound, thus the higher traction rating and lower treadwear number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacy_y_tu Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 [quote name='Patagonian GT']Makes complete sense. Toyo's have a softer compound, thus the higher traction rating and lower treadwear number.[/QUOTE] Huh...softer compound and lasts longer. How does that work? I'd think just the opposite. The 400 rating says the Nero shouldn't last as long so I would think it's softer but yet it is only rated to an A. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Actually, treadwear ratings are not standardized. A 300 rating simply means that the particular model had 3x the treadwear life compared to a control tire. That control tire can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Brian - you might want to [URL=http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/general/utqg.jsp]read up a bit[/URL]. You have it backwards. Higher treadwear numbers mean longer wear. The better the traction grade (AA > A), generally, the stickier the compound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacy_y_tu Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I am familiar with the ratings. From Tirerack: "A grade of 100 would indicate equal wear, 200 would indicate double wear, 300 would indicate triple wear, etc." To me "wear" means wear out as in go bald, not as in wears longer than the control tire. If your interpretation is correct then the RE92's rated at 160 should be stickier than your date on prom night. I know we're talking treadwear here and not traction grade but I'd think the two would have some correlation. All right I went back and looked up some dedicated summer tires and most seemed to be rated in the 100 to 200's so it appears you're right. What's up with the RE92's then?! Man, am I the only one who totally misread the treadwear rating definition!:redface: Thanks, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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