Brake Pad Replacements

Initial Review, 1,200 Miles on Tires
May 01, 2012

These tires perform much better than the Yokohama Avid S on my Prius. I saw an increase in my mpg by about 2-3mpg. They do give off a floaty feeling but almost all LRR tires give off a floaty feeling. I recommend changing your stock tire from Yokohama to something else. My brake issue when driving and hitting bumps went away as soon as I replaced them with tires that had more traction. If you drive a Prius and would like to save on gas I recommend getting these tires. Especially when there is a $70 mail-in-rebate going on right now.

Initial Review, 1,200 Miles on Tires
May 01, 2012

These tires transformed my grocery-getter tC into a worthy track machine. I drove my car to the limits on the tires that came on it, which were Goodyear Eagle RSA. Those are All-Season tires and they showed it in their grip levels. I canyon my car regularly to get to places around town, and the immediate improvement with these tires was staggering. My car now had the same traction my All-Seasons had in the dry, in rain with the Bridgestones. The dry traction on the Bridgestones is incredible. After they were installed, I also purchased drilled and slotted rotors with an aggressive brake pad to compliment the brakes, and took my car to Streets of Willow in Rosamond, CA. I was able to run successfully with Subaru STI's without falling behind on cornering, albeit my straight line speed lacked a huge amount of power.

Comfort wise, they are a definite improvement in smoothness on the regular road and even better on the highway. The noise levels are lower as well compared to the All-Seasons. I enjoy less banging and slamming over bumps with these tires and they do so without sacrificing traction and grip.

Treadwear however is the only thing that I see being the low point on these tires, but then again, I do a lot of driving(600 miles a week), and I purchased these UHP Summer Tires expecting to wear them out a tad sooner. I'm planning on rotation of these tires every 1.25-2k miles. And so far they still have 95% tread on the front axle and 100% on the rear.

Overall, these tires are an excellent replacement tire for any vehicle that sees moderate weather conditions. In the rain they give performance equal to a good quality All-Season without sacrificing the dry traction drivers of Summer Tires demand. A definite solid decision and I will certainly purchase these tires again. I highly recommend them to anyone considering them and all my friends like them too!

Initial Review, 35,000 Miles on Tires
May 03, 2012

I've had this set of tires on for 35,000 miles and I must say they changed my first impression.

When I first drove the car (after tire install) the vehicle "tracked" left and right all over the road like I was hydroplaning but it wasn't raining! It did this for about 1000 or so miles but once they were "broke in" a little, they were fantastic. I put these on a 2008 Honda Fit to replace the factory Dunlap's. These tires were MUCH better than the original equipment tires. I have thoroughly put them through the wringer and they have held up remarkably well. I would describe my tire usage as "above average" because I corner fast and brake hard. I am getting ready to replace these with General G-MAX AS-03's, basically the "new" version. I would highly recommend this tire and I'm sure the G-MAX AS-03's will be just as good.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
April 18, 2012

I replaced the original Goodyears (23,000 mi) with these, even though they were my second choice. The new Pilot Sports do not come in my size. These tires are a huge improvement over the stock Goodyears. Much, much quieter, better ride and very responsive handling. Not enough experience yet in the wet and they are still in the break in stage but so far -wow! I believe they offer an excellent value as well. Need to keep in mind these are not run flats. The car has upgraded sway bars and brakes, both of which put more demands on the tires. I will be taking some extended trips in June including mountain driving and will update this review then. Service from Tire Rack and installer (Townsend Chevrolet in Dover, DE) was a 10 out of 10.

Initial Review, 25,000 Miles on Tires
April 19, 2012

Got these tires a couple years ago. I had to buy them pretty hastily since the tires I had previous to them exploded on the highway unexpectedly. I was very impressed with the level of traction, steering feel, and stability these tires provided when new. I particularly noticed that the amount of steering input I had to give was dramatically reduced on the highway. Unfortunately, my entire neighborhood was due for some infrastructure work, and I had to spend about a year and a half driving over some extremely rough pavement as the roads in my area were completely ripped out and replaced. I'm not sure how much life I should have expected from these tires in this kind of environment, but they were pretty beat up when I replaced them. They were never particularly quiet, but in the last few months the howling on the highway became almost intolerable, and It was to the point where I was embarrassed to even have passengers in my car. The noise they made when driving over expansion joints was similar to getting beaned in the head with a over-inflated kickball. Not a pleasant experience. I also had major issues with hydroplaning in heavy rain, even on highways with excellent drainage. Anything over 50 mph in a strong storm resulted in a total loss of steering, throttle, and brake function. Not a pleasant experience late at night in rainy traffic when everyone else is still zooming along at 65-70mph. Overall, i'd say these tires performed admirably in the dry, which is something that many people are looking for in a tire. I wouldn't ever purchase these again for my daily driver though.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 14, 2012

Bought this tire to replace the stock Bridgestones that came with my car. Though the tires are marketed as all-season tires, these have not held up well for me in the snow conditions, with the car sliding everytime i braked in snowy conditions. Apart from this, the dry/wet performance of these tires and the grip in the dry and wet is very good. Hydroplaning resistance in heavy rain conditions has been very good and there is a good level of assurance in the rain with these tires. The tires are fairly quiet and the ride confort is good as well. Treadwear has been good and i have about 8/32" left after 15K miles. I will recommend these tires to anyone who wants good tires for dry and wet conditions, but not the snow.

Initial Review, 48,000 Miles on Tires
April 04, 2012

Original equipment on my 2004 F150 XLT. The front end of the truck drags a bit because of weight so inside treadwall wears a little quick from hard cornering which any tire would do. When tires were fairly new I had to hit the brakes hard at highway speed in poring and truck stayed straight and no hydroplaning. Traction in mud after 30,000 miles was so so but did get stuck in deep mud. I have over loaded my truck a few times well over the 1500 lbs, more like 2300 lbs, and the sidewalls held up but since a squishy sound comes from tires when you go slowly. (yes, more than recommended amount of weight on any tire may do that) Would I buy them again, Yes since the price is good and could probably get 55,000 miles out of them before they are completely down to wear indicator marks to replace. Pretty happy with the General Ameritrac Tr's and purchasing a new set soon

Initial Review, 16,000 Miles on Tires
April 10, 2012

These are the street tires on a Shelby GT. Overall I'm pleased with the KDWS but tread wear is disappointing given my relaxed on road driving style. They are ready to be replaced at 17,000 miles. In the rain it is easy to spin the tires when starting with any more than gentle throttle. The ride is comfortable and quiet and did not change much as the tires wore. The tires were maintained at the proper pressure and wear was uniform. Cornering and braking feel stable and accurate in dry conditions. I never drive this car in snow so I can't add much there but given the wet traction I wouldn't expect much.

Initial Review, 150 Miles on Tires
March 28, 2012

These tires replaced ContiProContacts, and they are a step up in all categories except noise. The Eagles are very quiet, but not as quiet as the Contis were. They only make a light hum on concrete highways where the rain grooves are perpendicular to the path of travel. Otherwise, they cannot be heard unless all windows are open.
The only negative I can say is that the tires are 26 pounds compared to 22 pounds on the Contis, which I can feel in acceleration and braking and will also affect fuel mileage. The benefit of the heavier weight is that the sidewalls are reinforced, so no more destroyed tires when I hit a pothole in the spring. Out of the 4 Contis, 3 did not make it to the end of their service life due to sidewall destruction from road hazards. I would prefer to lose some acceleration and braking and not have to replace tires every year.
I'll keep updating this review as I put more miles on. I hope to get the 50k miles out of these, but I'm not holding my breath. They won't be used in the winter as I have dedicated snow tires.

Initial Review, 55,000 Miles on Tires
April 02, 2012

These tires were purchased to replace the original set that came on the vehicle. With my acceleration, cornering, and braking habits, I have never gotten more than 36,000 miles from a set of tires. We have always rotated our tires every other oil change (every 7,000 mile). These tires currently have 55,000 miles on them and they look like they will be good for another 10,000. This is the first set of tires I feel I have definitely gotten my money's worth.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
March 24, 2012

These Continentals will not disappoint drivers of sport sedans. Quiet, luxurious ride with progressive, linear cornering inspires confidence. Excellent wet/dry traction and high resistance to hydroplaning. While the softer sidewalls reduce immediate turn-in on corners, you are rewarded with aggressive stability. The challenging decreasing radius corners and multiple elevation changes of my commute are easily handled above the advised limit. Braking into corners is a thing of the past - increasing my driving experience and saving fuel to boot! Recommended replacement for the OE Michelin Pilot MXM4's.

Initial Review, 70,000 Miles on Tires
March 15, 2012

These are some of the best tires I've ever had the pleasure of riding on. The dry traction is amazing and the wet traction is awesome too. They make wet roads feel like dry roads. I've even driven home in 7" of snow after a freak late evening snowstorm back when the tires only had 10k miles on them and not once did they ever hint at losing grip!

The treadwear is just as impressive as the grip. Mine were guaranteed for 40k miles and I'm on the verge of doubling that. The "REPLACEMENT TIRE MONITOR" engraving is just now wearing down to "REPLACE TIRE " which by the way is a great feature for those of us who sometimes forget to keep a check tread depth. The Visual Alignment Indicators on the tires also helped me diagnose a slight misalignment (negative camber) which may have gone unnoticed otherwise.

The dual rubber compounds helped tremendously with road noise over stock tires and hitting the occasional bump in the road was much softer. Grip was also much higher over stock tires with no squeal when cornering at highway speeds. Acceleration and braking also exhibited a noticeable improvement over OEM tires. These tires really came through for me many times when cars and deer alike decided to dart out in front of me.

Overall, these are some of the best all-season tires you can buy in my opinion and the price per performance is unbeatable. Just be sure to buy the correct OEM size for your car and pay attention to the load rating. Any tire is only as good as what it is designed for! Keep them rotated, balanced, aligned, and properly inflated according to manufacturer specifications and these tires will take care of you for years to come!

Initial Review, 26,000 Miles on Tires
March 14, 2012

For the price, this is a very solid tire. The wet weather handling and braking delivered as advertised. But, after the 20,000 mile mark, I've had notable increases in noise and diminished handling. My last set of tires were the Bridgestone 960 A/S and they handled better on dry surfaces but not wet. Even though the treadwear on the Contis still show some life, they handle more poorly at this stage than my old Bridgestone's did when I replaced them at 32,000 miles. Noise levels and overall ride became more harsh on both sets after 20,000 miles. For my tastes, I missed the handling characteristics on the Bridgestones and it was a good wet weather tire too, just not as good as the DWS.

Initial Review, 21,000 Miles on Tires
March 03, 2012

Bought a set of 4 mainly for budget reasons. Was pleasantly surprised to find these tires were good all-around performers. Dry traction and braking are superb, not far behind on wet roads, either. I noticed an immediate improvement in handling and directional stability on dry highways. No hydroplaning issues to date.

The real bonus came with the first north Michigan winter. I use to run snow tires during winter, but the Long Trails did so well in light-to-moderate snow that I've left them on the past two seasons. No, they don't perform like dedicated winter tires, but on paved roads with less than 12 inches, they get the job done. On ice, not so much - but that's true with most tires.

Treadwear is negligible after 20K miles. I rarely carry heavy loads, and do not pull a trailer. Rotated the set twice, and found no unusual wear on the front two. I'd have to say these tires are a sleeper in this category. A lot of bang for the buck here. I'm planning to put a set on my '02 4WD Blazer shortly, replacing a well-worn set of Michelin LTX-AT tires. Only got 40K out of the Michelins, I expect closer to 60-70K from the BFG's. Great value, for a tire that's better than just decent.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2012

Bought these tires as a replacement set for our 16-year-old's first car, a 2004 Saturn Vue Redline. The Redline comes with Bridgestone 245/50/18's that were replaced by the previous owner at a cost of over $1000 (several years ago). They still had a few miles left on them, but when your daughter is a new driver, you want a good set of tires as insurance. The BFG Spec T/A is slightly taller (.9") as it is a 55 series, but the GPS confirmed there is only a 2mph difference in actual speed (72) with an indicated 70mph on the speedometer. Other than that slight negative, the tires are an exceptional value. I bought from Tire Rack and a set of four were delivered to my home for $374 total. After having them M&B, I was still below $450. Less than have what the OEM Bridgestones would have cost.
From a performance standpoint, the tires have been a good choice. The extra sidewall gives the tires more "give" that smoothed out the ride a bit. The 245/50/18's were a little harsher over road imperfections. Road noise is diminished a noticeable amount. I would say they are 20% less noisy than the Bridgestone Serenity set was. Steering feels very neutral, not snappy or sloppy. Grip into turns feels good with good feedback in the steering wheel. Dry traction is very good and the tires track well, even though the 250hp 3.5 Honda engine and 5-speed tranny creates a bit of torque steer in the Vue FWD (2004 V6 models have the same 3.5 Honda engine used several Honda/Acura models). Wet traction is good, and the weight distribution of the Redline seems to help with braking in wet conditions that matches well with the Spec T/A. I didn't notice any hydroplaning at normal speeds (and I shouldn't with about any new tire). No snow driving has occurred so I can't comment on that.
With the few miles on these tires, I can't comment on longevity, but I feel they are an absolute bargain at the current price, compared to other brands. I don't think they are cutting edge but good, safe tires.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 29, 2012

i did a lot of research including tirerack.com for review of this specific tire. i wanted a tire that can haul through snows,ice,wet,n dry without the use of specific season tires. so i opted for the pirelli p4 all season. the pirelli had excellent review based on consumer results. before i ran with kumho solus kr21. The Kumho solus performed excellent on dry and overall a good tire but "LACK" the traction on ice and snow roads. As the tread wears out on the kumho the noise levels were becoming more apparent and the treadwear only met 40k miles before needing to replace. Cornering were wobbly with the kumhos and must be used with cautions. Overall the Kumho could use some improvement on cornering and snow,ice traction. Immediately after i switch to the Pirelli i felt how quiet the tire is and the comfortable ride it absorbs through bumps. i can now hear my passenger and music on the highway without them raising their voice. i ran the tire through our first minnesota winter and i had to say these felt like the actual winter tires. really no kidding i can actually felt the dig of the tire through the 4 inch deep snow to the pavement. Ive tried stepping brakes firmly on snow covered roads and i was surprised my ABS hardly kick in. Cornering is a lot more stable and steering is very responsive compare to the Kumho. On slush and ice pack road the tire cuts through it without hydroplaning. Overall i rate this tire a 9/10. Possibly the best all season tire ive had n its ranked 1st for my tire size. The only negative i had to say about this tire is that i felt the car is somewhat slower than before but b/c of the excellent traction in return it's well worth the money. Overall the tire is solid handles snows predictably excellent and cornering is more precise and very comfortable tire and very low noise level. I recommend and will buy this tire again.

Initial Review, 17,000 Miles on Tires
February 20, 2012

This set f tire is used to replace a set of continental sports contact 2 on my GTI MKV. The first immediate feel from changing to re760 from sc2 is the steering got lighter and the turn in is a bit more responsive. However, after some testing in spirited driving, I found re760 has slightly less holding power than sc2 and brakes away earlier although the traction lets go predictably and controllably. Another down side is that it takes a lot longer for re760 to regain traction after letting go. This can be unpleasent trying to regain traction after understeer situation. The road nose level is comparable to sc2. The wet traction level is noticeably lower than sc2. overall, the tire is good for it's price. It lasted 4000k miles more than my last set of sc2 which is expected from a higher wear rating. I've switched to pilot super sports after this set and found dry traction and handling to be superior than both sc2 and re760.

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
July 11, 2011

After researching the information available from Tire Rack, I purchased four 245/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor Pro-Grade tires to replace the stock Continentals in September of 2010. My initial experience of "squirreliness" in steering has been mentioned in other reviews. Very little input was needed to initiate changes in direction. I say "was" because within a week or two I no longer noticed it. This was due, I believe, to me becoming accustomed to driving with them and the fact that my old tires had such excessive toe-in that they were incapable of wandering.

Now, the good stuff. These Goodyears are advertised as more comfortable than other tires in their category and I have to agree. There is a small but sharp bump where the preliminary asphalt of my newly constructed neighborhood meets the existing road. With the Continentals, now matter how slow or angled I hit that bump, the impact was harsh. With the Goodyears, the impact was much less. The difference in harshness is beyond wishful thinking.

In assessing traction, I have yet to make a noise with this tires when turning, accelerating, or braking on dry roads; but then, I am driving a diesel. On wet roads, I have yet to experience hydroplaning or any lack of confidence at any speed (I currently have about 50,000 miles on these tires). I did not have any experience with ice traction this last winter. I did have some experience in snow; 8" of wet snow in northern Virginia and a 10" powder in Connecticut this last winter (2010/2011). They did fine for a empty rear wheel drive van. Maneuvering (i.e. backing in) at slow speeds in the 10" snow took a few tries. These Goodyears have deep tread blocks with large voids but I believe that if I had to drive in lots of snow every winter with THIS VEHICLE, I'd purchase quality snow tires.

The noise generated by these tires was no better or worse than the Continentals. Which was surprising considering amount of void in the tread. I'm expecting 80-100,000 miles of use.

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
February 14, 2012

I bought four Pirelli P4 tires to replace the new Hankook tires on my new Sonic. The Hankook H428 were the worst tires I ever experienced for winter traction and braking. The P4s work very well, and I have had them on another vehicle I own. A very good ALL season tire.