Michelin Radial Tires

Initial Review, 150 Miles on Tires
January 13, 2011

Just initial impressions, these tires replaced a set 135,000 mile 2003 model year Michelin X Radial LTs. Dry and wet traction have improved considerably, as expected from a new tire as opposed to 130+K 8 year old tires. Road noise, steering response, and ride comfort are standard LTX M/S fare, which is to say superb. If these LTX M/S2s wear like the X Radial LTs (same tire as the LTX M/S of the period, just a different tread pattern), then I doubt I will ever buy anything but LTXs for any truck I own. I will post updates regarding treadwear.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
December 20, 2012

Bought these as replacements to the OEM rugged trails and the rugged terrains are so far, far superior. Wet and dry traction is superb on highway and I use my truck off road in the woods around the house to tow a firewood trailer, cross horse pastures, and travel plenty of dirt/gravel country roads. I would say the truck is actually smoother with these on vs the R Trails's and possibly even quieter, but that might be due to the mileage on the R trails which I replaced at 30K. I did not want to venture the winter with the remaining tread on those. We should be getting some light to mod snow around Christmas and am looking forward to seeing how the Rugged Terrains do in the white stuff. And we'll be taking the tacoma down the OBX again this summer and i'll get to test these in the sand. The R Trail's managed OK this past trip to the beach, even allowing us to pull out a stuck Tacoma & a range rover, but I think that was mainly due to the Tacoma's 4 wheel drive systems. But the perfect application should come in September when I need to drive the truck from the east coast to Colorado and then up into the mountains for an Elk hunting trip. BTW, at 70 mph on the interstate, these tires run very smooth and quiet with no vibration or chatter...If your experiencing this I would take them back to the shop for a re-balance and get your shocks and alignment checked, its not the tires, unless in the very rare case you got one with a broken radial, which I have experienced with another Brand, but not with BF Goodrich. I hope Michelin lets BF G continue to put out the quality they have in the past... I used to run BFG AT's on my old truck and never had a problem at all, but since I'm now using this truck as a commuter and weekend off roader, the rugged terrains seems to be the perfect solution so far.

Initial Review, 74,000 Miles on Tires
October 14, 2012

These tires were OEM for my 2010 Ford F150. They were remarkably quiet, smooth and finally were ready for replacement at 74,000 miles. If not for a misalignment, I likely could have gone to 80,000. Unbelievalbe. When it came time to replace the tires last month, I chose BF Goodrich radial long trail T/A's based mainly on price but decent reviews as well. I am pleased with the ride quality, noise, and other dynamics of the BF Goodrich tires, noticing very little difference between them and the Michelin's. However, the money I saved on the purchase of the BF Goodrich's over the Michelin's will be negated by additional fuel costs; With the Michelin's, I consistently recorded an average 18.8 mpg on my F150 based on the computer read-out on the dash. After installing the BF Goodrich radial long-trail T/A's, I immediately began averaging 17.6 mpg with no other changes to the vehicle or driving conditions. Perhaps greater rolling resistance? Initially the 1.2 mpg drop appeared insignificant, but after doing some math, I was shocked. I average around 30,000 miles a year and at the current pump rate of $3.65 per gallon, I will spend over $400.00 a year more in fuel with the BF Goodrich tires. So much for saving a couple hundred bucks on the purchase. I'm sure the potential of higher fuel economy had something to do with Ford supplying the Michelin's as OEM tires. Next time I'll buy the Michelin's.

Initial Review, 23,000 Miles on Tires
September 28, 2012

I'm currently at about 23,000 miles after 50-54 months on my set of Pilot Exalto A/S tires. One tire developed 'radial pull' recently so I can't rotate my tires again, since when it's in the front, the car pulls to the side. On the rear, I don't notice it at all, so it has to stay there. I expect to get to just under 30K miles out of this set due to the fact that I can't rotate them anymore - if I could, maybe 35K. Harsh city miles on some of the nation's worst roads, I should point out.

My tires have a little bit of weathering but nothing major. The reason why I rate this tire so highly is its exceptional traction. Wet and dry traction has been outstanding. I drive "spiritedly" (which is probably why I get less miles out of my tires than the normal person) and my car feels like a tank w/ these tires. After 4-5 years, I still have NO problems in the rain. My tires chirp once in a while but never spin even when I floor it while getting on the freeway. Noise has been slowly increasing as the tires have aged but what tire doesn't? It's tolerable - and my car is exceptionally quiet anyway - so I'm willing to sacrifice noise levels for safety and handling. Tires in Hawaii start cracking due to the hot sun, so I replace my tires every 5-6 years regardless of mileage anyway.. We don't drive much but I refuse to cheap out on tires as they're the only things keeping you on the road. The Pilot Exaltos are not cheap but I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to another tire! I feel safe w/ these. I feel comforted knowing my mom's Camry also has these tires. They handle extremely well and most importantly, are consistent and predictable.

Bottom line: these tires wear faster than most due to their stickiness. Do not buy these for tread life, buy them for their handling. I will most definitely be buying another set. These tires are like glue on the road! My mom's Pilot Exaltos are at 5 years and 18K (yes, 18K!) miles on her set, no cracking, and they drive like new.

Initial Review, 31,000 Miles on Tires
September 14, 2012

The o.e.m. tires on the car when delivered will probably last 35,000 miles when the wear-indicators are flush with the tread. While I would consider this unacceptable for a "general use all-season radial," this is the best tire I've owned for performance driving while still getting around in rain and snow. I was so impressed with it that, now that replacement time has arrived, I re-upped for the o.e.m. tire on a set of OZ Alleggerita HLT rims (25% + lighter than Honda's Si alloy).

Steering feel, turn-in, and lateral grip are excellent. The car is used for track days and to "do" the Tail of the Dragon about twice a year (each). It gets around fine in light snow. It sees regular rain use on Interstates with no aquaplaning at above-legal speeds. I have not noticed the noise that some other reviewers complain of. it is as grippy as the Goodrich T/A's I upgraded to on my Mazda RX-7, quieter, and has a more supple ride.

Initial Review, 1,400 Miles on Tires
August 31, 2012

Michelin markets this tire "for premium sedans and coupes", but anyone who drives any car with a sport suspension should highly consider this tire.It outperforms performance,high performance,even ultra high performance all-season tires in every category that I have encountered.These Michelins replaced the same size 18" Goodyear RS-A's.The difference in performance has been the same as changes I have done in the past on other cars. EX: 14-7" wheels with 70 series bias ply tires, to 15-8" wheels with 60 series radial tires.That kind of upgrade cost a significant amount of money.These Michelins actually cost less than replacing the Goodyear RS-A's !!!

Follow-Up Review, 5000 Miles on Tires
March 02, 2013

Initial Review, 29,000 Miles on Tires
August 13, 2012

OEM tires on my car. They will probably last 40,000 miles, but I want to upgrade wheels/tires before my next trip to Tail of the Dragon. The o.e.m.'s have done two Dragon runs and two HSAX track days. Have been shopping Tire Rack for a grippier 4-season tire based on UTCQ rating (300). Can't find one. This confirms my subjective experience: the best 4-season sporting tire I've driven. They stick and stick with excellent feedback about the slip angle.

I will re-up for these o.e.m. tires mounted on OZ 15-lb. rims from Tire Rack in September. The negative reviews astonish me. I can back through 4" of new snow in my driveway. Winter traction is average for a 4-season performance tire, a small price to pay for summer fun.

No hydroplaning problems. In fact, they track better through deep water than other high-performance tires I've owned. Superb on rainy Interstates at high speeds. Can spin 'em from a dead stop at a greasy intersection. Would be disappointed if a Civic Si couldn't!

Noise and ride harshness not a problem; no worse than other high-performance 4-season radials I've owned. But the grip is better. Seems to me that if these factors are more important to a user than dry/wet summer grip, should not be on these tires in the first place.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
August 04, 2012

So I just purchased these tires and immediately these tires had a bit of problems. First it was the radial pull due to the tires being stacked on top of each other at the warehouse. Then it was a balancing and alignment issue. But after it was all taken care of I can say that I am finally able to enjoy the tires and I will be giving another review after the 500 mile break in period. I have high expectations for these tires, because it was a very close toss up between these and the Continental Extreme Contact DWS which are cheaper by $30 per tire.

Initial Review, 20195 Miles on Tires
February 01, 2012

I'm a 15 year GM world class trained tech and recreational drag/autox gear head. This is my everyday (when it's not snowing) cruiser. It's the factory tire for the car, and I can see why, 255/40ZR19-285/35ZR19. The last performance tire I used on the previous car to this one was was the Nitto INVO and I have zero complaints about it, it was/is an amazing tire but these are nicer. The car is an 09 CTS-V with the Hennessy V650 kit and 1 inch D3 drop and sway bars on it. Even before I did the kit and suspension upgrades the car handled like a dream with the PS2's. The dry traction is second only to drag radials. The cornering grip is nuts, I can push this thing hard into the corners with confidence. Comfortwise they are smooth and don't jar your fillings (have had them up to 165mph and silky smooth). They wear in even and in cars like mine with non-rotatable staggered fitment I still see no bad edge wear. Road noise is next to ZERO. I drive the car hard and they hold up just fine. 20k on them now and I'll probably get another 6-7k out of them. If you expect to get 40k out of a summer performance tire your nuts, especially on cars with staggered fitments like 90% of the cars these tires are going on. I will be replacing these with another set of PS2's. As far as people complaining about wear issues, look at the cars they are driving: 1-staggered fitment will wear more even with a perfect alignment, 2-sport models with more aggressive alignment specs and usually more aggressive driving habbits will wear more even if they aren't aggressive drivers. I saw one complaining about bubbles in the sidewall, stop hitting potholes..... They ---- in the snow but neither the tire nor the car was designed for it. Cold traction is lower to but again, it's a summer compound tire (cold as in 50 degress and less out). I'm extremely happy with the tire, have tried most the competitors on my other cars and can say this one wins.

Initial Review, 1000 Miles on Tires
January 18, 2012

Steering response, comfort, road noise and stability are far superior compared to kumho KL51 AND michelin radial LT, both of which I've previously had. Dry braking is very impressive but what's even more impressive it the WET braking. Light and deep snow traction is much better than the kumho KL51 and about the same if not a little better as the michelin radial LT. Although the continentals advertise better gas milage, I didn't find this to be the case. I haven't seen any change in gas milage. You simply can't beat the price either compared to the michelin's.

Initial Review, 4000 Miles on Tires
January 05, 2012

Has surpassed my expectations for my Lexus SUV. As quiet and comfortable, smoother, better dry cornering and snow traction, though not as good in the wet cornering and about 3-4% worse in fuel consumption. Wear is much better - didn't see anything noticeable after 4000 miles. This is compared to the twice costly OEM Michelin MXV4 S8 I've replaced. To note: Tire size (245/55/18) is 10 mm wider than what is OEM on the RX which can explain the slightly increased fuel economy (increased drag and larger rolling diameter). However, it fits without rubbing in the wheel wells and the OEM tire pressure monitors continue to work without issue. Secondly, however, installation was painfully time consuming. Two of the four tires vibrated tremendously at all speeds and was fixed after two balancing attempts and lots of weight(3.5 and 4.5 ounces each wheel). I've also found a handful of complaints about balancing issues with these specific "Spec" tires on the net. Overall, no regrets though, I would buy a set of four again in a heart beat as the cost is significantly less than the next brand.

Initial Review, 26500 Miles on Tires
November 04, 2011

I've had Goodyear, Michelin, BF Goodrich, Kelly, Dunlop, Toyo - on both this vehicle and on a Toyota Sienna. For the money, the best tire on the market today - hands down. Well made, great traction when you need it - a "true All Season radial" - and I'm putting 4 new ones on my Sienna, because they're also great snow tires.

Had Michelin's but they wear out so fast - and considering it's $100 more per tire to get Michelein, I'm sticking with these. Great Spring/Summer - long trip tire as well.