Michelin Snow Tires

Initial Review, 55,000 Miles on Tires
April 26, 2013

These tires are VERY, VERY good! I could not find a single bad thing to say about them for the first 40,000 miles. That has changed somewhat in the last 15,000 miles. They are getting louder and louder by the mile and I think I still have another 15,000 to go. They still stick to dry pavement like glue and handle very well, but wet and snow traction have fallen off quite a bit, as expected. I will most likely buy them again, we will see how loud they get before they are done, but they do everything better than any other tire I have ever owned.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 23, 2013

These tires replaced a set of half-worn Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3 tires (I picked up a puncture in one of the PA3s and couldn't find a replacement, hence the half-worn). Compared to the PA3s, the Xi3s have similar wet weather grip and noticeably lower (but still acceptable for this type of tire) dry grip. Unfortunately, I can't comment on snow or ice performance because I never had a chance to try the Xi3s in the snow. The biggest difference was in dry weather feel - feedback was significantly muted with the Xi3s and there is also significant 'tread squirm' with the Xi3s. If I had to give each a subjective score relative to a summer tire (using a Goodyear Asymmetric as the reference summer tire), I would give the PA3s an 8 and the Xi3s a 4 - there really is a huge difference between the two. Ride comfort and noise levels are quite good with the Xi3s - a little better than the PA3s.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
April 07, 2013

I have always prefered a Michelin tire, and have had great service from them over the years. The prices are high, and I have wondered if part of that is paying for the name? A few years ago, we purchased a new truck with General tires on it, and the tires performed flawlessly. In fact those 11 year-old Generals were are currently on a farm trailer, and show no signs of dry rot, or other problems. After much thought, I decided to give these Generals a try. These tires are very quiet and smooth. They have great resistance to hydroplaning, which is a feature that I like a lot. The tires are not great in the snow, but than a V-8 powered RWD car is not so great in the snow either. I have a designated AWD winter vehicle, so winter traction does not matter to me. We live in the mountains with lots of winding roads, and tires get punished around here. I have the car set up with a stiff aftermarket suspension, so it rides harsh and corners like a sports car. The car no longer handles like a traditional Crown Victoria. Infact this car has seen an AutoCross track more then once... The OE tires where very soft and the car had a tendency to oversteer with them on it. These tires take the curves very well. So far they have passed the test. I plan to purchase three more sets, one for my wife's Crown Vic, and two sets for our two vintage Pontiac Trans AM show cars. For the price, nothing else compares. General seems to have hit the mark!

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
April 28, 2013

Simply put, best tires I have every had on an SUV (Over 1.25 Million miles of driving). Some Highlights:
Extraordinarily quiet
Exceptional wet weather traction
In 5-6 in of snow, nearly as good as any snow tire I have driven with...ie wont be buying any snow tires.

In summary, the only tire I will have on an SUV going forward!

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
April 06, 2013

These converted our AWD Montego to a winter half track. Studded these tires on their own wheels and they actually out performed the Blizzaks on our other car, for a lot less cost. They have the usual studded winter tire squirm and noise, but not as bad as others were before. But after getting a 3 foot blizzard and many other snow storms, these have proven themselves. And on ice? You can't beat studded tires in my opinion. Took Tire Rack's advice and went down an inch in wheel and tire size, but the taller sidewall gives us the same effective ground clearance, which is valuable in deeper snow. And that taller sidewall is more forgiving on Maine's frost heaved, potholed roads.

Our new Michelin hydro all seasons were downright dangerous in snow the previous winter, so glad we got them off for winter!

Initial Review, 700 Miles on Tires
April 29, 2013

I am so happy with my Pirelli Scorpion Verde's that I can't wait to buy another pair. I had Michelin Energy's on my X5 and yes they are a good all around touring tire, however the price is just outragious. Plus, Pirelli's Scorpion Verde's to me are a far more superior tire from the ride, the handling and the way the tire is built. For example, as soon as they arrived at my home, which was delivered by UPS within a day, I could see the quality of the tire and design that stood out from the Michelin tire. Nevertheless, I recently went on a business trip to Delaware and Philly and let me tell you the noise level was low and the comfort and ride was excellent. I've never seen such deep tread grooves on a tire. This tire can handle Rain, Snow and anything in my opinion. I saved over $150 dollars a tire, Verde $201 and Michelin $350. In closing, I have always wanted to have Pirelli's on my car and now I do and I absolutely love them and recommend them to all. You don't have to spend the big bucks on Michelin, really. Let me reiterate that the Pirelli Scorpion Verde is an ideal tire for a SUV that travels via city and highway and ultimatley gives you that confidence of driving in style and luxury. I will be placing my next order for the other pair by the end of the week. Travel Safe!

Initial Review, 6,200 Miles on Tires
April 11, 2013

The Firestone Winter Force tires replaced the factory original Michelin LTS AT2 tires which were very good hiway tires but were terrible snow tires.

The Winter Forces were easy to balance, give almost no road noise, and drive down the hiway with no squirme with or w/o pulling a trler. Excellant traction in hiway snow or when pulling through deep snow on non-plowed gravel roads.

Two downsides with the Wimter Forces: lost of about 1 MPG, and they p/u hold sall rocks like crazy till about 55 MPH when they start poping into the wheel wells.

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
April 25, 2013

Just put these on my Cayman after wearing out my second set of Michelin PS2's and taking off my Michelin Alpin winter tires. They look great. Very different feel. Immediately more comfortable - softer ride, quiet, but there's a slightly "floaty" feel and a brief delay when you turn the wheel before the car turns. Still grips on a hard curve, its just the connection between driver and road is a little fuzzy compared to the other tires which, frankly, are punishing as every day drivers. Was only getting 32,000 miles out of the PS2's and needed more durability for my dollar. Haven't driven them in rain or snow yet. Will update. So if you switch from a dedicated high performance summer tires, which are all considerably more expensive and last half as long, be prepared to trade off some precision for comfort.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
April 13, 2013

While only 10000 miles have been driven on these set of winter tires, their first impression has been a very good one. Traction in deep snow is remarkable, the ride is quiet, and grip and performance are predictable. I did notice that the ride is stiff, however, but among other parameters, this is not a concern. Looking forward to gathering more experience during the 2013-2014 winter season.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
April 10, 2013

My 2001 had Yokohamas on it when I bought it (Used). Tread date on tire was 2007. I bought the car in 2009 and they were dry rotting by 2012. They were also very loud, with a high pitch hum on the highway. These Defenders are so much quieter I can't beleive it. No hum. Great handling so far. We never got a great snowfall here in Chicago so I can't rate them in deep snow but they did save my butt when a car pulled out of an alley on an icy road and these babies gripped! I had Harmonys on my old CRV but I like these even better.

Initial Review, 17,000 Miles on Tires
April 17, 2013

A good tire for the price, a little noisier than expected, but if I wanted a quiet tire I would have gone with michelins. Previously had pirelli scorpion atr's, they were the best tires I ever had on my truck, did everything far beyond my expectations, but the price jumped up $300 for the set so I started looking at other options. Decided to try these out, I liked the all terrain tread for the snow and driving on the beach. So far holding up well, probably get 35 to 40,000 out of them, not bad for the way I drive. A lot of tread squirm for the first 2-3,000 miles but settled in after that, had to slow down a lot for the on/off ramp almost felt like I was going to lose it, but never lost traction though. But, after 2-3000 miles the uneasiness went away and the back end didn't fell like it was going to pass me anymore. They definitely don't handle like the pirelli's they replaced, it helps to remind me I'm driving a full size truck and not a sports cars. I'm sure I added about 10,000 miles to the life of the tires because of it. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Initial Review, 18,000 Miles on Tires
April 14, 2013

Possibly the best all season tire I've owned. Not great for snow, but excellant for rain and superior on dry pavement. The issue that I have with these tires is treadwear. With a softer compound on the outside blocks, it is impossible to wear the tire out FLAT across the tread. The 45K warranty only covers the tire if you wear it out evenly before 45K. Unless you drive like grandma, this warranty is a joke.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
April 14, 2013

I bought these tires from shop as Continentals that i wanted were not available. Levis in buffalo recommended these and I'm glad he did. very smooth ride on highway and great traction in severe rain. We just finished winter and never had a worry driving through any snow conditions. i would buy these again.

Initial Review, 75,000 Miles on Tires
April 15, 2013

I have 205/55R16 size tires on my car. Brand new they're no better in the snow than my 97,000 mile old OEM Michelins that I replaced! Sliding and spinning everywhere no matter how slow you go. I had them "road force balanced" when new and rotated them every 4000 miles along with watching how they were wearing to adjust tire pressure accordingly. Longevity is excellent but they're absolutely terrible in the snow. I now have 75,000 miles on these and they're at 3/32". They handle corners better now that they're almost slicks. I've been driving on these through 2 winters now. Was hoping to get a good compromise between cornering and snow capability. I'll just get a set of performance tires to get me through the next 4-8 seasons. I might as well get the tires I want if all-seasons don't work any better! I'm not about to waste money on winter tires.

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
April 08, 2013

I have only had these tire for 1,500 miles. I replaced my Goodyear Assurance Trple Treads with a set of Michelin Primacy MXM4's. The Goodyears were noisy from the start especially on the highway. The Michelins have hardly any noise and the ride is very smooth even at 80mph. Wet traction is great and cornering at higher speeds is responsive. I bought the Michelins for the price and the great reviews. I have yet to drive in the snow with them because of where I live. I would definitly recommend these for anyone who does city/highway driving.