New Tires and Wheels

Initial Review, 100 Miles on Tires
April 18, 2012

This is a fine replacement from a 31,000 Mile-Used OEM Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 (Grand Touring All-Season) that came in with the 2010 Toyota Camry LE. I bought four of these, and I was amazed by the improved handling on the steering wheel after alignment, balancing and installation by ASE certified technicians at a Toyota dealership. So far, these tires have the highest UTQG ratings I can find in the market for my car. Cornering stability, dry traction, and steering responsiveness has been perfect. Low noise on acceleration and very comfortable on speed bumps. I still have to test these tires on various terrains, conditions and seasons. So far, these tires are excellent in doing its feature as expected. Great new tires!

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
April 11, 2012

I purchased the vehicle with these tires on it at the time; they had more than half their life remaining so I have kept them on since. I do really like the dry traction and the lack of hydroplanning, but this is an All-Wheel-Drive vehicle, so it can be difficult to tell at times. The light snow traction is excellent sicne we did have a dusting a couple of weeks ago here. Treadwear seems to be pretty good and the noise of the tires isn't too bad. They do have a tendency to flat spot in the mornings or when cooler outside, but this goes away after a bit of driving at highway speeds. Overall pretty pleased with them so far. Will update when time comes to get a new set.

Initial Review, 770 Miles on Tires
April 13, 2012

I purchased Insight w/ CVT Automatic transmission 1 year ago. Car had 130K miles from the orig. owner & kept the car as close to new as you could hope to find. All service records since day one including tire purchases/alignments. Also detailed mileage log that included all gas fill ups, average MPG (46.9) for each tank, etc. Car had a new IMA battery installed 2 years ago and shows a full charge often. I commute 30K miles/year. Most driving is at speeds of 50 MPH or more on paved road. My drive includes freeway/highway roads w/ elevation changes of 900 from start to stop. 5-6K of these miles are city driving with lots of starts and stops. Not much rain and no mud, ice or snow. Over that past year I have averaged 46.2 MPG. If I "babied" the throttle & drove less than 60 MPH I could get 49.6 MPG. However, typically I would get in the 45-46 MPG. When I purchased the car it came with Dunlop tires since the owner had switched to this brand many years ago after the first set of original RE92s wore out @ 62K. I currently have 750 miles on the new replacement RE92s. First thing I noticed was that my mileage jumped up to 50 MPG in the first 100 miles. I then took the car in for an alignment and this was a good move as the car needed an alignment even though my old tires did not show any kind or abnormal wear & the car tracked strait when the steering wheels was not touched. After the alignment the mileage continued to improve. I have now driven 750 miles with the MPG keeping steady at 56.2 MPG. It should be noted that the MAX pressure on the tire says 44 PSI but I choose to run my tires at 50 PSI & had the car aligned with that tire pressure. A interesting outcome is that my road noise is now quieter with the new tires than the old Dunlops & when I go over bumps or rough sections of the road it is easier on me. My only complaint I have thus far is that the car seems to be more responsive to steering and will take time. It is not bothersome-just different.

Initial Review, 24,000 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2012

Vehicle: Scion xD, lower springs (about 1.5 in), after market shocks and struts, heavy duty rear torsion bar, under drive pulley, cat back TRD exhaust, 17" aftermarket wheels with 225/45 shoes.

These tires started out great. The noise wasn't bad, but the grip both wet and dry was excellent. I felt really good about these tires for about the first 12,000 miles. But things have tapered off significantly. Dry traction is falling off significantly as the tires wear; wet traction is still OK, but now I have to think about how I drive when it is wet where as I didn't used to give it a second thought.

My major gripes with these tires are road noise and ride comfort. The road noise just continues to grow as the tires wear and it wasn't great to begin with. Living in CA, we have pretty bad roads (not because of weather but because the roads are never fixed) and you both hear and feel everything with these tires.

I can't comment on the snow performance of these tires. I keep all season tires on all my cars as I do on occasion drive in snow, but my travels and weather have not brought this car into the snow just yet.

I know I drive hard and ask a lot from my tires, but I was really hoping to get a little more out of these. I'm at two years and here I am back at Tire Rack looking for some new tires. For the price, if you need a short term tire you will enjoy, these are fine. If you're going to have the car for a while and you can afford it, I would recommend spending a bit more on a higher rated tire.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
December 22, 2010

Got these OEM tires on my new 2010 G37 Sedan Journey with standard 17" 225/55R17 wheels/tire package. Currently @ 4K. These tires are okay. Dry performance is pretty good, but I'm still wondering how this compares to the awful OEM Michelin HX MXM4 on my previous car. The G37 is a pretty solid car, but I feel like the ride comfort on these tires isn't much better than the Michelin. True, not an apple-to-apple comparison. In the rain, I feel like RS-A is pretty decent, especially with all the tread I currently have so far. But every once in a while, the car squirms a little and that gives me an uneasy feeling. Don't know if it is due to the tires or not. Treadwear is excellent and I expect this set to last 40K miles. Will update every once in a while.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 22, 2012

I reviewed this tire based on winter driving conditions such as "steering responsiveness" is based on in snowy conditions along with the rest of the ratings. I bought a new set of these tires for my 07 WRX STI and I had 0 problems this winter. Even when I tried to mess around and test the limits of these tires in the snow it was often hard to try and break traction even when pushed to what I thought was beyond the tires limits in the snow. A few times I came home and my driveway had not been plowed yet and it is very steep before you get up and into the garage, the last storm was a good 8" of un plowed snow and I had no wheel slip or loss of traction. There are other snow tires out there that are higher priced but I would put this tire well ahead of all of those. The traction and stability in the snow is just crazy.

I hope General Tire only makes further improvements to this tire because I would not want to see this tire discontinued as I have withe other snow tires from other companies. The only way I can describe my car in the snow with these tires is like a tank. I have yet to encounter any weather conditions this past winter that even made these tires have to strain to keep traction. These tires do what they were designed to do. The traction in the snow when braking was outstanding as well, in some cases where I had to get on the brakes harder then I wanted to I thought for sure I would have found myself sliding yet these tires just grip so well I had no issues at all. I highly recommend these tires for anyone looking for a winter set of tires especially if you have AWD. I know that no matter what winter throws at us here in Maine next season I wont have any worries about having to drive anywhere.

I am not sure of the exact miles I have put on these but I had them installed in december and taken off on 3-21-12 and the read wear is very low if even noticeable at all.

Initial Review, 45,000 Miles on Tires
March 15, 2012

I've had these tires for 2 years and they have been amazing. Even still to this day, with the tires at the wear bars, it still doesn't squeel around sharp turns in the parking lot like some of the cheap tires that come on new cars from the dealership. They lasted me 2 years and have worn pretty evenly. Once we drove thru a snow storm on our way home from Utah were we counted at least 10-12 vehicles that had slide off the road, but we made it hundreds of miles problem free... and this was in 2 wheel drive. That built a lot of confidence. I would definately buy these again, even though they cost a little more. It's worth an extra $100 to make sure my wife and kids are safe.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
March 25, 2012

This purchased a set this tire a few years ago, I only use them during april-november. I have a set of winter tires on different wheels for the cold months. Just like other summer tires, you CANNOT use them in snow or freezing temps.
These tires are the best i have ever used on my 03 Protege5. These tires love curves and I love pushing them to its limits. The dry traction is awesome. In wet weather they perform better than most other tires I have used.

The pros....
1. tractions, best I have ever used for dry weather
2. cornering, best i have ever used for dry and wet weather
3. steering responsiveness, the best I have used. keep in mind, when this tire is new, the response might not be as good as your old tires if they had a little bit left of tread on them. But after 1k miles, you wont notice it anymore. This is true for any new tire.

The cons about the tires do not bother me, I understand that this type of tire will not have as good tire wear and have more road noise.
Cons......
1.If road noise bothers you, do not get these tires! They are very noisy. Sounds like a constant hum while driving. just turn up your radio.
2.The wear isn't that bad compared to some other summer tires I have used, but they wear a lot quicker than all-seasons.
3. These tires are not very comfortable. You feel everything on the road, every bump, stick, pebble and crack.

I highly recommend these tires. If you prefer performance over comfort, then you will probably enjoy them too..

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
March 10, 2012

I bought my Dodge just before Christmas, and the dealer had installed these tires on it new prior to my purchase. I didn't ask for them, and had I chosen new tires for the car, they'd have been an all-season tread instead of dedicated winter tires (as now I have to buy yet another set of tires and probably wheels for the other 3 season). Even though this is WI, I have never run snow/winter tires on any vehicle as there tends not to be a real need other than days it's snowing. Our roads tend to be cleared quickly.

I found these tires to be a nice tire. The ride is fine, the noise level is low, the traction in non-snow conditions is fine, and snow traction is no better or worse than the all-season tires I've run in the past. Granted, I know how to drive in poor, snowy conditions, but these winter tires did not turn my Avenger into a 4x4 by any stretch of the imagination.

I will run them until they are worn out, and then they will not be replaced. It's not that they are a poor choice for a tire, I simply do not need winter tires. The Kelly Navigator Golds I had on my Impala were as good in the snow and cold, rode a bit better, and performed WAY better on dry and wet pavement.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
January 28, 2008

This tire shouldn't be considered a "All Season Tire" It's unfortunate that the Audi dealer I purchased the car (Sept'07) from installed these 235/45/17. There horrible in any amount of snow! Thus in order too use the Audi I was forced too purchase a complete new set of winter tires (Dunlop Winter Sport 3D's) 215/55/16 also a new set of 16" wheels. The Dunlops are working out great. It's just ashame that I had too spent close too $900. additional in order too use the car during the winter. I plan on using the Kumho's just for Spring,Summer and Fall.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
March 20, 2012

I originally bought a used set of slightly undersized Star Specs for my tC because they were convenient. I was a Bridgestone RE-11 fan. Going from 15" wheels on my old car to 17's on the tC was a shocker-RE-11's were around $50 more a tire!
With a minimal modifications, the car was competitive. When the car was replated with another tC, I bought a new set.
The only downside I had was extreme heat - a regional autocross event in 90+ degree heat. We were spraying the tires with wather between the runs. On the other hand, they excel in the cooler temps when other tires may fall off.
I have Dunlop to thank for my Regional Class Champ jacket last year. Thanks to Dunlop, I beat a Subaru 2.5 RS in the rain. Twice.
From March to October, I also daily drive this car. Good road manners. Reasonable road noise. When I store the tires over the winter, they have to be out of the house, as they smell terrible. Small price to pay for top quality tires at an affordable price!

Initial Review, 2,500 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2012

I have a 2003 G35 Rear Wheel Drive. Everyone who drives a G35 with RWD and not AWD knows how bad these cars are in rain and snow. Just a tap on the gas in rain and the rear tires a spinning out like crazy. In snow your lucky if you can even start moving. This is to be expected in a rear wheel drive car. However, now lets get to the New Continental DWS Tires that I have just installed about 2k miles ago. The first difference i noticed when they were installed was the stability of the car. At first my handling wasn't the same. Before i was ridding low and hard to the ground because of my worn out Nexen 5000 all seasons which mad my drive feel more stable but harsher to the bumps. Now with the Continentals, my car felt very smooth and almost a lifted feeling. This was due to the fact that they were just installed. For the next week after installing them i drove regular while every now and then slamming on the brakes and gas pedal. Too my surprise there was no tire spinning what so ever. So the next day to test the tires out more, at every corner that i knew i usually had trouble going around fast, i purposely went around faster. Too my shock again these tires did not break at all, it was like ridding on rails without a doubt. Now for the best part, how would they handle in the RAIN. Before installing these tires i was deeply afraid of driving in the rain. Every corner and especially highway merge ramp i was slip sliding all over the place. So finally after two weeks and now rain, it finally rained and i was able to test these tires. Everyone, it was night and day. It was like i was driving on dry pavement and thats no joke. Every corner and curve that i knew i had trouble with before, i made it my job to test those places with these tires. Before i used to press the gas at a stand still in rain and spin the tires and get no traction. Now, i press the accelerator in the rain from a stand still and just all straight grip. No tire spin!!!! No problems in rain what soever.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
March 15, 2012

Installed these for winter use only. Did not see much, if any, snow this past season however. Overall very happy for everyday use during winter season, but was surprised how much tire soot came off the tires. On a white car, the entire rear bumper gets covered with tire soot in a few days. Maybe it was because the tread was still new? Also, in dry weather, these tires triggered the traction control under acceleration easily (on a rear wheel drive car). The tires wallowed and floated at highway speed, but I was not expecting them handle as sharply as summer high performance tires. Road feel was quite good, but definitely softer all around. Overall road noise was quite good given the tread design and tread life appears to be very high.

Initial Review, 30000 Miles on Tires
February 08, 2012

This is my 4th vehicle that I've purchased these tires for. Ive been using this tire since the mid 90's! I swear by it. You won't get better high speed traction and cornering performance combined with wet/snow and ice traction. I currently have them on my 2006 mazda speed 6. These tires, combined with all wheel drive are unstopable! There is no need to mention dry / wet traction and cornering.... Top of the line. Whats great about these is the traction in the ice / snow! Iv'e driven through New England winter weather and New York Blizzards and ice storms, as long as the car is not bottoming out in the snow, I can make it, with minimal effort! Ive made it up steep icy inclines with no slippage, while 4 wheel SUV's slid down the hill. This tire is by far the best all season ultra high performance tire for under $200. While in the Army, I even had these tires shipped to Germany, while I was stationed there.

Initial Review, 24,000 Miles on Tires
February 01, 2012

These came with my CPO 2007 Volvo S80 3.2 FWD when I bought it from the dealer - they were brand new (245/40/R18). After 24,000 miles there is probably at least another 8 or 9 thousand miles left in them. I was so impressed with the ride quality, grip and lack of road noise that I also purchased a set for my 2005 Mini Cooper S when it needed new tires to replace the factory run-flats.

One of the things that has bothered me from day 1 is the complete lack of protection for my 18 inch Zubra alloys because the rim protection band is either tiny or non existent. 5 days after picking up the car I rubbed a kerb while parking at very low speed, a couple of weeks later my wife did the same thing! Both wheels showed quite a lot of kerb damage. Prior to this car I have never damaged an alloy on a kerb before, ever.

Last Saturday I rubbed a kerb again (24,000 miles later), probably at less than 2 miles an hour - and the side wall of the tire bubbled. Was shocked at the result. While driving the car home I could feel the vibration. Haven't had it on the freeway since - and will be getting a new set ASAP.

So I've decided to change to a set of Yokohama S.Drives, mainly because they're meant to have better rim protection, and a stronger sidewall - hopefully I won't regret it. 30 day 'test drive' promise though, so if I really hate them I will go back to the Hankooks or try something else.

Will file a review on the S.Drives once I've had a chance to check them out.