Michelin's new Defender aims to replace two of Michelin's most successful tires: the Harmony and HydroEdge with Green X. The Harmony, as its name describes, has long been one of the most comfortable and quietest tires offered. And the HydroEdge with Green X is one of the most successful tires in the Michelin line-up for its wet traction and long treadwear.
Michelin sought to combine the success of each of these tires into one complete package. Defender tires offer the smooth, quiet ride and proven winter traction of the Harmony with the 90,000-mile treadlife warranty and superior wet traction of the HydroEdge with Green X. This tire also meets Michelin's Green X objectives, which provides less rolling resistance and saves you money on fuel cost.
When compared to the Harmony, the Defender offers 22% better rolling resistance and 16% shorter wet braking. And compared to the HydroEdge with Green X, the tire provides 10% lower noise along with 15% better snow performance. Defender tires feature IntelliSipe Technology that increases the number of sipes in the tire's tread design to provide additional biting edges that enhance all-season traction in rain and snow.
IntelliSipe Technology enhances performance in three ways:
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Helps stabilize the tread block during acceleration, braking and cornering.
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Increases the number of sipes on the tread, which results in greater grip for confident braking.
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Interlocking action that creates a more rigid tread block and reduces tread depth without sacrificing longevity or fuel efficiency.
Shop by vehicle to see if there's a new Michelin Defender tire available for your vehicle.
It seems like everybody knows someone that drives a Toyota Camry. For a great combination of reliability, versatility and efficiency, the Camry is hard to beat. Take care of your Camry and it'll run forever. Part of that proper care is tire maintenance. With correct maintenance, the vehicle's Original Equipment tires should last anywhere between 40,000 and 60,000 miles. To gain a better understanding of when you should look for new tires, read "When Should I Replace My Tires."
If it's determined that you need new tires, what option should you purchase? The best choice will vary depending on how you drive and where you drive. Where you drive is a crucial variable and to ensure the following recommendations are accurate, let's focus on Southern California.
So what does the average SoCal Camry driver need from their tires? A tire with excellent emergency handling for battling traffic, effective braking for sudden bottlenecks, good treadwear, low tread noise and tire efficiency for optimal fuel economy. With little rain in Southern California, wet grip isn't as critical to the selection.
Based on our test data, feedback from drivers and the tire manufacturer's internal testing, I recommend the following Grand Touring All-Season tires: BFGoodrich Advantage T/A, Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring, Yokohama AVID Ascend (H&V) or Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum.
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A gets good ratings in the dry traction portion of our surveys. Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring tires tested well on the dry track, drove well on the road and topped the test group in fuel economy. The Yokohama AVID Ascend (H&V) is the replacement for the proven Yokohama AVID TRZ. Yokohama's internal testing shows improvement across the board especially in fuel efficiency relative to the TRZ. Kumho's Ecsta LX Platinum offers a great combination of value and competency with good results in the dry portion of our test.
2008 Toyota Camry FAQ:
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How often should I rotate my tires and what air pressure is recommended? Rotate your tires at least every 5,000 miles in the "X-Pattern." The factory recommend air pressure that's printed on the door placard is your starting point. For the 2008 Toyota Camry LE, factory recommend air pressure is 32 psi in the front and rear.
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I noticed that none of the above tires are directional, why? Directional tires are designed to emphasize hydroplaning resistance. Hydroplaning is normally a non-issue in the Southern California area. By selecting a directional tire, you can't rotate in the X-Pattern and you're more likely to develop irregular heel-and-toe and its accompanying noise.
Choosing the proper brake rotor is determined by the vehicle you drive and how you drive it. The majority of vehicles produced will have solid vented rotors. However, some high-performance vehicles like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are built with slotted or cross-drilled rotors, which are also vented.
If you were happy with your stock rotor's performance and stopping power, then direct O.E. replacements such as Centric Plain 120 Series Rotors , Centric High Carbon Plain 125 Series Rotors or Brembo Replacement Rotors would be a good choice.
Vehicles built from the factory with solid vented rotors may cause you to be unhappy with the stopping power, in that case, you may benefit from an upgraded rotor. Additionally, if you would classify yourself as a more spirited or aggressive driver I would recommend upgrading your rotors. The most common upgrade is replacing your solid rotors with either slotted or drilled rotors.
Under high heat and heavy stopping conditions, the rotor actually gets so hot that when the brake pads and rotors make initial contact, the pads release exhaust gases from road grime, water and overheating. The small air bubbles that form between the pad and rotor contribute to a spongy pedal feel. The slotting or drilling of brake rotors gives those gases a quiet way to escape; thus allowing the pad to make quicker contact with the rotor and provide you a stiffer and more precise pedal feel. Upgrades would include Brembo rotors such as the Sport Drilled and Sport Slotted, StopTech's SportStop Drilled Rotor, DBA's 4000 Series T3 Rotor and 5000 Series T3 2-Piece Rotor and Power Slot's Power Slot Rotor.
Whether you're looking for Brembo brake rotors or another brand, you can shop by vehicle to find the replacement option that's right for your application.
Recently, Michelin introduced the Defender, a new Standard Touring All-Season tire. From what we have experienced in the past from Michelin, we expect this tire to be an excellent option for many drivers. This tire is replacing their HydroEdge with Green X and Harmony tires.
Michelin says this tire will help defend you from the effects of high fuel costs, protect you with shorter braking distances and will last longer, thus protecting your investment in new tires.
According to Michelin, the Defender has a 22% improvement in rolling resistance and a 16% improvement in wet braking over the Michelin Harmony. The Defender features Michelin's new IntelliSipe Technology which helps stabilize the tread block design during acceleration, braking and cornering. It also increases the number of sipes in the tread, resulting in greater grip in braking. The tire also features an interlocking action that creates a more rigid tread block and reduces tread depth without sacrificing safety, longevity or fuel efficiency.
With most sizes meeting Michelin's Green-X low rolling resistance objectives, the Defender tire is designed to provide comfortable driving characteristics and all-season traction in dry, wet and wintry conditions while offering an option that's environmentally friendly. For more information on this fuel-efficient tire, read "Michelin Green X."