Many tire buyers know Goodyear and Michelin as two nameplates synonymous with quality, but it can be difficult to compare these premium brands head to head. The Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring and Michelin Primacy MXV4 are one such case as both tires are considered benchmarks of being the smoothest, quietest and longest wearing Grand Touring All-Season tires on the market today. Choosing between the two can be a daunting task. Both the options have been perennial favorites among our customers.
The Assurance ComforTred Touring features a mildly asymmetric tread design that combines independent shoulder blocks with notched intermediate and center ribs to blend dry and wet road traction and handling. Four wide circumferential grooves evacuate water from under the tread to enhance wet traction while the tread grooves, notches and sipes form biting edges that deliver all-season traction in light snow.
Its internal construction includes a super shock absorbent Comfort Layer of rubber sandwiched between the tread and steel belts (that provides on average, 20% more cushion than standard auto tires) to insulate vibration and impacts with expansion joints, potholes and bumps. The tire also features Goodyear's dual-layer ComfortEdge sidewall to provide a balance of ride comfort and handling.
Primacy MXV4 tires feature an all-season tread compound molded into a symmetric design that combines notched shoulders, independent intermediate tread blocks and continuous center ribs. Michelin's Active Sipes alternately lock together and open as needed to provide increased biting edges that grip the road to provide all-season handling, especially in rain and snow.
Advanced MaxTouch Construction results in a tuned footprint shape that allows for long-lasting, even treadwear while their Comfort Control Technology uses computer-optimized design and precision manufacturing to reduce vibrations and road noise to deliver a comfortable ride. The tire's internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced with Michelin's BAZ Technology (spirally wrapped polyamide, Banded At Zero degrees) to reinforce the Primacy MXV4's twin steel belts and provide high-speed durability while enhancing ride comfort.
In our most recent Tire Test Results, we said the Assurance ComforTred Touring was, "A good choice for drivers wanting to blend responsive handling with good road manners" and the Primacy MXV4 was, "A Grand Touring All-Season tire that is a pleasure to drive every day." Before you decide between a Goodyear or Michelin tire, be sure to view our Tire Test Results, Tire Survey Results and Tire Reviews on both tires to see which one will best suit your driving needs.
Run-flat tires have become standard equipment on many vehicles. Some cars of the same general model will have certain versions that come with run-flats while others do not. It can certainly get confusing for people who aren't familiar with different vehicle and tire models.
All run-flat tires have a designation on the sidewall that indicates they are not standard tires. For example, the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position has a run-flat and non-run-flat model in certain sizes. The run-flat model has the letters "RFT" following the name. You can see this by clicking on the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position RFT photo below.
Different tire companies use different designations for run-flat tires. Continental uses "SSR", Goodyear uses "RunOnFlat" or "EMT", while Michelin designates their run-flat tires with "ZP."
Many customers are convinced they have run-flat tires because their vehicle didn't come with a spare. This isn't always the case, so be sure to check your tires' sidewall to confirm. Now that you've determined if you have run-flat tires or not, you can determine which option you would prefer. To help you make a decision, read "Deciding Between Run-Flat and Non-Run-Flat Tires."
Arguably, one of the best bang-for-the-buck performance cars available on the market today is the fifth-generation Corvette. While it doesn't have the power figures of the C6 or the magazine coverage of the new seventh-generation Stingray, this car and its popular LS1 engine is capable of excellent power.
C5 Corvettes from the factory (non-Z06 models) use a 245/45R17 front tire and 275/40R18 rear. For those looking to step away from run-flat tires, your options are numerous. However, if you wish to keep the car equipped with run-flats, there are not as many choices. Our most popular sellers in the aforementioned sizes are:
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ZP is designed to last considerably longer than a dedicated summer tire. This Ultra High Performance All-Season tire has a speed rating up to 186 mph and features a responsive sidewall with a harder tread compound than the Original Equipment offering. Buyers will notice sharp turn-in response that is commonly associated with high speed rated tires, but will give up some ultimate lateral grip when compared to a softer compounded summer tire. While these tires aren't intended for track use, they are more than capable for aggressive street driving.
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP has long been a front runner in the Max Performance Summer category. The PS2 is offered in a run-flat fitment for the C5 Corvette and is a great choice for a driver looking for a premium tire with excellent performance attributes. While the PS2 will sacrifice some wear compared to the A/S Plus ZP, its grip limit is exceptional. This tire has been well reviewed for its great performance and excellent road manners.
Shop by vehicle to view all tire options for your C5 Corvette.
Many enthu
siasts have separate winter / snow tires for the colder months. They do this because they want the benefit of extra snow and ice traction. Drivers realize that all-season tires aren't nearly as good in snow and on ice as a dedicated snow tire.
Using this same logic when it comes time to replace non-winter tires, many customers ask specifically for summer tires. Makes sense, right? Well, this isn't the case for everyone. For someone who isn't an aggressive driver or does not drive a sporty vehicle, the benefits of all-season tires may be worth considering.
Any vehicle can benefit from the increased dry grip and faster steering response of a summer performance tire. However, here are some reasons why an all-season tire may make sense for you:
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Longer treadwear - Most all-season tires are designed for longer treadwear than summer tires. Many drivers will see their all-season tires last two to three times longer.
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Quiet ride - You might be thinking that all-season tires would be louder than summer tires, but this is a common misconception. While one can find relatively quiet summer tires, today's summer performance tires focus more on grip and handling performance.
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Smoother and softer ride - Most modern summer tires have a stiffer sidewall for better handling compared to most all-season tires.
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Lower price point - Many of today's summer tires are packed with the latest tire technology and are typically more expensive than all-season tires in most sizes.
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Longer warranty - Depending on the size, all-season tires can have wear warranties as high as 90,000 miles. Very few summer tires offer a treadwear warranty.
Regardless if you have summer or all-season tires, you need to know the right time to put them on. To find out when the best time is, read "When Should I Take Off My Winter / Snow Tires?".
When one thinks about tire design, one usually thinks about tread pattern. For those willing to dig a little bit deeper, tread compound and internal construction are at least as important to a tire's performance. How about the design of the letters on the sidewall? Purely cosmetic, right?
Not so, says Dunlop. Their research and testing indicates that the raised letters on the side of the tire contributes to turbulence around the tire. This disruption of the airflow creates drag, increasing the overall air resistance the vehicle must overcome to maintain its speed or accelerate.
With these findings, the new Dunlop Sport Maxx RT has all of its sidewall lettering indented below the surface of the sidewall rather than raised above it. This creates a smoother surface that minimizes turbulence around the tire. How much of a difference will this make? Likely not enough to be noticed by a driver at normal road speeds. However, any extra efficiency is good from a performance and fuel economy point of view.
Also, it doesn't hurt that the design yields a sleek, high-tech appearance for the tire's sidewall. The driver gets some added functional benefits that he or she may not notice, while gaining the very visible benefit of a modern-looking, attractive tire.
View the full-screen image of the tire to see the distinctive sidewall design.
If you need to find out how old your current tires are, start by reading its Tire Identification Number (often referred to as the tire’s serial number). Unlike vehicle identification numbers (VINs), Tire Identification Numbers are actually production codes that identify the week and year the tire was manufactured.
Since 2000, the week and year the tire was produced has been provided by the last four digits of the Tire Identification Number. The first two digits being used to identify the week, while the last two digits tell the year.
Example of a tire manufactured since 2000 with the current Tire Identification Number format:
Tire Identification Numbers for tires produced prior to 2000 were based on the assumption that tires would not be in service for ten years. While they were required to provide the same information as today’s tires, the week and year the tire was produced was contained in the last three digits. The first two digits were used to identify the week a tire was manufactured, immediately followed by a single digit to identify the year.
While a tire might look like it has quite a bit of life left in it based on a visual inspection of the sidewalls and tread depth, it's important to keep the age of the tire in mind when considering the best time to replace your tires. For help on determining when the right time is to start shopping for new tires, read "When Should I Replace My Tires?"
Porsche vehicles are known throughout the auto industry as one of the most highly engineered driving machines. Their engineers meticulously analyze every aspect of the vehicle's execution from weight savings and balance, all the way down to how the tires perform.
Porsche vehicles from 911 Carreras to Cayennes have tires that are specifically engineered for the vehicle through collaboration between tire manufacturers and Porsche themselves. Original Equipment Porsche tires are commonly referred to as N-Spec tires because the sidewall of the tire will be branded N0, N1, N2 or N3 and so on. The "N" is the designation for Porsche approved tires and the corresponding number identifies the version, with the higher number assigned to newer generations of the tire.
For instance, if you shop by vehicle and look at the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe, when you choose "View Original Equipment Tires" the website will display all of the tires that may have come on the vehicle as Original Equipment from Porsche. You will find on the list the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 N2, Pirelli P Zero N2, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A N0, and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A N1.
For more information, read "Porsche N-Specification Tire Approvals."
Most people may have never thought about the age of their tires until recently. Now, many informed consumers have become concerned with the age of the tires on their vehicle, as well as the age of the tire(s) they're purchasing.
What is a reasonable age for a tire when making a purchase? Tire Rack works with many global manufacturers from around the world. It's not unusual for tires to be six to nine months old when we receive them direct from the tire manufacturers. We employ inventory rotation so that most of the tires we ship are less than a year old.
How fresh are the tires being sold by Tire Rack? As previously mentioned, Tire Rack employs inventory rotation so that most of the tires we ship are less than a year old. However, due to the global economy view taken by many tire manufacturers, Tire Rack isn't able to guarantee production dates. Tire Rack's expertly trained sales team may be able to help narrow down what may be available.
How do I know when my tire was produced? Every tire has the date of manufacture branded onto the sidewall as part of the DOT code. The last four digits on tires manufactured since 2000 indicates the week and year the tire was produced. The image above has the last four digits of 5107. This translates to the 51st week of 2007. Prior to 2000, the tire industry assumed that a tire would not be in service longer than ten years. As such, the date code consists of only three digits, two for the week and one for the year.
For more information, read "Determining the Age of a Tire."
A frequently asked question on BMW forums is in regards to replacing run-flat tires with conventional non-run-flat tires. There is much debate about this topic. In fact, I have a blog post titled "Ditching Your Run-Flat Tires for Non-Run-Flat Tires on Your BMW? Read This First!" that you might want to check out if you're considering making the switch to non-run-flat tires.
What should you do if you only need two tires? Can you replace just two tires with non-run-flat options while keeping the other two run-flat tires on the vehicle? The best advice I can give is to avoid mixing run-flat tires and non-run-flat tires. The consensus between tire manufacturers, automobile manufacturers, customer feedback and real life experience is that mixing run-flat tires with non-run-flat tires often causes very unstable handling. This is especially true at highway speeds and when making turns with the vehicle, even at moderate speeds.
Why does this occur? Most run-flats have stiffer sidewall construction to maintain stability during an air pressure loss. Stiff sidewall designs are what primarily give run-flat tires their quick steering response and firmer ride. Installing tires on the front of a vehicle that has handling characteristics very different from the rear tires results in a vehicle that feels loose and not planted to the road. This is similar to a person trying to jog a few miles while wearing a snow boot on one foot and a tennis shoe on the other.
For further information, read "Mixing Tires."
2008 Cadillac STS V6 RWD
2001 Chevrolet Suburban 4wd
