In need of new tires

[Alan Smithee]

Originally Posted by hambone1983

I am going with the Proxes ST/2 this weekend.
150/piece and total 700 out the door... includes all the balance, alignment, etc.

I think you will be happy with them, and that is a great price. I have ~2k on mine now, and the only negative compared to the 20" Dunlop is slightly
less grip, but that was to be expected going from a 'performance' tire to a standard 'all-season', and not a big issue with this type of vehicle, IMO. The Toyos are better in every other way.

FWIW, I do not believe Michelins are better than any other brand. Sure, some specific models are great, and they seem to work more closely with manufacturers to develop treads and compounds for specific vehicles. But they also make some absolute crap for the mainstream.

[hambone1983]

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee

I think you will be happy with them, and that is a great price. I have ~2k on mine now, and the only negative compared to the 20" Dunlop is slightly
less grip, but that was to be expected going from a 'performance' tire to a standard 'all-season', and not a big issue with this type of vehicle, IMO. The Toyos are better in every other way.

FWIW, I do not believe Michelins are better than any other brand. Sure, some specific models are great, and they seem to work more closely with manufacturers to develop treads and compounds for specific vehicles. But they also make some absolute crap for the mainstream.

Alan Smithee, did you notice slight noise from your tires, sounds like the tread is a bit noisy maybe, but yes the tires are great. Got them on Saturday and a huge step up from the Bridgestone RFT so far.

[Alan Smithee]

Originally Posted by hambone1983

Alan Smithee, did you notice slight noise from your tires...

No noise - in fact, after they were installed I noticed more engine noise and wind noise on the highway, suggesting that the tires are quieter than the Dunlops (I am running 20s).

[soldmystang]

Originally Posted by hambone1983

I am going with the Proxes ST/2 this weekend.
150/piece and total 700 out the door... includes all the balance, alignment, etc.

Will post more reviews later on once I have marked some miles on them. Thanks for all the inputs guys..

where did you find them for $150? i guess i should ask which size also.

[hambone1983]

Originally Posted by soldmystang

where did you find them for $150? i guess i should ask which size also.

Town Fair Tire, 150/tire. The tire is great and beefy, but not sure if I am liking them. My size is 255/55/18 - standard bmw 18" wheel. very noisy compared to my almost shot run flats from Bridgestone.... could be bad tire maybe since others have had a good luck with it, but then again most of the folks here are running the same tire on 20's I believe.

[Xtony]

Just wanted to add my two cents here. I too tried saving some money by going with a cheaper tire (Conti DWS) than Michelins. Big mistake! I ended up gonig back several times to balance, index, rotate because they vibrated and caused the steering to pull. Finally got them to swap for the Michelin Latitudes and I couldn't have been happier to blow the extra money. Well worth it in my experience.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by Xtony

Just wanted to add my two cents here. I too tried saving some money by going with a cheaper tire (Conti DWS) than Michelins. Big mistake! I ended up gonig back several times to balance, index, rotate because they vibrated and caused the steering to pull. Finally got them to swap for the Michelin Latitudes and I couldn't have been happier to blow the extra money. Well worth it in my experience.

What you did there was put passenger car tires on a 2,5 ton SUV. That often compromises the handling characteristics- did that once with the Kumho Ecsta SPT on my X3. From then on, SUV tires for SUVs only.

[Alan Smithee]

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

What you did there was put passenger car tires on a 2,5 ton SUV. That often compromises the handling characteristics- did that once with the Kumho Ecsta SPT on my X3. From then on, SUV tires for SUVs only.

How do you figure? The Continental DWS has the same XL load rating as all of the OE run-flats for the X5.

[ard]

This is just a side comment... perhaps philosophical...

There is a weird 'class' or money issue that often comes up- Dinan has this down to a T... it is probably best encapsulated with the statement, "if you have to ask, maybe you can't afford it"..or "you pay to play".

I've always found this objectionable. I am driven by content and performance- and value- and not by what something looks like or how much it costs. To say "I buy expensive stuff because it is expensive, and therefore is better", is just dumb.

Now to the topic at hand: I personally believe that Michelin makes a superior product. I've moved around to many brands- Pirelli, Yoko, etc on the fast cars, and find myself back at michelin. (Although for tracking the P car I use cheaper rubber, ) Same with another SUV: Cross Terrains, for 5 sets, then Geolanders for two, but now back to Mich.

I make the recommendation based on the total 'deal', and my perception of the overall value- NOT because they are expensive and 'what do you expect, its a $70k car?'.

I am guessing that Tony above has the same perception.

I just mention this as I've picked up a vibe here in the thread about this, and wanted to make that distinction.

A

[docpowell]

I agree with Ard...
There is only ONE thing that is in contact with the ground on your very nice and expensive vehicles, and that is the tires. Why would anyone try to, "save money," on this. I am not saying you should try to spend the most money that you can, but you should research the BEST tire available for stopping, traction, etc. Then shop around for the best deal. Tracking is one thing where you are there to waist them, however if you blow a cheap tire and crash, well then, there you go...