Tire Recommendation for xc90

G8 fan · Post by **G8 fan** » 05 Jun 2011, 21:40

My new 05 T6 XC90 came with 235/60/R18 Michelins which were totally shot at 20K. People can justify it however they want, but this is totally unsatisfactory to me. I do not think Michelins are at all worth the difference in price. I then tried Kumho Road Ventures from Tire Rack, which wore out just about as fast and did not impress me. They were $100 each from Tire Rack, and I feel I got what I paid for. Now I have Yokohama Parada Spec-X tires from Tire Rack ($616.16 for 4 after shipping). I had my Chevy Dealer mount them since I know they balance 200 mph Corvette tires and use a a roller that puts a load on the tire to simulate road conditions whlle they balance it. I have 15K on them and love them. I desparately need to rotate them, but they are still not showing significant wear. My wife and I think they ride like a dream. BTW I try to avoid Goodyear tires because I have had a lot of bead leaks and the sidewalls seem to crack and dry rot sooner than other tires.

Here is the qualifier for the poor mileage statement about the Michelins and Kumhos. Just after I had the Yokohamas put on, I had to have the fifth tie rod end and the third hub bearing replaced. The hub was probably damaged by the Chevy dealer because the wheels seem to fuse themselves to the hubs on this vehicle, and they probably had to beat on them to get the wheels to release from the hub. For the tie rod and hub bearing replacements, I finally took it to Merrill Axle in Des Moines instead of Willis Volvo. I asked them to ignore Volvo's pigeon toed alignment spec, and align it with all 4 wheels pointing the same direction. Willis Volvo kept aligning my front wheels very pigeon toed which I now know was clearly contributing to this vehicle chewing through tires, tie rod ends, hub bearings, rotors and brakes, etc., etc., etc. Our XC90 is finally squared away and NEVER drove this good even brand new. I love these Yokohamas in this size on this vehicle. I take every tire purchase on a case by case basis, and start by putting my vehicle in Tire Rack's website and reading whatever articles and customer reviews are available. I have not found a cheaper way to buy tires, and I have usually been very satisfied with my choices, but I do a lot of research first. Sorry the post is so long, but if I can save somebody from the very expensive learning experience I went through with this very lemony vehicle, I think it is worth it. If everything on the front of your Volvo is wearing out prematurely, I highly recommend having a non-Volvo shop align your wheels straight regardless of what the Volvo spec is.

whaleplane · Post by **whaleplane** » 07 Jun 2011, 19:34

I had the pirellie's(sp) on mine and they wore out quick. The Dallas Volvo dealer said they have stopped selling them because of complaints, wearing way to fast. I ended up going to discount tire and getting Bridgestones'. They weren't as expensive as the Mich's but they seem to be holding up.

lowertc2 · Post by **lowertc2** » 08 Jun 2011, 15:16

Nokian WRG2 nothing else!

Excimer · Post by **Excimer** » 13 Jun 2011, 10:52

+1 Nokian are the best

netasp · Post by **netasp** » 27 Aug 2014, 19:16

any thoughts about Falken STZ04 in 255/55R18? or Firestone Destination LE2?

also, will the 255/55R18 fit on the oem rim (235/60R18) without modification? will the tires rub against the fender when loaded or when I have full turn?

thanks

Kukacz · Post by **Kukacz** » 10 Sep 2014, 09:03

road1will wrote:
trstjohn wrote:Has anyone heard of or know anyone who used these tires? :

VREDESTEIN TIRES
Model:QUATRAC 3

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Vrede ... trac-3.htm
I've never heard of them. I certainly wouldn't cheap out on tires.

I'm surprised that you've not heard of them. Vredestein is quite well known Dutch manufacturer and they are definitely NOT cheap and budget. I've been using them on my ford focus (interchangeably summer SPORTRAC 3 / SPORTRAC 5 and winter SNOWTRAC ones) for the last few years and last year I bought a set of all season QUATRAC 3 ones for my wife's clio and they are BRILLIANT!!!
A few months ago I bought an XC90 with a set of some rubbish, worn tyres, so in the nearest future I will have to buy a new set of all season rubbers for it. I did some research already and checked some rankings and the ones you mentioned (QUATRAC 3 SUV) come near top of the ranking.
The cheapest I was able to find them was £140 per piece, so definitely not cheap.
If you ever have a chance to try them then please do! Since I started using Vredestein, I didn't want to go to any other brand.
I hope this helps...

huzzsaba · Post by **huzzsaba** » 21 Sep 2014, 11:01

I am now on my second set of Firestone Destination ST and they are great! Quiet tires and traction is amazing in all weather. I have driven on my previous set til they were down to the wear bars and they were still quiet as new. In the winter they performed as good as the winter tires I use now.

My current set is 255 55 18 and taxes and installation in they were less than $800.

thomascushman · Post by **thomascushman** » 27 Feb 2020, 13:56

Guys, I am putting new tires on the 2005 XC90 with 150k miles on it. I live off grid in California, the reason I state that is the road to the house is 3 miles semi rough dirt that is muddy, icy and rocky (like intermittent baseball boulders) in the winter (often use chains), and dusty dirt in the summer, also, they are private roads and the grades are 9% at times. I have a wobble and a vibration at speeds over 60 now, and before i did thew struts and engine mounts that were over due (bad shaking while slowing down and every bump on the dirt road) - i never had the vibration issue until i did the struts and such. At this point the tires NEED to be replaced, so i doing thjis before digging further into the vibration. Considfering my conditions, what tires do you recommend - trying to keep the whole thing under 800 out the door..... Oh yeah, small point of note to consider - It is driven by the wife... Go.

wanderdüne · Post by **wanderdüne** » 28 Feb 2020, 07:27

@thomascushman:

Based on your location, here are my picks:

This: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nokian-Rotii ... e/50296325
This: https://tires.costco.com/Product?ItemNo ... 7C%7Cen-us ($704 + tax installed)
This: https://tires.costco.com/Product?ItemNo ... 7C%7Cen-us
This: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nokian-WR-G4 ... /402514592

I'd go with the Michelin LTX or the X-LT (the Costco version). Even buying a membership to do it, still comes out at about your price point and they back up their warranties no question. Huge mileage warranty on these as well as road hazard. I have the X-LT and cannot recommend them strongly enough; they are great, great tires. They are also quite good in light snow.

I looked at the Rotiiva-AT very seriously and I liked them a lot and they have some neat features https://www.nokiantires.com/all-season- ... otiiva-at/, but wanted the Costco customer service and strong warranty; I don't know if the Walmart would quibble about stuff like that, but the pricing on both of the Nokians is good + tax +$100 for the install and road hazard. No mileage warranty on these, though. The WR-G4 would also be something to look at as well, but I think given your long and bumpy driveway, who knows? I know people really like the WR-G3 and G4, but for a trail, not really sure I wouldn't like more blocky tread.

Post by **ggleavitt** » 28 Feb 2020, 07:58

I've been running Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza (Plus) since 2010 on the '05 (17"). When I did tires on the '08 (18"), I went with them as well, replacing a set of "new" Pirellis that lasted around a year and a half. I'm a pretty active driver with the 08 (V8 Sport), have no complaints with performance and I get a couple years out of a set. They're good all around tires with decent winter/wet traction at a reasonable price (in my opinion), especially if you can wait and pick them up at the Firestone "employee price" sale (November-ish).

Tire Recommendation for xc90

Re: Tire Recommendation for xc90