Tires

patcal · Post by **patcal** » 05 Feb 2021, 05:53

I am going to be needing tires sooner rather then later for my 04 S60 2.5T. It has 235-45/17 on it now. Wet weather traction, noise & comfort are my priorities. Lot's of rain here in Oregon. Thank you.

Post by **oragex** » 05 Feb 2021, 10:43

I like higher end Michelin - not the cheaper ones. Silent, seems resistant to punctures and the model I had was very good at aquaplaning, but not sure about their other models

patcal · Post by **patcal** » 05 Feb 2021, 11:28

So do mean defenders instead of pilot's?

Post by **June** » 05 Feb 2021, 11:44

If you can get them i like the Michelin Primacy 3 or the replacement 4 which are Summer tires. The Primacy 3 is quiet, super grip in rain. Supposedly the Primacy 4 has the same stopping distance throughout its life and is the replacement for the 3. I couldn't get a set when I needed tires last so I bought the Primacy Touring all season which so far is quiet and grips in the rain so far like the 3. I'm in my first 10,000 miles and so far I have yet to have the traction control or yar control activate. I have always been happy with the Primacy line on my 04 S80 T6. I floor the accelerator on a regular basis and usually drive 90 on the beltway so a good performing tire is a must for my car. My car came with Michelin from Volvo incidentally. June

chris11211 · Post by **chris11211** » 06 Feb 2021, 12:02

the crossclimate 2 is suggested to be the best all season tires

Post by **BlackBart** » 06 Feb 2021, 18:14

I always read the comparison tests at Tire Rack as I narrow down my choices.

cbpitt01 · Post by **cbpitt01** » 06 Feb 2021, 21:08

I haven’t checked their online prices lately, but back in October - when the Walmart auto service centers were closed due to COVID-19 - I got a set of 235/45r17 Sumitomo HTR Enhance WX2 shipped to my house for only $73 each. I did have to pay another installer $15 each for mounting/balancing, but that’s still only $88 each. At the time, Tire Rack was showing them at $109 each, then I would have still had mounting/balancing costs. I guess Walmart was substantially reducing the tire prices because they had inventory just sitting there aging away due to their auto centers being closed. I’m thrilled with how the Sumitomos ride and handle, especially in rain, and (in what little bit of) snow we’ve had this winter.
Someone else mentioned the Michelin CrossClimate, and for a fleeting moment I had considered those. They have a very long treadwear rating. But then I remembered back to about 15 years ago when I put a set of Michelin Harmony tires on my 2001 VW Golf TDi. They had a treadwear rating of (something like) 740-780. For about 25,000-35,000 miles, they rode and drove great. But then (I guess) the rubber began to get harder as it aged, and the tires began to get louder and more uncomfortable - plus slipppery on wet roads. I finally pulled them off the car at around 45,000 miles because I grew to hate them so. They still had just under half their tread depth left.
After that, I’ve always looked at tire that I expect will last me 35,000-40,000 miles before needing replacement. I’d rather have a softer compound tire that handles and rides good and needs replacing before the rubber gets harder.
The Walmart auto centers have reopened as of a couple months ago. They might still have some reasonably-priced good tires available online though!

Oro · Post by **Oro** » 07 Feb 2021, 00:56

I live in western WA so my priorities are the same as yours. Here are several tires I have been pleased with:

a) Cooper CS5 ultra - have this tire on a Lexus sedan and it's great in rain, quiet, and smooth.
b) Cooper-made "Arizonian" Silver III. This is a Discount Tire "house" brand. It's very good for the (more modest) price, another good Cooper tire.
c) Any good Hankook. I have Dynapro HT's on my suv and they are fantastic - dry, rain, snow. I also got their icept Evo 2 snows for my XC - outstanding dry, rain, or snow. Best rain tire I've ever felt (it's a dedicated snow tire, though). hankook is making some of the best tires now IMO.

My step-son's S60 came with Falken sincera's on it, they are awful.

I just got a 2000 V70 XC and it has five month old Michelin Defenders on it. Have not tried them in heavy rain or snow yet, but they were only "OK" imo for ride quality on dry and light rain. I haven't driven on them much so my opinion here is not worth that much.

If you can wait until 3/1/ to buy them, GM's twice a year tire deal goes live (also repeats in Oct/Nov). $200 rebate on Pirelli, Hankook, Goodyear, Continental ($100 on tires +100 for using GM card to buy). Lesser rebates on other brands. They will price match, too, so it's a SCREAMING good deal. I have bought my last two sets of tires that way.

patcal · Post by **patcal** » 07 Feb 2021, 03:55

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the input. I ended up with Federal Formoza FD-2.

Post by **abscate** » 07 Feb 2021, 04:35

I’ve been happy with Cooper CS5 firsummer tires, we run full snows from December through March on any car that goes out of town regularly