New Tire Suggestions, Please

gphmdyw · Post by **gphmdyw** » 12 Mar 2012, 05:59

2002 S60 AWD Automatic transmission, bought used last year, 115k mi.

All four tires were purchased in 2009, all four are Michelin MXV4 (205/55/R16 91H). Good tread.

Unfortunately the two passenger-side tires need to be replaced from hitting potholes.

I don't have time to do the order online thing so I'll have to find them locally and on a budget.

Any recommendations for a good tire? I have read that they should all be from the same manufacturer?

I live south of Boston, MA so if anyone has any furher suggestions about where to get them cheaper, I'd appreciate.

1800ES · Post by **1800ES** » 12 Mar 2012, 06:12

I can't offer a tire suggestion if you want to stay with Michelin. However, manufacturers generally recommend that all four tires on the car be the same. I always thought this was a really good way to sell more tires, until I tried to drive a car in snow one time with different all season tires on the front and rear. It was not fun.

In any case, at a bare minimum, the two tires on the front of the car should be identical to each other, as should the two on the rear. Whatever you do, don't put one model of tires on the driver's side and a completely different model on the passenger side.

gphmdyw · Post by **gphmdyw** » 12 Mar 2012, 06:16

Thanks. Sounds like I'll have to splurge for the Michelins again. I know you can't suggest within that manufacturer, but is it important that I stay with the same exact Michelin tire, the MXV4?

Post by **fazool** » 12 Mar 2012, 06:41

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyres ... ID=3615779

Post by **JRL** » 12 Mar 2012, 06:49

Conti Extreme DWS tires.
Best bang for the buck tire and you MUST replace all four.
These are very reasonable and work well on Volvos

gphmdyw · Post by **gphmdyw** » 12 Mar 2012, 09:07

Thanks folks, but as my top-post said, I don't have time to do the online thing from Tirerack. And I wouldn't want to buy 4 tires when the other 2 are still in great shape.

1800ES · Post by **1800ES** » 12 Mar 2012, 09:16

gphmdyw wrote:Thanks. Sounds like I'll have to splurge for the Michelins again. I know you can't suggest within that manufacturer, but is it important that I stay with the same exact Michelin tire, the MXV4?

It would be best if you stayed with the same tires (MXV4), but like I said at the very minimum, make sure the two new tires either both go on the front or both go on the rear. And if you do switch tire manufacturers, make sure that whatever you buy is from the same general performance category as the MXV4's you have now. As an extreme example, you would not want to have 2 summer performance tires on the front and 2 snow tires on the back. If all four are at least similar, you'll have fewer problems. Good luck!

gphmdyw · Post by **gphmdyw** » 12 Mar 2012, 09:22

Thanks, Matt! I'll make sure they're rotated as such.
I am sticking with the MXV4s and found a good price (along with an excellent road hazard warranty and free rotations) at Sears. $204/each for mount, balance, taxes, disposal - plus an extra $59 for full machine alignment. It's the best I can do in a pinch with no advance internet purchase. Wish I had time to do TireRack.

ChiNorm · Post by **ChiNorm** » 12 Mar 2012, 14:07

Unless you want to really f-u your awd, listen to JRL and replace all 4 tires. The diameter difference between front and back can be a source of very expensive problems.

Oh yeah, and - Tire Rack will likely beat the Sears price on tires, the Continentals will be much less expensive that the Michelins.

P.S. Avoid Sears service whenever possible. I know a guy who gave a car back to the customer w/o any breaks to to a doobie break of his own when working for Sears. Most tire store alignments are just hacks with racks.

gphmdyw · Post by **gphmdyw** » 12 Mar 2012, 15:58

No wonder Sears was completely empty when I got there. I mean, not ONE customer at 3pm on a Monday. The poor guys had defensive attitudes, probably because they're forced to be thieves.

You're right about all 4 tires. Sears quoted me $900 for all 4 Michelin Primacy MXV4s (with an alignment.) They tried to get me to go for the extra warranty for $20/each and offered me a $50 coupon for everything. I was just about to do it when a relative called and said to go to a certain local shop.

I called this other shop and was quoted $700 (with alignment) PLUS a $70 mail-in Michelin rebate. They said the warranty is BS anyway and hard to cash in on and they don't offer one. Whether that's true or not, the whole deal sounds fine to me; I'm going there in the morning.

Just for fun, I asked the poor guy at Sears (who apparently works on commission) if I could come back tomorrow and get the same price. He said he couldn't "hold" it, that Michelin changes their prices every day.