Replacement tires for OEM

The stock must be location specific. The Energy Saver A/S 235/45/18 are in stock at the CostCo here in Birmingham. I can't comment on the preference of the 3 tires you mentioned.

 

FYI: I went with the CC2 to replace the original tires (cross climate 2). had them installed at Costco.
There's a direct trade-off. I absolutely get better traction with the CC2's and they are super-nice tires.
AND - My EV range went down a few miles year-round as a direct result.

I found the original tires to have relatively less traction and as low-resistance tires do, my all-electric range was better.
So yep, a direct trade off. I'm pleased with my CC2's and I accept the lower electric range.

 

Have the CC2. As noted think ev miles dropped a few but otherwise no issues

 

How about the noise level between CC2 and OEM?

 

I changed to CC2 as well. Agree lost a few miles in electric range. Wanted something that would work after moving to the northeast US. I measured sound using an Apple Watch. They were about the same noise level as the OEM tires. Granted I was testing the noise level on the OEM tires that were somewhat worn versus the brand new tires.

 

Interesting. So Costco says that they don't want to install the Michelin Energy Saver A/S 235/45/18 that they have in stock and would want an "OEM Honda" Energy Saver A/S 235/45/18 instead? That somewhat explains why there are two versions of this tire running around that are essentially the same. The "non-OEM" version has a little more "lip" to protect the rim, but otherwise is nearly identical to the OEM version that came on my 2018. I've been running the "non-OEM" version as my second set and prefer those tires due to the increased lip at the rim of the wheel.

 

How did you interpret what JKroll said as Costco doesn’t want to install a certain set of tires?

Last year I had Costco install non-OEM tires on non-OEM wheels on my truck. The only thing they wanted to be sure of was that the load range of the tires met or exceeded the axle ratings.

I’d be curious to know how one would distinguish the difference between the two variations by the information provided on the tire sidewall.

 

I have the CC2 tires, noise is about the same as originals (which were very quiet). They really do so much bettter than originals in snow and wet. They do take a hit to range (to me it seemed about 15%).

 

Good question. I shouldn't have stated it like that. I was just surprised that CostCo would make any distinction between an OEM and a Non-OEM version of the exact same tire.

 

I have a buddy that owns a cargo van. For safety reasons, they only install tires with re-enforced side-wall due to the weight of the van.
Our Honda Clarity is about 1000lbs more heavy than a "normal" car its size due to the traction battery. Anyway, I would not be surprised to find that the Honda version may also have re-enforced side-wall. Sorry if I'm re-stating a point; wasn't clear to me if the weight and sidewall strength had been mentioned specifically.

 

But you were going to choose from 3 other tires that were non-OEM? Why not just get the non-OEM version of the OEM tire? Just curious...

 

I think it is more how we are driving the car that is causing the difference in reported mileage on the tires. I got 20k on my original OEM energy savers and am at over 25k on the second set of non-OEM energy savers. I have a hard right turn into my garage onto some pretty rough concrete, I think that cuts my tire life some. Not sure what else, but I'm not the most patient of drivers, so that may add to it as well. At one time, I examined the two tires side by side when unmounted and I could tell no real difference in them. I wish I had weighed them to see if there was any noticable difference, but I didn't think of that. The tread design has a very subtle difference and there is the lip on the non-OEM version that protects the rim a little.

 

Here’s a load and inflation chart for a 235/45/18 tire with a Load Index of 94. Pick a brand, any brand, the specs will be the same. Industry standards. Note that the maximum load rating of 1477 lbs is achieved at 36psi, even though the maximum cold pressure on the sidewall is 44psi. The maximum load on 4 tires, assuming perfect weight distribution, is 5908 lbs. Any 235/45/18 94 will meet OEM specs. Don’t overthink it.

 

When you replace tires, even with the same as what was being used before, you’re removing tires that may have 2/32”-4/32” of remaining tread, with tires that have 9/32”-10/32” of tread. They may also have some unusual tread wear patterns. If you’re that sensitive to ride quality, you should notice a difference/improvement, unless you’ve grown accustomed to driving on worn out tires.

Fortunately, I’m not a member of The Princess and the Pea Sorority when it comes to tires and ride quality.

Remarkably, in the RV world, there are a number of Class A diesel pusher motorhome owners, who roll on commercial truck size tires that are inflated to 100-130psi, with air ride suspension, who claim that 1-2psi makes all the difference in the world.

I’m not loyal to a particular tire brand. The OEM Michelin tires have performed well for us, in a variety of conditions. We’ll likely replace them with the same, or another “EV” tire when the time comes, since EV range takes priority for us over setting the lap record at Laguna Seca.