Tires (Summer/Winter/All-Season)

[SameGuy]

I'm in love with the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 I installed in April. Wet and dry grip are both outstanding, though I can't really say anything about traction because that's impossible to feel on our car. Road noise is subtly different from that of the original Eagle F1 Asym 3, with a slightly louder low-frequency hum on most roads but almost no high-frequency noise at highway speeds, unlike the Goodyears. These are not known to be ULRR tires, but so far in a variety of road and weatherconditions, I seem to only be taking around a 7% to 10% hit overall. I'm very comfortable with that, knowing that these tires will probably last 50% longer than the Goodyears.

 

[robert9]

1 Month update on the Nokian AS01 All Season. These are labeled as low rolling resistance and EV ready, however my range still declined 7% from the worn out Goodyears. Getting 3.9 miles per kWh now whereas I was getting 4.2 on the old tires. In all fairness, worn tires get better mileage, so they really may be comparable to the OEM. Consumer reports notes the low rolling resistance and extreme life of 75000 miles (on non EVs) for these. I expect them to last more than double the OEM tires at about 40k. I do notice they handle great on cornering, much better than the OEM Goodyears. They are quiet and well mannered on the highway. They are noticeably rougher with road cracks and bumps. The Mini is not known for being smooth riding, but you really can tell the difference. My guess is the stronger aramid sidewalls is stiffer, but the benefits outweigh a few more bumps. Considering that these can cost 30% less than the OEM Goodyears (and half the cost of Mich Pilots), with more than double the life of the Goodyears and likely similar range. I recommend them as replacements for areas that see little or no snow. Shame the US does not have a rolling resistance rating system like the rest of the world. In the US, tire makers can claim anything they like.

 

[SameGuy]

My wife's eight-year-old Subaru Crosstrek was due for new summer (all season) tires, even though the OE Geolandars weren't at the wear indicators yet, so based on reviews, I went with the Michelin CrossClimate 2. I took the car to my tire guy on a particularly wet rainy day, and the drive home proved that they were a good choice for rainy weather, cutting through deep puddles like they were nothing. But as the roads dried out nearing home, the deep rumbling of that weird tread design became almost unbearable. After four months and about 4000 miles, we are finding that they are a great all-around tire, with exemplary efficiency (7.0 l/100 km or 34 mpg US on the highway!) and good road manners, and our only complaint is the terrible road noise. I can't imagine how anybody is installing these on a firm, under-insulated car like our Cooper SEs.