Hello Everyone,
This is my first post. I've been looking through the post on tire suggestions. Well let me first say I just this week inherited a 2004 Toyota Corolla CE from a family member with 40k miles. It needs new tires. Its been years since I've owned a car. I run two trucks a F-250 and F-450 both with Michelin tires and love them. I definately want Michelin tires on this car. I've narrowed it down to the X-Radial (T-rated 80k), Hydro Edge (T-rated 90k) or the Primacy MXV4 (H-rated 60k) . The price difference doesn't appear to be much between the 3 tires all around $500 +/-. Given that I wont be putting high miles on the car the mileage warranty doesnt do much for me. I know all 3 will offer an improvement in performance. My question is with the Primacy MXV4 with the H-rating. Has anybody put these tires on a Corolla? Will the H-rating really offer up better handling? I am leaning toward the H-rated tire with the thinking in mind that the handling will improve 10 fold over the stock tires. Would I really be gaining that much? Any insite on anyone who has run this tire would be appraciated.
Thanks
I would go with the MXV4 over the other two. It is definitely a better balanced tire for both dry and wet traction. I would say the MXV4 will improve the steering response a bit and also give more traction in the dry.
If you want to get better dry performance then you can look into the stock XRS OEM tires, which are Michelin Pilot Primacy tires (V-rated). These are GT summer tires. They were good tires and matched XRS' handling oriented performance very well.
I think Pilot Primacy will substantially improve the steering response and traction on your Corolla CE. However, the suspension setup in 1ZZ is on the soft side so they would not drastically improve it.
With a more aggressive suspension setup now on my XRS, I am going for more extreme tires, which are Continental ExtremeContact DW (Max Performance Summer tires). They are exceptional tires and also slightly cheaper than the Michelin Pilot Primacy my XRS came with. Look out for my review on it as soon as I put them on and break them in.
__________________ SSM 05 Corolla XRS 6 Spd VVTL-i 2ZZ-GE /04 Corolla S 1ZZ-FE (sold)
H-rated are good up to 130 mph. Your Corolla is governed at only 112 mph. H-rated are generally more grippy, but wear out faster.
Do not get tires in the original 185/65-15 size. Go with 195/65-15 as used on SE, S, as well as newer CE models. You'll get better stability and a more accurate speedometer and odometer... I actually use 205/60-15's on my CE.
Invader, That's a great idea about the tire size. Did'nt even think about plus sizing the tires a little. That would also improve the handling greatly. I may just do that. I'm not concerned with going fast say to 130mph, but I like an extra stable tire. Granted the car is an economy car. I love the way my trucks handle at legal speeds with 80 psi and being fully loaded. They feel like they are glued to the road. Just looking to improve on the factory ride without any major suspension upgrades. Although they seem very intreaging. Awsome suggestion on the tire sizing. I will definately be going with the slightly larger ones.
Beware the stock rim size on 1ZZ is 15 x 6. The 6 inch width with wide tires (say, 205 or 215 mm) will actually make the handling worse as the tire roll on to itself since the tire will bulge out on the sides since the tire does not stretch properly on the wheel due to lack of width of the wheel. In simple terms, wide tires with narrow rims put a lot of slack in the tire and don't allow it to stretch properly.
With the stock 6 inches width, you want 195 mm width max. That is why you will see all stock cars with 205 mm tires have a minimum wheel width of 6.5 inches.
If you want to go wider than this, the solution is to get wider rims (atleast 6.5 inches) and put a little wider tires on them so that the tire can properly stretch on the rim.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ppp
Invader, That's a great idea about the tire size. Did'nt even think about plus sizing the tires a little. That would also improve the handling greatly. I may just do that. I'm not concerned with going fast say to 130mph, but I like an extra stable tire. Granted the car is an economy car. I love the way my trucks handle at legal speeds with 80 psi and being fully loaded. They feel like they are glued to the road. Just looking to improve on the factory ride without any major suspension upgrades. Although they seem very intreaging. Awsome suggestion on the tire sizing. I will definately be going with the slightly larger ones.
__________________ SSM 05 Corolla XRS 6 Spd VVTL-i 2ZZ-GE /04 Corolla S 1ZZ-FE (sold)
I put four Michelin X Radial DT (from Costco) on my 05 LE Corolla two years ago and they run great even on snow. The X Radial's were rated #2 over all by Consumer Reports for several years.
Costco is currently charging $101.99 per tire along with a $14 installation fee and a $1 disposal fee per tire. Costco also tends to run a discount special of $70 off a set of 4 Michelin tires from time to time.
6" is the standard measuring rim width specified for 205/60-15 (5.5~7.5" allowable range) or 195/60-15 (5.5~7") tires... 5.5" is the measuring rim width for 185/65-15 (5~6.5" range).
I always run 205/60-15's. They fit and perform beautifully, and wear perfectly evenly on stock 6" wide rims with 30 psi
Measuring Rim Width:
The measuring rim width is the industry standardized rim width upon which the tire must be mounted in order to confirm it meets its dimensional targets. Because the width of the rim will influence the width of the tire, a standard rim width for every tire size is assigned and must be used. This standardized measuring rim width allows all of the tires produced around the world to meet the same dimensional standards and therefore, be equivalent with regards to their physical size. The measuring rim width is sometimes referred to as the tire's "design rim width."
The assigned measuring rim width changes with the tire size's section width and with the tire size's aspect ratio. As tire section width increases, the measuring rim width increases proportionately in 1/2" increments. Therefore, relatively narrow wheel widths are assigned for smaller tires while wider wheel widths are assigned for larger tires.
I am not talking about "Allowable" limits of tire on a wheel. Even a 215 mm tire is "allowable" on 6 inch wheel. Is it feasible?? ofcourse, not. I am talking about "handling improvements". He wanted handling improvements and I told him to go with atleast 6.5 inch wheels to seat and stretch the tire properly.
A 205 mm tire on a 6 inch wheel will only degrade handling of the car since the tirewall will bulge out under even light lateral forces. It is simple physics since the surface area of the wheel does not stretch the tire for its optimal handling characteristics and I have personally tested this theory on my previous 2004 Corolla S.
Quote:
Originally Posted by invader
6" is the standard measuring rim width specified for 205/60-15 (5.5~7.5" allowable range) or 195/60-15 (5.5~7") tires... 5.5" is the measuring rim width for 185/65-15 (5~6.5" range).
I always run 205/60-15's. They fit and perform beautifully, and wear perfectly evenly on stock 6" wide rims with 30 psi
Measuring Rim Width:
The measuring rim width is the industry standardized rim width upon which the tire must be mounted in order to confirm it meets its dimensional targets. Because the width of the rim will influence the width of the tire, a standard rim width for every tire size is assigned and must be used. This standardized measuring rim width allows all of the tires produced around the world to meet the same dimensional standards and therefore, be equivalent with regards to their physical size. The measuring rim width is sometimes referred to as the tire's "design rim width."
The assigned measuring rim width changes with the tire size's section width and with the tire size's aspect ratio. As tire section width increases, the measuring rim width increases proportionately in 1/2" increments. Therefore, relatively narrow wheel widths are assigned for smaller tires while wider wheel widths are assigned for larger tires.
__________________ SSM 05 Corolla XRS 6 Spd VVTL-i 2ZZ-GE /04 Corolla S 1ZZ-FE (sold)
Since you're buying Michelins you should end up doing well whichever you buy. I put Hydroedge on my wife's Corolla and have been very happy with them. They have worn well which is a big requirement.
I was impressed with their handling in snow which you may or may not need. I come from the same place as you with the trucks. Nothing else seems to compare to Michelins.
Well I did it. I ended up getting the Michelin Harmony's (same as X-radial). I went through the repair shop that services my two trucks and they gave me a much better deal then I could have got through BJ's Wholesale Club. I went with the 195/65/15s with the 80k warranty T-rating. The 4 tires installed with an alignment were $470. I'll let you know how they work out after running them a week or so. I ended up with them because in the end if I sell the car in a year or two no one else will care if I had H-rated tires on it. It already handles much better than I expected. Thank you for the responses.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
