Tires

[thecoolstew]

anyone try Kumho tires on their Avalon?

[humanoid]

Originally Posted by JJJJJJ

I'd go with Michelin, BF Goodrich, Yokohama, and then Toyo - in that order.

Any particular reason why? Kumho gets pretty good user reviews on TireRack.com.

[sr20det]

JJJ I agree with a lot you've said, but I actually am not the biggest fan of Michelin. They usually are a very quiet, comfortable tire. What I don't like, is the hard, long-lasting tire compounds they typically use on general/all-season tires, and I think they can be a bit overpriced. (although in the avalons size, they have a few models in the mid price bracket). I had a few sets of Michelins on various cars, and they seem to lack the performance aspect, and the wet traction was less than best. Maybe it was because they were the OEM Michelins MXV4, but I was never impressed. I do have to give it to Michelin though, they usually have the lowest rolling resistance to give you better fuel economy.

Currently our Avalon has Yokohama Avid V4S and they are a quiet, tire with very good wet traction (what I was looking for) although the sidewalls aren't super-stiff for cornering. My top-picks are the BFGoodrich Traction T/A, Yoko Avid V4S and the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread. Just my preferences. I would try out the Michelin Pilot Exaltos though, they have very good ratings.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by sr20det

Currently our Avalon has Yokohama Avid V4S and they are a quiet, tire with very good wet traction (what I was looking for) although the sidewalls aren't super-stiff for cornering. My top-picks are the BFGoodrich Traction T/A, Yoko Avid V4S and the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread. Just my preferences. I would try out the Michelin Pilot Exaltos though, they have very good ratings.

I've had the Yokohama Avids on my Avalon and agree that they are very quiet, wore extremely well, and wet traction was excellent. I now have Goodyear Assurance tires and although they are wearing well and are quiet too, their performance in wet conditions is poor (I knew that when I bought them, but live in a desert area). Whether Yokohama copies designs by Michelin as JJJJJJ stated is a moot point: As long as they are cost effective and wear well I don't care if they're "copied" from anyone....IMO.

TrailDust

[TrailDust]

^^^ This post was more directly to the point. Now I see where you're coming from.

[messerchmidt]

I recc. the nexen n5000s (or cp614s) - best bang for buck all season tires that I have found.

[Tom in Tacoma]

I'll chime in with another vote for Michelin's. In addition to the set that came on my '07 Limited, I've had Michelin's on the Audi, Opel and Mercedes that I owned when I lived in Germany. Never - ever - had a problem with one of them including all those autobahn miles with the gas pedal pressed into the carpet for 30-minutes at a time.

In addition, in my past, I've worked in the tire retail industry (managed a Firestone store, done tire install and repair work at several places). In all the hundreds of tires that I've installed and balanced there's only one make where I've not had to install any weight at all - Michelin. If you take a Michelin tire and compare it side-by-side with any other brand before they're mounted you'll see a big difference in the way they're molded, in the sidewall stiffness, in the strength of the bead material and in the overall 'feel' of the tires.

Lastly, and I hope this doesn't come off as lecturing, the last thing I want out of a tire is for it to be the 'best bang for the buck'. Your car's ability to do anything rests entirely upon the tires. I want the best tires I can get for the car knowing that my family's safety rides (pun intended ) on them. Generally speaking, the best tires' side benefits usually come with a smooth, quiet ride, good wear characteristics, decent blend of wet/dry traction and (most important of all!) short braking distances.

I will add that I've owned Goodyear, Firestone, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, Toyo, General and a few 'off-brands'. For this car I prefer the Michelin's. But that's just one man's opinion.