Tirerack is asking me if I understand that the Kumho ASX tires are "SL" rated and that the OEM tires are "XL" rated. My tires are completely bald and about to pop so I had to place an order but now it's on hold. Someone knowledgeable tell me if I should just go ahead and place the order or should I get "XL" rated tires instead??

TIA!!

 

NO ONE!??! Come on!

Ok, nevermind then...going to order them anyway. If I get hurt, I'm going to sue all you bitches.

j/k

 

XL.... you want the extra load tire for the heavy ass CL-S

 

Depends on the tire and the size (215/50-17? 225/45-17 or 225/45-17? 225/40-18 or 225/45-18 or 235/40-18? 235/35-19? And so on…)

I really prefer the XL rating for additional reserve capacity. And, for some makes and sizes of tires you will never get a 93 load rating with an SL tire.

However, if you stay ABOVE a 93 load rating, you should be OK if you aren't going to "push the envelope."

BTW, pushing the envelope means (to me):

1. Driving at very high speeds
2. Driving with a lot of people or weight in the car.
3. Driving in high temperatures.
4. Driving without doing regular checks of tire pressure (well, IMO, your screwed if you don't do this anyway).
5. All of the above.

There are some sizes of tire that I would NEVER put on the car without an XL rating, and it would be clear due to the very low load rating. (88, 87, etc.)

 

OK, it's going on a 2003 CLS-6speeder. Isn't the 6speeder LIGHTER THAN THE AUTOMATIC??

CUMHO ECSTA ASX 215/50/R17 going on original OEM RIM. ASX have load rating of 91W and OEM supposedly 93V.
Car is to be driven as follows:

1) High speeds - YES
2) Load of people in car - NO
3) HIGH TEMPERATURE DRIVING - NO
4) Regular interval checking of tires - YES
5) All of the above - NO

I really like these ASX tires..they look great and are $95 a piece. I've seen some good reviews on them..so what ya'll think? I'm sure the 6-speed CLS can handle the 91W right? I mean, the CL-P is using 91V rated!

Thanks for the responses yo'!

 

Some members are running with 91-load rated tires. If you ever have a problem with a tire blowing and causing injury or damage, you will have your own deep pockets to look into (Well, the odds of finding deep pockets are reduced -- I am always amazed at certain legal findings and awards...)

OTOH, people are ok (so far) with the 91 rating. Just make sure to keep the tire pressures checked when the car is dead cold (before it moves anywhere). As the pressure drops, so goes the load rating.

Watch the speed with people in the car...

 

SWEET! Order has been placed! woohoo! And I don't go faster at most in THEORY. So hehe , I think i'll be ok.

 

Does anyone know a good XL rated performance tire for our car? When I bought my Yoko AVS ES100's (that I absolutely love) they told me that only the OEM Michelins were XL.

Andy

 

In the stock size there are only a couple of choises for the same 93 load rating or better. The Yoko Avid V4, the Yoko T4/YK420, Dumlop SP Sport A2, and the Toyo Proxes TPT. If you upsize to 235/45 like I did, the choices become more numerous. I went with the Kumho ASX. The only negative so far is that it flatspots overnight so it thumps for the first few miles each day. I am increasing inflation to see if I can get rid of it. Otherwise it is a nice tire, quiet and smooth with good grip.

 

So you went with the 235/45 ASX models? Perhaps the flat spots are due to the larger width of the tire? I dunno, but I'm going to find out this tuesday. WIll take some pics. I picked the 215/50/R17's cause they are the same overall diameter as stock (25.5"). So no need to worry like the Continentals or other tires which are quite smaller, etc. How is the tread grip so far? Your experiences with them in wet weather? Dry?

 

that's just stupid if I'm forced to rebuy the damn michelins...at $195 a piece, it's quite a rip off considering the grip, noise levels, comfort, etc. isn't even up to standards with the cheaper brand models. 93v vs. 91w, hopefully it isn't a huge difference...if the CLP uses 91v, I don't see why the 6speed cls can't use it too.

 

DDT,

Exactly. Major ripoff. And since I didn't want to deal with plus sizing I was screwed.


Dgracer,

Of the tires you listed. What do you consider to be fairly grippy somewhat high performence tires?

Andy

 

My understanding is that if you have 4 guys weighing 250 lbs. each and driving under 100 mph you're Ok with a 91 load rating. That's still only 1000 lbs. Am I wrong???

 

Another not sure who your posing your question to. The quote function sure helps to clarify things.

A number of people have opted for the 91-load rating based on the CLP comparison. This same argument has come up a number of times, and I've already commented on this topic (about 20 times).

Back in late 2000, I called Acura Care and they insisted that the car's tires had to have 93 XL rating and nothing else was acceptable. Then, times changed, and they said that 93 was acceptable. Someone thought that I made the whole story up and I even got the same "riff" from Tire Rack.

The fact remains that the car came with 93 XL rated tires and Acura now asks for 93.

IMO, 91-load rated, max-performance tires might be safer -- at least when driven at medium (normal) speeds around town than having someone riding on 93-load rated tires that have crappy rubber and poor construction.

Personally, I still like riding on my 235/45-17 Toyos with their 97 XL rating.

There are some people that are running 88-load-rated tires and if you add in your 1000 pound load and assume that it is distributed equally from front to rear, there is too much weight on the front tires and they are over loaded at 0 MPH.

The factory says, 93 is required. If you vary from that, you assume the risk. IMO, just getting in the car and driving to the store is a pretty big risk these days (I've seen some pretty scary Samurais on the road of late).

YMMV

 

suzuki's?

 

The CLS has more power and a higher top speed. You're extrapolating, and you really need to consider that Acura just didn't put on 93 tires for the "fun of it." They have liability and safety concerns. Tire rating and selection is more involved that just looking at the corner weight on a particular tire. As the car's velocity increases, you put more load and heat into a tire. And, as the speed increases, you need to put more power into the front tires -- the very same tires that are the "driven wheels." There is a lot of power going into the front of this rather front heavy car.

As long as you understand that you are modifying the car below factory specs, and you are willing to accept that, you are ok.

BTW, if I was a tire retailer, and you came in to have 91 tires put on your CLS, I wouldn't sell them to you. OTOH, if you simply showed up and asked for 215-50/17 tires, I'd happily give them to you.

Here is the data sheet link for the MXM4. Have a look at the derating table:http://michelinman.com/assets/pdfs/doc_pilotmxm4.pdf