Hey Guys,

It's time to buy Tires! I have a few questions regarding several tires I'm interested in buying. Keep in mind that I've scoured many posts related to some of these tires but I need some clear-cut answers which I have been unable to find.

My priorities are these:

1. The smoothest, most comfortable ride
2. The quietest ride
3. The longest tread life

For comparison, I currently have the original Michelin Pilot HXMX4 tires installed. These don't seem very smooth or quiet to me but that's probably because they're at the end of life.

From my research, I have gathered that the Toyo Versado LX ii and Bridgestone Turanza Serenity are very quiet and smooth. Here are my questions:

1. Which of these 3 tires (Toyo, Bridgestone, Michelin) are the quietest and smoothest?
2. Which of these 3 tires have the longest tread life?
3. Is there a quieter/smoother tire out there that I'm missing?


Thanks in advance for your help! I'm very confident that I will find the answers I need here

-Paul

 

Is there a reason to not consider Continental DWS?

 

I have looked at the DWS but I've read that the ride quality was not as good as the Bridgestone ,Toyo, or Michelin. The advantage however is that it is a better performing tire. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Thanks,
Paul

 

I feel no difference in ride quality between the DWS and MXM4s. DWS seem quieter, but that may be b/c of the age of the MXM4s when they were replaced. $60/tire cheaper was my selling point.

 

michelin primacy are good i just brought some two weeks ago

 

I've heard that the Primacy is a great tire but it is H rated and the Rl needs V. Have you noticed sloppy handling due to the softer sidewalls?

 

no the ride is great i had the pilots and the ride was rough and extremely loud but once i switched to the primacy. i have no complaints at all i'm very happy with my purchase.

 

I had these on my last car ('04 Saab 9-5) and the difference in noise level was marked compared with the original tyres. The Primacy was so much quieter. Haven't had occasion to change the tyres on my RL yet.

 

they are well worth it

 

I had the Michelins HXMX4's, then Versados, and I am currently on the DWS.

I will probably buy Versados from here on out, I got 60k out of the last set and they were just as quiet as the Michelin HXMX4 with better traction for the east coast.

 

Just curious, how many miles did you get out of your HXMX4's?

Also, do you know where I can get a set of Versados cheap? Thanks!

 

Had the Bridgestone Serenity's on my TL.. A truly awesome tire. performance with a luxury ride.

 

In the FWIW department....

Can anyone confirm...

I was at a Merchants getting a flat from another car patched...I asked the guy there what the difference was between Primacy and Pilot....he said Michelin was phasing out the Pilot series in favor of the Primacy series....

I always take Merchants with a grain of salt, and would never bring my RL there...but I did notice on the Tire Rack with certain models of the Pilot HX MXM4, such as the 215/45-17, say they are on closeout...

Can anyone tell what the difference is between Primacy and Pilot? Certainly, the Pilots do not seem to be going away, and the really good performance tires are still Pilots whereas the Primacy only seems to be a category in the Grand Touring categories...even more confusingly, there is a Grand Touring Summer tire called the Pilot Primacy!

Thanks in advance

 

Unfortunately I have never seen Versados cheap which is why I have the Cont DWS now... But I will spend the money next time.

The HX's got 35-40k.

 

i have the bridgestone serenity on my car and i like them. i dont know if i will put them back on because they are pricey. i think my tire guy quoted me just over 200 a tire.

 

I just about fell off my chair when Michelin customer service called me about my email question regarding Primacy and Pilot lines, as specifically related to the time honored Pilot HX MXM4.

She told me that the use of Pilot and Primacy is very confusing, even to someone who works at Michelin, and the names are used for a variety of tires with distinctly different purposes.

With respect to the Pilot HX MXM4, she said that is being replaced with the Primacy MXM4. As a new "evolution", she says it is smoother riding tire, with better treadlife, and now comes with a mileage warranty, unlike the original tire. The warranty varies between 45,000 and 55,000 miles depending on the speed rating.

As a matter of fact, in March 2011, Michelin instituted a mileage warranty on all their new tires. Previously they sold more tires without a mileage warranty than they did with those that had a mileage warranty

Now, all current tires (note the Pilot HX MXM4 is not a current tire as it has been replaced by the Primacy MXM4 and they are just depleting existing stock) with a mileage warranty also include a roadside assistance plan, that is, Michelin will send someone out to help you put your spare on to get you to the next town. They are "very excited" about this new warranty change...a "milestone for Michelin that makes it easier for all parties involved"

She advised me, if I were looking at replacing the Pilot HX MXM4, to get the Primacy MXM4. The new evolution of tire will be much better for you all around, including the warranty.

She could not answer me about what the Merchants Tire guy said...it seemed like each tire had its own evolutionary life, and whether they are called Pilot or Primacy or something else is part of that evolution. She did acknowledge that both Pilot and Primacy were high performance tires, with the Pilot Sports being the most high performance tire.

 

Why did you choose the Versados over the other two tires? What were your observations when comparing the 3? I think more detailed responses to this question will help a lot of us make a decision on which tire to choose from.

I am currently torn between the Bridgestone's and the DWS's.

 

Just to let you all know, I decided on buying the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires. I got a good deal from DiscountTire.com w/ free shipping and no tax. Check 'em out.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/fin...12176&sw=false

I'm having the tires installed later this week and will let y'all know what my first impressions are.

Thanks,
Paul

 

Heavy,

Were you the one with the balance problem on the Conti DWS?

 

Balancing problems with the Conti DWS...that, unfortunately, was me.

Every other week I was at NTB with vibration issues. Each time they would tell me, "I don't know who balanced these last time but..." or "We were having problems with the machine and it was just recalibrated...". This went on for two months. Between that and the car wanting to "drift to the right" was too much. I went back to the Michelins and life has been good.

My brother put DWS on his Q5-S and swears by them. Says he'll never buy another brand.

In my experience the DWS were much quieter and had a smoother ride than the OEM Michelins. Just couldn't live with the vibrations.

My next set will probably be the Pilot AS. Have them on the wife's 5 series and really, really like them.

 

I put the Primacy MXM4s on my 2006 RL in May, they've been great! I hear a little road noise but the ride is smooth and handling has been excellent. I'll admit I don't "push the envelope" but we got caught in a rainstorm in the mountains in July and wet weather traction was excellent! No slipping in the corners at 65-70 - good thing as we would have been into the median barrier quickly.

Haven't had them in the snow but that should happen this winter, we'll see how the traction / handling is. Replaced the Pilots that were on it, they had more road noise but they were worn out. I wasn't worried about the H versus V rating, can't drive > 75 anyway. OK, occasionally we go a little faster - they roll out fine.

I've always had great luck with Michelin tires. They cost a little more but I justify it by amortirizing the extra $ over the time life of the tire. I hope they last 50k + miles, the Pilots did and they're supposed to be a softer compound.

 

The argument for longer tire life is a good one, unless the tires are so soft they get punctured.


This happened to me at 40k mi on the dot. I do attribute this puncture to a 104 degree ambient temp (5:00 p.m.) on a road that had been baking all day in 108 degrees (no shade) making the tires very soft. However, when researching new tires, I read a review written buy an owner whose Pilot MXM4 was punctured by a twig. He was very adamant that it was a twig and should not be able to penetrate rubber. His experience and mine were enough to stray me away from Michelins for good, and I used to be a fan boi. I lost a year's worth of driving on these tires so the lifetime argument went out the window.

 

Hi in same situation you were on which tire for my 06 RL that I am depaxing. What do you think of your new Michelins and are they "V" rated? I see the 18" Primacy for $242 each, which i am switching out original pax wheels for 18" after markets.

 

I've had the Michelin Primacy MXM4's on for a few hundred miles. They are really great tires! Significantly less road noise and very smooth riding tires.
They are "H" rated but I cannot tell a difference with performance than the OE tires. Depending on how much life I get out of these, I plan to buy another set down the road.

 

Any new updates on the BS Serenity VS the Michelin Pilot MXM4? I am going to buy tires for the first time on the RL and can't decide between those two.

 

A better shopping comparison would be the Bridgestone Serenity Plus vs the Michelin Primacy MXM4. The MXM4 is a much newer tire in Michelin's lineup and outperforms the aging Pilot HX MXM4 in basically every category. It's also less expensive.

 

However, Costco said they won't honor the mileage warranty because the new primacy is "H" rated and Acura calls out a V rated tire. Quite a quandary for RL owners that want a Michelin product especially since Michelin won't be making any new tires that fit the RL with a V rating. Will other tire dealers do the same and not honor the warranty? i would think so b/c Costco has about the best customer service around and if they are doing it others will too and the person selling the primacy tires probably won't tell customers that they are SOL in regards to the mileage warranty and Michelin.

Although tire manufacturers won't even look at honoring a tire mileage warranty until the tires reach 2/32 in wear. Who in their right mind drives tires to 2/32? Since most people replace their tires before 2/32 does that mean even though they could most people don't exercise the warranty when they might be able to if they drove on the tires longer?

 

The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is a great tire. They are on every car I own, 70,000 tread wear guarantee, smooth ride, superb wet traction. I find Michelins to be overpriced and weak in the wet. Also very reasonably priced if you go to Tire Rack/Discount Tire.

Just my .02---

 

I had the DWS and hated them, they wore fast and ride quality sucked. They were also very dodgy( picked up groves easily and always wanted to go different directions, and that was even after a 4 wheel alignment.


I am on my second set of versados, they rock, good tread life if kept rotated, quiet and good ride.


I drive 40-50k a year and pretty much live in my RL

 

The Pilot A/S 3's aren't going to happen for our stock 17" wheels are they??

 

Anyone know of any updates on my last post? If I had to bet on it, I'd say no but I hope I'm wrong..

 

There is still not even a Michelin part number created for them. If they do release it in the stock size, it will be a while before it hits the road.

 

With the RL tire size being so obscure now, is there any hope for any new tires from the big guys in the next 6 months?

 

with all the luxury and near luxury cars sporting 18's now, our wheel size is slowly becoming obsolete

 

Unfortunately, there are only 3 cars that have ever come with a P245/50R17 as original equipment and none of them were incredible sellers. The fact that the only winter tire made in that size is a now three generation old run flat tire should tell you a little something about the overall demand for them. The only chance we see a lot more new tires is if the upcoming TLX base model uses the same size and ends up being a strong seller.

 

The Bridgestone Serenity is a great tire. I've had them for about a year and they are still extremely quiet.

 

I use Toyo Celsius CUV. These are All-weather tires and are fantastic in snow.
tirebuyer.com has them for $634.

 

I agree that the RL has such a weird tire size. I just installed Uniroyal Tiger Paws A/S, which I purchased from Amazon. They are a little noisier than I expected, but they are a ride, comfort, and handling improvement over the Kumho Ecsta tires that had been on there.