chinnu704

Hi, I am total noob when it comes to tires. I have been using Michelin as they came standard on my car and didn't think of using other brands. But now I am considering Yokohama Avid v4s vs Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus. Pls help me choose by giving your valuable advice. I have 2001 Acura TL Sedan. I had seen excellent reviews on Yokohama mostly in wet and dry seasons, I am unclear on how they perform in winter (I live in NJ, sometimes winters get very messy and sometimes they are not bad). On the other hand, I had used Michelins before and mostly they are fine, but I had seen poor performance when taking curves(screeching noise) and also they were not that good when it comes to snow. Price on Yokohama's is very pleasing..almost half of what Michelins cost. Also, I am not sure if I should get All season tires or winter tires. If I buy winter tires, then I believe I had to take them off after winter is over and switch to summer/all-season tires.. is this what you guys do? Wouldn't that add extra cost on changing tires, rotation and balancing very often, although I dont know how much those things cost. In any case, I need some good advice on buying good tires while saving some money.

Appreciate your help.

02type-s

For the value, Yokos all the way. Michelins aren't worth as much as they charge.

CrazyBabyDoc

I agree 100%. I currently have the Avid W4. Prior to my current setup I had Pirelli PZero Nero M+S, Avon Tech 550AS, and Kumho ASX.

I thought long and hard about the Bridgestone 960AS but I anticipate the Avids will be in the ballpark of performance of the best in class without costing a mint. I'm about 3000 miles so far. The tires are great dry, fine wet, and are surprisingly quiet for performance tread. I've been told they get loud when they wear, though.

hockeynut

I just took off the Yokos to put my winter tires on. The Yokos get praise here and at Tirerack but I did not like them. I thought they were noisier and not as smooth as the michelins but did have better hydroplaning resitance. I suspect they are terrible in the snow as they have poor ratings in that category on Tirerack. I am a believer in dedicated winter tires - there is a big thread here in the tire forum regarding this subject.

I will not buy the Yokos again this spring when I take off my snows, but will not buy the OEM michelens either ($$ and poor at hydroplaning). I will read through the tire thread here and also reviews at Tirerack before deciding. I suggest you read through both as well before buying your tires.

eaglegreen48

I'm running Yoko AS430's. They are great in dry/wet weather. I haven't had them in snow yet. I'm in Philly and I would recommend all seasons for sure.

hockeynut

I should have been specific - my Yokos were the V4S's.

derrick

Weather is a lot different in Wisconsin VS NJ ... (I assume 'Cheeseland' is where the 'Cheese Heads' live) Although NJ receives the brunt end of a 'Noreaster from time to time, the roads are clear fairly often. I would say the V4S would be sufficient for your area ... and have great tread life.

Now ... if you live in a more desolate area and require necessary traction, then by all means, a dedicated snow tire is the way to go. I like Nokian tires, as do a few people here recommend them. I'm sure the Blizzaks are fine as are Pilot Alpin or the Yokohama Ice Guards. If you want something less specialized than Nokian, you can always go look for Toyo Garit-HT tires. Any shop should be able to order those in fairly easily. (See the all-season VS dedicated snow tire thread stickied at the top of this subforum)

If you are on a budget and don't want to keep a dedicated set of winter rims, then go with all-season Yoko V4S. The equivalent Michelin would be the Pilot Exalto, not the MXV4.
Hope that helps.

hockeynut

Yes, the expense of dedicated snows depend on where you are (and yes, wisconsin is correct for my location)

I run snows because I put on most of my miles in the winter running kids for hockey (used to anyways) I now buy them for all my family vehicles as the difference is unbelievable. I view them as cheap insurance and also get decent life out of them (I am on my 4th winter with Dunlop Wintersport M3's) They will be done after this season, however, and I will need to get a new set next year. I have been very happy with these and will most likely go with thier newer M3D's when the time comes. I highly recommend "performance" winters - regular winters are too soft for our cars - too squishy.

As for the Avid V4S's, they are not good for snow at all - read ratings on Tirerack and I had breif experience with them a couple winters ago when I changed them out a little too late - very bad in the snow.

I tossed the Avids this November after the switch as they were worn out and am looking forward to something different in the spring. I just never liked them - noise, never quite balanced right, just didn't like them. They do get good reviews however (except for snow) and the price is right. I will need to do some studying before spring arrives.

sb65

I replaced my OEM Michelins with the Yoko Avid V4s and I must say that I am not happy with the Yokos. I know that the Avid's are more of a performance tire, but I find the ride to be MUCH rougher than that of the Michelins. You feel every bump and crack in the road.

Additionally, I have yet to get my Yokos balanced. The tire place tried 5X to balance them (seriously), and they claim that they are showing as balanced on the Roadforce balancer, but the steering wheel still shimmies at speeds over 67 mph. The same shop also said that 2 of the tires were out of round, so I had them replaced by Tire Rack. They also said that one of my rims was bent, so I replace that as well. Shake still remains. My brakes are warped, so they could be rubbing and causing the shake I feel, but I didn't feel it on my Michelin's. I am replacing the brakes, getting my tires rebalanced, and if that doesn't fix the problem, I'm ditching the Yokos and either going back to the Michelin's or trying another tire.

I had good luck with Dunlop's on my Accord (SP2's or something), so I will probably consider them and Bridgestone's, but right now, the better/smoother ride of the Michelin's is enough for me to live with the not-so-good wet traction and squealing when you go around turns (especially in parking garages).

vlam

I've been using the Yoko v4s for about 1 year now and it's safe to say that I am not going back to these. I find them good for the summer but I don't really like them in the rain or snow and we haven't really have any real snow in South NJ yet!

loojoohnnyl

i would recommend Avid TRZ they are great in everything and they have higher ratings then the Avid v4s. i think they are also cheaper.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Model=AVID+TRZ

death

Get the Avid TRZs, they are more of a touring tire then the more sport oriented Avid V4s's. I have the Avid V4s's and have had no issues other than light flat spots when I let my car sit for a long time.

death

Here is a good break down of each tire offered by Yokohama and their specific use.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/yokohama/yokohama.jsp

TLover8888

i have the Yokos and am satisfied with them for dry and wet. Snow isnt too bad but then again, i dont really drive the car when its snowing and by the time i do afterwards, the roads are usually plowed already and safe enough for me to drive.

loojoohnnyl

yeah the Avid TRZ would be ur best bet for our TL. my uncle has the Avid TRZ and i was testing out the tires and they are very quite, good in the snow, rain, and dry. if u do alot of hard driving they are also great tires.

chinnu704

I know I am little off topic here..but appreciate any answers. Is it necessary to do Tire Alignment/suspension check after mounting all 4 tires. How long can we go without doing any alignment after mounting new tires?

TLover8888

you dont have to get an alignment check, but since you bought tires, it would be better to spend the little extra on checking your alignment out in order to maximize the life of your tires. You dont wanna be spending a lot of money on tires and then have them wear out prematurely on one side.

01tl4tl

Chances are- if you drive anywhere on Earth- you need an alignment once a year or more.
Its cheap insurance- keeping the tires from wearing improperly AND with gasoline expected to rise over 4$ a gallon VERY soon (we will read this again in a few years and think back to when gas was only 4 bucks a gallon) its even more important.
An aligned vehicle goes straight down the road- not constantly fighting the tires desire to go one way or the other, in addittion, presenting a cross section profile of the tire to the road greatly reduces fuel economy
You want perfect contact in the right direction. Balancing the tires when rotated ensure smooth ride and less stress on parts connected to the wheels.
IMO 50-75 for alignment is dollars well spent

TLover8888

yeah, i never realized how much tire pressure can affect gas mileage until one day i was getting really bad mileage with my TL so i checked the tires and i was at something like 20 psi Filled up the tires and whaddya know, my gas mileage improved greatly