Winter Tires
 

As owner of a '16 Sport Hybrid Adv, I've been very pleased with how well this car has held up over the past three years. I'm on my 3rd winter now in Chicago with the original OEM Michelin Primacys. The past day has been especially brutal, but the RLX has been soldiering on without a hiccup. This morning in particular is exceptional, but after a good 10-minute warm-up, the engine, transmission, and brakes don't even seem to be impacted in any negative way. What a well engineered machine!

I am more convinced now a this point of ownership that snow tires should be a must for snow belt cities for this car. I've never believed in changing the tread before, but despite the eSH-AWD, my car has been fish-tailing like a seal in killer whale's mouth. It's generally predictable and even a little fun, but I don't feel like I'm really benefitting from an AWD vehicle in any freezing or generally slick conditions. Granted, no car is perfect for such conditions, and I always modify my driving behavior to accommodate 90 degree turns, but I've found little benefit of the negative torque provided by the electric motors on the rear wheels let alone the additional weight over the rear axel.

I questions a few things: is the traditional SH-AWD superior for such conditions rather than relying on all of the computers attempting to predict and dictate power distribution? Concerning winter tires, would down-sizing to 18-inch rims (perhaps from an older '14 PAWS model) be better equipped to contend with snowy conditions as opposed to keeping the 19-inch rims with snow tires? The difference in prices for snow tires between 18- and 19-inch sizes is practically double for some brands which almost justifies the purchase of different rims...

I'll likely continue with the OEMs for one more year, but I'm developing the itch to replace even these sooner to some Pilot Sport A/S 3+ by summer/fall... I'd be curious to hear what others are doing for these winter months as well as the warm ones...

My snow tires are 18 inch. The primary reason for buying 18 inch was to give the rims a bit more protection from bumpy, icy, rutted roads in the winter and huge pot holes in the spring.

Purchasing rims to go with your winter tires also spares your summer set from the salt, sand and abuse of winter roads while making switch-overs much easier.

Just my two cents.

As a resident of the Northern suburbs of Chicago, I did think of buying a set of winter tires for my '17 SH-AWD. However, the car was fish-tailing even in light rain in July/August.

Hence, decided to replace the OEMs with a set of Pilot Sport A/S 3+. Got them replaced this morning at the dealer in Libertyville. Tonight's ice storm in the Chicago area should be a good time to test for any fish-tailings.

^^ Ice and snow are two completely different animals, but the new snow tires may help some.

I've been considering these exact tires myself. How do they compare since replacing the OEM Primacys? Since we're probably only a few miles apart, how are the Pilots handling the icy roads? Any difference in road noise at higher speeds? How's the ride quality over rougher roads? Thanks for the input...

I see we have a few SH-AWD in Chicago area! Pretty cool:thumbsup:

My experience over the last 2 years (changing over to Pilots at 10,000mi), is you will see a night and day difference in rain, and a lesser difference in ice and snow. The problem is with the design of the back drive wheels that will not let the wheels coast (freewheel) through a corner.

Following are my observations - after having driven the car for the last 3 days with the new Michelin AS/3s -
- Road Noise - Yes - the "quiet" of the RLX at low speed is pretty much gone. But, the noise level at higher speeds in the highway wasn't that bad though.
- 0-to-30 - Sluggish. Don't have the instant-response feel of the RLX anymore. Highway Merging at 40+ MPH wasn't an issue as the car generated enough power.

Overall highway driving almost feels the same as with the OEMs. It's at lower speed wherein it feels like driving an entirely different car.

Didn't get ice or snow in the last 3 days to test them in all conditions.

If cost, storage and the switchover hassle are manageable for you, then having a set of dedicated snow tires is the way to go. A good set of snow tires will SIGNIFICANTLY out perform even the best all season tire on snow and especially on ice. Of course, your local climate will dictate how often you have to drive in snowy or icy conditions and make the decision to buy snow tires pretty obvious. Bottom line, if the temperature is below 45 F, it is safer to be on snow/winter tires even if there is no snow or ice.

Just my two cents.

Thanks for all of the input. The Pilots definitely sound like the superior tire. I too have noticed significant slipping in the summer rains -- not just the snow and ice we've been inundated with as of late. I wondering whether Michelin, from whom I almost exclusively buy tires, will release the Primacy Tour A/S with sizes for the RLX. I recently installed these as replacements for my wife's TSX wagon and have been pleasantly surprised. Frankly, her car feels safer and better planted in the nasty stuff than my RLX. The tire was just released this past year, and it's basically a modification of the OEM Primacy MXM4 from the RLX... We'll have to see what comes this year because I'm not going through another winter with the OEM Primacys. As for winter tires -- I'm still on the fence as to whether to incur the additional cost and hassle of changing and storage. One a dry and clear winter day, I'm sure I'd find winter tread patterns annoying...

I can't believe you made it 3 winters on the stock tires. One drive in the snow and I instantly but some snow tires on. I'm now considering summer tires...

It was a pretty hairy winter here in Chicagoland. I was close to changing the tires in December the performance was so bad. With the warmer temperatures, the car has become much more competent as expected, but I'll need to do something by next fall... I'm still on the fence as to go with the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+ or switch to a whole different set of rims with winter tread...

I'd love to hear more about what RLX owners are doing as their OEM tires wear out...

New Tread
 

Well, I managed one more summer on the OEM Michelin Primacys which do remarkably well on warm, dry pavement, but now that I'm approaching 50K on my '16 SH and the changing weather, it's time to upgrade. I've been reading about many differing brands, but I still keep coming back to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ as the best all-weather replacement. I liked the OEM Primacys for the dry stuff, but even in warm wet weather, I didn't feel to confident and found myself in many situations where I was losing grip on gradual curves -- I won't be considering these again. I know that dedicated winter tires are the best way to go for Chicago winters, but I'm not ready to buy a second set of rims or to store a summer set on shelves on I don't have.

Anyone else with experience with these Pilots? Thanks in advance for the input. I'll be purchasing by the end of the week!

I replaced my OEM rubber with the Michelin AS3+ tires after fishtailing at low speed turns in the rain - and they have been great. I will say my steering column makes a noise turning at low parking lot speeds which I described to the dealer as a cable tightening. They said it's actually from the tires, which are sticky and soft. I do know when I swap out my winter set the noise goes away so clearly it is the tires.

I just got a set of Michelin X-Ice3 tires for the winter just to be on the safe side. I had used Continental DWS06 tires for the last few winters and they managed, but a dedicated winter set is always better...

I just installed my second set of Pilot Sport A/S 3+. Due to their softness, they don't last as long as some tires. The rubber seemed to get harder when the tires were getting towards the end of their life (tread-depth wise). I was getting some backend looseness in the rain on gentle turns/corners. Even at that they were still night-and-day better than the OEMs.

I have not yet made it through a full set of any tires before a pothole damaged at least one of them, thus speeding up the replacement of all four prematurely. So far the Mich Pilot Sport A/S 3+ has been the best overall. My current set might be my last with the car as I may be trading mine in within a year for another vehicle. Maybe a 2020 MDX Sport Hybrid Advance like we already have in the "fleet", or a Volvo XC90T8 Plug In Hybrid. Two different price ranges but similar in size.

If you are thinking about a new Volvo, please be sure to research complaints and repair rates.

Modern Volvo are beautifully designed, especially the interiors.

But if you are used to Honda reliability you might be in for some surprises.

As a person living in WI, I spent the last 3 days price checking and just ordered my snow tires and I can conquer that it is almost the same price to buy a set of 18 inch rims with snow tires than to just buy a set of snow tires for the 19's. I was literally about to pull the trigger on a set of 18's with some winter tires and my friend, who owns a used car dealership, had a set of 19" Michelin Pilot Alpines that have been on his self for almost a year. The person paid for them but never came and picked them up. Turns out the guy got locked up. So he sold me the entire set for $300.