Given
83%
while driving a
Hyundai Tucson
(235/50 R19) on
mostly town
for 3,200
easy going miles
Hello all,
DRY
The tires have very good grip on dry, especially with acceleration.
Stopping distances seems reasonable but I didn't put them on extreme braking, as my driving is not that spirited.
The handling lacks a bit of a feeling and I suspect there is more wall flex, which is a trade off - a bit more floaty but with very good comfort.
Noise seems not a problem as well, if you listen you will hear it but otherwise, especially in the city, you barely notice it.
WET
In the wet, the tires also were OK. I drove fast on a very wet highway and car was controllable.
Still it lacked a bit of a feeling what the car was doing. But keep in mind I drive a 2+ tons suv, so I suspect this might have something to do with it.
But yes, I had no problems following lines, braking or accelerating, or when pushing the car on highway bends with 140 km/h in the wet.
SNOW (slush really)
We had little snow this year in the city and didn't had chance to test these in proper snow, sorry.
However due to our city being quite dirty, I can say that on slush these tires were very good. You feel in control, even when changing lanes trough traffic.
Stopping is also OK but again, I prefer to ease off the gas before braking and generally use little brakes. But I can say, when stopping abruptly these tires were very good.
ICE
Now ice. I had 1 really scary moment, when 1 tire was on ice and I had 0% grip. Tire was just spinning, so the 4WD kicked in and I was able to move.
This is from position stopped to just trying to move past that ice patch, mind you.
This made me really concerned. But when I went out of the car and on that ice patch, I nearly fell off and I was wearing winter boots. Like for real?!
So maybe this was just really, really, really smooth ice.
So I think, maybe whenever tire you have, apart from studded, this patch would be the same.
Just drive carefully when on ice, I guess.
POTHOLES
In general the tires handle these like champions. Mind you my suspension is a bit on the firm side, I feel.
But these tires (esp compared to summer tires, which have firmer walls, in general) were very OK over potholes and uneven surfaces.
I just had 1 moment when I think the pothole (yes we had a lot of those here) was not that big but it still triggered my tire pressure warning, even if tire was not loosing pressure. When I went to the tire shop rim was OK though and tire was OK. We inflated the tire just a tiny bit and after a few kms, the warning went off.
Also side walls seems sturdy, as I brushed the tires against the sidewalk a few times when parking.
WEAR
Wear seems very low after 3200 miles / 5k kms. But its Michelin, so this is what you would expect, I guess, from this brand. And the price.
Mind you not very spirited driver myself. I like my car very much and don't want to end up in a tree. :o)
So tires are pricey but I expect to change them due to years, rather then wear.
NOTE:
Due to the nature of the marking/grooving of the tire, removing the stones from the canals of the tires is very time consuming and annoying.
This is before you conserve them for the next winter/slushy season.
Hope this helps somebody with their tire choice!
Keep up the good work Tire reviews!
Safe travels, all! And be passionate for your tires - they keep you on the road.