Do you get what you pay for in Tires

Costco does not show Costco/Kirkland branded tires as an option, but there is currently a $150 discount. So that helps in my over analyzing of all of this.

The Michelins ride better, handle better, and are quieter than the competition. The handling is the the biggest reason I stay with them. The only tire that comes close to the Michelin is the Continental TerrainContact H/T and I believe the price has gone up on them. The Continentals are close to the Michelin on everything but handling.

Tires are worth over analyzing because they are the most important thing that connect your vehicle to the road and a bad set of tires will completely ruin a driving experience.

I've found over the years you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to tires. The cheaper options look good on paper but in the real world they end up being louder, rougher and wear out quicker. I've bought a shitload of tires over the years and cheap ones always disappoint

renotahoe said:

This is all great information. Especially the comparison of the tread depth of 8/32. If the Defender LTX's are 4/32" deeper in tread, that would definitely suggest longer life. So let me ask you all this simple question. Why, in your opinions are the Michelin Defender LTX's your go to tire? My wife tells me I overthink and over analyze decisions like this, but I like to make the best decision as possible. My commute is short, I live in the mountains, but don't have to deal with a lot of snow, though the roads can be damaged due to the snow removal equipment. I am looking at a $300 difference between Firestone and Michelins (12/32") and $260 between the General Grabber (12/32") and Michelins (12/32"). Maybe the higher UTQG rating of the Michelins justifies the +$300 as I would in theory get longer life. Ok, I am over analyzing.

Thanks everyone for your continued comments.

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Even after years of research I still over analyzed it for three months with lots of fancy spreadsheets! LOL

When this tread design first came out in the early 1990s, I sold a ton of them to my customers. Everyone loved them and they lasted a long time. It was not unusual to see them go 90K or more miles on a set. They are tough, quiet, last a long time and even do very well off road despite them being optimized for the highway. Did I say they were tough? A guy on here hit a pothole at 70 mph that busted his ball joint and control arm and broke his wheel but the tire is fine! Others had similar experiences at Tire Rack.

Maybe things have changed, never liked Generals, too many with tread separation, worse than Firestone! My direct experience with them ended around 2009. Still, BFGoodrich and Michelin haven't let me down in 30+ years of driving.

They look good too, should have gone white letters out though! I'm used to the awesomest looking tire ever made, the KO2s! LOL

renotahoe said:

Costco does not show Costco/Kirkland branded tires as an option, but there is currently a $150 discount. So that helps in my over analyzing of all of this.

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He's referring to the Costco-exclusive Michelin model, which is the Michelin X LT AS. As (supposedly) confirmed by Michelin, they're identical to the Defenders.

Stbentoak said:

I wouldn’t hang my hat on mileage ratings. Very few sets of tires go the full distance that they are warranted. And when you bring this up they give you a mere pittance of a credit toward another set of their brand only.

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I own a 2003 3/4- ton Silverado Duramax with 330,000 miles. I am on my third set of Bridgestone Dueler Revo. The first two sets had over 90,000 when I changed them even though they had a bit of life left in them. They were not yet down to the tire wear indicators in the tread. My present set has 59,000 miles and is not anywhere close to needing replacement.

renotahoe said:

This is all great information. Especially the comparison of the tread depth of 8/32. If the Defender LTX's are 4/32" deeper in tread, that would definitely suggest longer life. So let me ask you all this simple question. Why, in your opinions are the Michelin Defender LTX's your go to tire? My wife tells me I overthink and over analyze decisions like this, but I like to make the best decision as possible. My commute is short, I live in the mountains, but don't have to deal with a lot of snow, though the roads can be damaged due to the snow removal equipment. I am looking at a $300 difference between Firestone and Michelins (12/32") and $260 between the General Grabber (12/32") and Michelins (12/32"). Maybe the higher UTQG rating of the Michelins justifies the +$300 as I would in theory get longer life. Ok, I am over analyzing.

Thanks everyone for your continued comments.

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You are definitely overthinking this - they are tires for God sake! Just go with the Michelin Defender LTX and you will be more than happy. Next question??

Joseph Garcia said:

^^x2^^ on Michelin Defenders LTX tires, if you are not doing any serious off-roading. These tires easily handle anything that the NH winter can throw at them.

If you are a member of Costco, they sell these Michelin tires under their brand name for a lower price. Same exact tire, just a lower price.

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I am on my 2nd set of Michelin

Joseph Garcia said:

^^x2^^ on Michelin Defenders LTX tires, if you are not doing any serious off-roading. These tires easily handle anything that the NH winter can throw at them.

If you are a member of Costco, they sell these Michelin tires under their brand name for a lower price. Same exact tire, just a lower price.

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I just bought my 2nd set of Michelin Defenders and they go on Monday. I bought them at Costco and saved about $400. I highly recommend these tires regardless of where you get them. I got about 60,000 miles out of them as well.

renotahoe said:

My '18 Tahoe LT is getting close to needing some new tires. I am currently at 39,000 miles with the stock Michelin's. Tire Rack has really good reviews on the General Grabber HTS over the Bridgestone Duelers. The General Grabbers are significantly lower in $'S too but the warranty of 65,000 miles on the Generals is much lower than the 80,000 of the Bridgestone's. I am in the Reno area where it can snow, but typically is gone in a day or two. So do you get what you pay for when it comes to tires?

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Count me in on the Michelin fan club. I own 4 cars at the moment, plus I have six adult kids and all their cars coming to me for advice. I've bought and used up pretty much every brand of tire over the past 40+ years. I will tell you, I am a cheap bastard, if there's money to be saved, I will save it. But I will never buy anything but Michelins again. They cost a bit more, but wow, they are so worth it. It's the only brand (besides BF Goodrich, which is owned by Michelin) that has earned my loyalty.
Lots of reasons, but the biggest one for me? And don't laugh, but they stay "round" until the end. By that, I mean they keep their integrity, no broken belts or weird high spots, so they roll smoothly without vibration even when you've had them on for years. I can't say that about any other brand. I've had other tires, including major brands like Goodyear and Firestone, feel like you're riding on square wheels after less than a year, and I don't abuse them or hit a lot of potholes or anything. My beef with Bridgestones is that they are ok on dry pavement, but even a light rain and you might as well be driving on ice, just my experience.
Just this past weekend, I was driving back from Tennessee, 85+ mph in my 2001 Yukon XL and I remember thinking, "I can't believe I'm doing these speeds in a 20 year old truck and it rides smooth as glass." Get yourself the Michelin Defenders or the LTX or whatever they call them (I've had both on my truck) and rest easy that you made a good choice. I'm on Defenders for the past 3 years, but my previous set was the Costco tire they're talking about. I had those on for probably 8 or 9 years and used them up. I would have gladly gone back to those but I'm not a member anymore. The Defenders are identical in looks and performance for my purposes - street only, no off-roading. I live in Ohio, so we get all the different weather, they work well in any season. Hope this helps.

91RS said:

Michelin Defender LTX is the only choice.

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This. Seriously....don't even overthink it. Just do it