Which Michelins?

[08HoeCD]

I'm close to done with the mediocre-at-best Goodyear LS2s on my '08 Tahoe LT3 with factory 20s (275/55-20 tires). I'm planning to go with new tires when I get my year-end bonus, and I've read nothing but great things about Michelins. Come to think of it, I loved a set when I had them on our old 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. But which ones to go with?

My driving style & needs:
-Drive under 10K miles per year, mostly within a 30-mile radius
-Do various roadtrips 3-5 times per year, mostly within 400 miles for roundtrip
-Do not go off-road beyond parking in grassy areas during daughter's soccer tournaments
-Live in temperate climate and rarely see more than 4-6" of snow at any given time in winter

Which Michelins would you recommend?

 

[iLikeEggs]

LTX Defenders. Well worth the price.

 

[sumo]

I like michelins but around here they dry rot and side wall crack like crazy

 

[sk1dm4rk]

I agree with sumo. I bought a set at Samsclub for my Envoy XL and they look so bad that I am just waiting for a blowout. That said, I bought another set quite a few years ago for my Z-28 and they were the greatest thing since sliced bread.

So, I am torn. Is it the typical quality issue that tends to spring up over the years of the manufacturer finding ways to make more money on them or is it an issue where the manufacturer is making them at a price point that the warehouse club dictates and this is what you get?

I honestly don't know where I will be buying tires in the future.

Good luck with your choice.

Regards,

Mark

 

[08HoeCD]

I've heard the complaint about dry-rotting and/or sidewall cracks on Michelins but do not know if those issues are confined to any particular model of Michelins. At the same time, many people rave about the ride/handling/longevity of the Michelin brand. I had great experience with the tires that I ran but that was roughly 6 years ago (on my Jeep, now long gone) and I don't recall the model, but they wore like iron.

I believe that products marketed & sold through warehouse club retailers MAY be of lower quality in order to meet price-point or margin objectives.

 

[sumo]

I've heard the complaint about dry-rotting and/or sidewall cracks on Michelins but do not know if those issues are confined to any particular model of Michelins. At the same time, many people rave about the ride/handling/longevity of the Michelin brand. I had great experience with the tires that I ran but that was roughly 6 years ago (on my Jeep, now long gone) and I don't recall the model, but they wore like iron.

I believe that products marketed & sold through warehouse club retailers MAY be of lower quality in order to meet price-point or margin objectives.

I'm sure not all of them do it but here is an example of a car i worked on today. Great tread but really bad side wall cracking. Measured 6/32

 

[08HoeCD]

Wow. That's really bad-----that sidewall looks like it's been on an old car from a barn find.

 

[sumo]

Yea and that not be worse one I can remember. One was really bad, you can see down to the cords on the sidewalls

 

[sumo]

Few more Michelin. These are the pilots mxv4. Separating tread meets sidewall. Tires measured 6/32

 

[08HoeCD]

Pretty bad.