Let's talk tires...
#41
02-04-2009, 01:28 AM
Hybrid and Ethanol Expert
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: All over the Central U.S.
Posts: 3,616
Re: Let's talk tires...
Actually, they are about $10 each cheaper here when you buy 4:
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do
But they are currently on AT LEAST a 14 day backorder.
The tires cost more individually, but you get $70 off when you buy 4.
Tire Rack says I'll have mine at my door in 3 days.
Which is good. I'm taking a 2000 mile trip in 4 days.
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do
But they are currently on AT LEAST a 14 day backorder.
The tires cost more individually, but you get $70 off when you buy 4.
Tire Rack says I'll have mine at my door in 3 days.
Which is good. I'm taking a 2000 mile trip in 4 days.
#42
02-04-2009, 07:51 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
Actually, they are about $10 each cheaper here when you buy 4:
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do
But they are currently on AT LEAST a 14 day backorder.
The tires cost more individually, but you get $70 off when you buy 4.
Tire Rack says I'll have mine at my door in 3 days.
Which is good. I'm taking a 2000 mile trip in 4 days.
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do
But they are currently on AT LEAST a 14 day backorder.
The tires cost more individually, but you get $70 off when you buy 4.
Tire Rack says I'll have mine at my door in 3 days.
Which is good. I'm taking a 2000 mile trip in 4 days.
MM
#43
02-04-2009, 10:25 PM
Hybrid and Ethanol Expert
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: All over the Central U.S.
Posts: 3,616
Re: Let's talk tires...
Me too! 
Here's the "problem".
When people change out their old paper air filter to a K&N filter, most report a slight increase in mileage. BUT....
Was this due to the change in type of filter? Or due to changing out a dirty one with a clean one? Or half & half?
Old, worn tires are smoother, well "broken in", and in general, give better MPG than new tires of the same type.
I'm changing the type, and the "newness" at the same time.
If my MPG remains constant, that could really be an improvement.
Catch my drift?
Here's the "problem".
When people change out their old paper air filter to a K&N filter, most report a slight increase in mileage. BUT....
Was this due to the change in type of filter? Or due to changing out a dirty one with a clean one? Or half & half?
Old, worn tires are smoother, well "broken in", and in general, give better MPG than new tires of the same type.
I'm changing the type, and the "newness" at the same time.
If my MPG remains constant, that could really be an improvement.
Catch my drift?
#44
02-05-2009, 06:23 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
Me too!
Here's the "problem".
When people change out their old paper air filter to a K&N filter, most report a slight increase in mileage. BUT....
Was this due to the change in type of filter? Or due to changing out a dirty one with a clean one? Or half & half?
Old, worn tires are smoother, well "broken in", and in general, give better MPG than new tires of the same type.
I'm changing the type, and the "newness" at the same time.
If my MPG remains constant, that could really be an improvement.
Catch my drift?
Here's the "problem".
When people change out their old paper air filter to a K&N filter, most report a slight increase in mileage. BUT....
Was this due to the change in type of filter? Or due to changing out a dirty one with a clean one? Or half & half?
Old, worn tires are smoother, well "broken in", and in general, give better MPG than new tires of the same type.
I'm changing the type, and the "newness" at the same time.
If my MPG remains constant, that could really be an improvement.
Catch my drift?
I am with you, but hopeful that the light weight alone will cause you to see some improvement.
MM
#45
02-08-2009, 11:00 PM
Hybrid and Ethanol Expert
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: All over the Central U.S.
Posts: 3,616
Re: Let's talk tires...
Tire Rack shipped my Latitude Tours on Tuesday.
They were at my door by noon Thursday.
They were mounted to my car Friday.
I drove 1300 miles Sat & Sun.
I did a "coast down" test with my old tires down a hill in my neighborhood Thursday. On the 71,xxx miles Stock Eco Plus tires, I put the car in neutral and rolled down a hill to a stop, and marked it with chalk. I did this 3x and the car stopped with 10 ft. each time. I had the fronts at 38psi and the rears at 40psi.
Friday, I did the same test with the new tires, same psi.
The FEH rolled to the same spot +/- 5 feet out of half a mile coasting.
So no big difference there. But, no worse either!
The first thing I noticed right away is, the car is "bouncier"!
On the old tires, when I hit a pothole, or driveway, the car went "thud".
Now, the car feels like it goes "bounce bounce bounce" entering driveways, you know, where there is a gutter.
At 60 MPH on my long trip, was getting 40.2 MPG for a long ( 40 mile ) average. On the same roads, with the old tires, I was getting about 39 MPG.
At 71-72 MPH for a long ( 350 mile ) average, I got 31.5 MPG in one direction, and 32.0 MPG for the return trip. This was based on gas pumped. Nav was slightly higher, as usual. I think this is about 1.5 MPG higher than usual.
Hard to get specific, technical, reliable "proof" these tires are better.
But they for sure are not worse!
They do cost a little more ( ~33% more ) than the Continental Eco Plus, which, dollar per dollar, are probably just as good for your wallet.
The Michelin's have a longer (+25%) treadlife rating though.
HTH,
-John
P.S. No decernable change in "noise" level between the two tires. I always thought the Conti's were just fine, but the FEH has poor insulation and is a noisy car in the first place. I think when most people post that the stock tires are noisy, I think it is just the wind noise, since the whole car is loud. ( and louder than their last car )
They were at my door by noon Thursday.
They were mounted to my car Friday.
I drove 1300 miles Sat & Sun.
I did a "coast down" test with my old tires down a hill in my neighborhood Thursday. On the 71,xxx miles Stock Eco Plus tires, I put the car in neutral and rolled down a hill to a stop, and marked it with chalk. I did this 3x and the car stopped with 10 ft. each time. I had the fronts at 38psi and the rears at 40psi.
Friday, I did the same test with the new tires, same psi.
The FEH rolled to the same spot +/- 5 feet out of half a mile coasting.
So no big difference there. But, no worse either!
The first thing I noticed right away is, the car is "bouncier"!
On the old tires, when I hit a pothole, or driveway, the car went "thud".
Now, the car feels like it goes "bounce bounce bounce" entering driveways, you know, where there is a gutter.
At 60 MPH on my long trip, was getting 40.2 MPG for a long ( 40 mile ) average. On the same roads, with the old tires, I was getting about 39 MPG.
At 71-72 MPH for a long ( 350 mile ) average, I got 31.5 MPG in one direction, and 32.0 MPG for the return trip. This was based on gas pumped. Nav was slightly higher, as usual. I think this is about 1.5 MPG higher than usual.
Hard to get specific, technical, reliable "proof" these tires are better.
But they for sure are not worse!
They do cost a little more ( ~33% more ) than the Continental Eco Plus, which, dollar per dollar, are probably just as good for your wallet.
The Michelin's have a longer (+25%) treadlife rating though.
HTH,
-John
P.S. No decernable change in "noise" level between the two tires. I always thought the Conti's were just fine, but the FEH has poor insulation and is a noisy car in the first place. I think when most people post that the stock tires are noisy, I think it is just the wind noise, since the whole car is loud. ( and louder than their last car )
Last edited by gpsman1; 02-08-2009 at 11:09 PM. Reason: P.S.
#46
02-09-2009, 02:10 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
P.S. No decernable change in "noise" level between the two tires. I always thought the Conti's were just fine, but the FEH has poor insulation and is a noisy car in the first place. I think when most people post that the stock tires are noisy, I think it is just the wind noise, since the whole car is loud. ( and louder than their last car )
#47
02-09-2009, 10:09 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
Tire Rack shipped my Latitude Tours on Tuesday.
They were at my door by noon Thursday.
They were mounted to my car Friday.
I drove 1300 miles Sat & Sun.
I did a "coast down" test with my old tires down a hill in my neighborhood Thursday. On the 71,xxx miles Stock Eco Plus tires, I put the car in neutral and rolled down a hill to a stop, and marked it with chalk. I did this 3x and the car stopped with 10 ft. each time. I had the fronts at 38psi and the rears at 40psi.
Friday, I did the same test with the new tires, same psi.
The FEH rolled to the same spot +/- 5 feet out of half a mile coasting.
So no big difference there. But, no worse either!
The first thing I noticed right away is, the car is "bouncier"!
On the old tires, when I hit a pothole, or driveway, the car went "thud".
Now, the car feels like it goes "bounce bounce bounce" entering driveways, you know, where there is a gutter.
At 60 MPH on my long trip, was getting 40.2 MPG for a long ( 40 mile ) average. On the same roads, with the old tires, I was getting about 39 MPG.
At 71-72 MPH for a long ( 350 mile ) average, I got 31.5 MPG in one direction, and 32.0 MPG for the return trip. This was based on gas pumped. Nav was slightly higher, as usual. I think this is about 1.5 MPG higher than usual.
Hard to get specific, technical, reliable "proof" these tires are better.
But they for sure are not worse!
They do cost a little more ( ~33% more ) than the Continental Eco Plus, which, dollar per dollar, are probably just as good for your wallet.
The Michelin's have a longer (+25%) treadlife rating though.
HTH,
-John
P.S. No decernable change in "noise" level between the two tires. I always thought the Conti's were just fine, but the FEH has poor insulation and is a noisy car in the first place. I think when most people post that the stock tires are noisy, I think it is just the wind noise, since the whole car is loud. ( and louder than their last car )
They were at my door by noon Thursday.
They were mounted to my car Friday.
I drove 1300 miles Sat & Sun.
I did a "coast down" test with my old tires down a hill in my neighborhood Thursday. On the 71,xxx miles Stock Eco Plus tires, I put the car in neutral and rolled down a hill to a stop, and marked it with chalk. I did this 3x and the car stopped with 10 ft. each time. I had the fronts at 38psi and the rears at 40psi.
Friday, I did the same test with the new tires, same psi.
The FEH rolled to the same spot +/- 5 feet out of half a mile coasting.
So no big difference there. But, no worse either!
The first thing I noticed right away is, the car is "bouncier"!
On the old tires, when I hit a pothole, or driveway, the car went "thud".
Now, the car feels like it goes "bounce bounce bounce" entering driveways, you know, where there is a gutter.
At 60 MPH on my long trip, was getting 40.2 MPG for a long ( 40 mile ) average. On the same roads, with the old tires, I was getting about 39 MPG.
At 71-72 MPH for a long ( 350 mile ) average, I got 31.5 MPG in one direction, and 32.0 MPG for the return trip. This was based on gas pumped. Nav was slightly higher, as usual. I think this is about 1.5 MPG higher than usual.
Hard to get specific, technical, reliable "proof" these tires are better.
But they for sure are not worse!
They do cost a little more ( ~33% more ) than the Continental Eco Plus, which, dollar per dollar, are probably just as good for your wallet.
The Michelin's have a longer (+25%) treadlife rating though.
HTH,
-John
P.S. No decernable change in "noise" level between the two tires. I always thought the Conti's were just fine, but the FEH has poor insulation and is a noisy car in the first place. I think when most people post that the stock tires are noisy, I think it is just the wind noise, since the whole car is loud. ( and louder than their last car )
#48
02-10-2009, 04:08 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
It was announced today the new VOLT will feature the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires that feature a 27% decrease in rolling resistance over a "typical" tire. Bad news, a quick review of the Goodyear site fails to reveal any 235/70/16 sized tires.
, a quick review of the Goodyear site fails to reveal any 235/70/16 sized tires.
#49
02-10-2009, 04:35 PM
#50
02-12-2009, 07:55 PM
Re: Let's talk tires...
Can't say I've had any noise issues with my OEM ContiTrac Eco tires on my '07 FEH. I'm not sure why or why not. It's a FWD with just under 30K miles. I do keep them aired up to 40psi all the time, so maybe that has something to do with it. But, they are as silent as the day I bought the FEH, except in the rain, when they hiss quite a bit.
Here is SoCal, that's not too often.
-Tony
Here is SoCal, that's not too often.
-Tony
