Time to break an off-topic question into a new thread.

In another thread, Fglaustin talked about switching from the factory 235/70R16 tires over to 225/75R16s. I surmise taller aspect ratio == slightly cushier ride over minor bumps, and narrower footprint == better resistance to hydroplaning, slightly improved drag and rolling resistance thus slightly better mileage?

I'm currently running Michelin Latitudes, which are about 6 years old and are approx. 2/3rds used up. Even at this age, they are quite smooth and quiet on the highway, with decent snow traction despite the lack of tread depth. But I have noticed they tend to follow rain grooves and puddles. Last time we had a lot of rain around here I did have to fight the car more than I thought I should.

I'm open to considering the size switch and brand switch if someone gives me a good reason. I am less concerned with WFO Max-G cornering performance than I am about smooth, quiet running, decent snow performance, and good mileage. Tire life at 40k miles is not unreasonable for me, I don't expect to get 60k miles out of a good set of tires that aren't hard as battleship armor. As for price, good deals are always appreciated but I usually try to stay on the good side of "one step too cheap." Thanks for any input.

 

hi;
Yes i am a believer in going taller and also with less width. of course that changes the 235 to 225.
there is less thread on the pavement and less friction (the heat build up is the last thing one wants - more wear on tires (well ok very slightly))
and so as you mentioned less drag and rolling resistance. also better mileage as there is less revolutions that the tires make per mile -
that also gives better mileage.
one of the unknowns is a little extra height if i am working under the suv - i know it's very little but i will take whatever little i can get.
And one other almost unknown (by most) is the undercarriage when one is driving - just a little more height if there is something in the road
that is impossible to miss - might save some undercarriage damage.
the aspect ratio changes in this case from 70 to 75.
One negative from principles of physics is the change in the center of gravity. it is moved up very slightly - will roll moreso in a somewhat very very slight way.

 

Thanks, 225 is still a good-sized footprint on a ~3800 pound car, and as I said, I don't hammer it into corners, I drive it pretty gently. I also don't tow anything and it's unusual for me to have more than 500 pounds of total passenger+cargo load in the car. I think switching to 225s will help with the hydroplaning, which is a much worse control problem than having to slow down a couple MPH for a tight turn. Hydroplaning is awful. If I wanted a boat, I'd buy one.

I did the arithmetic and assuming all else is equal (or close):

For 225/75R16s: (168.75 x 2) + 406.4 = 743.9mm 29.29 Inches diameter, 2337mm circumference or 92 inches circumference.
For 235/70R16s: (164.5 x 2) + 406.4 = 735.4mm, 28.95 inches diameter, 2310mm circumference or 90.94 inches circumference.
So the speedometer should read less than 1.2% low. I'll be going a little faster than indicated unless there's a way to recalibrate the speedometer. (Now I have to investigate that! lol.) That's negligible in my book.

The ABS and so forth should be able to compensate for the <1.2% difference.
The 225/75s mounted to the rims will be almost exactly 1/3rd of an inch larger diameter, so the static ride height will be 1/6th of an inch higher. Not that big a difference.
I'd be surprised if the springs on the car haven't sagged by 1/6th of an inch over 11 years. My guess is that the car will ride very close to its factory ride height. And I'm too pudgy anyway so I'm pushing down on it a little more than I would have at 25 years old.
I'd be willing to make that trade with quality tires, esp. if it results in better wet-weather performance and gives me a bit more mileage. The sidewalls will flex a little more in corners, but as long as the pressure is kept in spec. that should be OK too. Or maybe not! Because these Michelins at 235 width do seem a little wide on the wheels, so the sidewalls are flexing already.

Now as far as tire brand is concerned, I really like these Michelin Latitudes, they're well-made tire$ -- but I'm open to suggestions.

Tire Rack is showing a decent selection at not-too-bad prices.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireS...earDiameter=16

 

Well, after watching about two dozen videos and reading the comments, considering price and my intended use, I'm leaning toward the

Firestone Destination LE3s.

They don't have an XL load rating, they're 104T with a max. load of 1,984 pounds per tire. If I ever push the FEH to 7,936 pounds GVW, please get the heck out of my way. Lol. They also have a 700 A/B treadwear rating, which is very good. More importantly, Tire Rack says they perform well in the rain and better than average in the snow, and they're relatively quiet. That means a lot to me. I really hate a lot of tire/road noise.

They're $138.64 each and qualify for a $40 discount if I can find someone to pick them up for me. That's in the ballpark of what I want to spend. And they're sold out. People like them.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...omCompare1=yes

Also they have raised white lettering, which I think will look nice with my car (White/Tan leather). Yeah, goofy vanity but I dig the graphics.

Unless someone has a better recommendation, these are going to be my next tires.

 

After calling TireRack and speaking with a rep, I purchased the Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II based on his strong recommendation.

This is from their testing summary:

"Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II (Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season, 235/60R18 107V)

• What We Liked: It's smooth and quiet on the road, nice to drive in the dry, strong in the wet, good in the snow.
• What We'd Improve: It doesn't need anything, but we'll always take more.
• Conclusion: Pirelli's improvements make this one just right."

They are extremely quiet and exceptional in the rain. Living in Florida, I can't comment on ability in the snow. .
They are not available with white lettering, but that was one of the reasons I eliminated the Firestones...I don't care for the look. BTW, the TR ratings of the LE3s are PROJECTIONS. There are not enough reviews to actually rate them yet.

Also, the statement that a taller tire will necessarily result in better gas mileage is not correct. There are other factors involved than simply distance covered per tire revolution. There are a lot of discussions on the web about that issue. This article sums up the considerations nicely. You would be far better served staying with the stock size, there are too many negatives (including braking and acceleration) to going taller.

Link.

The Pirellis replaced Michelin Premier LTX tires, which I liked, but had poor tread life.

 

i definitely know about the unsprung wheel weight (and of course that adds to weight in general). also in the setup of taller tires is also the width (it is less).
the link does allude to that (positively). It is the idea that the weight of the 225 75 be less. i did not mention that in my post because i just forgot about it. i dont know
what the original tire that came with my 09 (or the 2010) but that is something to research and then compare to what one is buying. I did not do that since i am not (yet)
in the market for tires (although in this case (of my 2009) i would go on and buy the 225's as long as there is not tooo much of a difference in weight).
(in some cases one get a tire with less weight (another positive with taller And narrower tires and in some cases the weight is more)).
how one drives the vehicle is much more important as far as wear on the suspension components then would be with a small amount added to the unsprung wheel
weight. scotty kilmer has a good youtube video on how to drive in order to preserve the life of suspension components (although the one i saw he does not mention
about slowing down for road humps (and there are many of those speed humps on the street of austin that i drive). but does mention about pot holes).
your first link takes one to tirerack and not the tire you bought (although i could look it up) but you listed an 18 inch tire that you bought (did you mean to list 16 inch?)
ford did not put into place the drag coefficient (least it does not appear from the appearance of the escape up to 2012) so much as when toyota designed the prius;
but Yes that comes into play.

 

Those Pirellis look like very good tires and the price isn't bad. The load rating is a little higher and the treadwear is also. I see them at Walmart in the $125 range, that's a lot of tire for the money.

I'll have to check them out. Thanks, I was hoping someone would come up with another recommendation for comparison.

I still have not decided on whether to make the switch to the slightly taller/narrower tires. The only real reason I would want them is because I don't like the wet weather/hydroplaning performance of the Michelins. If the Pirellis are that good in the rain, there may be no need. I have to think it over from the perspective of what the slightly taller effective gearing will do in combination with the eCVT.

Thanks for the reco. I just wish they made them with white lettering! The blackwalls are OK, not a problem, but I like the pizzazz.

 

By going to the 225/75R16s on the same wheels (stock) what I would really be doing more than anything is changing the tires aspect ratio. The overall diameter only increases by 1/3rd of an inch and ride height by 1/6th of an inch. My reason for considering it was just that a slightly narrower, taller tire might be more resistant to hydroplaning and present a little bit less frontal area so improved drag at highway speed. But I also worry a little about the loss of cornering ability due to the taller/more flexible sidewalls. I think the eCVT would compensate for any reasonable changes in tire/wheel diameter but it's unclear to me how different it would be with the taller/narrower tires.

I may stay completely stock. As long as the replacement tires perform well and are quiet, that's all I really care about.

 

I ran 225/75-16 Pirelli Scorpion ATR tires for a while because I liked having a heavier duty C range LT type for off roading. If wanted to get another mpg or so with a rougher ride, I could pump those tires up over 50 psi. There wasn't any measurable loss in handling in my opinion by going 10mm narrower with the 225 width tire, you can buy in confidence.
Eventually I went the other way with the Michelin LTX in stock size which had a nice smooth ride and handling, but still had decent traction on snow and slippery roads. The Michelins also wear much slower than the A/T tires.

 

it is OK to put the pressure that is printed on the sidewall of the tire - that is given as the max.
that is how i have it on my 2009 with goodyear wrangler ST - they are 225 75