The time has come to replace my original Michelin tires on my '09 Camry hybrid. I wonder what others have replaced theirs with, and satisfaction with that choice. I am looking for minimal road noise and minimal rolling resistance.

Thanks

 

Im a big fan of Bridgestones and especially the Bridgestone Turanza, which is their high-end luxury/touring tire. Theyre smooth and quiet, a bit pricey though. Another good option is the Ecopia. Also a great tire but not as quiet as the Turanza.

 

I run Michelins on every car I own.

 

I have used Michelin's from 1977 to present. I like the last set of Michelin Primacy MXV4's I bought when my '12 TCH XLE was new. They ride smooth and are quiet. I would recommend the H-series set as they have the deeper 11/32" tread depth. I would keep my tires around 38 psi when cold. I let my tires down at night after the sun has gone down to get all 4 tire pressures equal.

 

I am always contrary. I don't like Michelins, I find them tend to hydroplane.
I am VERY please with Yokohama 502 I have on mine. Thing is, I already have about 60 000 miles on them, and they still look good for another 15 000.
THAT'S ON TIRES WITH 40 000 TREAD
Can't beat that.

 

I'm sure they are some other top selling tires like you mention that are equally good tires. I had some trouble with hydroplaning with a early set of Michelins on a Chevy Cavalier. They were Walmart's level of tires. They were low cost to compete with the low cost tires of other tire manufactures. I should have known better to not cut cost when buying something as important for safety as tires for my car.

 

My 2012 TCH XLE came with Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires, V rated, 215/55-17. Basically they are very good tires with one exception. Ice and snow traction is very good. They a very quiet on smooth highway surfaces, and hydroplaning is not an issue unless there are deep recesses in the asphalt pavement from trucks.

The exception? The tread wear rate is very poor. They started with 9.5/32" of tread, and after 22,000 miles they are down to 5/32". Assuming I can hold out until they are 3/32" it will barely make 30,000 miles. I don't find that acceptable.

I have pretty much narrowed down my choices for the replacements to two tires; Michelin Defender, Continental Pure Contact. The orginals supposedly have a 60,000 mile tread wear warranty. If I can collect on that, I will probably go for the Defender as a replacement. If not, then that is it with Michelin, and will go with the Pure Contact tires.

 

Not bad if you can get 30K miles out of a set of OEM tires. I will stick with the Primacy MXV4's but will go with the H-series 11/32" tread this time to see how much longer they will last.

I forget my total miles, sure less then 30K due to driving here near our small city. The last time I used my dial tread depth gauge I was reading just under 8.5 depth which was better than expected. That might been 6 months ago and I need to do it again now were in early summer.

I have not had much luck with the Continental tires that came on my Ford Five Hundred in 2006 and then my wife's 2010 Ranger pickup.

The only thing I would be concerned with the Defenders is that they may weigh more then the primacys. One thing for sure the Defenders are a long lasting tire.

 

I'm not sure that Michelin is still making the H version of the Primacy. I did not notice it at the Michelin site, or at Tire Rack. I also wonder if the OEM tire is really the same as the aftermarket tire with the same specs. I'm not going to pay what they want for the Primacy MXV4 V rated tire to get 30,000 miles out of it.

Never used Continental tires on a car, but they have worked well on my motorcycle. Seem to have a good combination of traction and tread life. Consumer Reports seem to rate them well.

The Defender is 23 lbs, the same as the Primacy MXV4 V rated tire. However it is a 10/32" tread, and rated as 820 AB compared to the 500 AA of the Primacy.

The Defender is a 94T instead of a 94V like the Primacy and Pure Contact. The Pure Contact is also 23 lbs, 10/32", and rated a little lower than the Defender at 700 AA.

I see that Continental has a new tire at Tire Rack called the True Contact. Looks like they brought it out to compete with the Defender. It is also a 94T, with 11/32 tread, and 800 AB rating. The only issue with it is that Consumer Reports has not rated it yet. Perhaps they will by the time I have to buy.

 

Thanks for the update details on the tires. It may be a good while for me needed to buy new tires due to driving to town and back about 4 times a week.