Are Michelin Tires Worth It?

OP, since you are driving on the road 99.9 percent of the time, I think you will find that Michelin makes the best road tire for your truck, by far. If you were going off road, that would be another story altogether.

If you look at almost any data on tire quality, most people who study and test on these things point out that Michelin is far better than the other tire manufacturers overall. Does that mean they don't have problems? Of course not, all large scale manufacturing has the potential for error now and then. Also since you are in NJ, and your roads are shiite, you need the best tire money can buy! Believe me, I am in NY and I am fairly sure that our roads are even worse.

One thing I would say, hit up a good Michelin tire dealer. They make a ton of different kinds of tires, including some that are more budget friendly. Been a while since I looked but there may be a 100% road tire model that is more budget friendly.

Might also be worth looking at Pirelli. I have them on my BMW and love those tires -- and they are run flats. I understand they came out with a truck tire recently. I wanted to look at it when I upgraded my tires but no one anywhere near me had them.

Sorry. Couldn't help it. I love a good tire thread.

Also on sale ! See the screen shot from Tire Direct. Big savings on those tires, now.

 

if i never went off road ide buy them, best street tire imo

 

I've had 2 sets of AT2s and on a set of Defenders. I like the ride of the Defenders on pavement but the AT2s aren't bad at all. When I'm off pavement it's typically a dirt road and somethings with light mud and <6" snow. The AT2 are better for the dirt roads. I have to say that on ice and snow on pavement, the Defenders are great. Both tires have conservative looking sidewalls and last many miles.

 

the LTX AT2 are perpetually sold out at Costco. that is the only reason i am riding on Coopers. i LOVE the michelins but couldnt wait any longer. they still are backordered.

the LTX AT2 tire is sick. i've done nutty deer hunting trips with them, that involve driving far. for example, CA to Idaho (and back) and trust me the smooth LTX AT2 were a joy on the long roadtrip. i got decent MPG as well. then once in IDAHO, i went nuts and went down some the the sketchiest rutted roads ever. one road a local sketched out on a napkin..i thought i was gonna die, but not once did i wish.."man, i wish i had full blown off road tires.". but muddy ruts, steep hills, rocks, and one crazy log bridge that tested everything. my tires never slipped or failed. then i just got back on the highway for the long ass drive back. zero fanfare.

the only issue is that they last too long. i bet i got 60,000 miles on that set.

 

Maybe it was mentioned earlier in this thread but if not, how many miles do you drive per year? If you are going to end up taking 5 or 6 years to put 65,000 miles on your truck, you might experience some checking of the sidewall/dry rot. Dry rot may be a little harsh of a term for this but I have seen this in the past. I drive a little more than average and put Michelin Defenders on all of my vehicles. I'm on my fourth set on two different trucks and always ran them on my Corolla when I commuted 60 miles each way. They are great in the snow, decent on ice if you're careful and are fantastic in dry and wet conditions.
If you keep them aired up and rotated properly, you'd better hope you love them because they will last a long damned time.
Unless you're in some sloppy mud, they are actually better off road than you would expect. If you expect to have to get through some crap, just air them down a little. I used to dump a road kill deer in the field behind our house in southern Illinois on occasion (coyotes), and I would air down to about 20 PSI and drive all over that cut bean field in the wet fall without any trouble.

 

Life is too short to get the same model tire more than once

People do black bear on stock trucks with A/T's

 

Use your own judgement.......

 

I have a 2010 Prerunner crew cab 4x2. I am in need of new tires and I want something that will get good traction during the couple times a year it snows here, mostly ice on the road, sometimes snow. Ive looked at Bridgestone Blizzak, and Michelin LTX A/T 2, any recommendations? thanks

 

Are you looking for dedicated snow tires for only a few times a year? then Blizzak.

Otherwise the Michelin Defender LTX M/S hands down. The A/T2 while a good tire wont even come close to icy road grip.

 

I have the LTX AT2s on my truck and, frankly, if I didn’t want something that “looked the part” I probably would have put Defenders on it. The AT2s are good but not amazing on my truck without 4x4 and no weight in the back.

I can’t give a direct comparison because my experience with Defenders is limited to AWD and FWD vehicles.

 

I like the Xice xi2 myself for winter.


Light Truck

SUV/Crossover

Winter Tire

• Ultimate Snow & Ice Confidence
• Long Lasting Winter Tread
• Great Fuel Efficiency
• Mileage warranty: 40,000 miles. See warranty for details.
• Standard Limited Warranty: 6 years

 

so downgrading to street tires to save a couple bucks

500 treadwear is generally considered high
800 is an outlier
that saves only a few bucks in the long run
some people with Tacoma's make $100k a year; they probably have to in order to afford such a truck. In which case, dropping $600 on tires per 5 years or the math on that versus $800 per 7 years, is negligible to budget

I drove past that sign in a stock truck on A/T's
those signs are there to escape liability for people flying around the edge in a Subaru at 40mph
Post says last trail you did was 2016
Turn in your Tacoma
People buy a Tacoma to see trails once a year minimum
Defender LTX on a construction diesel Ford is because Ford Superduty will not fit on a trail.
Construction sites are mild dirt that a street tire can do.
Second reason you buy a Tacoma. Because it's smaller to fit on trails and has more ground clearance.

Not sure why 2mpg tire difference matters in a world where gas is $2/gal low octane.
Nobody is buying Tacoma's for a commuter vehicle.

Dedicated snow tire is always better than all season. But people don't want to spend the money on second set of wheels and tires then try to pretend all season is as good.

Tires are the end all solution. Weight distribution, tire pressure, and driving technique don't really matter. Accelerating is not hard.
Going too fast and being unable to stop is dangerous. Tires give the traction to aid with that. Such as snow tires or with studs. That's all.
Having a sandbag in the bed does not help with that.
Drifting is not hard, nor it is hard to control. If there is no tire traction and the truck understeers, a sandbag does not help with that.

 

I just got Michelin Defender LTX M/S on my 2015 Sport. Great tire.

 

So my dad fir some reason had two new tires mounted on separate rims that were Cooper Discoverer M+S 265/70R16. My original plan was to go buy two more and have a new set of tires. Maybe he planned to Mount those two on the back in winter don’t know now (he passed).

I called around a few places and these tore shops told me that Cooper has discontinued that tire in that size. Any thoughts on what I could do here?

 

Looks like Heaven on earth! Long walk to the shitter though.....

 

Had LTX on my 2010, and have on my current 2017. Great tire! You will never be disappointed with quality......

 

My post said the last time I did Ouray to Telluride was in 2016, NOT the last time I was off road. You need a little instruction in reading comprehension.

Problem with forums - wannabe know everythings, cite their opinions as fact....this thread has responses indicating that some owners just don't go off road (whatever that is). Posts #4, 23, 27, So, your statement is just bogus, as are your related assumptions that follow. I certainly didn't buy my Tacoma to "see trails", but being able to, was a side benefit.

What planet have you been on since joining this forum? If, your earlier statement about buying "a Tacoma to see trails once a year minimum" was accurate, then your "second reason" might be. But your premise is wrong.
I wouldn't presume to list all the reasons that people buy Tacoma's, but, as a commuter, if many on this forum can be believed, is pretty high on the list. In fact, many here list their Tacoma as their ONLY vehicle, which by default has to include commuting. IMO, buying a Tacoma, for many, is generally for commuting with the side benefit of being able to take it off road (whatever that is).

My guess, based on the shit you posted above is, all you did was drive past it and no further....LOL

 

I ended up going and buying the Michelin Defender LTX M/S tire and then I took the cooper Discoverer tire I had and swapped out my spare tire with that one, since my spare is 11 years old and the tire guy said it was at its limit in terms of life span. So today I got 4 new tires and a new spare. Not sure what part of the country you guys are all in, but I ask for a veteran discount, which I always do and they said they didn't offer that, however they would give me $50 off for something they call "I found it lower elsewhere" I guess they give up to $50 off for price matching which was nice. I bought them at Discount Tire.

Thanks for the advice to all and happy holidays

 

I used to run Coopers and always had to replace them around 35k or so. The Defenders are far and away the best tires I’ve run on my trucks. Current set I have now has 40k on them and still more than half the tread left. Great tires for rain, snow and highway.

 

I live in Rhode Island with similar enough road conditions as NJ. the Defenders have been just great in wet weather and salt/sandy roads.