Are Michelin Tires Worth It?

$3.49/gal today

 

Yes

 

I haven’t read through all the comments. But Michelin tires in general are great depending on your use. If you drive a lot of miles and don’t off-road much, they are great. But most Michelin tires suffer from one thing. They will loose traction with age like any other tire but BUT the tread depth will still be good. This is where they differ from many tires. They last FOREVER for tread depth. But after about 4-5 years of the manufacture date (no matter the tire) grip greatly starts reducing. So, even though the tread depth may be more than adequate, the rubber compound is getting harder to the point where traction is lessened as time goes on.

Personally, I do not think they worth the price for my driving habits (10k or less a year). But if you drive 20k+ a year then Michelin tires are great! They get good reviews in many weather conditions. I have driven on the LT-X on many different trucks and they are smooth and quiet. I don’t think they are great in snow due to the tire compound, but they are adequate for the on road driving characteristics they have.

Tires are always a trade-off. It just really depends on your driving habits, conditions and most importantly expectations.

EDIT: I will say, almost anything is better than the K02 though. They are far behind many tires as technology in tire compounds have greatly surpassed the K02 over the years.

 

conversely, the full depth siping of the Michelin’s tends to Mitigate that hardening over time.

 

That is accurate but either way once tires hit about 5 years they quickly degrade in performance. Especially in rain and snow. Even new Michelin tires (all except the winter tires of course) I’ve driven on really get hard once temps get to 10F or less. Very much like the K02’s. Which doesn’t help with winter traction. Something to consider if you live in climates that see extreme cold.

Obviously there are far worse tires out there. But for the price I wouldn’t buy Michelin unless I drove 20k or more a year.

Falken, cooper, Nitto, Nokian, Bridgestone, general and Yokohama are some of the ones I would look at.

After working on cars for 15+ years I avoid Dunlop, Goodyear (exception is the duratrac which I own) pirelli and Chinese brands.

 

I'm on my second set of AT2s; so IMO they are worth it. Yes, they are not a real off-road tire; but like everyone else, 99% of my miles are on pavement. My first set lasted ~70k miles and still had at least .25" of tread left. I changed them because they were 7? years old and the sides were cracking. To me, tires are worth spending the extra $ on because it's the most important thing as far as drivability and safety on a vehicle. Cost difference between something great and something decent will average out at pennies a day over the life of the tire. I personally don't want to regret saving $200 on tires and drive on something that I don't like for the next 5+ years, so I always spend the $ on excellent tires.

 

My 2010 TRDOR had them on when I bought it and I immediately thought there's no way they can be serious and started to look for a M/T tire to replace them with. Being that they were fairly new I figured I'd get the wear out of them. My little girl and I go out on Saturdays to find trails or muddy areas to go hoon around in. We hit some really slick mud this past Saturday and I was surprised that they performed well enough to not need to put it in 4wd (but I did for the extra hoon and the smile on babygirls face).

Long story short, if you're a 97% pavement pounder they will serve you well.

 

Defender/MS2:
Quietest tires I’ve ever run.
They remain grippy to the end of their life, unlike other tires.
They last FOREVER.
AWESOME wet/snow traction.
Did I say they last forever?
They balance well.
Work great for light off-road (no rocks on sidewalls).

 

Can anyone comment on road noise of the AT vs the standard Defender? How about traction in snow?

 

I would think the lack of siping on the AT compared to the standard Defender would really diminish its wet/snow performance?

 

They are worth it, and the cost per mile is often less due to the longer wear. Was in my case. More importantly they keep most of their grip through the tire life. Last winter I plowed a few storms on some steep drive with the defenders and was impressed. I prob won’t buy another tire. I still have dedicated winters, but only because of plowing.

 

I live in MN and will only buy the Michelin LTX M/S 2s for my vehicles. I posted it on another thread recently, but I just "accidentally" drove 105k on my last set. I rotate them every 5k and check pressure weekly. They honestly seemed fine to me until I measured the tread depth and realized I was at 2/32nds. I pulled the receipt from the glove box and about shit myself when I discovered they went on 4 years and 105k prior. Got a new set immediately. I've driven for hours in some sketchy snow storms and never had an issue. I trust them.

 

that wouldn’t surprise me at all. I haven’t driven the defender so I can’t say. Michelin made them different to accomplish a different objective.

 

I ordered the a/t2 on Sat and don't expect it till Feb. Yes, I will wait. It's totally worth it. Kinda like good booty. 178 a tire with 70 dollar rebate on 4 seems better than most others. We don't get snow in Florida tho. Go defender if using in snow.


I am 45 and asked my dad if he had heard any news out of michlin about low inventory. He emailed michelin and they replied the low inventory was due to a large buyer. I'll wait

 

For sure.

 

im the opposite, havent driven the AT. I have always leaned toward the defender due to the siping, and it does well on ice. Being mostly on road, grip on ice is what i lean towards. I wouldnt want to take them in deep snow off road, but it would be serviceable im sure, just better options for that, maybe the AT

 

Prices jumped 16 dollars on the michelin at/2 this week. I'm glad I locked in.

 

Agreed

run them on the wifes outback and its like having the cheat codes in a snowstorm. Way better than my tacoma in the snow.

 

Mind if I ask what price you’re seeing and size?

paid 197.00 for 265/70-16 18 months ago. Looks like it may have gone up