Are Michelin Tires Worth It?

Because all-terrains are universally mediocre?

Because extra decorative sidewall rubber does not equate to actual performance increases off-road?

 

Yes, they are worth the extra money. Try a set, and see for yourself.

 

I'm on my second set of LTX's for my '06 and love 'em. The stock Dunflops were awful. I should add I drive my Taco on the street 99.9% of the time.

 

I love michelins for a vehicle that is used for mostly street and an e rated michelin tire on a Hd truck for towing. Best non offroad tire out there.

 

@george3

Costco has decent sales on Michs a couple times a year if you can wait.

Hook that up to a 1 cent install sale and you come out very well. Look over their program of free rotations, balancing and the road hazard warranty.

On a side note, I just replaced the battery in my RAV with an Interstate from them for $78.

 

Thanks guys for all the replies - I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest in the post. Look like I should go with the Michelin LTX and spend the extra moola smoola

 

MY first set of Michelins were on an '89 Toyota Celica GT. Great tires.

My motorcycle had a set of Continentals. Changed to Michelin Commander 2, huge improvement in every aspect.

Currently have a set of Michelin LTX Defenders on daughter's 02 Chevy Trailblazer.

When I was burning the wheels off an '07 Corolla, went thru the OEM in 25K. Replaced with Michelins.......so much better in snow, wet, mileage, ride........ The Michelins rolled for about 65K. Cost per mile was about 1/3 of the original set. Plus I wasn't needing tires every 5-6 months. 1 set of Michelins will generally outlast many competitors by a factor of 1.5-2X. The cost difference isn't that much.

Whenever I need to replace tires, I don't bother hunting other brands.....Just Michelin. Yes, they are generally more expensive, but the performance, quality and longevity is there.

My driving is on paved or maintained roads. I do not off-road. Off-road in Iowa is a corn or soybean field.

 

You hit the nail on the head. The problem with any of these discussions is that the definition of off-road varies from person to person (and definitely between east and west of the Rockies.

In dry weather out west, Michelin’s will take you anywhere including OHV trails (with the appropriate vehicle).

In wet and muddy conditions - AT tires are just as mediocre as all seasons.

Most drivers spend 99% Of their time on paved or hard packed dirt/gravel roads. The practical choice is to choose the tire that best performs in all conditions on those surfaces... Many choose the aggressive sidewall rubber and tread patterns instead.

 

My 2018 Ford Super Duty PSD came with Continental's. Within a few thousand miles - a problem - Ford replaced with Michelin's (only after a letter to Ford customer care). I, like many above, agree, Michelins are my go to tire. I'll be replacing the factory Bridgestone's on my Tacoma with Michelin Defender LTX / M&S this spring.

 

Good points! During the summer 2016 I took my stone stock TRD Sport from Ouray to Telluride CO, via Imogene Pass Rd., (a level 4-5 classified Jeep trail) on the stock Bridgestones. That trip, "defined" for me, the "off roading" I was likely to do in my Tacoma. Since that trip, I haven't gone "off road" anywhere, that required more truck or tire than I had on that trip. Therefore, the need for any suspension mods or more aggressive tires would only serve an appearance function.

 

Worth it.

I run them on my Tacoma and my Honda CRV. Excellent rain and snow tire. Good highway tire. I do not “off road”, although I do spent considerable time on gravel roads; and, the tire also performs well on gravel.

 

65k is not what i would consider to be much for longevity!?!
Iowa ftW

 

You can define longevity any way you wish.

Although, tires that need replacing at 25 K vs tires that need replacing at 65 K......the 65 K tire has more than 2.5X the longevity of the 25 K tire.

 

Can't wait to put them on next time Costco has the deal. Had them on my '99 Ranger 4x4 and went well over 60k. Also when I changed them out to a General AT I lost at least 2 mpg.

 

assuming those 4 Michelins would run near $1000 OTD (before any rebates) at a discount tire DT shop i would expect closer to 100k miles out of them with routine rotations and proper inflation adherence

 

Michelin Defender LTX M/S in 265/65-17 at Discount tire are $213 each. Warranty is 70,000 miles. I'm reasonably sure these would run 100 kmiles without too much effort with regular maintenance. Rotation, pressure.....

Even if they don't reach the 100k mark, they generally will outlast any competitive tire.

Buy what you want. I know my go to tire brand for any of our road vehicles. 2 SUV, 1 Truck, 1 Motorcycle.

 

i need a much softer concrete trail ride than these current GY DuraTracs i am rolling with that cost about the same, but i am weary of the Michelins or others not being able to handle the 1ft wet blizzard snow on a steep hill that IA and NE get every once and awhile
i live in an extreme hilly area of town

 

You must be near the Missouri River.

I had Michelins on our '07 Corolla. On several occasions, I was driving in snow 8-12" deep. The Corolla managed to get through when I saw 4WD bogged down in the mess. The Corolla had about 3" ground clearance, it couldn't straddle a soda can laying on its side without hitting it.

Not many tires are able to achieve the 800 rating on tread wear and the AA rating for traction.

<edit> A "softer" tire will not be able to reach the high mileage wear. The GY Duratrac have a tread wear rating of 500 and a traction rating of B with a 50 k warranty, priced at $209 each. These ratings are both below Michelin Defender and only $4 less expensive.

 

^^^^
This

You can get an Interstate 27F heavy duty battery for $93 bucks. If you lurk for the tire deals like $150 off, you can get retro pricing on premium tires. It takes an appointment and a little more patience with Costco, but, smokin deals. I've found other tire shops will match their price, but zap extra for the warranties.

 

Tires are not the end all solution. I know michelins or any other all-weather treaded tire can easily tackle 12" of snow on a awd/4x4 vehicle.
Weight distribution, tire pressure, and driver technique all play equally important factors. 180lbs in the back of a tacoma make a huge difference on keeping the rearend planted.
Using momentum and avoiding wheel spin is the best strategy. Just be mindful of slowing down that momentum ahead of time.