Tires - Noise vs Fuel Economy

General RT43. Just an outstanding tire for smaller cars. Quiet, smooth riding and great in all weather.

Also check your wheel bearings. They get noisy very gradually.

 

Not sure; I'm not the sharpest knife in the tire block.

If you're a Costco member, their Michelin X-Tour tires are rebadged Defender T+H.

I'm not a fan of (significantly) higher tire pressures. If the pressures are much higher the ride gets rough (in particular with 17" like ours). Also, I've a hunch it puts more stress on wheel bearings and suspension.

 

You can’t go wrong with either of those options. True contact is a continental brand and they make excellent tires. Look at whoever gives the best warranty. Don’t loose sleep over the two and just go with whichever one seems like a better option for you. I don’t deal with ice like you so if the continentals have better ratings go with them.

 

Pirelli sucks! Get the continentals if you have to choose.

 

Keep in mind that people's opinions and prejudices about major brands of tires vary much more widely than the tires themselves physically do, within a given size and category. I'm using a set of U.S.-made Hankook Kinergy PT H737 which I bought a couple of years ago for about $85 apiece, minus a $50 rebate. No problems.

 

Old tires harden and get louder and bumpier. New tires always seem soft and smooth. If you over inflate them they won't do their job of acting as the first line of defense for bumps. Tires are part of the suspension and when you over inflate them they don't do the job. Then you beat up the suspension and you cavitate the oil. Your shocks fade over the miles you drive and 5 or 10 miles into your trip your tires are just micro bouncing their way down the road when over inflated. You're not going to do much for your fuel economy by over inflating it. Brand loyalty is what the vendor promotes after they wasted all your money on advertising. I did the math on low rolling resistance tires versus price and I found that you'll never recoup the money you waste on the purchase. Learn how to read the data on the sidewall and make your decision based on that. Price says nothing to do with suitability for use or longevity. Toyota is a perfect example. You can pay more for a Land Rover or Jaguar but it won't last...

 

I'll start with a disclaimer: I work for Michelin, and I do have a slight bias for the brand.

Tire pressure will effect the life, performance, and noise of a tire. As far as the question that you asked, I'd say you need to adjust your air pressure and see what performs best. Tires have different ratios of Natural Rubber to Synthetic Rubber which has an effect on durability, noise, and performance. Tread pattern effects this as well, and so does the environment/conditions the tires are in.

Depending on the tire and tread you have, 40PSI might not be a big deal. The max PSI listed on the tire is the safest pressure the tire can operate at max rated load for that tire. The PSI listed on the door and/or manual is what the vehicle manufacturer has determined to be the best FE and tread wear. The tire, driving conditions, etc. does effect this. The more air that is in a tire, the stiffer it will be, and this will allow less give. You might notice rougher ride, stiff feeling in quicker stops, but improved handling in turns. Similar to how a 15 inch tire differs from a 17 or 19 inch tire due to the sidewall differences.

Keep a log of how your tires and vehicle preforms at different PSIs. Run it at recommendation for 1k mile, go to 40PSI for 1k, then somewhere in between, maybe 37PSI for 1k. Use your experience to determine what works best for your driving style, your tires, your environment. If something feels off though, or unsafe at a pressure, then avoid it, go to something else.

I can't speak for mechanics now, but I did work in a shop during college and was ASE certified. There was a lot of stuff that we told customers, that might not have been entirely accurate, but we kept within the manufacturer's recommendations to reduce any backlash against us.

 

I've only changed/seen about a thousand tires, so what would I know????

 

Good choice! Those tires will fare you well for at least 80-90k (or more) miles. Not sure why he says Pirelli sucks, IMO they’re very good quality and everyone in my family who gets them have all had great success with them lasting a long time. If Costco has the free rotate and balance like sams does, definitely take advantage of that every 5k miles, it makes a big difference in longevity. As others have said, sometimes it really just comes down to opinion. Kind of like asking someone “what’s the best 0w20 to use?”. You’ll get a whole mix of answers but it really depends on what you feel most comfortable using. Happy driving!

 

Every pirelli tire I saw, mind you, only a few hundred, had uneven wear through out the
tire pattern, excessive wear on the edges, just like firestone. 90% of the people said there
were very unhappy with them.
But what do I know?

 

I'm one of those 90%. I've had 6 different Pirelli tires, and I believe 8 Firesone's over the years on cars and trucks. They had odd wear patterns, and lower than expected life. Tire rotated as scheduled and alignment checked and fixed when needed. I wouldn't go back to either of those brands.