Yet another tire t(h)read... Need advice...

Thanks for the update. I'd just hang in there, regarding the mpg hit: a drop is regularly reported by new owners, but maybe they improve over time.

We're still rolling on 17" Michelin Pilot's, that were manufactured over 7 years back, 5th week of 2009. Michelin doesn't even describe them as LRR, but they've improved a lot as the years and miles accumulate.

 

I'll be taking a first freeway trip (600-800 miles at 75-80 mph) on the Premiers in about two weeks and will report back on the mileage compared to the same trip on the Ecopias which got 45-47 mpg.

 

Pirelli P7s are all-seasons that perform better than most summer tires. They are Consumer Reports recommended tire and I can't recommend them enough!

 

Pirelli is my favorite tire brand having used P6 & P7 tires on other cars. I couldn't find a compatible P7 for the PiP's 15" wheels.

 

oh wow you're totally right! then i would look at yoko avid ascends.

 

Here are the results from my recent trip. Actually showed a slight gain in mpg vs old tires, which may be the difference in winter vs. summer gas formulation.

Same trip on Highway 99 in California average speed 77 mph (each trip consisted of two fill-ups)

December 2015 original Bridgestone Ecopia EP20 639.0 miles / 13.371 gallons = 47.79 mpg

April 2016 on Michelin Premier A/S 650.7 miles / 13.554 gallons = 48.01 mpg

 

Thanks for this, very close. Is there even winter formulation gas in California?

 

I checked and the Gasoline Formulation for summer changes in California until June 1 to September 15. So the fuel was the same for both trips

 

Well, here's the latest episode in my on-going tyre saga. My 2009 Gen II is coming up for the annual state-inspection, and with my old summer wheels shod with a set of Michelin Energy Savers (about 75-80% worn) I was starting to look out for bargains and deals, I was quoted anything from N/A to $230/tyre () for the Michelins, and called in at the local Town Fair Tire, who admitted that although Michelin has a great reputation, the tread is so long-lived that the sidewalls tend to wear out and crack long before the tread has completely worn out. Also, Michelins tend to be expensive, and they are one of the top-brand all-seasons, and then they asked me "…now please remind us again why you think you need an all-season tyre, since you have Blizzaks on your winter rims?" Good point! So, I asked for something which would be quiet, and hug the road in the dry, be fantastic in the wet, give great gas-mileage, and I wasn't worried about snow & ice, and they recommended a set of Antares Ingens A1 (a tyre I'd never heard of, but I think they're made by Horizon) - anyway, I had them fitted, yesterday, the ride is very smooth and quiet, and I'll keep you posted as to what sort of gas-mileage I'm getting! BTW I'm running them 40F/38R. (…and they were less than ½ the price of a set of 4 Michelins)

 

Typo? Antares Ingens I think.

 

Yup! (…oops!) Have you heard of them? (I hadn't…)

 

No, just a'Googling.

 

…well, been there, done that! …but it seems that just about everything is marketed as All Season and to get the best quality, you have to be prepared to pay (…as always!) and I get a feeling that there's no such thing as the perfect All Season tyre, it's always a compromise.

 

I went for first long (>50 miles) drive yesterday - wow! …these tyres are so quiet compared to the Michelins! The Michelins grumble and rumble, I noticed the change to quiet when I put on the Blizzak snow-shoes last fall, and then back in the spring when the summer wheels went on, the tyre noise was very noticable! Now I'm waiting for some rain to see how the Antares do in the wet!