hip
01-17-2004, 10:23 PM
Just thought I'd pass along this interesting observation from a recent experience.
When the wife's '93 Accord needed new tires recently, I decided to check out something other than the Michelin Energy MXV4s I always replace it with. After checking around I decided to go with Bridgstone Turanza LS-H, which were comparable but received great reviews.
You won't possibly confuse these touring tires with the Pilot HX-MXM4s on the TSX. But since a number of people have expressed their dislike for the Michelins you may want to consider other factors.
The first thing I noticed about the "Stones," was how much better these tires felt. Everything I read was true, tire noise was less, ride and handling were better, everything about these tires was superior to the Michelins.
Everything was great until the first tank of gas, that's when I noticed the mileage was down. Since I always maintain fuel mileage records, I knew somehting was off. I checked everything I could think of, air pressure, fuel and air filters, it all seemed alright. By the next tankful I found the same thing, mileage down by almost 3 mpg. Now, I was annoyed. How could this be happening?
I went back to the tire dealer and told them what I noticed and they couldn't explaing it either. Both tires were the same size and almost the same weight. By the 3rd tank of gas I was down over 3.5 mpg and nothing had changed other than the tires.
Now I was ready to go back to the Michelins and anxious to verify the difference. The tire store gave me some static but in the end they agreed to install a new set of Michelin MXV4s for some additional dollars (they are more expensive).
The good news is the mileage is back up to where it used to be, about 20 mpg (city), the bad news the great ride and handling are gone.
Most of you may not care about mileage as much when you decide to switch tires, but you may want to consider what you are willing to live with if you do. Just like everything, cars, tires, whatever, it's always a compromise. What are you willing to give up and how much will it cost to make you happy? Hope this helps you when you make your decision to switch?
When the wife's '93 Accord needed new tires recently, I decided to check out something other than the Michelin Energy MXV4s I always replace it with. After checking around I decided to go with Bridgstone Turanza LS-H, which were comparable but received great reviews.
You won't possibly confuse these touring tires with the Pilot HX-MXM4s on the TSX. But since a number of people have expressed their dislike for the Michelins you may want to consider other factors.
The first thing I noticed about the "Stones," was how much better these tires felt. Everything I read was true, tire noise was less, ride and handling were better, everything about these tires was superior to the Michelins.
Everything was great until the first tank of gas, that's when I noticed the mileage was down. Since I always maintain fuel mileage records, I knew somehting was off. I checked everything I could think of, air pressure, fuel and air filters, it all seemed alright. By the next tankful I found the same thing, mileage down by almost 3 mpg. Now, I was annoyed. How could this be happening?
I went back to the tire dealer and told them what I noticed and they couldn't explaing it either. Both tires were the same size and almost the same weight. By the 3rd tank of gas I was down over 3.5 mpg and nothing had changed other than the tires.
Now I was ready to go back to the Michelins and anxious to verify the difference. The tire store gave me some static but in the end they agreed to install a new set of Michelin MXV4s for some additional dollars (they are more expensive).
The good news is the mileage is back up to where it used to be, about 20 mpg (city), the bad news the great ride and handling are gone.
Most of you may not care about mileage as much when you decide to switch tires, but you may want to consider what you are willing to live with if you do. Just like everything, cars, tires, whatever, it's always a compromise. What are you willing to give up and how much will it cost to make you happy? Hope this helps you when you make your decision to switch?