tt9714

I'm in the process of doing some research in preparation for buying some new tires (I'm looking for 16 inch tires; 205/55 front and 225/50 rear), and I noticed that the Michelin tires seem to be the highest priced. Most models are at $150 or higher per tire!

For example, the Pilot SX MXX3 tire is listed at $167 for the 205/55R16 and $171 for the 225/50R16 at Tire Rack. This is compared to $100-$140 for most other brands/models.

Any comments on why the Michelins are so pricey? Are the materials of construction and quality that much better than other products to justify the price differential, or are you paying a hefty "brand premium" for the name?

Eric

They have to keep Bibendum(sp?) fed.

IceShark

While tooling and materials sort of have a bearing (otherwise the company goes bankrupt) it really is a "what the market will bear" type of situation. The tire manufacturers don't make squat on the OEM sales and economy tires. Aftermarket premium tires are a whole 'nother ballgame. Big margins.

Doug944s2

Good one, Eric!!!! I laughed out loud (LOL for you new Internet users).
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" /> <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />

David Floyd

kinda like, why are new Porsche's so expensive

Scott Heckert

I would go bigger than the stock tire size for the 951. I just replaced mine on my 951. I went with 225/45/16 on front and 245/40/16 on the rear. This will help get the HP to the ground. There is tons of room under the fenders for them also. As for the Michelin tires being so expensive. Well I thing you get what you pay for. I have had some on my cars and have talked to people that swear by them. I think they wear better than most tires and have better ride quality. Just my 2 cents. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Billy W

The phrase "you get what you pay for comes to mind". If you do decide to go with Michelin tires if you wait until the end of August there is a promo coming out for a free suitcase and atlas (good qualtity too). I think that TireRack will be giving away a portable gas grill with the purchase of Michelins.

Steve Lavigne

Checkout the clearance special on Yoko AVSi tires from tirerack. Not the best tire, but they do stick very well. Even though they don't last long, it's hard to beat for $60 a tire for 245/45-16 and 225/50-16 sizes. At these prices, abusing them is not a concern of mine!

FSTPRSH

I've got Michelin's on my bike, and they suck. I don't think I'll ever run them on anything again. After playing around one night, I go up into a wheelie and the tire breaks loose, slamming the front end down and almost causing a sh*t stain on my pants. They just don't have good traction capabilities if you ask me. Dunlop or Pirelli is was I run (ran) on my car. Just getting a little anger out. Don't mind me. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

FSTPRSH

Oh yeah, another thing, those BFGoodrich g-Force (I think) handle incredibly. A friend of mine put them on his '69 Camaro and he could pull out of a turn under hard acceleration with ease. But he paid around $250 a piece I think. Anyone know what they should go for? I told him it seemed high compared to other high perf. tires.

Tom R.

im sold on michelins. had em on my acura - two sets, regular and snow. put them on the RX7 when i sold the acura, nicer than the bridgestones.

put them on the S2, much much better than the Dunlop800s which i thought sucked from day one.

preferred them on the Aurora too. I test drove a 6 cylinder with goodyears, and didnt like the car, especially when compared to a 3.5 RL which had 20k and michelins. Bought the 8cyl Aurora which has the michelins, and drives more like the RL than the identical car with a 6 cyl!

You get what you pay for is wrong. Sometimes paying more up front is less expensive in the long run! The michelins are a bargain compared to a lot of the competition.

Billy W

FSTPRSH unless you hit something slippery while the front was in the air you must have gassed the throttle pretty hard. I would check the condition of the tread or see if that tire was dry rotted. But if I had to guess you hit oil or antifreeze in the road.

tt9714

Scott,
I hadn't really thought about going to a wider tire. I wasn't sure if the 16" Fuch rims could handle more width and if there would be enough clearance up front with the wheels turned to full lock.

My calculations show that you went to a smaller overall tire diameter with your upsize. Did you intend to do this?
Front: 101.25 mm vs. 112.75 mm sidewall
Rear: 98.0 mm vs. 112.5 mm sidewall

My calculations show that the closest match would be:
Front: 225/50 R16 (instead of 45 ratio)
Rear: 245/45 R16 (instead of 40 ratio)
but I'm not sure if these are common tire sizes.

IceShark

Bridgestone has a nice web site where they list the rim width ranges for their various tires. Others must have the same data somewhere.

As far as width on the front any tire is going to rub if you are at steering wheel lock and put enough down force on it. Something to keep in mind if you are pulling out of a sharp driveway apron.

User 462021

You do get what you pay for when buying Michelins. Most of their tires are far superiour than anything else on the road. Goodyear are also pricey, but they suck for the most part. If you compare a Michelin tire with any other tire you can see and feel the differences. The quality of the rubber is much better than anything else out their. I deal with tires all day long and Michelins are the absolute best.

Iceshark, generally the economy tires have a bigger profit margin percentage than the higher premium tires. You just have to sell more of the cheaper eco tires than the Michelins, ect. plus you get kick backs from Michelin and other major brands.

FSTPRSH, I wouldn't judge a car tire by the way it performed on a bike. Two totally different animals. Bikes aren't Michelins specialty. BTW, I also own a Katana!

Also, the BFG's G-Forces are an awesome tire as well. They have a few versions of it which all range in price. They have a KDWS which is for Dry/Wet/Snow, they have the KDW which is for Dry/Wet, and they have the KD which is for just the Dry. The latter being the most expensive and by far the best.

Any needs some ideas on tires for any other vehicle besides your Porsche just let me know here or email me at swtncdly@aol.com