Input on new tires for my '08 Pontiac G6

[GMTruckGuy74]

It's been three years now since I purchased Michelin Energey Saver A/S tires for my wife's 2008 Pontiac G6 V6 Sedan with 17" tires. We've put approximately 55k miles on them and they're in need of replacement. Not a big fan of these Michelin's - tread life wasn't what I was hoping for and they didn't give me the ride/handling I was expecting from a Michelin. They were way better than the factory Hancock Optima tires that came on the G6 new, but the cost of these tires was not cheap.

So I seek input from the automotive experts here at C&G. The car will see at least another 12-15 months of daily 70-mile roundtrip commuting duty, so I don't want to to skimp out on quality. Long treadlife is desired, along with a tire that will give me a comfortable ride and very good handling (hey, I'm a spirited driver!). Any idea of what kind of all season tire I should be looking for - Touring? Grand Touring? Performance Touring? I've got a budget of $500-600. Firestone? Michelin? Goodyear? What do you recommend?

I'm going to do some online research over the weekend but would consider your suggestions. Thanks!

[G. David Felt]

I recommend going to Costco, price is hard to beat and look at the Bridgestone as a solid option.

I love Michelin, but it really depends on the auto. I found for FWD, Michelin's that should go 70K get only about 50-60K yet on RWD and AWD they last way longer than the mileage warranty.

My sister has the Bridgestone on her Mazda 6 and they lasted the expected length of time and handled well all the way up to when she traded it in.

[Drew Dowdell]

Michelins all the way. I bought 80k mile Michelins from Costco and only got 33k out of them. Costco refunded me 59% of the original purchase price towards the purchase of some 90k mile tires.

Sure they wore out fast, but really, expecting 80k miles out of a tire isn't very reasonable. I assume that Michelin only puts that warranty on there to keep people coming back to them for new tires.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I just did some quick research... it seems that Grand Touring All-Season tires are what I want (at least from the 2-3 sites where it asks about my driving preferences). It looks like Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring and Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires are the ones I'll be looking into.

Here's a modified survey results from TireRack.com:

[G. David Felt]

I have to say I am surprised by the rating on Good Years. I stay away from them. Where I get long mileage out of Bridgestone, Michelin and BF Goodrich, Good years always wear out early and are very noisy especially on cement. They just squeal like a pig to slaughter.

[2QuickZ's]

Touring or Grand Touring tires all the way.

I had General Altimax HP tires on a 2002 Bonneville and those were great tires! I didn't have the car long enough to judge tread life but they performed well in all road conditions, including MIchigan snow. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again and they were at the lower end of the price scale. At the time I bought them 4 years or so ago I think they were the #3 rated Grand Touring tire and the two that were ahead of it were at least 50% more expensive. It looks like they have slipped a bit in the rankings on Tire Rack since then but at the time I bought them, they were a great performance value. I really recommend them and had ZERO complaints.

If you want something a little less sporty, we put Uniroyal Tiger Paw touring tires on our Flex about 6 months ago. They are much better than the factory Hankook's in every category (much better in snow) with the exception that they are a little noisier. From what I have read they are a legit 80K mile tire.

Edited March 15, 2014 by 2QuickZ's

[GMTruckGuy74]

What is the concensus of Cooper Tires? A local tire shop quoted me a price on the CS3 Touring tire, but I think the CS4 Touring is better rated. Any advice on Firestone tires? TireRack.com doesn't rate them too well. I got a couple of price quotes on the Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires and all I can say is - WHOA! Approximately $800 installed; no way I can find another $200 for the budget. They might be great tires but for this time they will be off the list.

Thanks for the suggestions, 2QuickZ's. I'll look into the General Altimaz HP and Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires today.

[G. David Felt]

Coopers have been a love hate relationship. Some people have loved them some have hated them. I have never really gotten a good feel or picture so I could not say one way or another.

Firestone, I would stay away from. I have not had any good experience. First time a tire tread came apart, the replacement under warranty blew out the sidewall. After that, I decided my family and friends quality of life was worth far more than saving the few bucks. I have gone with Costco and Discount Tire and never had a bad experience.

[frogger]

I'm in need of new tires as well on the TSX.. I have been using summer tires but my commute is longer now. I'm leaning towards Continental PureContacts.

[2QuickZ's]

I'm in need of new tires as well on the TSX.. I have been using summer tires but my commute is longer now. I'm leaning towards Continental PureContacts.

If you want all seasons, you can't go wrong with Continental Extreme Contact DWS. I had these on my Saab 9-5 Aero and they were EXCELLENT tires. They weren't cheap but they performed VERY well in all conditions and were very quiet. The car had a new set of Fuzions on it when I bought it but they were super loud. The Conti's only lasted 25k miles but that was due to how the Saab's suspension was set up and the fact that I didn't rotate often enough. I wound up wearing out the inner edge (maybe it was outer, I don't remember) of two of the tires. The main width of the tire still had plenty of tread left. 100% my fault and a very expensive mistake. I now make sure I rotate every 5k miles on all of my vehicles.

[frogger]

I am considering the DWS as well, but I read some complaints about bubbling on them.. I live in an area with very old roads, lots of potholes they are not always prompt fixing. Right now with the rough winter we've had it is like an obstacle course out there. Atleast they put pylons in the huge ones to warn drivers.

I'm in need of new tires as well on the TSX.. I have been using summer tires but my commute is longer now. I'm leaning towards Continental PureContacts.

If you want all seasons, you can't go wrong with Continental Extreme Contact DWS. I had these on my Saab 9-5 Aero and they were EXCELLENT tires. They weren't cheap but they performed VERY well in all conditions and were very quiet. The car had a new set of Fuzions on it when I bought it but they were super loud. The

[Z-06]

I'm in need of new tires as well on the TSX.. I have been using summer tires but my commute is longer now. I'm leaning towards Continental PureContacts.

For those I would consider Bridgestones (I can't remember the name on top of my head). My wife's TSX has had them since our life in Michigan and she has put close to 65,000 on them and are still over their tread wear.

[Z-06]

Goodyear Assurance are actually good tires.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I've got prices for Michelin, Goodyear, Uniroyal and BFGoodrich tires (size 225/50R17); just waiting for a price on General Tires. Here's basically the way these tires are pricing out:

• Michelin Primacy MXM4 - installed $768 ($836 with alignment, if needed)
• Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring - installed $728 ($796 with alignment, if needed)
• Uniroyal Touring TR (Tiger Paws?) - installed $434 ($502 with alignment, if needed)
• BFGoodrich Advantage TA TR - installed $511 ($579 with alignment, if needed)
• Cooper CS4 Touring (different vendor, quoted installed price in voicemail) - $688 (alignment is $79.99 extra)
• General Tires Altimax HP - still waiting

The Michelin and Goodyears are just way too high for my budget (which is $600), so they're out (though I would have considered them if the money was available). The Cooper's are out too, as I can't find anyone that actually owns them to say how reliable and dependable they are (plus many tire dealers are not recommending them, but of course are pushing for the higher priced Michelin's!). My preferred tire retailer, whom I purchased 3 sets of tires for my vehicles in 2011 & 2012 (plus had my dad go there for a set in 2012 too), is recommending the BFGoodrich tires over the Uniroyal and General Tires (which he won't sell along with Cooper).

I'm leaning to the General Tires as they've gotten great reviews for the price, but need to know the cost first. Can anyone provide comments about the Uniroyal and/or BFGoodrich tires? Last time I plan to ask, as I want to buy by the end of next week.

[Cory Wolfe]

What is the concensus of Cooper Tires? A local tire shop quoted me a price on the CS3 Touring tire, but I think the CS4 Touring is better rated. Any advice on Firestone tires? TireRack.com doesn't rate them too well. I got a couple of price quotes on the Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires and all I can say is - WHOA! Approximately $800 installed; no way I can find another $200 for the budget. They might be great tires but for this time they will be off the list.

Thanks for the suggestions, 2QuickZ's. I'll look into the General Altimaz HP and Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires today.

For what it's worth, I have Cooper Zeon RS3-A 17" tires on my Avalon. They are considered to be more of a high performance all-season tire, and they only come with a 40k tread-life warranty. So far, the mileage hasn't been too much of a worry. I'm at approximately 30k now and am just below 50% tread life. They aren't the quietest tire while cruising, but not bad overall. Far quieter than the Yokohamas that were on the car, atleast. Also, the tires aren't really worthy of snow driving. I survived the last two winters with them, but it wasn't what I'd call fun. That is trade-off for a higher performance all-season tire, though. All things considered, though, these were only $104 per tire before installation (215-55R17).

Also, here's another reference point from everyone's favorite publication.

Low Performance All-season:

Mid/High Performance All-season:

Ultra High Performance All-season:

[Drew Dowdell]

GMTruckguy, have you ever gone to R.W. Tire in Bordentown. My family used them for years and always felt like we got treated fairly there. That's where I always bought tires and other maintenance for my first cars when I lived in Hamilton.

[GMTruckGuy74]

GMTruckguy, have you ever gone to R.W. Tire in Bordentown. My family used them for years and always felt like we got treated fairly there. That's where I always bought tires and other maintenance for my first cars when I lived in Hamilton.

Funny you mention them, because they are the 'preferred tire retailer' I mentioned above. Ron (owner) is gushing about the Michelin's, and suggested the BFGoodrich & Uniroyal tires due to my budget. He does not stock the General Tires and won't sell Cooper (though a ton of online reviews have not been favorable to the Cooper CS4's and Uniroyal Tiger Paw Touring tires). My Envoy is due for a tire rotation and I go to RW Tire for that (covered as part of the tire protection plan I bought). I want to get there tomorrow and if I do I will talk to them about options for the G6.

[2QuickZ's]

It's interesting to hear you say the reviews have not been favorable for the Tiger Paws. I researched them back when I bought them and was specifically looking for a good, not too expensive tire and I found a bunch of positive reviews including on various car forums. Let me clear: they are not the best tires money can buy. They seem like a pretty good value for the money to me, though, and other than being a little louder than the factory Hankook's on the Flex, they out perform them in every other way. I think while they are not a top of the line tire, they fall in the "you get MORE than what you pay for" category. They even perform reasonably well in the snow.

http://www.tirebuyer.com/tires/uniroyal/tiger-paw-touring-nt/p/style/61303

http://www.viewpoints.com/UNIROYAL-Tigerpaw-All-Season-Tires-reviews

My vote is still for the General Altimax HP's, though. I hope you can find someone to quote them for you. My local tire stores did not stock them either but they all were more than willing to order them in for me and they must have been in a local warehouse because they arrived the next day. If you can get them for a reasonable price, I would be surprised if you weren't happy with them. Just keep in mind they are unidirectional so your rotation options are limited.

I also really like the Firestone Firehawk GT's that came from the factory on my Charger. They are surprisingly good in the snow. So good that I dropped my plans to buy winter tires for the car after the first snow storm I drove in. I drive 25 miles each way to work and have driven it to work through every snow storm (especially this crazy Michigan winter) and never came close to getting stuck or feeling uncomfortable. I didn't mention them before because they are more performance oriented and while I have not priced them out, I would suspect they fall in the higher cost category along with the Conti Extreme Contact DWS.

The tires I'm not a big fan of? I've had factory GY Eagle RS-A's on a couple of cars and was not a fan at all. They did not perform that well in any conditions. I also hated the Fuzion's that came on my Saab when I bought it used. In fact, even though they were fairly new tires when I bought the car, I replaced them almost immediately with the Conti Extreme Contact DWS tires. The afore mentioned Hankook Optimo H725

In the end, I think it unfortunately comes down to the combination of the tire and the car, not just the tire. If you take a look at the Hankook's that came stock on my Flex, they are reviewed horribly when they are installed on a Ford. Ours wore out in around 30K miles. On just about any other car people seem to like them and say they last a long time. I think the same is true of the Firehawk GT's on my Charger. You read reviews from folks that have them as factory tires on a Charger or 300 and they are very positive. You read reviews of them on other cars and the reviews are not as good. Unfortunately tires aren't something you can really "try on" before you buy so you are just going to have to pick something and keep your fingers crossed!

Edit: I accidentally referred to the Hankook's as Kuhmo's. It was Hankook Optimo H725's that came from the factory on my Flex. I have corrected it in the body of the text above.

Edited March 22, 2014 by 2QuickZ's

[2QuickZ's]

One more thing on the Tiger Paws. They have a pretty deep, aggressive looking tread pattern on them. I don't think you really pick up on it in the pictures. The look suits our tall wagon (ahem...SUV) just fine but you may not like the way they look on a car, regardless of how they perform. I'm not sure how picky you are about the looks. They aren't horrible and look like off road mudders or anything but still, the look might not be for everyone. I can take a pic of them on our Flex and post it up if you like.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Yes, please post pictures. I will admit that the BFGoodrich and Uniroyal tires don't have the 'look' I like. The General Tire Alitmax HP tires do though.

[2QuickZ's]

Here you go. Ignore the dirt.

I they currently have about 5K miles on them and basically show no where at all.

Edited March 22, 2014 by 2QuickZ's

[smk4565]

I have heard good things about Continental DWS also, it seems like they are one of the top all season tires. Michelin makes a good tire, but they aren't cheap. I bought Pirelli P Zero Nero a few times for my Aurora, because they are comparable to a Michelin and usually like $130.

[frogger]

Looks like for me I will end up with the Conti PureContacts. Found a shop I have used before for th Xice2's that can do $535 installed and balanced for 235/45R17 after MIR.

Edited March 22, 2014 by frogger

[GMTruckGuy74]

Well, the local tire shop I've contacted twice for a price quote on the General Tires just does not want to get back to me. I found another shop in the other town next to mine and just sent a price quote on the General Tires Altimax HP and BFGoodrich Advantage TAs. I have a vacation day next Friday and want to get this done then. Thanks for all the input and I'll let you know the outcome once I make my final decision when the last round of price quotes come in.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Finally got a tire shop to quote me a price on the General Tires... $588 out the door. So now I need to determine if I want to stick with my preferred tire dealer (RW Tire, Bordentown, NJ) and go with the BFGoodrich Advantage TA Touring ($511/$580 w/ alignment) or try the General Tires with a new shop (Morgan's Tire Service, Burlington, NJ).

BFGoodrich:

General Tire:

TireRack.com's ratings of these tires:

Any last thoughts? I'm going to make up my mind soon and get the new set installed on Friday.

[Drew Dowdell]

What are the treadwear warranties on each?

[2QuickZ's]

Unfortunately you can't see them that well in this picture because everything was still wet but the Altimax HP's looked good on it and they performed very well.

[GMTruckGuy74]

What are the treadwear warranties on each?

60k on the BFGoodrich tires, 55k on the General Tires

Unfortunately you can't see them that well in this picture because everything was still wet but the Altimax HP's looked good on it and they performed very well.

I can see them well enough. They definitely are the looker of the two tires I'm considering. Thanks for posting the Bonneville pic, it's great to see these tires on an actual car.

[2QuickZ's]

What did you decide on? Ling Long's?

[GMTruckGuy74]

The General Tire Altimax HPs; I'm getting them installed Friday afternoon. The original shop I emailed for a price that didn't get back to me I decided to follow-up one last time. They quoted me the best price after all - $480 installed (the other shop quoted me $588 installed). So I said order them and I'll be there Friday. I'll post pictures and my initial impression Friday afternoon.

Thanks everyone for your input and advice, you made this an easier process. And thanks 2QuickZ's for your tire recommendation and supporting evidence

[GMTruckGuy74]

Opps, I made a big mistake. I wasn't sure I heard the guy right on the phone the other day, so I called again this morning to double check and the price is $580 installed, not $480. I was trying to figure out on my drive in to work how he was able to undercut the other shop by $108 bucks (that's like a free tire!). So anyway, I'm still going with the GTs.

[Drew Dowdell]

Are they directional tires? They look it (and I think I see the arrow on the sidewall)

[GMTruckGuy74]

Yes they are.

[2QuickZ's]

While I always caution that opinions may vary, in this particular case I think you made a safe decision and will be happy with your purchase. Since I am the one that enthusiastically recommended them, I hope that to be the case so you don't come looking for me later!

Since they are unidirectional, it goes without saying to rotate often and make sure you keep it in proper alignment so you don't get any odd wear that would normally be mitigated by swapping side to side.

[Drew Dowdell]

GMTruckguy, do you have a smartphone? Android or Apple if so?

[GMTruckGuy74]

I have a Droid - Motorola Razr Maxx - and an iPhone 5s (work).

[G. David Felt]

DRIODS ROCK!

I just traded in my Samsung Charge for a Samsung note. Love the bigger size as it actually fits my fingers now.

[Drew Dowdell]

If I haven't recommended it already, there is a great app I use called aCar on Android. Even if you dont track fuel economy with it, it is a great way to get reminders for things like tire rotations, oil changes, insurance / inspection expiration reminders. Just need to update the odometer reading in the app once a month or so.

Every time you do something to the car, just enter the mileage and rhe service performed.

It's great for me since both the CRV and Toronado are hardly driven anymore and there is no way I'll remember the last time I did something..

It worked out well for me to prove I did tire rotations on schedule on the CRV even though Costco wasn't always the one performing the rotations.

Edit: you can modify the maintenance interval for any service or item to match manufacturer recommendation, so if these tires require a more frequent rotation interval to maintain warranty, you can adjust for that.

[2QuickZ's]

So now that you have had a few days to drive on them (I think you said you were picking them up last Friday), what is your impression of them?

[GMTruckGuy74]

Sorry, I don't recall seeing this post

So far, so good. The G6 had a slight vibration at highway speeds with the old Michelins, and it has it with the new General Tires too (speeds over 60+ MPH). I don;t think it's the tires but more the suspension or steering translates a lot of road vibration at the higher speeds (of course the G6 is included in the electric power steering recall ). As for wet traction is has done extremely well in all the rain we've been experiencing lately and on dry pavement I've noticed braking is much better (feels more confident, but that could be from more tread [Michelin's were pretty bad]). The look of the tire is awesome and I find myself staring at the wheels more

I can't say I regret buying this tire at this time.

Once I get a chance to clean up the outside and the tires I'll post some pics.

[Drew Dowdell]

The power steering recall would have no effect on the road vibration at higher speeds.

That recall, IMHO, is rather silly.... we don't go around recalling other vehicles just because the accessory belt could snap some day, do we? The net effect of the electric power steering in the G6 failing would be the same as a belt failing in any other car with traditional power steering. GM should have just extended the warranty on the unit to some crazy high mileage and change them out if and when they fail.

[2QuickZ's]

I thought I'd throw another follow up on here and see if you are still happy with your purchase now that you presumably have a few more miles on the. What do you think? Would you recommend them to others?