wsg,
I understand you want the quietest and most comfortable riding
tires you can find, without concern for cost or tire life. The kind of
tire you are looking for falls in the category of "Grand Touring", or
"Grand Touring, All Season". My personal mechanic says to go with
Michelin , hands down , particularly "Michelin MXV4 . However upon
doing my own research, I must say that the Bridgestone Turanza series
comes out ahead on most tire review sites. Remember, not all tires do
all things- to get the most comfortable and quiet ride, you will give
up some precision handling and cornering.
The following site backs up my mechanic's recommendation of Michelin
Tires for the smoothest and quietest ride. According to 1010 Tires,
whose address is posted below, Michelin MXV4 tires offer low road
noise, and good rolling noise suppression. Your question indicated
that you were not greatly interested in snow traction, but the tire
specifications maintains it handles well in snow and wet road
conditions. You don't need to log in to simply read the information
posted.
http://www.1010tires.com/Michelin.html
On the following site I entered your car information, as supplied, and
came up with the Bridgestone Turnaza series as the top contender for a
comfortable ride.
http://www.tirerack.com (For overall information )
The site gives some comparison statistics for Bridgestone, Michelin,
Pirelli and Continental Grand Touring tires. The Bridgestone Turnaza
series scored highest for noise comfort, ride comfort, traction, and
recurrence of purchasing this brand again. I compared four of the
top rated grand touring tires for your car on this page:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/types/grandtour.htm
However, the link to the completed comparison results did not work. To
see the results, you will have to start at the above site, and enter
the information. Bridgestone Turanaza LS-H, Bridgestone Turanaza
LS-V, Bridgestone BT70 series and Michelin Symmetry were the highest
recommended tires . All the Bridgestones for your vehicle tire size
were rated 4 1/2 stars, the Michelin, 4 stars. Bridgestone Turanaza
LS-H rated best for noise and comfort. (The Turanza LS-V was not rated
at all for noise and comfort on this site.) The Bridgestone Turanza
series were the most expensive, but not significantly higher than the
lesser rated tires! ($105-$134 per tire, 16")
An article by David Navone on this site discusses a journalist's
review of the Bridgestone Turanza series, and also the Michelin
MXV4(The Bridgestones win!)
http://www.carsound.com/reviews/performance/Bridgestone_Turanza_LS-H.html
Other things to look for when making a tire purchase are aspect ratio,
bead diameter, and width. You should see a string of numbers and
letters, starting with a "P" for passenger cars on the tire. THe width
is the first number, measured in millimeters. The next number is the
aspect ratio, derived by dividing the width of the sidewall by the
width of the tread. This measurement indicates the tire's performance.
A low ratio (around 50) will give a somewhat rougher ride, but better
steering and cornering. The next number , which is preceeded by the
letter "R" for radial, is the bead diameter. The bead diameter is
measured in inches, and indicates the diameter of the wheel. For
example, a "16" after the "R" indicates a 16 inch tire. For more on
this, visit this site, maintained by AAA of California:
http://www.aaa-calif.com/westways/0101/rubber.asp
Another positive review for the Bridgestone Turanza series, but with
few details:
http://www.womanmotorist.com/review/bridge-firestone/turanza1.shtml
Finally, you should check the tire's "date of birth", according to
Consumer Reports "Guide to Smart Tire Shopping" found here:
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=22315&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=21135
Check the tires for freshness! Tires come with a D.O.T. serial number
on the sidewall similar to this: " DOT M6 RV T1HR 499" "The last
three digits are a date code indicating the week and year the tire was
made-in this case, the 49th week of 1999. Tires can harden and crack
with age, so steer clear of old stock. " Quoted from the above report.
Hoping the above information has been useful in your search for a good
tire. I was actually surprised to find so few "objective" reviews
online. Performance "reviews" abound which are put out by
manufacturers. One other resource I do not have immediate access to is
Consumer Report (subscription needed), but if you require furthur
information, I will be glad to find the necessary issue. You will have
the ultimate decision to make, but it appears that the Bridgestone
Turanza series, or the Michelin MXV4 are excellent choices! Good luck!
Search terms:
tire reviews, luxury tires,touring tire reviews, tire perfomance |
