Buying new tires...anyone done this already

[smkettner]

Rotate the tires and go another 5,000 miles.

 

[ferenc]

hmm, i thought it was advisable to put the better set of tires on the front, or ...?
thanks,
ferenc

 

[smkettner]

So you have already rotated them. Just give it another six months.

 

[fromport]

hmm, i thought it was advisable to put the better set of tires on the front, or ...?
thanks,
ferenc

I've been told that when it is raining the better front tires push away most of the water for the worse rear tires.
Of course doesn't work in curves ;-)

 

[Incredulocious]

I went with the Michelin Defender XT 225/65R17 102T. There was not a problem on the speed rating. They explained they could install since it was just one rating lower, not two.

Costco also carries the 225/65R17/101H Michelin Defender. Thus the speed rating is not reduced, but the load capacity per tire is reduced from 1874 to 1819. Considering the load rating will not come into place, the H rated tire seems like a better choice.

There's also a Michelin Defender LTX M/S with 102H, low rolling resistance and a UTQG rating of 720 A A (versus the base Defender at 820 A B). Tire Rack is currently listing a full set at $624 after shipping.

Anyone know a reason to go with one versus the other?
Or versus the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopias with 102H and a UTQG of 640 A A?

 

[smkettner]

Installing Continental Control Contact Tour AS today.
225/65R17 102T BSW
Fuel efficient rated, 800 tread wear rating.
90,000 mile tread wear warranty. OEM is almost smooth at 36,000 so good luck on that.
With rebates $489 installed OTD.

 

[n3ckf]

i have the Conti Cross Contact LX20s on the Rav4EV for about 15K miles now and i'm very happy with them.

Better traction, less road noise/squeal and the tires feel much better when wet.

The loss of milage is just-barely-detectable by me. (ie. around 1-2%) over the stock tires.

I was driving on snow today and while the car isn't great on snow, these tires make it much better. Control your speed and they'll actually drag you through it. I was able to get *up* some fairly steep stuff by not doing stupid things (ie. dont stop, dont go really fast, use engine braking ("B") almost exclusively, dont try to change direction too quickly) and it did *way* better than i expected.

 

[JasonA]

I just put on the Dueler Ecopia 422's from Costco( my Yokohama's were BALD!!! with wires!) .. I cannot believe how quiet and efficient these tires are over the OEMs.. I mean dead quiet!

Got the $70/off deal and can't be any happier.

Damn those OEM Yoki's SUCKED ASS

 

[Airton]

Getting ready to put on my second set this winter, I'm happy with the Ecopia 422's

 

[4min]

Just got back from Costco Richmond, CA. Got a set of Ecopia 422+ online, and they refused to install them due to speed rating being 102T. They had Ecopia H/L 422 (102H speed rating) in stock, but couldn't apply the same promo that I used online. Went home and got a new set of H/L tires, waiting for another week to have them delivered.

Has anyone had any experience with both Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 vs. Ecopia 422 Plus? Any reason I should reconsider getting the 422 Plus and get them installed elsewhere, other than the $15 apiece price difference?

 

[Luckyduckie]

Yep, two years ago I asked my wife to change the tires on our 2013 at Costco and they gave her the same explanation, and sold her the more expensive higher speed rated tire. I changed the tires on our 2014 to the lower rated Ecopias this past summer. The higher speed rated tire only stayed on our 2013 for about 28k miles before being changed to Michelin Defenders due to un-even tire wear that Costco claims was caused by poor alignment. In retrospect, the higher speed rated Ecopia felt like it had softer rubber, giving the car better traction, ride, and handling but I suspect due to the softer rubber wore out pre-maturely. This is not a scientific test and purely my opinion which might not be too objective since I only had the stock Yokohama's to compare to at that point in time; everyone pretty much agree that ANY tire change was better than the stock tires that came with the car! The Michelin Defenders (also available in 102T & 102H) costs more but is also IMHO a better tire with a better warranty (if they'll let you buy the cheaper 102T, 90,000 mile warranty). The cheaper Ecopia is also decent after 3000-4000 mile break-in.

Two contributing factors to consider when purchasing tires for our Rav4EVs: 1.) Due to the weight of the battery packs, our cars are very heavy and thus add additional wear on the tires. 2.) Due to the high torque of the motors (plus the sheer fun of the sports mode) our tires are under greater stress than traditional cars.

 

[ferenc]

Michelin said the Defender is a 102T rating, which they say dealers will install even though they are not H rated.
Concord Costco ($630/4 OTD) will install, but will write a note on it, whereas Big O in Lafayette said no to installing them.

The Defender XLT M/S, even though, it has an H rating, was not recommended by Michelin.

Costco, here I come,
Ferenc

 

[evdrive]

I upgraded to the Michelin Defenders last Summer per suggestions from fellow owners on the forum and I have been 100% satisfied. thank you for the suggestions to those who reported back about different tire models they purchased. I can't tell you how much better the handling of the RAV is with these tires. The previous tires were so slippery and unstable feeling around corners at high speed, the Defenders are surefooted.

I highly recommend them.

Michelin said the Defender is a 102T rating, which they say dealers will install even though they are not H rated.
Concord Costco ($630/4 OTD) will install, but will write a note on it, whereas Big O in Lafayette said no to installing them.

The Defender XLT M/S, even though, it has an H rating, was not recommended by Michelin.

Costco, here I come,
Ferenc

 

[ferenc]

Minor corrections to my Michelin tire purchase at Costco:
1. $588.92/4 plus local sales tax - they added 4 of the $2.99/each tire pressure monitor devices
2. Costco sells the Defender XT - same as the plain Defender, I'm told.

Looking forward to the new treads,
Ferenc

 

[New8848]

Costco has Michelin X LT A/S 225/65R17 102H, $658 OTD (including $100 Citi credit card savings). Is this a good tire for RAV4EV?

 

[ph2]

I paid to have Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires installed on my 2012 Rav4 last year for around $675. They are much better than OEMs as far as traction and handling, but on rainy days there is always a puddle on my driveway that will cause the tires to lose traction when first starting out. There is a definite decrease in tire/road noise at highway speeds.

The rear tires have worn about 1/16th less than the front in about 10k miles, which is a testament to the stresses places on the front tires.

I did notice about a 5% range loss, but the OEMs were at the low tread indicators. Would definitely take the loss again for the noticeable improvement in ride quality. Then again I rarely drive more than 50 miles in a day.

 

[miimura]

The rear tires have worn about 1/16th less than the front in about 10k miles, which is a testament to the stresses places on the front tires.

I have observed this on every front wheel drive car I've owned. The more power the car has, the more exaggerated this effect is.

 

[New8848]

Costco has Michelin X LT A/S 225/65R17 102H, $658 OTD (including $100 Citi credit card savings). Is this a good tire for RAV4EV?[/quote]

Costco also has Michelin Premier LTX 225/65R17 102 H $643 OTD (including $100 Citi credit card savings). Is this better than Michelin X LT A/S?