Do I Really Need Michelins?

[Ricksta]

I live in New Zealand where I know that Michelin tyres are going to be expensive, but I have just been quoted GBP213.00 per tyre for two new front tyres. I have a 2005 2.2 HDi Exclusive. The tyres are 215-55x16 XSE type tyres and they look pretty specialized. My question is do I really have to go with them or could I put some good Bridgestones or something els on that are under half the price. What do the people think?

 

Cheers

Rick

[Randombloke]

My question is do I really have to go with them or could I put some good Bridgestones or something els on that are under half the price. What do the people think?

 

I bought Dunlop SP2000s. Not noticed a problem. However, most of my mileage is motorway and I tend to drive sedately, as this is the only way to get over 40 mpg now that diesel is £1.05 a litre.

[72dudes]

My question is do I really have to go with them or could I put some good Bridgestones or something els on that are under half the price. What do the people think?

 

Cheers

Rick

 

I agree with Randombloke, any of the "level 2 premium" brands will be fine: Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone, don't like Dunlops personally - had 2 bad experiences with longevity and balancing - even some of the Asian makes are getting a good reputation, Hankook is one.

 

My tyres are 205x65x15, being a 2001 model, but I've found an internet price of £81 each for Michelins. Have you tried an online search in NZ as £213 per tyre sounds very high?

[Johndouglas]

The Michelins on my 2005 C5 didn't last long at all, although when I had the alignment checked at 6K it was found to be a lot out. Now at 26K I've just had two Avon ZZ3 fitted on the front for £75 each. That's about 40% less the Michelins. Don't know what they'll be like for wear, but for ride quality and grip they seem fine.

[Ricksta]

I bought Dunlop SP2000s. Not noticed a problem. However, most of my mileage is motorway and I tend to drive sedately, as this is the only way to get over 40 mpg now that diesel is £1.05 a litre.

 

I guess I shouldn't complain about the price of the Michelins when diesel is at £0.53 a litre including our road user tax!

 

Sounds like I may as well go for the Bridgestones, the Michelins have chewed themselves out in 30,000Km - which I don't consider to be very good. However I do drive over some very windy steep bush (forest) roads every day to get to work, and our roads are generally made from a volcanic chip which tends to be pretty hard on tyres.

 

Thanks for all the help anyway.

Rick

[72dudes]

Now at 26K I've just had two Avon ZZ3 fitted on the front for £75 each. That's about 40% less the Michelins. Don't know what they'll be like for wear, but for ride quality and grip they seem fine.

 

John, have you noticed any difference in road noise from the Avons? Michelins are supposed to be good in this area but I'd be interested to hear your view - my priority is for ride comfort and low noise, I tend not to go round roundabouts at 40mph in the wet theses days!

[72dudes]

I guess I shouldn't complain about the price of the Michelins when diesel is at £0.53 a litre including our road user tax!

 

Jeezaloo! Fill the tank up for £30! I read today that 50.4p per litre is duty, 18p is VAT, the rest is cost and 4p is retailer profit. Time for an uprising.

[Johndouglas]

John, have you noticed any difference in road noise from the Avons?

 

No difference at all between the Michelins and the Avons - except in the price!

[Big Al]

I live in New Zealand where I know that Michelin tyres are going to be expensive, but I have just been quoted GBP213.00 per tyre for two new front tyres. I have a 2005 2.2 HDi Exclusive. The tyres are 215-55x16 XSE type tyres and they look pretty specialized. My question is do I really have to go with them or could I put some good Bridgestones or something els on that are under half the price. What do the people think?

 

Cheers

Rick

 

I recently had the same dilemma on my '03 2.2HDi Exclusive estate. I ended up fitting Dunlops (same size as yours). They were GBP85 each and seem absolutely as good as the Michelins (GBP135 each). A bit early to tell about wear, but grip, comfort and noise is as good or better than the Michelins.

[DaveK]

Jeezaloo! Fill the tank up for £30! I read today that 50.4p per litre is duty, 18p is VAT, the rest is cost and 4p is retailer profit. Time for an uprising.

 

Just in the process of buying a 2005(January, so it's really a 2004) 2.0hdi Exclusive.Most I ever paid for a motor but these are rare beasts- and it comes with all whistles and bells, including 'WAKE UP!' sexy seat vibrator if you wander across lane markings without signalling. En route to view the car I passed a garage with diesel at £1.12 a litre.(£5.09 a gallon). Most expensive in UK? Check fuel prices in France, Calais region- £0.85 a litre, and that's tenpence up since last summer..

I've run two Citroen Xantias over the past eleven years- both still going strong. The 1994 version now living in Italy with 200,000 miles up, the 2000 model with 98,000. Neither have ever missed a beat, never broke down, never failed to start-or stop when required. Both towed caravans all over Europe- sometimes in places where it was foolish to go. First one leaks a drop of oil when stationary from a front drive shaft seal. Second one dribbles a splodge of suspension fluid on the driveway overnight. Too frightened to remove the reservoir to have a look. If it fails MoT I'll have to bite the bullet and see what's lurking underneath..

Back to the question: Michelins may be a hardish ride but they last. 36,000 miles on the fronts before I ditched them for the rears - which just don't wear out rolling along back there. For economy reasons fitted Nexxens to the rears. They are cheap and cheerful but look the part,have directional tread pattern and it handles fine.

Whilst online I need all advice re the C5 hdi Exclusive. Need to fit a towbar. There's talk of it having Can-bus multiplex electrics. Think that means I can't just connect the towing electrics into the rear lamp assemblies with Scotchlocks.

[paul.h]

Our 2.2 hdi, mark1 C5 is due for new front tyres, the original Michelins have now done 27k miles. On other cars I have only ever got about 15k miles on other makes so I may replace with Michelins.

 

A few of us have fit towbars and there are some posts to search for. I used a 7-way relay for the lighting and took the 12v supply direct from the battery.

[72dudes]

Just wanted to update on this one:

 

After extensive searching on the internet, found some Uniroyal Ralleye 550 at £56 each fully fitted at Tyre Shopper.co.uk - fitted through National Tyres and Autocentres. Rang up just to check that they had the equipment to balance the dreaded centre-hubless alloys. They said no, they couldn't balance them.

 

Back to the internet, cheapest Michelins were £74, but it meant a 50 mile round trip to have them fitted.

 

Phoned the local Citroen dealer (just to see) and incredibly they quoted £69.48 fully fitted for Michelins, including balance etc. Guess where it's going next week. (They also offered Pirelli P6000 for £62 or some Budget Maxxis for £34 (no thanks)

 

This goes against everything I've learned about where to go for tyres over the last 28 years of driving.

 

The moral of the story is - always check with the dealer before you rock up to Kwik Fit/Central/National Tyres - you might be pleasantly surprised like I was.

[GreedyPig]

If your C5 is fitted with tyre pressure sensors, don't the tyres have to be fitted at main dealer so as the tyre pressure sensor works after refitting?

[72dudes]

If your C5 is fitted with tyre pressure sensors, don't the tyres have to be fitted at main dealer so as the tyre pressure sensor works after refitting?

 

Not sure about this GreedyPig, but I'd be surprised if the better tyre dealers didn't have something to address this issue - after all more and more cars come with these things and they wouldn't want to lose market share to the dealers.

 

My own C5 is a Mk I SX, so doesn't have sensors. I don't like them, I'd rather go round with a pressure guage every week......

[myglaren]

Not sure about this GreedyPig, but I'd be surprised if the better tyre dealers didn't have something to address this issue - after all more and more cars come with these things and they wouldn't want to lose market share to the dealers.

 

My own C5 is a Mk I SX, so doesn't have sensors. I don't like them, I'd rather go round with a pressure guage every week......

 

I was in a local ATS yesterday, getting the tracking and balancing done after being forced off the road by another vehicle.

 

There was a Mondeo in there and they had to get the owner to take it to a Ford dealer as they couldn't cope with the sensors.

 

I did ask if they were familiar with C5's, to preclude them scraping the bottom on the ground when they let it down and the manager told me thay they had been contracted to change the wheels and wheelnuts (steel wheels) on >8,000 C5's shortly after their debut, due to a fault with the wheels and nuts. I took this as a 'Yes, they are familiar!'

[Guest Bmf]

I have a 2001 2.0HDi SX and the best tyres I have ever had were Vredesteins (195x95x15) on a H rating.

I have had Michelins (didn't last long), Avons (didn't last too long) and just put on some 'cheap' Barums at £40 each. These are awful!

Try Vredesteins - they lasted a long time (20000+ miles) and were the best handling and quietest tyre I have ever had. There are reasonably priced (about £50 each) but not all that widely available.

Bmf

[Guest Colin Hunter]

If you can get TOYO tyres in NZ then go for them. I live in the Shetland Islands where the ambient temperature rarely exceeds 20 C. Because of this I believe the tread compound on the Michelin is too hard. I find they provide very little grip in the wet. I run Toyo "Snowprox" (All weather tyres) all year round on my Xantia (110 HDI)and they cost me £120 for TWO fitted and balanced. (205/60x15). I got almost 20,000 miles from a pair which were never off the front so they wear well too. Despite the quite aggressive tread pattern they are quiet on the road (Much better than the Michelins which were on it when I bought it) They are very good in snowy conditions, not that that will bother you in Kiwi, and excellent in the wet. Toyo also make excellent standard tyres and, in particular, good high performance low profiles.

 

Cheers, Hope this helps :rolleyes: