Need All-Season Tire Recomendations

ColoradoDriver

2014 CX-5 Touring AWD - 132k miles
Contributor
:
Denver, CO
Well as a major disappointment, my current Michelin Latitude Tour tires are at 4/32nd tread. I'm disappointed because I thought they were at 6/32nd and I would get another season out of it.

Since that isn't the case, guessing I will need to get some new tires this summer.

I need some recommendations. I want something that won't break the bank, has excellent handling and responsiveness as I am a spirited driver, and hopefully isn't too loud. Will have rain and dry roads mainly, occassionally a dirt road in the mountains.

These would be 17s.

Thanks all.
 
General 43RT in the H series. Very excellent in the rain and dry. ~ $105 Installed. I would get another year out of a 4/32 tread tire if that tread dept is across the width of all 4. Ed
 
General 43RT in the H series. Very excellent in the rain and dry. ~ $105 Installed. I would get another year out of a 4/32 tread tire if that tread dept is across the width of all 4. Ed
Oh ok, maybe they were just trying to scare me into buying tires today lol.

Yep those seem to be popular and will be on the list.
 
I plan to go with Michelin Premier. 4/32” is where I usually replace. Where I live heavy rain is common. If you don’t get that you might be ok to 3/32”. I would not go all the way to 2/32”.
 
I plan to go with Michelin Premier. 4/32” is where I usually replace. Where I live heavy rain is common. If you don’t get that you might be ok to 3/32”. I would not go all the way to 2/32”.
Yeah I agree.
 
General 43RT in the H series. Very excellent in the rain and dry. ~ $105 Installed. I would get another year out of a 4/32 tread tire if that tread dept is across the width of all 4. Ed
+1
 

Yep. Many manufacturers design tires to "change" tread patterns with wear, such as grooves and sipes appearing/disappearing. I ran my LX20's to 2/32 or slightly less, and even in 6" snow they did fine. I was amazed to make it up my hill on them! Not as well as when new of course, but they impressed the hell out of me. However, when it rained, they would get VERY squirrely on the gravel/dirt road I live on whenever I hit any "standing mud". On wet pavement they did great, but on pavement in heavy rain...best to go under 60. Dry handling remained similar.

I went with Altimax RT43H to replace my Nokian WRG3 SUV's with less than 6K miles on them, they are already roughly 50% worn out. Disgusting s***. Nokian is a brand I'll never be able to trust or recommend at this point.
 
Yea that’s why I made the comment about heavy rain. Deeper tread will help with hydroplane resistance. They are testing equivalent of light to moderate rain IMO.

Also brand B is Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season. I thought I had seen that tread pattern before but couldn’t place it. Enter that test car into Tire Rack to see pictures and figured it out.

In Tire Racks review they state “Needs a big increase in wet traction.” Unsurprisingly Michelin picked a weak competitor.

And the Michelin tire is Premier which they tout as designed to maintain its wet traction better as it wears.
 
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I would also add my comment about 4/32” does not apply to winter conditions or tires. I believe most manufacturers consider those worn and in need of replacement at about 5/32”. This is also where the special rubber compound on Blizzaks ends.
 
I’m generally a fan of Michelin but I don’t think the defender is their best tire.

My short list would be

Michelin Premier LTX (most expensive but an excellent tire)

Continental TrueContact (I’ve used a version of these before and they’re great but did tend to want to follow grooves in the pavement. Smaller car though so may not be a problem for CX-5)

General Altimax (this has been a great value and highly consumer reviewed tire for years. Has been on my short list several times but usually went for the slightly better and higher priced Continental. Continental is the parent company for General btw.)
 
I would also add my comment about 4/32” does not apply to winter conditions or tires. I believe most manufacturers consider those worn and in need of replacement at about 5/32”. This is also where the special rubber compound on Blizzaks ends.

Awesome. After about 3500 miles, my WRG3 SUV's were at 7/32. Way to go Nokian. You've made an anti-customer.
 
Well they are all-weather.

Yup, I just wonder how they manage to have good winter traction and wear well in warm weather. Maybe they just don’t. Those are generally competing goals in tire design where what you do to improve one takes away from the other.
 
Yup, I just wonder how they manage to have good winter traction and wear well in warm weather. Maybe they just don’t. Those are generally competing goals in tire design where what you do to improve one takes away from the other.
True, seems like a compromise.
 
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