FWIW .. Tire testing the Michelin X-ICE
#11
Well.... I took my own advise today and had 4 New P/215/55R16 Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires nitrogen filled and installed on my New 2011 HHR and I plan to run them year around.
Thats not recommended by Michelin as it Voids their Warranty but I don't really care as I have never had a Warranty Claim with Michelin and I have used them since they came to this Country back in the 60's.
I was a Tire Salesman for the First West Coast Distributor and sold these back then both Retail and Wholesale when they were a nothing company in the USA.
There current literature states that;
These will wear 75% longer then their best competitor .. Bridgestone Blizzak WS 60 tires.
Thats quite a statement and I plan to monitor this set of tires till they die.
I can say this after a test run this afternoon. These tires run noticeably smoother and quieter then the stock factory tires .. just as I expected.
I won't be bothered with changing to snow tires in the fall either.
Let the snow fly ... I'll be ready
BTW .. These tires have a Directional Tread Design.
SF
Thats not recommended by Michelin as it Voids their Warranty but I don't really care as I have never had a Warranty Claim with Michelin and I have used them since they came to this Country back in the 60's.
I was a Tire Salesman for the First West Coast Distributor and sold these back then both Retail and Wholesale when they were a nothing company in the USA.
There current literature states that;
These will wear 75% longer then their best competitor .. Bridgestone Blizzak WS 60 tires.
Thats quite a statement and I plan to monitor this set of tires till they die.
I can say this after a test run this afternoon. These tires run noticeably smoother and quieter then the stock factory tires .. just as I expected.
I won't be bothered with changing to snow tires in the fall either.
Let the snow fly ... I'll be ready
BTW .. These tires have a Directional Tread Design.
SF
Last edited by Silverfox; 06-04-2011 at 10:09 AM.
#14
I have Michelin X-ICE tires for my HHR. I am very impressed with the tire. They offer fantastic traction on ice and wet roads. The ride is much better than the PILOT Super Sports that I run in the summer. I would not hesitate running the winter tires all rear round. I think that they may wear as well as my summer tires and the handling characteristics of the HHR do not allow the Super Sports to be all that they can be.
#15
Sorry about taking so long to reply.
So Far ..So Good.
The only thing I have noticed on the HHR over my Chevy Venture Van is that the ride in general is OK but if for example you come across a driveway that has a 1/2 to 3/4" hard lip you will notice it hits rather hard. These are rated Xtra Load so the casing is a little stiffer.
Could be partially that these on the HHR are 16" wheels and the Van has 15" wheels.
Only have about 4000 miles so it's hard to judge the mileage yet.
Also keep in mind our weather here is mild so the Hot days here are 80/85 degrees. I would pause if I lived where you are driving much in over 100 degree temps unless you reduce your hiway speeds.
I put Michelin "Primacy" on the other HHR and I am not as impressed with those as much as I thought I would be.
They seem rather skiddish on wet pavement and also tend to rip loose on a quick turn under power from a stop. I do have electronic traction control.
Also they are VERY NOISY on pavement that has been worn with studded tires.
I wouldn't buy them again.
Some of Michelins Data on this tire is very misleading IMHO.
SF
#16
How are you're snow tires holding up? I too am considering running snow tires year round and am interested in you're experience. Are they any noisier than all seasons? I have the Michelin Primacy also right now and am greatly disappointed in not only the wet and snow traction but they are the third set of Michelin's I have had that are cracking all over the tire. They are not even three years old, and have seen it with two other sets. I live in Northern ohio so the climate is mild, don't know why it happened.
#17
Just ordered a set of these for year round. I was impressed with them on my wifey's car we will be sporting matching tires. Think it will hold down the jelousy in the garage ??
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
#18
I had not seen this thread previously and I just felt like adding some information. I see a few of you folks looking to run the X-ice year round which seems very plausible but I'd just like to throw out an alternative.
The X-ice is a great winter tire and I run them on our VW Golf in the winter. I don't have any experience riding on the tires in the summer but some other members have obviously done that.
Anyways, as an alternative to the X-ice in the summer I would recommend looking into and reading about the Nokian WRG2. I know a lot of folks who love Nokian tires up here in Canada. The brand is probably known a lot better in Canada when compared with the USA. The WRG2 is a unique tire in that it is designed to be an all-weather tire. It has very respectable performance in the winter (probably equal to the X-ice) and is a very solid tire for summer driving as well.
For anyone looking to run an excellent winter tire year round do some research and read some comparisons and reviews on the Nokian WRG2. Please note that a lot of the best comparisons and reviews on these tires will come from Canadian or European drivers.
http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=1...=Nokian%20WRG2
The X-ice is a great winter tire and I run them on our VW Golf in the winter. I don't have any experience riding on the tires in the summer but some other members have obviously done that.
Anyways, as an alternative to the X-ice in the summer I would recommend looking into and reading about the Nokian WRG2. I know a lot of folks who love Nokian tires up here in Canada. The brand is probably known a lot better in Canada when compared with the USA. The WRG2 is a unique tire in that it is designed to be an all-weather tire. It has very respectable performance in the winter (probably equal to the X-ice) and is a very solid tire for summer driving as well.
For anyone looking to run an excellent winter tire year round do some research and read some comparisons and reviews on the Nokian WRG2. Please note that a lot of the best comparisons and reviews on these tires will come from Canadian or European drivers.
http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=1...=Nokian%20WRG2
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