Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV Tire: Solid
Written: Feb 21 '05 (Updated Feb 22 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Handling and Control: |
 |
|
|
Pros: excellent in the rain; moderately low road noise; smooth ride
Cons: relatively expensive
The Bottom Line: The Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV Tire is solid. It has slightly lower road noise than the Dunlop Radial Rover and is excellent in the rain. Enough said.
|
|
|
| Horswispr's Full Review: Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV Tire |
My 1998 Toyota pick-up truck came with Dunlop Radial Rovers, so that's what I stuck with the first time I needed new tires. I upped the size from 225-75-15 to 235-75-15, and was happy for the next 80,000 miles.
Recently, I decided to re-tire again, and Big O Tires (if they were listed on Epinions, I'd give them a very positive review) was out of Radial Rovers, so I decided to try something different.
After talking to the guys at the shop and reading several reviews at Epinions, I went with Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV tires in size 235-75-15. The cost was about $10 more per tire than the Radial Rovers, but hey, they're Michelins.
These Michelins are slightly LESS aggressive than the Radial Rovers. The tread has less of a zig-zag pattern to it, and the channels (to deal with wet surfaces) appear straighter. Still, the tires look rugged and straightforward, and the tread appears aggressive enough to do the job off-road.
After several months of driving, I can say with confidence that the ride of the Michelins is slightly smoother than the ride with the Dunlops. The difference is not great, but it's there. Road noise also seems to be slightly diminished.
I've noticed that the Michelins are really good in the rain, perhaps slightly better than the Dunlop Radial Rovers. Winter has come to California, and with it, the Winter rains. As I was driving home in a downpour tonight, I noticed that there was no tendency toward hydroplaning. These tires grip very well in the rain. Enough said.
Off road, the Michelins are comparable to the Dunlops. I didn't notice any difference. I don't do hard-core off-roading, else I would have bought more aggressive tires, but driving over rutted dirt roads in Idaho and Montana has been no problem with these tires. Bouncing through the creek in 4-wheel-drive at the family cabin in Montana was also no problem.
I have only used the Michelins in light, wet snow so far, and they handled well. If my experience in wet snow, rain, mud and dirt is a decent predictor, these things will do OK in heavier snow. Because their tread is slightly less aggressive than that of my old Dunlop Radial Rovers, I'll be cautious at first, but I predict they'll do fine. I generally lock down my hubs and use 4-wheel-drive when driving over snow pack. I'll update this review if I go through the mountains this winter.
As for aesthetics, these tires have the functional appearance I like. There's no bling bling here: the Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV Tire looks like a straightforward truck tire. I put the lettering on the inside, but the white raised letters look cool enough that I wouldn't feel stupid putting them on the outside.
Gas mileage is comparable to what I got with the Dunlop Radial Rovers. It was slightly better with the smaller 225-75-15 than with these 235s, but the difference isn't great enough to be on concern. In fact, I still use a Dunlop 225-75-15 as a spare.
In conclusion, I recommend the Michelin LTX M/S Truck/SUV tire highly. I feel confident driving in all conditions, and I like the relatively smooth and quiet (for a truck) ride. Are they worth the extra $40 to $60 per set over the Dunlop Radial Rovers? That's a judgment call.
I recommend either with confidence.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100/tire
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.