Purdy99

To roger00,

Didn't I already say I had Bridgestones? That I was just passing along what I had read?

Still, I've never owned a Pinto...I think I can safely call it junk. You've obviously never read more than 2 reviews on the Integrity, cause if you'd had, you wouldn't be trying to defend your position.

rogerh00

rx300bv: Ok, I went to tirerack and read the reviews. I actually have read these before when I first bought the vehicle since the tires were being badmouthed back then also. All the negativeity had me concerned that maybe I should have the dealer replace them with the Bridgestones. After my review I concluded to stay with the Goodyears.
Tirerack summary: The Integrity is rated good to excellent in all catagories. The individual reviews are all over the place. It seems to be a love-hate relationship, but hardly "junk". I also looked at the cross terrains and they are rated much higher-excellent to superior-very impressive at twice the cost. I would seriously consider them for repalcements. However, then the second most recent review states, "the cross terrain suv tires were the worst I have ever used I only got 20000mi on them and there is no tread left. the snow traction is non existent. dont buy these tires". So, I guess you just toss that out as an aberration.
I am sorry to hear of your experience after 1000 mi. I've had the tires for 2.5 years and only had the vsc come on once when I was overdriving the vehicle around a tight corner. I blamed it my aggressive driving and not the tires. Could it have been the junk we're riding on? If you think it is the tires I would have to serously think of replacing them and not jeopardize your personal safety.

Purdy: OK, you did say you were passing along what you have read. That was however with an editorial comment. BUT, I don't have to defend my postion on the tires -I own them and I know what my experience has been. You on the other hand have never owned them. If you would like to give your experience on the Bridgestones then I am listening.

RX300-BV

roger,

Being in So Cal, snow traction is of little interest to me. I'm pretty sure my FWD RX300 won't see snow. If I'm heading into the Mountains, I'll take my Ford Explorer 4x4 with Dueler AT's, which are much better then the stock Duelers that some people get. But as for the safety issue, if the Integritys slip again in a situation where I feel it is the tire and not my driving style (or wife's driving style) then yeah, for safety reasons I would definitely look to have them replaced sooner rather then later.

My take from reading all the reviews of the Integritys are that they are quiet, decent, economical tires suited for OEM use because of their low cost, but are more prone to slip in wet conditions. The most telling stat from tirerack is the 3.5 out of 10 owners would buy the Integritys again. The score of 26 of 39 also indicates to me there are better tires out there, but probably at a higher price.

gp1200x

In defense of Rogerh00s position.....

I have a new set of Michelin Cross Terrains (2K mi.) (one size larger than the stock size) and a set of Goodyear Integritys (factory size) mounted on Lexus standard rims. The Goodyears have about 5K on them. All tires were rebalanced for these comparisons. Everyone that sits in the Lexus or drives it confirms that the Goodyear provides a smoother and quieter ride. It is very very close but the Goodyears do appear to be smoother at 40-65. At high speeds (70-95) the Michelins do track better. I have also notices that on concrete and blacktop the Michelins make more noise. This is more noticeable on concrete. The Michelins do corner slightly better too.

If you look at the tread designs this makes obvious sense. The Goodyears are street use only. They are not designed for off-road use and they have a close tread pattern and designed strictly for road use, contrary to whatever anyone reads or what is advertised. The Michelins, althought they say highway use, have a much more aggressive tread pattern which would account for the noise and harsher ride. They also have a wide and deeper tread pattern for partial off-road use traction. The Michelins would be better for snow use too however the Goodyears do fairly well in the snow and I never had any problems with them.

For those that think that the Michelins are going to make a world of difference, I think it is more of a biased opinion they have for Michelins. I love Michelins and have them on all my other cars too...but they are not always the best choice for everyone and some of their models have problems too.

Now for my use.....almost never off road and high speed driving...and I want a smooth quiet ride and I need to be able to pull a pair of Jetskis.....I saw Michelins on the new Pacifia (Pacifica??) and I like the Michelins on those...they look like a pure street/highway tire that should produce a quiet ride...anyone know the type of Michelins they use on the high end Pacifia??

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

My wife and I found the Goodyear Integrity tires to be junk. Fairly noisy and not great traction in the rain. There's a reason they're $50 tires.

We then had Michelin Symmetry tires - EXCELLENT. We would have gone with them again but couldn't find them quickly and we decided to try the Michelin Cross Terrains. These are noisier than the Symmetry but still an excellent tire.

Yes Michelins are expensive. But like most things, you generally get what you pay for.

A local high end tire/wheel/balance shop says (not just about RX tires, but in general) that Michelins are the roundest most consistent high quality tires they sell. Other brands may be good, but they have more problems with them overall.

isseland

Tires tested:
Bridgestone Dueler H/L D683 Highway All-Season 245/70R16
Goodyear Fortera HL Edition Highway All-Season 245/70R16
Michelin Cross Terrain SUV Highway All-Season 245/70R16

Vehicles used:
2002 Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicle

While sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks are in the fastest growing segment of today’s vehicle market, their current popularity appears to have more to do with their sporty image than the driver’s need for their rugged utility. For example, it’s far more common to see a SUV commuting to work or transporting the kids than tackling off-road trails. In many cases, drivers select SUVs primarily because they provide the people capacity of station wagons or because they need a four-wheel drive winter vehicle in the Snowbelt.

Because of this, tire manufacturers have developed lines of tires that combine the size, strength and sidewall styling of light truck tires with the lower noise, smoother ride and longer wear associated with passenger car tires. These premium Highway Al-Season light truck tires have been designed to complement the way most Americans drive their sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks…on the road.

In order to get a better understanding of the capabilities provided by these premium Highway All-Season tires, The Tire Rack Team conducted a Real World Road Ride comparing Bridgestone Dueler H/L, Goodyear Fortera HL Edition and Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tires. We used the 245/70R16 size mounted on 16"x8.0" wheels and fitted to three 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

While we normally discover noticeably different “personality traits” in the tires we test, the lesson we learned in this case was that all of the tires performed similarly. During their road rides in the Jeep Grand Cherokees, our team confirmed that all three of these tire manufacturers had hit their marks by combining the light truck look through the tire’s sidewall styling with close to passenger tire comfort from the tread design. We could only distinguish very subtle differences between the ride comfort, noise level and light handling.

Bridgestone Dueler H/L with UNI-T AQ (D683)

The Dueler H/L’s UNI-T AQ technology combines Bridgestone’s UNI-T technology with their Extended Performance Optimization (EPO). This features a dual layer tread compound that resists the normal tread rubber hardening that can result from the heat of friction encountered during thousands of miles of use. As the tire wears, the special underlying high-grip rubber is exposed, helping offset the effects of wear on wet surface braking and wet handling. The ultimate result is that UNI-T AQ keeps wet performance up as the tread wears down. The dual layer tread compound is molded into a tread design that combines a continuous center rib flanked by independent shoulder and intermediate rib tread blocks. Internally, the Dueler H/L features twin steel belts reinforced by spiral wrapped nylon to help the tire maintain its original shape while enhancing tire uniformity.

On the road, the Dueler H/L with UNI-T AQ was recognized for its real word handling while providing noise and ride qualities appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.

Goodyear Fortera HL Edition

The Fortera HL features a long-wearing tread compound molded into a tread design that enhances traction and ride comfort while reducing noise levels. Staggered circumferential grooves and curvilinear sipes and grooves are integrated into the tread design to provide the biting edges that enhance year round traction, even in light snow. The tire’s shoulder design and sidewall appearance offer rugged good looks to complement the vehicle’s image. Internally, the Fortera HL uses a computer optimized tire shape to reduce footprint sensitivity to load and provide an excellent balance of performance properties for lightly loaded to fully loaded sport utility vehicles (when properly inflated and within the vehicle’s approved load limits). Its twin steel belts and two ply polyester cord body helps provide predictable handling while enhancing ride comfort.

On the road, the Fortera HL Edition provided ride comfort, noise level and real world handling appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.

Michelin Cross Terrain SUV

The Michelin Cross Terrain SUV features a silica-enhanced tread compound molded into a tread design optimized for car-like ride comfort and responsiveness in dry, wet and wintry conditions. The tire’s sidewall offers rugged good looks to complement the vehicle’s image while its continuous shoulder tread ribs maximize wear qualities while minimizing noise levels. Full depth, interlocking zigzag sipes are integrated into the tread design to provide the extra biting edges that enhance year round traction and driving confidence in light snow. Internally, the Cross Terrain SUV features twin steel belts, a two ply polyester cord body and Michelin’s Bead Tension Structure to increase ride comfort and provide predictable handling.

On the road, the Cross Terrain SUV was recognized for its low noise level while providing ride comfort and handling appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.


Ride & Drive Test Results

Ride Noise Handling Average
Bridgestone Dueler H/L 7.24 6.69 7.05 6.99
Goodyear Fortera HL 7.19 6.86 6.75 6.93
Michelin Cross Terrain SUV 7.43 6.96 6.83 7.07

Cheers,
Andrew

kutscher

I was looking at the Toyo Open Country's today. As the service place recommended them over the Michelin Cross Terrains. They state better tread life and traction. They beleive the cross terrains wear out fast and are not much of an improvement over the factory bridgestones I have. Plus they do not sell them, only via orders. It is strange that no one carries the Michelins around here, besides tirerack and then no many will install them???

I need traction to pull my boat out of the water and drive mostly in the city. Some gravel driving, but not much.

isseland

After a long consideration I decided to go with Toyo, Open Country A/T 225/70/16 tires from the local Less Schwab tire center. With free road hazard protection, mounting, rotations and flat repairs total cost (tax included) was $532. So far I am happy and impress with these tires.
Thanks for participation in the discussion.
Cheers

Andrew