Not 100% true. Would rule out snow tires using those facts.

Would be "best" to use tires with those ratings. The load rating, 99+, is a very good idea as that has an affect on the tire's ability to handle weight without blowing. Better safe than sorry.

Regarding speed ratings you might drop one value down to H for daily use, however, that would be as far as I would go. IMHO.

If you check TireRack you will find there are quite a number of tires of the appropriate size, load and speed ratings of varying prices for everyone's pocketbook. Best not to skimp too much on tires. They are a key component on how your vehicle handles and stops.

Plenty of existing threads here in the forums with discussions on tires.

 

Cheap tires to save a buck just to say it had tires with some tread life on the vehicle.

 

Sorry, looks like there was an H rated version at one time:

 

Well, weight in the car is expected but isn't included in unsprung weight or the rolling mass of the wheels and tires. Here are some more problems when you add bigger wheels or heavier tires than stock.

"High unsprung weight also exacerbates wheel control issues under hard acceleration or braking. If the vehicle does not have adequate wheel location in the vertical plane (such as a rear-wheel drive car with Hotchkiss drive, a live axle supported by simple leaf springs), vertical forces exerted by acceleration or hard braking combined with high unsprung mass can lead to severe wheel hop, compromising traction and steering control."
"Unsprung Weight

This is one of the most critical factors affecting a vehicle's road holding ability. Unsprung weight is that portion of a vehicle that is not supported by the suspension (i.e. wheels, tires and brakes) and therefore is the most susceptible to road shock and cornering forces. By reducing unsprung weight, alloy wheels provide more precise steering input and improved "turning in" characteristics. So what. SO WHAT!? This is a key concept that many people overlook. We have been telling you for a long time now to get light weight wheels and tires. Here's how it all comes together.

Every time you hit a bump, the wheel assembly is accelerated upwards, decelerates to a stop, then accelerates downward till it reaches equilibrium. If the wheel can’t accelerate fast enough, shock is transmitted to the body, which may upset the balance of the car. A s an example think of small, sharp edged speed bumps versus those gigantic, but wide, monsters in some lots. The sharp edged ones are much more annoying to traverse, aren’t they? That’s because they require the suspension to accelerate more rapidly. Now imagine going over some stutter bumps in a corner. You’ll have a very rapid series of accelerations and decelerations. If the wheel is lighter, it will accelerate upwards and downwards faster (a=F/m). This means it will follow the road better and, even more importantly, it will allow the suspension to work better. The shock and spring will have to control less unsprung weight/mass, which means they can stop and start the motion of the assembly easier and at a rapid pace.

Why Reduce Unspring Wieght?

Reducing unsprung weight minimizes the load placed on controlling the motion of the wheels and tires. This means that suspension springs and shock absorbers will have a greater reserve capacity to control body motion -- just as they were intended to! The result is better handling, which we, as tuners, are all after.

In part two of this article, we will discuss the other end of the spectrum: why it is good to have a low weight wheel/tire, but not for suspension, for acceleration."

 

So any more reviews on these?? What tires do most of you go with? We are at 68k with stock tires and the time is coming to replace.

 

usprung weight, roatating mass, etc etc.. i konw all to well being in the motrocycle world
i dont think 8 total pounds will have an impact that i will notice ( its not liek i am aracing it) besides lighter wheels tires in NYC with the road conditions will end up costing me alot more in replacing rims/tires
( i already had the plasure of going through sets of rims and tires on my 550I with sport package which is not designed for NYC street)

 

The previous go-to tire was the Bridgestone Alenza. Have not seen anything to change that mindset.

 

decent looking tire.

i need more meat for winter though

 

At that point you are looking at snow tires.

 

Yup, thats about right.

 

^^^Another vote for Alenza!

I was set on getting Alenza's but still on the fence. Solus is looking good.

 

I will need tires sometime between now and the first of 2012...and am thinking hard about the GoodYear Assurance ComfortTred Touring. Good looks, good reviews and all that. We had an earlier set of ComfortTred tires on an old RAV4 and liked them a lot. Like a previous post, my RX came from a dealer with a new set of Nexens on it that were H rated. Ride smooth enough, but won't handle the rain well enough any more and can get a little squirrly in the heavy stuff. Won't be anything in the treads to keep me safe in the snow.

 

Another Review....
so this past weekend was my first long trip on the Kumho's
the weather was in the mid 70's here in NY and i was going to Long island to visit a friend about 120 Miles each way. mostly highway with minimal elevation increases...

Left the house at 8:30 had about 160 miles to the tank mostly street driving and the computer said 16.2 mpg since last fill up. got on the high way no traffic, moving at around 65. the tires were quite and heated up pretty quick. handled great (dry conditions), road noise was minimal on smooth highway pavement and concrete over bumps and potholes( which are plenty around ny) the ties handled well but noticeable noise increase. over all i am happy, they are quite at all speeds, and handle well. now i know i mentioned MPG and these tires are similar to the Micheline energy or at least claim to be. i do not have much experience with Micheline but my MPG at the end of the trip went up to 18.8 mpg according to the computer. that s after a120 miles of driving ( most of it on the highway between 65-75 mph and the last 10 in bumper to bumper traffic thanks to pumpkin picking and wine tasting events in Long Island wine country )

on the way back it was the same story but this time the high way was not as free and my avg speed was about 60 to 65 mph. t he temp was in the 60 but i did not notice a performance decrease or increased road noise (than again its not a big temperature drop) i filled up with 90 miles to go and the Computer reset, those 90 miles were mostly highway at around 65 mph with about 5 miles of traffic do to people rubbernecking and 3 miles street. (once again minimal altitude increase/decrease as Long island is pretty much flat and the LIE is pretty much a straight line) anyway i got home 90 after fill up with and the computer had me at 27.2 MPG ( now i know the on board computer is not the most accurate but i am using it as for measurements so if it is inaccurate it is inaccurate fr everything.) i have never seen over 26 on this car since i got it (this included a drive home from Maryland and Philly, also on the highway in similar weather but on the Michelin that were form the original owner.

ove all i ma happy with the tires for the money they are good. i was not concerned about the MP when i got them but if it is true and i do get more its an added bonus. i will keep everyone posted on the life of the tires.. for now i am at only 500 miles and will update after a few thousands on the wear of these tires

 

Thanks for the review, will help some of us who are on the fence on the tires.

 

After two sets of Michelin and two sets of the Bridgestone Alenza, I cannot believe how nice of a ride the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring tire provides. Still waiting to see how they perform in the winter.