Michelin "90,000 miles" Tires? Really?

Only really capable tires are made of concrete. Ride is a little rough, though.

(That's a joke, son, I say, that's a joke.)

I have nothing to say about this particular deal or those particular tires, but I will mention that the second set of tires I put on my Jeep, after wearing out the original set in 45,000 miles, were Michelins, and I got almost 80,000 miles out of them. As to why your toad eats front tires at such a prodigious rate, I know nothing, but that I'd be dragging that sucker around on a dolly, if it were mine. I dunno, maybe you already are.

In any case, best of luck with this one.

My Michelins sidewalks cracked (an unwarranted issue) long before the tread wore out.... Dealer said its because Michelin (so as to be 'green' - now playing at a theater near ALL) uses soy in their rubber compound... As I recall, a similar issue (a 'green' O-ring compound) occurred with the space shuttle Challenger.

I spent several months (off and on) researching replacement tires for my 5th wheel. In reading posts on several RV forums and forums dedicated to long distance light load transporters, the Michelin XPS RIBS seemed to win out as the tire of choice.

Many of the transporters hauling 15,000 lb plus loads, booking over 200,000 to 300,000 plus miles each year claimed the Michelins provided way more mileage than expected. These same transporters were on their third or more sets over the course of a couple of years because they found the tires to provide the best service.

The RV posts reflected much of the same information with the exception that most chose to replace tires with lots of good tread left due to age (5-6 years old). The tires still looked good but they were afraid to continue using them because of the age of the tires.

Yes the cost is higher but in the long run the tire will outlast others if mileage is the main factor.

I bought 4 and have been very happy with them in the past two years. I don't put a lot of miles on them at the current time but do plan on travelling a lot in the next several years.

My last set of Michelins went to the grave with ~ 50% of their tread left at 65K miles, but the sidewalls were so cracked they could have been used as sandpaper.



I figured dollar store petroleum laden tire shine products and 4 wheel drifts at speed around corners on mexican Washboard when partially deflated contributed greatly to the cracking, but so many reports of Michy's sidewalls cracking anyway led me to go with another brand on replacement.

I still get questions about my New tires, Kumho's, which are 4 years old now. They will die of old age before the tread is gone.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
My front wheel drive toad eats front tires like a Nile croc eats washerwomen.

Costco is touting the Michelin Whatever tire that boasts it has a 90,000 mile tread wear-out warranty.

But these things ain't cheap. I cannot take advantage of the warranty but if the tire wears phenomenally better than the average radial then the extra cost can perhaps be justified.

Anyone out there actually use this tire and can report whether or not the tire gives outstanding mileage?

Thanks in Advance

I have a set of these on my minivan--Defenders. I priced them on Tire Rack and they are about the same price as the Harmony line (although I got them from a local store.) I got them because like your toad, the front-wheel drive minivans eat tires. They are heavy vehicles for the size of tire they use.

I really am not crazy about them. They are not nearly as comfortable a ride as the Harmony tires that were on it before. The Defender is a much harder tire, thus its long tread life. The tire shop also had a terrible time getting one of them balanced. I think the harder ride makes any tiny out of balance much more noticeable.

So if you want a really good ride, go for the Harmony.

I also asked the tire shop owner what he considered the next best brand of tires, after Michelin. He said Toyo (which I agree with) and then if your goal is a really cushy ride, go for Cooper.

If you are not going to get great mileage out of them anyway, you might go for the less expensive but very good Toyo.

I've had the Defenders about 8 months and have about 6K miles on them. Not enough to make any predictions on longevity.

There is a lot of good info here on Tire Rack.

I'll rubbem with silicone grease if that what it takes to make them last. I don't even want to get into alignment issues. Let's just say the entire steering and suspension has been replaced and the alignment was checked by laser both in Mexico and the USA.

And I drive like an old man (shouts of "Get the @#$%^&! out of my way!")

I, me, personally, may (or may not) "Have Five Years Left".

But driving 5,000 miles for a tire warranty will be out of the question.

Regular tires last 3,000 - 9,000 miles. There has got to be an answer. The 9,000 mile tires were BF Badrich. The 3,000 mile tires were Generals.

Remember the days when automobile windshields did not used to break? Crumminess is being engineered into this stuff.

What vehicle are you driving?

What is causing you to have to replace the tires? Overall tread wear, but even? Uneven wear? Sidewall issues?

Could it be something to do with your towing setup?

They use tires down here to the point where you can see the air inside.

Maybe I should ponder this a little - The road surfaces resemble the front lines in WW1. The hard rubber ride might get lost in the jarring, vibrating, and humming of pavement surfaces.

To drive in the rain down here means risking a chance like Slim Pickens' last ride in Dr. Strangelove.

Even wearing, right down to the shiny steel belt.

You have something more than a tire problem. Need to have your alinement checked, and take a good look at your towing setup. Towing should not cause any more tire wear than normal road driving. If you are getting excessive wear, your tires are scrubbing for some reason. Toad may not be tracking straight, or steering may not be responding when making turns. Alinement may have been checked, but still may not be right for towing.