New Tire Question

[kcgaz]

It's time to purchase new tires for my 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500. The truck came with Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires and they have served me well. I pull a 26'Heartland Trail Runner with a GVWR of 7600lbs. I am trying to decide between Michelin Defender LTX MS and Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT. The Michelins have a load range of SL and the Coopers E1. I pull our trailer locally and typically stay in regional parks. I would appreciate any experiences/opinions with either tires regarding towing, handling, road noise and mileage. Are the E rated tires overkill for my towing situation? Thanks in advance for your input!

[kcgaz]

Well this is my follow-up on the Michelin Defender XLT M/S tires that I had installed today at Costco. On my ride home, the tires were very smooth, quiet and handled very well. I haven't tried towing yet, but I'm sure they will perform great. Thanks again for all of your input!

[wowens79]

I’m on my second set of Cooper AT3s. Got 55k out of the first set and I’ve got about 25k on the second set.
They have been great. They are a more aggressive tire than the Michelin.
Plus the Coopers are American owned and made.

[BobsYourUncle]

Great choice!

[kcgaz]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I found a very knowledgeable guy at COSTCO who recommended the Michelin Defender LTX All Season tires. They offer a $110 Michelin instant rebate, so I paid just under $1,000 and will have them installed Wednesday.

[Grit_dog]

phillyg wrote:
I was disappointed the few times I strayed from Michelin.

And I’d be hard pressed to buy them, based on my experience with a couple sets.
But that’s why there are many tire companies I suppose.
I’ve had the opposite experience with the LTx ms and AT2 Michelin’s in snow. Thought that they were both sub par. But being in AZ maybe not a concern.
Cooper AT3 are also smooth riding. Almost as quiet as the LTX which despite it’s ms rating is really just a highway tire IMO, not a m&s or AT tread.

Load rating, bigger is better and E load tires will last longer apples to apples. Better value if you wear out your tires. And you can make them as stiff or soft as you want or need for your application.

[Dadoffourgirls]

I put Cooper Discoverer on my Silverado 1500, but I have Pirelli AT on my Express for winter, and Continental on the Express for summer. I was really happy with the Continental TerrainContact H/T pulling my trailer to Iowa and back in August.

[phillyg]

I was disappointed the few times I strayed from Michelin.

[B-n-B]

I can't say I noticed any difference in towing performance.

[kcgaz]

Thanks for all the great input, I have checked the reviews and its hard to compare because the Michelin's had many more reviews than the Coopers. I would be interested to know how both tires performed when towing? I assumed that the Cooper's would have a firmer ride because of their E rating. Thanks in advance for any additional feedback.

[B-n-B]

I have run the Cooper Discoverer AT3 and I'm currently running the Michelin Defender LTX MS. Both were/are of the E rated variety. I have no complaints about the Coopers, they timed out before the tread was worn too far. I replaced them with the Michelin's about 4K miles ago and the biggest difference has been a noticeably smoother ride and less road noise with the Michelin's. Some of that can be expected since the Michelin's have a less aggressive tread, however it's quite a bit better. The Coopers were average in the snow and ice here, but after the wint'ry mix we got here earlier today, the Michelin's will get there chance soon enough.

[ken56]

I don't think you can go wrong with either one really. I love my Michelin's but they are an expensive tire....not to say the Coopers aren't up there either so...Both have good ratings. Have you looked at any reviews on the tire sites like Discount Tire? One might be noisier than the other or one might ride a bit stiffer than the other.

[BobsYourUncle]

The Michelin LTX M/S (now the Defender) is a fantastic tire.
I have put these on every vehicle I have owned in the past 20 years or whatever it is.

Current set on my dually work truck / tow vehicle have 125,867 K on them (78,210 miles) and still going. I will replace them before the snow flies here, probably at about 80,000 miles.

They handle exceptionally well on every vehicle I put them on, good in snow, rain and dry pavement.