Current Tire Recommendations?

[txfromwi]

Yes, I know....
Thanks!

Anyway....

The 2016 needs new tires later this summer in preparation for a Rochester, NY winter.
This is the daughters LR4 and if I am lucky I might get to drive it for 1 day with the new tires before I leave her at school in August.

Meaning that it needs to be right, and bomb-proof - the first time.

Application is standard city and highway driving. Any off road will be very mild to moderate - nothing requiring additional grip.

Michelin has two 4 season options right now.
(There are 2 other options - winter only and summer only - but not interested in those routes.)

Latitude Tour HP - (which we have been driving for many years on the 2013 and inherited on the newly purchased 2015)
and
CrossClimate 2

The Latitudes are ok, not outstanding in any way, I have never personally driven them in winter conditions.
On the CrossClimates the tread is significantly more aggressive, but concerned about road noise and poor winter performance based on reviews.

Does anyone have actual feedback on the CrossClimate2 vs the Latitudes?

Not really open to other brands, but if there is something simply outstanding might consider it...

Thanks!

 

[ftillier]

Do the CrossClimate do worse than the Latitude in the snow? The CrossClimate are 4-season tires I believe (i.e. they have the three-mountain-snow-flake symbol, and are considered snow tires), so folks might be comparing them to dedicated snow tires which will always do better.

I have no experience with either of those models, and have all-season Michelin tires on our other cars. They are fine most of the time here in Portland, but really aren't great in snow/ice.

On our LR4, we used to run Nokian WRG3, and now Toyo AT/3 for more offroad chops. Both are 4-season rated, and I found them to perform well in snow.

 

[txfromwi]

Per Michelin the CrossClimate should do better in the snow, but there are several concerning reviews on the Michelin website that say they are not good in snow - but you never know exactly the bone that the reviewer is trying to pick...

 

[ftillier]

A 4-season tire won't compare favorably to dedicated studless ice tires. I've had both (on different cars) and I found the studless ice tires mind blowing in slippery winter conditions. They don't do that well in warmer weather though. So the 4-season is a jack of all trades, master of none, but more trades than an all-season (really 3-season) which also is master of none. I've heard that despite the looks of the tread pattern, the CrossClimate is not a noisy tire. It's what I would have gone with on the e-Golf if we didn't have the LR4 and didn't just park it when it snowed.

 

[ttforcefed]

i am going to replace my nokian wrg4 with crossclimate2. i have the crossclimates on a cx5 - have not had it out in the snow yet but i know quite a few people running crossclimates in the nyc suburbs and they are more than adequate. i had latitudes on a couple suvs and though they were mediocre at best in the snow. i have never been to Rochester in the winter - do they plow quickly?

 

[Longtrail]

I've also heard great things about the crossclimate2; have a few friends here in MI that run them and like the snow performance. Also, they're Michelin! I'm a fan! We run Blizzak's on my wife's car; they're great in the snow but also a little nosier than the summer tire. I watched this some time ago:

No brainer if she's not racing the LR4!

 

[ktm525]

Latitudes suck in snow. The only real way is two sets but you you mentioned that is a no go. Cross Climate for you.

 

[txfromwi]

Thanks Everyone - I really appreciate your personal experiences.
As always this group is amazing!

Those are an impressive set of videos - but it's an LR4 driven by mere mortals, not a Tesla being drifted around the track - so need to use a bit of salt with the results and understand that those tiny differences will never be noticed by us.

Certainly going to be the CrossClimate2 for us this time around.


AND DON'T FORGET

This time we need to update the spare tire - it's factory original and getting a bit old.

 

[txfromwi]

Well, completed the tire upgrade last week and need to provide an update.

Installed 4 Michelin Cross Climate2 tires on the 2016.


Have driven it on gravel, mud road (nothing spectacular - maybe 3" deep on a firm base), highway and wet highway for several hundred miles.

One word - WOW!

Road Noise - NONE, crazy quiet - far and away the quietest tire I have ever driven. The only remaining noise is wind and drive train.
Ride - magic carpet crazy smooth - it's a totally different truck.
Handling - easily taking curves at 15-20mph above posted speeds with absolutely no issues.
Braking - solid, fast and short
Wet roads - water, what water !

One issue - because the ride is so crazy quiet and smooth it's really easy to totally blow the speed limits, but more importantly I find that I am approaching stops much more quickly than I had previously done because I am underestimating my speed. Need to re-train my auto-reflexes.

After several hundred miles the difference is still very notable and I still am going WOW.

Highly Recommended.

 

[ttforcefed]

Well, completed the tire upgrade last week and need to provide an update.

Installed 4 Michelin Cross Climate2 tires on the 2016.


Have driven it on gravel, mud road (nothing spectacular - maybe 3" deep on a firm base), highway and wet highway for several hundred miles.

One word - WOW!

Road Noise - NONE, crazy quiet - far and away the quietest tire I have ever driven. The only remaining noise is wind and drive train.
Ride - magic carpet crazy smooth - it's a totally different truck.
Handling - easily taking curves at 15-20mph above posted speeds with absolutely no issues.
Braking - solid, fast and short
Wet roads - water, what water !

One issue - because the ride is so crazy quiet and smooth it's really easy to totally blow the speed limits, but more importantly I find that I am approaching stops much more quickly than I had previously done because I am underestimating my speed. Need to re-train my auto-reflexes.

After several hundred miles the difference is still very notable and I still am going WOW.

Highly Recommended.

cant wait to see how they do in the snow this year