I'm a couple of thousand miles late on my 15,000 mile service, but before I bring it in, I wanted to get your opinion on what new tires to get (just in case they tell me I need them).

I prefer to go to Discount Tires mainly because they have done plenty of freebies for me in the past and I want to give them my business. But I just don't see putting on the same tires at that $400+ per tire price if the stock tires are more than I really need.

I am a bit of a Ricky Racer around corners and I speed up to stop signs, but I'm not doing Autocross on the weekends, and the only weather considerations are that sometimes it gets hot (100 degrees) for a few days and sometimes it rains for a few days here...it never freezes. I drive on roads near work that are always in need of some repair, but no potholes or anything major like that...just pretty beat up.

I'm not looking to go cheap...just maybe a little more sensible than what's on there stock. Got any recommendations, or should I replace with same?

Thanks, as always, for your advice!

 

Keep in mind, this is an odd size- and the CF requires Z rated tires.

This makes your choices limited. The Michelins on some CF are the better of the two for traction/handling in non-snow areas. The Continentals on other CFs are an all-season tire that are capable in snow areas but give up a bit in handling. I would suggest looking on www.tirerack.com for prices. I would also suggest not letting anyone without the special tire machines needed for these low-profile tires touch your car. It is a difficult tire to mount, and one little slip could cost you $500 for a new rim, or damage the tire, or sensor.

 

Is 15K about allyou can expect from the tires? How depressing!!

 

If I get 15k I will be thrilled. :lol: :lol:

 

Here is what I came up with in a search on tirerack.com

http://www.dfwsbr.com/crossfire/tech..._crossfire.pdf

Discount tire showed no matches for the Crossfire, however I'm sure they can order the tires listed as options on tirerack. They can also match / beat prices they offer on tirerack.com

Looks like a few michelins / contentinals are available. Look at tread wear, wet / dry traction for key features. Since you won't be seeing snow, you might not want to go with all season as they tend not to stick as much. But with that you will probably loose tread wear life. Meaning you'll replace them more often. You can also factor in cost of tires =)

Good luck. Let us know what you pick.

 

i would do the new "all season" michelin pilots

 

diane, thanks for asking that question, as I, too, was wondering what I could expect in terms of mileage.

i have the conti all seasons on my crossfire and have just turned over 17K mile wise. about a month ago, i picked up a nail on the highway and need to have the tire serviced. an out-of-town 5-star chrysler dealer was where i had it towed, and once i learned it was easily repairable (though i'm still going to order a new set) they gave me paperwork which indicated that I still had 3/4 of my original tread-life on these tires. they seemed surprised! i do check pressure almost psychotically, and i'm sure that helps, but i really have no idea what to expect from these tires in terms of mileage...

granted, most of my driving is entirely highway, and i obviously pack on the miles in a commute like you and gailwrath...but the conti's seems to be doing very well for me (i suspect i'll replace them all before next winter; however, they did fine this winter in snow - though i realize this is something you don't experience).

again, thanks for asking about tires...as i've been wondering myself. bonster

 

has anyone actually replaced a set for wear - not damage??

my only real frame of reference is the z-rated tires on my bike and the back one never saw 5k miles. so far, the crossfire is over 7k and the tread still looks pretty good. i pretty much leave the traction-control on or i'd be into new rear tires by now for sure. i would really hate to put cheaper, less effective tires on it since i'm really used to...no, i should say....i'm very spoiled by the performance.

dan

 

diane,

Although I'm by means a tire expert, I did a search back in Feb and here are a few tires I came up with all of which are a lot cheaper than OEM. I for one can not afford the $2,000 for the OEM Michelin's every time the car needs tires nor the $484.00 I paid for a replacement OEM tire.

You will give up some handling with different tires, so you have to decide if the $1k savings for new shoes is worth it to you..

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ighlight=tires

As it was mentioned above, the OEM tires are Z-rated. IMO unless you plan on driving the car at very high speed, say 100 mph plus for an extended period I would not put out the extra money for Z-rated tires.

Here is the "MAX" Speed for each speed rating:

S = 112 mph
T = 118 mph
H = 130 mph
V = 149 mph
Z = Above 149 mph

I agree that you need to be careful who puts the new tires on your wheels. I would have them look at them before letting them start work and note on the repair order that there was no damage before they started.

Good luck in the tire search and let us know what tires you decide to go with. Oh, Something else to think about... if you do purchase the tires through Discount Tires, I "highly" recommend the road Hazard Insurance. They have changed out several of my tires with no questions asked... including an off road tire on my Jeep.

 

Thanks to everyone for the great help. I'm not sure I need new tires yet...but others have suggested that Z rated tires wear out much faster than others. They don't look too worn to me...but then again I've been known to take a tire down to the steel belt before I had any idea there was a problem (I'm a driver, not a mechanic!). I already took her up to 140mph when I first got her, so no real need (place) to do that again...will rarely see 120mph.

But with the long "Left Coast Hookup" on the 15th, I'd hate to spoil the ride (and the wallet having the thing towed 100+ miles) with a blown tire if they're near the end of their life.

Again, thanks for the responses and good information, as usual. I'll probably see what the dealer says, too...and I agree that I am rather spoiled with my current Michelens...I may give in just to get it done. Thanks again...will let you know what happens.

 

the reason i went with the all season tires is due to tread depth on the michelin pilots (or lack of).....the 18" front tires have double the tread of the rear 19" tires. i felt like the rear tires were half used....the conti all season tires have "equal" tread front and rear.

 

Hmmm...I just looked through my dealer mailings and found one that offers four free oil changes if you buy four tires before May 30. At $80 an oil change, that might make the price competitive on those Pilots.

The only problem is I never know if they'll honor the oil change deals...last time I brought in a $23 oil change coupon, they accepted it unknowingly...but called me later and told me that next time they wouldn't. But I notice there's still no exclusion for the xfire in the legal disclaimer...

 

Here's the scoop.....

Michilins will be better for you since you're in the dry heat more than the wet slop we have in the North East. Spend the money, It's worth it. The tred will last long if you're easy on them They're a little harder riding tire than the Continentals because they don't give as much nor have the tread depth to help absorb the rocks and such.

The Continentals will last a little longer because they have a lot more tread depth than the Micheline tires. Plus as I said before they're a little more comfortable.

As for how long will they last? That depends on how hard you use them.

I would in no way stear away from the factory recomended tire ratings on any vehicle, let alone a piece of machenery as fine as this. These cars are engineered with a lot of things in mind and the tires are a very important piece in the suspension.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't scrimp on quality.

 

You guys are starting to convince me to stick to the Z rated Michelins...Looks like I'll be having mac and cheese for dinner for the next three months!

But yeah, I am hesitating to go with anything less...my attitude about this car is to go all out and enjoy every minute for as long as it lasts. Then it's probably back to something more basic...although I'm worried I'm getting way too spoiled.

 

check ebay...maybe kusheen's tires are still in auction

 

I have about 15,000 miles on my car, and I have the Michelins, and I think I'll get another 5,000 miles on these tires without a problem.

 

In this case, I think a tire that is rated for speeds "above" 149 mph is overkill in a country with a maximum speed limit of 75 mph. Yes the XF is indeed a fine car... but an ultra high performance race car it's not. Most ownwer's in the USA will never see sustained speeds of 100 mph and would be fine with anyone of the other name brand tires.

If you feel it's that important to put Michelin's on the car spending just over $2k for tires... go for it, that's great. As for myself... it's overkill and way too expensive, I'll sacrafice a little handling going around the corners.

 

i must say....i agree with you!

then again i have all seasons on a lower car with koni's. :wink:

i do agree with the statement...."you get what you pay for". a good name brand tire such as goodyear, bridgestone or continental tires are fine for the crossfire. however...no nitto...sumitomo...kumho tires for my crossfire

 

Well, it looks like I don't need new tires yet.

I spoke to the dealer about choices when I do, and his recommendation was that I should stick with Michelins, and it was ok to downgrade to a slightly lesser rated tire, since I wouldn't be driving the Autobahn anytime soon. He said Michelins have a "patented tread" that wears better than most other brands.

Again, I want to thank all of you for the great input!

 

Hmmm


One thing to keep in mind:

A z-rated tire is not just rated for speed. The overall construction will be different than an H-rated tire. I know, and you know that a tire... say 195/60HR15 is supposed to be the same size as a 195/60ZR15. Guess what?!? They are not! The H rated tire will be slightly taller, narrower, and possess a softer sidewall. Z rated tires will have the performance stance and correctly built sidewall for this car! Funny thing- I see people buy cheaper S-rated tires to save money- only to have severe edge wear that requires newer tires sooner! Why?


The softer sidewall on tires as you go down in speed ratings allows the tire to 'roll'. This rolling causes more of the edge of the tire to contact the pavement in corners, thus wearing the edges of the tires. (kind of like under-inflation does!) Higher speed-rated tires have a much stronger sidewall- keeping this rolling to a minimum. Cars are designed with a specific tire type in mind- This is why your tire information label requires a certain size AND speed rating.


Now- would you want to sacrifice your ride/handling/tire-life just to save a few bucks now?

PS:
Your dealer should not have made that suggestion. It opens them to liability- plus it is paramount to suggesting you use 'Auto-zone' parts to repair your CF in the future to save a few dollars, since you don't drive it fast anyway....