Can someone summarize for me the quietest LRR tire available for the TCH? I also like to hear from those who switched from their original Bridgestones to Michelins ... how much quieter if at all? The original tires I have are the Bridgestones. They have been noisier with age. I live in FL where the roads have a higher cement/gravel content causing more road noise in cars. Thanks.

 

A few weeks ago, I switched from the noisy OEM BS tires to Michelins.
By comparison, the Michelins are virtually silent.

 

Bridgestone Turanza "summer only" use tires are the quistest and therefore also probably have the LRR.

In my experience almost all tires grow nosier with use, some reach an unacceptable level with as little as 8,000 to 10,000 miles.

 

My 08 TCH came with the Michelin Energy tires. They're really nice and my girlfriend's brother, who is a technician at Mercedes dealership, told me they're highly recommended. Did I just get lucky or is it pretty random what they put on the cars out of the factory?

 

I have a friend that owns a front end and tire balance shop in Dallas. He doesn't advertise and does a really good business. I used to ask him back in the 80's which is the best brand of tire. He told me michelins due to their long life. He said they take lots less weight to balance and back then it was the roundest tire.

Back then, once my new car oem's were worn enough at about 30,000 miles, I would replace them with michelin's. Right off, the car would be lots quieter and the ride was smoother. The michelins seem to last longer than other brands. Like all tires once they reach 40,000 plus miles they will be some noisier. I did run one set to 75,000 and replaced them with the same matching set of new michelin tires. I drove those on the same '94 Corolla for 70,000 miles. I only did one alignment on that car at 105,000 miles. The tech said it was in limits but he did set the tow in back to zero. This toyota was the first car I ever had that the alignment lasted so long.

My 2007 TCH came with a set of Energy Michelin's. When I changed the oil the other day, I looked at the tires and the treads and they looks like new at 15,000 miles. I keep these tires to 40 psi when cool and they still ride good. Other tires on my earlier cars, I always ran 35 psi in them.

The more expensive Goodyear's are also good tires from some Consumer Reports test done a few years ago

 

My OEM Bridgestones are pretty much worn out - down to 4/32 after 46,000 miles. I also have been looking for quiet, better handling LRR tires for the TCH. Finding LRR info is very hard at this time despite the California bill AB844 requirement of conspicuously displayed, readily accessible consumer information about tire efficiency. The requirement went into effect in July 2008, but no one seems to have any info yet. The FAQ claims the tire testing has been completed, and info will be available in December.

Other links on LRR tires are Green Seal's Report, wikipeadia, SR286 Tires and Passenger Vehicle Fuel Economy and Consumer Reports (for example).

I believe V rated tires would have lower internal friction and rolling resistance than H, does anyone know?

Here are tires I'm considering to replace my OEM Bridgestones. Prices listed are from Tiretrack or Tires-Easy.

ContiProContact 95H . . $110 440-AA-A 51psi 21lb
Cooper CS4 Touring . . . $91 520-A-A 44psi 23lb silica tread
General Altimax HP. . . . $80 440-A-A 51psi 22lb silica tread, H rated
Kumho Ecsta LX . . . . . . $84 600-A-A 51psi 25lb - reviews mention mpg gains
Sumitomo HTR+ .. . . . . $78 400-A-A 51psi 24lb
Michelin Primacy MXV4 $109 620-A-A 44psi 24lb $60 promo thru Oct, and $50 promo thru Nov

My guess is the Altimax, Primacy and Ecsta are the most quiet of these.

FYI here is a link to the OEM Bridgestone Turanzas

 

I've been investigating some of the T rated tires. Several local tire dealers will mount T rated tires without any problems. I'm now considering the following tires:

Pirelli P4 Four Seasons. The Pirelli P4 Four Seasons tire features a silica-rich tread compound to reduce rolling resistance and enhance foul-weather traction. Lots of comments about how quiet the tire is.

Discount Tire will install it, but wants to steer me to their "house" tire - Yokohama YK520 for about the same price. I can't find much about the YK520.

However, the Yokohama Avid TRZ also uses silica in the tread compound and is rated "very good" for rolling resistance by Consumer Reports.

If anyone has these tires, I am interested in your comments!

 

Yes, I'm sure the YK520 gives them a great profit, but reviews seem to indicate it is a decent tire.

For the ultimate quiet tire - I think the General Altimax HP is the one. However it gets dinged on some reviews for a small drop in mpg. How much is real and how much is due to changing to new tires from worn out tires I don't know. I would get the General Altimax if I wasn't worried about taking a hit on mpg.

Digging around I came across the Falken ZE329. It appears the be the newest of the Falken series of tires (ZE-512, ZE-912, ZE-329) and claims New silica compound is adapted to minimize rolling resistance and enhance fuel economy. Big O Tire, NTB, and Tire Kingdom carry the ZE-329. Link to more info The tire is H rated, 480-A-A, max inflation 51psi. I have an appointment to get them installed for $436 tomorrow.

 

I've heard and read that Falkens don't live up to their tread wear rating. Before my Corolla crapped out last year, I had put the Falken Ziex 512s on it from Discount Tire Direct. They were awesome tires, but I didn't have a chance to really get any wear, haha.

FYI, I loved my experience with Discount Tire Direct. Free shipping, great financing, and IMHO the extra warranty is worth it. Apparently if they fail for any reason (including nails and whatnot) they'll replace them. Also, they found out that some valve stems were failing, so they sent everyone who bought tires and stems from them a notice. Of course, it didn't apply to me since I no longer have my Corolla, but I appreciated it just the same.

When my TCH needs tires, I'm definitely putting Discount Tires at the top of my list of stores to consider!

 

Yesterday I had the Falken ZE-329 tires installed at Big O Tire. The tires took between 1/2 to 1.5 ounces to balance. They aired the tires to 40psi as I requested. These are quiet tires! I can't even hear them in town (35 - 45 mph) On the freeway they are silent on asphalt sections. I can hear them faintly on concrete and when I change lanes.

Another change is the TCH tracks much better now. The TCH keeps going straight much longer without me correcting it. Rain grooves in the concrete don't affect them at all, no tramlining. I had the alignment checked (it was off) shortly after I bought the TCH as I felt the tracking was poor. The alignment didn't help much so I just chalked it up to how the car drove. Turns out it was due to the OEM Bridgestone tires.

I filled up on the way home at my usual gas station and have driven 40 miles so far with the MFD showing 49.0mpg My best mpg ever on this 40 mile drive was 51mpg. Getting 49mpg is actually a bit better than I normally get. I think these tires easily match the OEM Bridgestone EL400-02 tires on rolling resistance.

The OEM tires lasted 47,500 miles. Tread depth at 45K was 4mm in the center and 3mm on the inner and outer edges. Wear was even without any cupping. It is hard to compare old tires to new as the new always ride better, but I would say ZE-329s have a more comfortable ride than the Bridgestones did when new.