I have a '06 FEH and have been putting up with the Conti-Trac Eco Plus noise for way too long but up until now I could not find a good replacement. Based on some excellent reviews and recommendations, I went with a set of Michelin LTX- M/S2 all season tires. All of a sudden I can hear my radio without turning it way up and driving is fun again. They are VERY quiet, excellent on wet roads, handle nicely, and are supposed to be good in snow and ice. Just went on a trip up through New England and actually enjoyed the ride.

 

Just wait til 8-10,000 miles.

 

Fred - did you notice any difference in the gas mileage with the new tires?

I still have the OEM tires on both of mine but with 68k and 63k on them, I am starting to think about replacing them.

I never noticed the noise from the Conti's. Maybe after I change the tires I will notice the difference. They have gotten me through six New England winters and I've never even come close to getting stuck at least.

 

Well reviewed tires, but they weigh two pounds per time more than the Latitude Tours (blackwalls).

 

I just replaced my Conti's with Goodyear Fortera tripletreads and i've notices a LOT less road noise but I have indeed taken a hit in fuel economy. It may be coincidental as well as the days are getting colder and i'm often starting up with it around freezing in the morning.

 

I will not be able to see what the Michelins will do to my mileage but I do track it constantly so I will post any results ASAP. Another thing I did not mention earlier was the terrible lack of puncture resistance on the Conti-Trac tires. I drive on gravel back roads a lot and flat tires were a constant problem. I never have a problem with my other non hybrid on the same roads with standard tires. I put some fresh gravel on my driveway this summer and had two flats in one week on the FEH with the Continentals.

 

I have been using the Goodyear Fortera Tripletreads as my winter tires--usually 4-5 months a year. I run these at 43psi with around 1-1.3 mpg hit but then again, it is colder at that time frame.

Continental has a new replacement for the EcoPlus tires with a 70,000 mile warranty. My existing EcoPlus tire still have tire tread life 4/32 but dry rot is developing and I will not drive these anymore after Thanksgiving 2011.

 

* Mileage report on the Michelin LTX- M/S2 tires that I installed back in September. For the period from Oct 1st till the end of December my MPG is UP 2.4 MPG. That could easily be the result of warmer weather, different driving patterns etc. etc. BUT - it isn't down and that is the important thing. They are still totally quiet and with the little snow and ice we've had so far, they seem to give plenty of traction in those conditions.

 

For the first 8-10,000 miles many new tires seem to exhibit a low noise profile, beyond that...