Just bought some new Michelin tires. Latitude Tour P235/70R16. My MPG has gone up nicely. I pump them @ 44psi and I have been getting up to 36mpg trips when I have driven a majority of my trip @ 65mph! I should add that that MPG is with the AC on because we all have allergy and asthma problems.

Lastly I will add that the car is much quite on the freeway. Those old tires were just loud.

I definite give these Tires a very good rating (excellent except for the price).

 

Thanks for another review on the current 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid tires. It reveals the direction many of us need to go when we need new tires.

 

[quote=rxhybrid;213382]Just bought some new Michelin tires. Latitude Tour P235/70R16. My MPG has gone up nicely. I pump them @ 44psi and I have been getting up to 36mpg trips when I have driven a majority of my trip @ 65mph! I should add that that MPG is with the AC on because we all have allergy and asthma problems.

I believe 35 P.S.I. is the proper inflation pressure.
Yes, over-inflation will reduce rolling resistance, which might boost your mileage ever so slightly. But that's just part of the story.

"Your tires will wear out quicker and you're going to pay for it on the backside with replacing your tires sooner," said Dave Armstrong with AAA Washington.

Over-inflation reduces the tire's footprint - the rubber on the road - which increases stopping distance and negatively impacts cornering.

"Also in the wet, you're going to skid a lot easier if you have to slam the brakes on in a panic stop," Armstrong said.

Over-inflation can also be dangerous.

"If you've over-inflated your tires and overloaded your car, it's going to put a lot of stress on those tires and a blow-out is definitely a potential bad side effect," Armstrong told me.

 

Here we go... this is a much debated subject with a lot of conflicting opinions.

In my opinion/experience:

If you look on the sidewall of the tire you will notice that the max inflation from the TIRE manufacturer is 44 PSI (Cold). The 35 PSI recommendation is from FORD and is just that - a recommendation.

I tend to trust the tire manufacturer and their expertise on what the tire is capable of as opposed to the car manufacturer who has a different way of looking at the tires (and less tire specific expertise). I would refer you to the Firestone/Explorer issue where there was a disagreement between the two on what recommended inflation of a specific tire should have been.

Ultimately its up to each drive to set their own tire pressure and I say as long as you're within the manufactureres range, you're OK.

 

I have been running the OEM Continental tires on my 2007 FEH at 44 PSI and they now have about 63,000 miles on them and look like they will not wear out for another 10,000 to 20,000 miles.

I would wager that far more tires are ruined and far more accidents are caused by underinflated tires than overinflated tires.

 

It might say MAX 44PSI but what else does it say?? That's MAX 44PSI at MAX LOAD!

Right from a tire manufacturer: http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care...pressure-tips/

At the TireRack: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tirespecskey.jsp

 

Once again... I reference the Firestone case. When push came to shove, the tire manufacturer didn't seem to stick with the auto manufacturer's recommendation. Up to a point, I expect the tire manufacturers know where their bread is buttered (the auto manufacturers that make LARGE purchases) and will tow the party line until the lawyers get involved.

So if the tire says 44PSI at MAX LOAD, as you point out, does that mean that one can safely go beyond that since most of us won't be taking our FEHs near that weight limit due the low tow/cargo weight (GVW) recommendations from FORD?

What if one was to go with some Michelin LTX tires with their max sidewall listing at 65PSI(Load Rating: D) or 80PSI (Load Rating:E)? Surely you wouldn't still go with the 35PSI recommendation from FORD as this would be under-inflating the tires.

 

Your missing the point, in fact your thinking is opposite! The MAX pressure is if your carrying the MAX LOAD, if not, you shouldn't be using MAX PSI.

You want tires where the load rating matches your vehicle too.

I had a '97 Ford 4x4 Ranger Splash SC. Got a oil change and was driving home. I noticed a harsh ride first thing. I hit a bump or somethng on my right side and the rearend turned sideways into the next lane. Granted, whatever I hit, I had to have hit it just right to do what it did. If there was a car next to me, I would have hit them! If it was next to the curb, I would have hit it. I check my tires as soon as I got home and they were grossly overinflated.

 

I've been using load range D Pirelli Scorpion tires on my FEH for the last 15k miles or so. They work great! Better handling and ride in all conditions than the OEM Continental tires for sure.
On the highway I usually pump them up to about 50-55psi and then when I drive on the dirt or snow I air them down to about 25-30 psi. I could do 65 psi on the highway, but they start to get a little rough at those pressures. Since load range Ds are 8-ply truck tires, they can handle low/high inflation pressures much better than the 4-ply OEM passenger tires.

 

[QUOTE=08Escaper;213396]

I believe 35 P.S.I. is the proper inflation pressure.

NO. That is incorrect. 35 psi is the recommended pressure only. I took my 2005 FEH, in 2005, to Ford's Dearborn Michigan "Hybrid Experience" and virtual open house. Talking one on one with the engineers, generally speaking, the recommended pressure is the mid point of the safe range for the tire. +/- 9 psi in this case is regarded as "safe". You could run your Ford Escape Hybrid safely with anywhere from 26psi to 44 psi in the case of the OEM tires. 35psi is a "compromise" between comfort and performance. However, it was pointed out to me, that inflation taken too far, would subject part of the car, and not just the occupants to additional vibration and shock.

Yes, over-inflation will reduce rolling resistance, which might boost your mileage ever so slightly.

The first 10 psi above 35 psi will net most people about 10% better fuel economy. Most consider that more than "slightly". There are diminishing returns, going higher, however.

"Your tires will wear out quicker and you're going to pay for it on the backside with replacing your tires sooner," said Dave Armstrong with AAA Washington.

Dave's Wrong. Not with today's tires. Ask any fleet owner. Ask any highway patrol motorpool mechanic. Ask me. I kept my tires in the 44psi range, had even wear across the profile, and my OEM tires lasted about 80,000 miles. Higher pressure (within reason ) EXTENDS tire life. Lower pressures shorten tire life.

Over-inflation reduces the tire's footprint - the rubber on the road - which increases stopping distance and negatively impacts cornering.
"Also in the wet, you're going to skid a lot easier if you have to slam the brakes on in a panic stop," Armstrong said.

More myths. Keep in mind we are ONLY discussing 20-25% more air pressure for this conversation. Every EDUCATED person knows that higher air pressure is desireable for wet or slushy conditions. Do you want your tires to "float" and hydroplane with lots of surface area? Or do you want your tires to cut through the water and slush like a knife to reach pavement? I just drove 500 miles today out of Denver into western Kansas and had snow, rain, and slush the whole way. There was water on the road in places, and 3" of slush in other areas, and I could confidently pass on the left, at 60 MPH+ with my tires at 44psi. I know I was at an advantage over most drivers around me.
Higher pressures PREVENTS skdding in wet or slushy conditions. It's a disadvantage on solid ice conditions though. So you have to be willing to adjust on the go as conditions change. Higher air pressure also makes for more stable cornering, especially in SUV high profile vehicles, and at high speeds in all vehicles. Ask your local highway patrol man with a Ford Crown Victoria. Ford "recommends" 35 psi. Betcha a box of donuts the patrol car has 50 psi in the tires. (because it makes 'em last longer, and are safer at high speed )

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