[R2Cope]

Are there any Enclave owners that have an "initial" opinion about the standard 19 inch Michelin's on the CXL? I'm sure you don't have alot of miles on them yet. I'm in the process of ordering my Enclave and decided to check the reviews on this tire and how much it would cost to replace them. I've copied the only review from tirerack below. You can go to tirerack.com and search by size (255/60/19) to find this review and view price/ratings/waranty as well. Tire rack sells this Michelin tire for $224 each. The only other tire out there in this size seems to be the Goodyear RS-A at $128 each. They have the same 3 star rating on this site.

"This tire is an excellent handling tire and when new was very quiet and smooth. The first set of tires had severe cupping and were very noisy. They started to get noisy at 4K and were rotated and finally replaced by the dealer at 12K. I have 8K on the current set and they were rotated at 5K and they are starting to cup and get noisy AGAIN! I drive the ultimate SUV and have the ultimate tires and it sounds like a 51 Ford pickup with a flat tire going down the road...............Real Nice.............."

-- Review Submitted 2007-04-27

 

[coopermine]

I have 250+ miles on it, so far they are still very Quiet! It rained all day today and the road grip was very good, well they are brand new, so they have to be, but I felt quite sure footed in the Enclave even at the high speed over wet or partially flooded roads.

 

[mss42]

i so think michelin makes the best darn tires around.... smoothhhhhhhhh and quiet ride they are all i buy.

 

[smokeyy]

Have you ever had yokohama tires? I've used them to replace my oem tires on my last 4 cars. They are verrrrry nice.

 

[mss42]

Have you ever had yokohama tires? I've used them to replace my oem tires on my last 4 cars. They are verrrrry nice.

no smokey,

cant say that i have.... been a michelin girl since i can remember... will do some research on those tho.

 

[R2Cope]

smokey,

I have replaced my oem tires on my current cars (acura & nissan) with yokohama's. They are very nice at a good price! Too bad they don't carry the 19 inch we need for the Enclave.

 

[smokeyy]

I haven't looked them up for the Enclave. I would hope that as the sales of the Lambdas increase so will the need for replacement tires a couple of years down the road. This type of cuv tire is kind of new. It needs to ride like a car but be 19" in size. I hope Yokohama will have this size in a couple of years when I need a new set.

 

[coopermine]

Falken?I think they are the best, cheapest performance tires ever. ;D

 

[mss42]

Falken?I think they are the best, cheapest performance tires ever. ;D

i dont know about their tires but they sure have have some nice rims

 

[comiccolec]

:soapbox:

Sometimes one has to stop and think ... maybe the engineers that designed the vehicle know more about tires and what works on this platform than I do. It seems to me that there was some thought given to the best tires to put on the Enclave. I say keep what comes with it until you find a specific / real reason to switch.

I find this attitude to be pervasive in my line of work. I am an engineer in the computer industry and it just irks me when people with less knowledge or who are not fully informed of all of the complexities try to second-guess the people you actually review, design and "engineer" a complete system that works the best together as a whole unit. Compromising any one component can change the entire performance of a system.

Kind of like putting a Porshe engine in a Ford F150. You might get something out of it but are you really doing anything worthwhile.
Tires are part of the handling, road feel, and safety features of this car. I think they did their homework on this design.


I mean no dis-respect to anyone contributing to this topic. I hope that if I offended you, that I did it very well.

Ok I am now relenquishing my soapbox. Thanks for listening.

"You are entitled to your opinion ... however wrong it may be."
Ok now breathe ... relax .... unclench the fist .... count to 100000000000
Do you feel better now? I know I do.

 

[smokeyy]

If you noticed, I said "a couple of years down the road" which means when your original ones run their cycle. In 2-3 years GM will not be using the exact same tires. Just like in the computer industry, you guys don't use the exact same products 2-3 years down the road (although I wish you guys would). New processor, more RAM, new motherboard etc. Find me a computer company that has used the same processor for 3 years in a row for the same "level" of computer.

 

[mss42]

comic,

you are 2 funny..... now, get some air.... not changing my tires cause i love michelins but i am changing rims depending on the color car i get...

 

[Tin Man]

:soapbox:

Sometimes one has to stop and think ... maybe the engineers that designed the vehicle know more about tires and what works on this platform than I do. It seems to me that there was some thought given to the best tires to put on the Enclave. I say keep what comes with it until you find a specific / real reason to switch.

I find this attitude to be pervasive in my line of work. I am an engineer in the computer industry and it just irks me when people with less knowledge or who are not fully informed of all of the complexities try to second-guess the people you actually review, design and "engineer" a complete system that works the best together as a whole unit. Compromising any one component can change the entire performance of a system.

Kind of like putting a Porsche engine in a Ford F150. You might get something out of it but are you really doing anything worthwhile.
Tires are part of the handling, road feel, and safety features of this car. I think they did their homework on this design.


I mean no dis-respect to anyone contributing to this topic. I hope that if I offended you, that I did it very well.

Ok I am now relinquishing my soapbox. Thanks for listening.

"You are entitled to your opinion ... however wrong it may be."
Ok now breathe ... relax .... unclench the fist .... count to 100000000000
Do you feel better now? I know I do.

You're welcome.

Actually, in the tire business, things are a bit different than you describe.

Yes, the best combination of tire and components is put on the vehicle but with financial restraints not always of the scale appropriate to a private vehicle owner. Often, the OEM tires are "acceptable" and not "totally the best there could be" for cost reasons. This varies between manufacturers where some higher end vehicles do get top-of-the-line tires while mundane high production ones get average rubber.

This doesn't mean that just any aftermarket tire will do either, so buyers need to have good advice and instincts if they want to improve upon OEM tires, as well as adhere to technical requirements such as speed rating, load range, etc.

My experience has been that OEM Michelins are usually optimal if they come with the car, but all tires are a compromise of ride, handling, safety, durability, traction, and cost. Other tire companies not so much success with me.

TM

 

[PrairieWind]

Is a TPC (Tire Performance Criteria) code found on any of the lambda tire sidewalls? GM started using TPCs years ago to identify the OEM tire specs for all its platforms.

See http://media.gm.com/us/buick/en/product_services/r_cars/08 spo buick.htm

GM Accessories Wheel and Tire Systems include tires that meet GM's specific set of criteria – Tire Performance Criteria (TPC). The industry-leading TPC system ensures tire and wheel systems are integrated with the architecture of a specific GM car or truck. Upsize GM Accessories wheels and TPC tires are designed as a system and must be used as such, and they meet or exceed all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

 

[Tin Man]

Is a TPC (Tire Performance Criteria) code found on any of the lambda tire sidewalls? GM started using TPCs years ago to identify the OEM tire specs for all its platforms.

See http://media.gm.com/us/buick/en/product_services/r_cars/08 spo buick.htm

One of the reasons I liked getting the CXL was precisely the wheel/tire package that included state of the art Michelins. I expect to be very happy with these and stick with them when replacement is necessary.

TM

 

[PrairieWind]

One of the reasons I liked getting the CXL was precisely the wheel/tire package that included state of the art Michelins.

I agree with you, and it may be that Michelin will be the sole source for replacement tires on a low-volume vehicle like Enclave. If so, not a bad brand be "stuck" with. I'm pointing out the TPC is the GM spec Michelin used, and I would want to see it on the sidewall of any future competitor that claimed to be "equivalent" to the OEM tires.

 

[43sbest]

I agree with you, and it may be that Michelin will be the sole source for replacement tires on a low-volume vehicle like Enclave. If so, not a bad brand be "stuck" with. I'm pointing out the TPC is the GM spec Michelin used, and I would want to see it on the sidewall of any future competitor that claimed to be "equivalent" to the OEM tires.

Actually Goodyear makes a tire in the same size; it's OEM on the Acadia and Outlook with the 19" upgrade wheel package. Considering the weight of these vehicles and the UTQG wear rating of 260 (about as bad as you can get) on the Goodyear's they might last 30,000 miles (IMHO). This means if you have an Enclave CXL the Michelin's with a UTQG treadwear rating of 600 should last about twice as long as the Goodyear's on an Acadia or Outlook.
Advantage Enclave (again)!!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compa...=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&RunFlat=All&x=81&y=5

 

[gbshuler]

Actually Goodyear makes a tire in the same size; it's OEM on the Acadia and Outlook with the 19" upgrade wheel package. Considering the weight of these vehicles and the UTQG wear rating of 260 (about as bad as you can get) on the Goodyear's they might last 30,000 miles (IMHO). This means if you have an Enclave CXL the Michelin's with a UTQG treadwear rating of 600 should last about twice as long as the Goodyear's on an Acadia or Outlook.
Advantage Enclave (again)!!

Hello? Did everyone catch this..???

In short.. Enclave CXL Michelin Latitude tires should last up to 60,000 miles. The other lambda tires last up to 30,000 miles. This is like a $400-$500 rebate. One more great reason to buy the Enclave!

 

[gshields]

I agree with your logic.

 

[Smokin SRX]

Very good and accurate info. If I have to replace my tires I will definitely try the Goodyears! For 1, they're half the price! 2 , if the specs on sidewall are same (speed rating, load rating,temp rating,traction rating) they WILL work. The Mich's will last longer of course. (260 VS 600 is a crude, somewhat descriptive interpretation for 26K miles, VS 60K miles) The manufacturers will say " no, it's OUR coding system" . And it is! It's like saying McDonald's "large" soda is same size as Burger Kings "large" soda. Maybe not. It's surprisingly a NON-standard, NON-cross industry yardstick! Just relative within a brand. But an general indicator non-the-less.

The style should be same also : All Season, Touring All Season, Performance All Season, etc. Just read it!


But Buick claims that Michelin made this tire for the Enclave, specially. Mostly, the noise dynamics are what they mean. If I'm trading in/surrendering the lease in 1 year............I'll go Goodyear and save the $$. If I have 2 years to go, then Michelin and I'll get a good amount of value. Both tires are fine, with similar specs. One is a silk robe....one is terrycloth IMHO...........

PS The reviews on TIRE RACK are sometimes written by "the competitors" Imagine!