[mobike008]

Originally Posted by F150

I meant, that it is a huge expense, 50K, I think you might have been saving up for the same and is more of a planned expense than a unplanned one.

Well, In a way it was unplanned as I thought of changing them in December as there is no outstation trip planned till then and thought of chugging along with the old tyres but, yet another puncture last week decided it's fate

In its life of 47K kms, CPC2 got punctured 7 times in total. With 2 successive puntures during my Goa trip in Aug 2013 and one last week. Need to keep a record of this for future reference

Yeah, 50K is big money to spend on tyres but, its a necessary expenditure. This month itself blew 2 lakhs on this and a couple of other things

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I was so happy with CPC2 that it was my first choice. But, shockingly none of the dealers seem to acknowledge its presence nor were willing to push it. Either they dont have stock or say they dont sell much. I was a bit taken aback getting feedback for a tyre that I loved and enjoyed for 47,000kms

I decided to look at other brands and based on parameters outlined in previous post. 3 ST won.

Did you try Ashoka wheels on minister road? They usually stock everything. Shoddy attitude but they are one of the biggest in the twin cities. Should also try out Suresh on rd. #14 he does not stock everything but will try his best to get them for you and is also extremely honest about costs no need to even bargain with the guy; I go there for my tyre needs I just ordered one from him as one of the yokos on the Kiz was obliterated by a bottle that was right outside my front gate, went over it unknowingly, and the whole thing crushed right under the tyre

[spadix]

Avi, Michelin 3ST is a direct competitor to Yoko AVS dB V550. The only differences are that 3ST is bi-directional, may have a softer sidewall (unconfirmed) and of course, is more expensive.

I had to change tyres on my BQ a few days back and went with the V550s. Got them at 5.8k per tyre. Another TBHPian got the 3STs for his Civic at around 6.3k per tyre give or take. I don't know how much of a difference size makes but 9.3k per tyre is *steep*. 500 for all 4 old tyres is normal.

The V550s have more than just low noise going for them. I did a 1000 km highway run over the next 3 days of getting the tyres and they seriously impressed compared to the OEM Goodyear Eagle NCT5s I had. I've written down my initial experience in the Civic tyres thread.

If you were looking for tyres in the PS3 class (basically softer high-grip sport tyres) the following options are currently still available in the market - Yoko S-drives, Yoko Advan, Bridgestone Potenza GIII (although not as sporty as they were previously, they are still gripper than the touring tyres which are the Turanzas) and a certain product line-up (don't know the exact name) of Kenda tyres.

Anyway, the 3ST is also a silent touring class tyre like I said. The only reasons I didn't go for them are that the tyre dealer I trust here doesn't stock Michelins and Pirellis (their softer sidewalls make them not very suitable for most roads around here), the 3STs were pricier and were also an unknown quantity.

Regards,
spadix

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by spadix

Avi, Michelin 3ST is a direct competitor to Yoko AVS dB V550. The only differences are that 3ST is bi-directional, may have a softer sidewall (unconfirmed) and of course, is more expensive.

Anyway, the 3ST is also a silent touring class tyre like I said. The only reasons I didn't go for them are that the tyre dealer I trust here doesn't stock Michelins and Pirellis (their softer sidewalls make them not very suitable for most roads around here), the 3STs were pricier and were also an unknown quantity.

Regards,
spadix

I got a contrary feedback from Ashoka Tyres on Michellins Vs Yokos. I was told Michelins have toughened their sidewalls to suit Asian region, taking feedback into account. But this was for their XM serires.Their new XM2s have tougher sidewalls than the XM1s, and to compare, even the Yoko S drives.

As mobike008 says the 3STs are also Asia-specific, I am sure their sidewalls will be tougher. Therefore, we can never be sure which dealer is correct. For all that you know, they might be pushing one brand.

[Santoshbhat]

Congrats on the new tyres Avinash. Good choice going for V rated tyres as your Cruze can very easily breach the speed rating of H rated ones. Do post a comparison with the CPCs after clocking some miles.

Just wondering whether you could have gone for just 4 tyres, since you have gone for the stock size. You could have kept the best CPC as spare. More so since the 3ST is a recent model and will be available for quite some time should any tyre get damaged.

Just for the the record, I did not suffer a single puncture in my 43K kms with the M-PLCs. Just lucky I guess .

Originally Posted by spadix

I had to change tyres on my BQ a few days back and went with the V550s. Got them at 5.8k per tyre. Another TBHPian got the 3STs for his Civic at around 6.3k per tyre give or take. I don't know how much of a difference size makes but 9.3k per tyre is *steep*. 500 for all 4 old tyres is normal.

The price difference between 15" and 16" tyres is quite steep with almost all tyre makes. 15 inchers are quite common these days and hence you've got more options.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Therefore, we can never be sure which dealer is correct. For all that you know, they might be pushing one brand.

Entirely possible.

Also entirely possible that since the 3ST is so new, and the dealer had a valid bias against the previous Michelins, he never really bothered to investigate their claim on the XM2s and 3STs and kept parroting the same line (without any malintent).

Regards,
spadix

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Michelin Primacy 3 ST

92 (Load Capacity) : 670kgs per tyre
V (Speed Rating) : 240kmph ( As per the dealer)

Congrats for the new shoes. So you get the right set of tyres with the right speed rating for the WA!

When is the RD Box getting an upgrade? Say a triple channel to raise the bar higher?

@RD Guys are you listening/reading?! The WA has got better and tyres for speed now you guys have to give the box an upgrade to match the car!

Originally Posted by F150

40K - Ouch !

That expression is natural - Ouch!

But not more than a life in that beast. Right?! The most important part of a vehicle are the shoes and no point compromising on the shoes for 10-20K.

No offence F-150!

Anurag.

[F150]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

That expression is natural - Ouch!

But not more than a life in that beast. Right?! The most important part of a vehicle are the shoes and no point compromising on the shoes for 10-20K.

No offence F-150!

Anurag.

Dear Anurag,

That expression was meant to indicate that cars on the other side of 10L need sufficient buffer or reserves for expenditure.

I swapped the crappy MRF ZV2K 165 /80/R14 on day one with Turanza ER60 185/70/R14. If I were to replace the tyres on my SWIFT, again with BS Turanza ER 60 185/70/R14, the total expense would be close to 25K.
The expense incurred by Avinash is 50K.

Expenditure on tyres is very important, at the end of the day, tyres are the only points of contact with the road.

Offence - None taken

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Did you try Ashoka wheels on minister road? They usually stock everything. Shoddy attitude but they are one of the biggest in the twin cities. Should also try out Suresh on rd. #14 he does not stock everything but will try his best to get them for you and is also extremely honest about costs no need to even bargain with the guy;

Coincidentally, I went to Suresh two days back and as you said he doesnt store any tyres but his quote was competitive to Ashoka and its a no brainer to get it from Ashoka even though I know they are curt and business like as they deal with several customers a day ( as being #1 dealer in AP)

Btw, I got my tyres fitted from Ashoka wheels as I know Ritesh from past and never had any issues with him

Originally Posted by spadix

Avi, Michelin 3ST is a direct competitor to Yoko AVS dB V550. The only differences are that 3ST is bi-directional, may have a softer sidewall (unconfirmed) and of course, is more expensive.

Prashant, No i dont think so. I think Yoko DB ES501 are the competitiors to Primacy 3 ST as their pricing is almost matching, few hundred rupees give or take.

Originally Posted by spadix

The V550s have more than just low noise going for them. I did a 1000 km highway run over the next 3 days of getting the tyres and they seriously impressed compared to the OEM Goodyear Eagle NCT5s I had. I've written down my initial experience in the Civic tyres thread.

You will certainly see a major difference as your moving from OEM crappy tyres. It may not make that much of a difference as Iam moving from a good tyre to a better (hoping it is) tyre

Originally Posted by spadix

If you were looking for tyres in the PS3 class (basically softer high-grip sport tyres) the following options are currently still available in the market - Yoko S-drives, Yoko Advan, Bridgestone Potenza GIII (although not as sporty as they were previously, they are still gripper than the touring tyres which are the Turanzas)

Iam not into those uni-directional sporty tyres as they look "so racer boy" types and may have exception grip etc. To be honest, we are not racing on the roads, we love to drive faster than the average people and need decent grip

Besides, these tyres ( S drives, Advan, Potenza) are notorious for low life. I wanted a tyre which is a beautiful blend of comfort, performance and overall life. Hence, P 3 ST's

Originally Posted by vnabhi

As mobike008 says the 3STs are also Asia-specific, I am sure their sidewalls will be tougher. Therefore, we can never be sure which dealer is correct. For all that you know, they might be pushing one brand.

Your right. Apparently with each newer model, Michelin is focusing on strengthing their sidewall as that was their single most weak spot

P 3 ST's have been developed specifically for out type of market with a stronger sidewall.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Just wondering whether you could have gone for just 4 tyres, since you have gone for the stock size. You could have kept the best CPC as spare. More so since the 3ST is a recent model and will be available for quite some time should any tyre get damaged. .

Well, I am a bit superstitious/paranoid and dont want to run different brand of tyres and in event of any problem, again run to thedealer to procure one tyre

Hence, bought 5 in one-shot

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Just for the the record, I did not suffer a single puncture in my 43K kms with the M-PLCs. Just lucky I guess

Woah!! Thats indeed a record and super lucky. It happened to me with my Santro, drove 48k kms with 0 puncture.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

The price difference between 15" and 16" tyres is quite steep with almost all tyre makes. 15 inchers are quite common these days and hence you've got more options.

+1. Price difference not just from 15" to 16" is exorbitant but, also from 205 section to 215. I was quoted ~ 13K per tyre of Primacy 3 ST for the 215 section

[spadix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Prashant, No i dont think so. I think Yoko DB ES501 are the competitiors to Primacy 3 ST as their pricing is almost matching, few hundred rupees give or take.

Like Santoshbhat pointed out, the difference in price is due to size. See this quoted post (cross-posting from the Civic shoes thread, apologies if such cross-posting is not allowed because I can't figure out a way of linking to a thread from within the iOS app) -

Originally Posted by k2max6

Got the Michelin Primacy 3ST 195/65 R15 for my civic today ! Costed 6100 a piece after adjusting 200 each for old tyre. Liked the tyre, although i felt they are a tad bit noisier ( although very silent) than XM2's when i bought for my Wagon R. Comfort wise very good. Thanks to all bhpians for the guidance.

So 3ST is 6300 for 195/65 R15. Since your tyres are 205 width and 16" size, the cost was 3k more per tyre.
V550 is in the same price range. I paid 5800 per tyre for 195/65 R15.

V550 vs. ES501 (both are available in the dB or "decibel" product line-up) is a very minor difference. Take a look at the "passenger tyres positioning map" on the Yoko India website. The ES501 is positioned as slightly less premium than and slightly more comfort-oriented than V550. As such, not much difference between these two, as compared to the difference between either of these and the other Yoko products. Of course, V550 is available only with 55 profile in 205-16, whereas ES501 is available in 205/60 R16, which is what you shopped for I think.

Besides, the ST in Michelin is "Silence-Tuned" as someone pointed out in this thread itself, if I'm not mistaken. Makes both ES501 and V550 direct competitors to 3ST.

Anyway, that's just academic detail.

Originally Posted by mobike008

You will certainly see a major difference as your moving from OEM crappy tyres. It may not make that much of a difference as Iam moving from a good tyre to a better (hoping it is) tyre Iam not into those uni-directional sporty tyres as they look "so racer boy" types and may have exception grip etc. To be honest, we are not racing on the roads, we love to drive faster than the average people and need decent grip Besides, these tyres ( S drives, Advan, Potenza) are notorious for low life. I wanted a tyre which is a beautiful blend of comfort, performance and overall life. Hence, P 3 ST's

Point is, both (Yoko dB - whether DNA ES501 or AVS V550 - and 3ST) are touring-grade tyres tuned for longer life and higher comfort than the sport-class tyres. The V550 is uni-directional but the tread pattern doesn't scream for attention. The other well-renowned touring grade tyre is the Bridgestone Turanza (ER60 or ER300 depending on which size you want). Many I know who have used it swear by its longevity and "take any abuse" nature. Only drawback is that they are noisy.

Since you mentioned the Pilot Sport, I mentioned the other soft-compound (hence low life but high grip) options.

Regards,
spadix

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by spadix

Since you mentioned the Pilot Sport, I mentioned the other soft-compound (hence low life but high grip) options.

I know I'm being picky, but the PS3 and the Advans are a level above the S drives and Potenza G3s (do they still make em? MY01 was the replacement I think), which are harder, noisier and less grippy.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

I know I'm being picky, but the PS3 and the Advans are a level above the S drives and Potenza G3s (do they still make em? MY01 was the replacement I think), which are harder, noisier and less grippy.

I see.

Yeah the GIIIs are still available, as are the MY-01s.

Apparently the newer GIIIs are also less grippier than the older ones. Now I don't know if even these new ones are old stock getting cleared or still under production.

We are going off-topic I'm sure. Apologies, Avi (and WA).

Regards,
spadix

[mobike008]

This could be little too early to form an accurate feedback. Nevertheless, thought of sharing a brief feedback of Michelin Primacy 3 ST after driving for about 200kms over the last 3 days which was covered entirely in the city. Since I had already experienced a better tyre than the OEM (JK Vectra) that were provided by Chevy with Cruze. Let me make this short review constructive by comparing it with Continental Premium Contact 2 (CPC2) which I used for 47,000kms

Steering Feel
First and Foremost feeling as I pulled away after fitting the tyre was, Woah; Steering feel has become much tighter compared to CPC2. Not sure if its because of new rubber or something else but, from what I recall never felt the same when I fitted the CPC2's. Definetly a big plus and now the steering feels nicely weighted in the hands

CPC2 : 3/5
Primacy 3 ST : 4/5

Tyre/Road Noise
These tyres are unbeilevably silent and live up to it's suffix of ST ( Silence Tuned).

I drove at a maximum speed of 110kmph (run-in period) on mostly tar surface ( thanks to the gorgeous road surface and infrastructure in Hyderabad) with windows open to check on its silence. I was thinking CPC2 are most silent tyres but, these beat them hollow. Love the quality of sound (which is none)

CPC2 : 3.5/5
Primacy 3 ST : 4/5

Ride
Ride is extremely comfortable and feels like your gliding on feathers laid out on road. Iam being careful over potholes which in any case are rare on Hyderabad roads and there's no jarring noise when i go over them.

I would rate these tyres equivalent to CPC2 with regards to ride comfort. 3 ST may infact prove to be better than CPC2 but, it's too early to comment.

CPC2 : 4/5
Primacy 3 ST : 4/5

Handling
I tired the corners that I do everyday when I drive about 50+ kms to work daily and they stuck to road like a leech. Phenomenal grip and much superior than the CPC2 in this department for sure. I normally take some corners at 80kmph but, tried the same with 100kmph and there was no drama whatsoever, felt safe and car stuck to its line like a well mannered baby.

CPC2 : 3.5/5
Primacy 3 ST : 4/5

Grip (Wet)
Believe you me, it's still raining pretty hard in Hyderabad and even yesterday there were thundershowers the whole night. I drove for more than 70kms in rains and the grip is pretty decent but, CPC2's was a different animal in wet conditions. CPC2 used to feel like your driving on dry conditions even in rains, they were that good. But, again it's too early to comment, so i will wait some more before forming a firm opinion

CPC2 : 4/5
Primacy 3 ST : 3/5

Grip (Dry)
There is nothing to complain about grip in dry conditions. Tyres feel soft, extremely comfortable and grip quite hard on surface.

I never used a sports tyre like S-drive, Advan, PS3 etc so I cannot really compare the grippy attitude of this tyre with them but, even for a reasonable enthusiastic driver like me, Iam more than happy with the grip these tyres provide and make a world of difference from the inferior quality tyres which OEM tyres of Cruze.

In this department, Iam not sure which tyre was better, need some more kms under my belt to come to an opinion

CPC2 : 4/5
Primacy 3 ST : 4/5

FE
Would be extremely premature to comment about anything like fuel efficiency but, Iam slightly taken aback with some initial instances as you can see from the picture below, WA seemed to have crossed the 200kms barried at 1/4th tank full.

Needle is at 1/4th i have covered 237kms ( previously it always used to be around 200kms, give or take a few kms and then needle starts slowly dropping down). I normally get 600kms to tankful with about 50L-52L of diesel coming in at auto-cut, giving out an average of 11.5kmpl to 12kmpl and the trip meter always goes back to ZERO

Summarization : Overall, iam extremely happy with my decision of going in with Michelin, a brand that iam not new to as I have used their XM2 in my previous car and enjoyed that experience as well quite a bit.

One strange thing that I note now is car feels little heavier than before and seems to have lost a bit of accelaration, you know the ability to take off seems to have come down a bit. Iam not sure whether it's due to my overall gentler handling of the car due to run-in period of tyres or these tyres have indeed made that difference.

[raghu230506]

Hi Mobike,

XENEX where I got my Primacy 3ST installed (for All new Honda City) was adamant to buy the stock old tyres, I had no choice than to leave them at their place without anything in return :-(

I have driven close to 100KM on these tyres, compared to MRF they are super quite

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by raghu230506

XENEX where I got my Primacy 3ST installed (for All new Honda City) was adamant to buy the stock old tyres, I had no choice than to leave them at their place without anything in return

You say XENEX bought back and saying you didnt get anything for them in same breathe? Didnt quite get what you mean?

Are you saying he wanted you to leave stock tyres in his stores even if he was not willing to pay you anything? Why did you even listen to him as its your decision what you will do with old tyres.

Bottomline, unless you get a killer deal from any other dealer ( Like I got for my CPC2) its always best to stick to Ashoka Wheels for tyre purchases.