[torque18]

Originally Posted by dsgalways

I am hunting for Michellin Latitude Sport 3 tyres for my VW Tiguan 235/55 R18 for the last 2 months but looks like they are nowhere in stock and no one has any idea when they will be available. Any leads would help. Or any highly recommended alternatives? Currently have Conti Sport Contact 5s. Located in blr. TIA

I just picked up a set of Michelin primacy 4 in the stock size for my Tiguan. Yet to put them on though. They are October 2022 manufactured.

I had the option of Latitude 3 as well, 2023 manufactured but was advised to choose Primacy over Latitude.

How did the conti sport contact 5 perform? How long did they last? I have it on my full size spare. I would have gone for these if the Michelins were not traced.

[dsgalways]

Originally Posted by torque18

I just picked up a set of Michelin primacy 4 in the stock size for my Tiguan. Yet to put them on though. They are October 2022 manufactured.

I had the option of Latitude 3 as well, 2023 manufactured but was advised to choose Primacy over Latitude.

How did the conti sport contact 5 perform? How long did they last? I have it on my full size spare. I would have gone for these if the Michelins were not traced.

Were you able to get Primacy in 235/55 R18 ? It seems to come in 245/50 R18 in India. Would be great if you can let me know where I can pick up a set of Latitudes as I cant find it in stock anywhere. I didnt want to go with 245/50 and reduce the sidewall height.

Not too sure about the Contis. I have had Michellin Primacy 3 and preferred it to the Contis UC6 or Conti CS5 I've had. Though experience has been on different cars.

[torque18]

Originally Posted by dsgalways

Were you able to get Primacy in 235/55 R18 ? It seems to come in 245/50 R18 in India. Would be great if you can let me know where I can pick up a set of Latitudes as I cant find it in stock anywhere. I didnt want to go with 245/50 and reduce the sidewall height

Yes Primacy 4 in 235/55R18.

I have shared the details of the concerned person with you.

[dsgalways]

Originally Posted by torque18

Yes Primacy 4 in 235/55R18.

I have shared the details of the concerned person with you.

Thanks! I reached out to the contact. He mentioned the 235/55R18 in Primacy would be only available in 2020/21 manufacturing. He did offer me latitudes from 2022.

I ended up changing all 4 tyres to Michelin Primacy 245/50 R18s today. Sidewall reduced just by 2mm which is marginal with only 1.9% difference in Diameter. Driven around 30 KM and feel the improved comfort Pirmacy offers and always happier with the look of wider tyres without compromising on Sidewall and comfort Got them for around 21K a piece with 2023 manufacturing.





Made a couple of other upgrades in the last 1 month :

1. Stage 1 Code 6 ECU & TCU remap + BMC Air filter
I think this is just a must for anyone with the 2.0L TDI. It feels like this is what it was meant to be from the factory. Engine noise has reduced alot! And it just feels so effortless now even daily driving. Gear changes also much more accurate. Got a couple of VCDS updates also done. Power increase is also very noticeable and enjoying the car alot more!

2. ATE Brake pads Front and Back.
This has improved the braking but still would like a bit more so have ordered Brembo drilled rotors for the front which should come in 2 weeks

3. CR70 tints all around

4. Aluminium pedals

5. Osram 55W Fog lamps (white leds) plug and play

6. Audible Physics Tandem Audio for all 8 speakers with door sound dampening

7. Gear knob with LED shift indicator

8. 3D Car mats - Not available for Tiguan so put the Kodiaq set. Front mats were pretty much an exact fit. Rear needed some cutting and adjustment. Still much better looking than the universal 3D mats I had previously

9 . Michelin Primacy 245/50 R18s on all 4 tyres

Cheers!

[vredesbyrd]

Hi all,

Looking for some shoes to put on my Scorpio N. Currently running the stock MRF 255/60R18s.

Confused between Yokohama Geolander and Apollo Apterra AT2 (both 265/60R18).
Tyre should be able to handle snow. Is there too much of a price difference between them?

Also, what about BFGoodrich KO2? Heard that it is really expensive

Would welcome any and all inputs

[Born 2 Be Wild]

The best suv tyre is the Bfg A/t ko2, if your suv goes of tarmac, using them on my isuzu mux as well as fortuner. Have zero complaints till date, tyre is built like a tank. Only downside to these tyres is their price & availibility.

[vredesbyrd]

Went by the poll and landed on geolanders

[cool_dube]

Disclaimer: This is a longish post but hopefully should help folks considering a tyre swap for their SUVs. The views expressed below are solely my own, based on my limited knowledge and research, and I could be wrong on some quarters.

I have been mulling over swapping the OE Bridgestone Dueler HT tires on my Fortuner Σ4 with a good set of ATs for a while now. Although my Fortuner does not indulge in recreational off-road activities and is primarily a tourer for me, I strongly feel that a 4x4 SUV should be ably supported by equally capable footwear, so as to inspire that 'go anywhere' confidence and not let one down, should the situation turn demanding. I should have ideally done the swap right after taking delivery of the car but was in double-minds for a few months. As miles began to pile up, I was faced with the 'now or another 40,000 km' moment and eventually decided to bite the bullet.

Once the decision to switch was made, came the next inevitable question - which one? My first pick was Yokohama Geolandar, having been my default choice for quite a while now. These have served me really well on multiple SUVs I have owned over the last 2 decades and never ever let me down. My Pajero SFX had these on for the ~7,000 km drive to Spiti Valley and back (in 2019) - just sailed through the entire journey (including the dreaded Losar - Batal - Gramphu stretch) without as much as a pressure drop! Given this, I had more or less locked down on the Geolandars but some chit-chat with friends and some research on the internet led me to believe that things have changed since the last set I used, key difference being that all the ones I had used in the past were made in Japan and the newer ones, being made in India, were prone to sidewall damage. So, I was back to the drawing board and started to look at other options. Here is a summary of my thought (and elimination) process:

• Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 - ruled out for reasons elaborated above
  
• Michelin LTX Trail - Excellent tires and would have been my first choice had I wanted to stick primarily to tarmac. Softer compound and hence, prone to cuts on rocky/gravel trails.
  
• BFGOODRICH ALL TERRAIN T/A KO2 - If looks could kill, this tire is a killer However, for my use case, it was an overkill - quite heavy and high levels of road noise.
  
• Continental ContiCrossContact LX 2 - The newer ones are more tarmac biased. Hence, dropped.
  
• Pirelli Scorpion ATR - Again, the tread is more tarmac biased and availability is a concern as well. Hence, dropped.
  
• MRF Wanderer - Had these on my Endeavour as OE. Performance was quite satisfactory but road noise was on the higher side.
  
• Apollo APTERRA AT2 - Now this came across as an amazing VFM proposition. The tread looked aggressive and I had first-hand feedback from a friend who had driven to Zanskar valley on these - not a single issue faced throughout the drive from/to Bangalore. I had almost locked down on these till I came across a wildcard entry.
  
• Vredestein Pinza AT - This was launched with much fanfare some time back by Madhus (Bangalore) who claim to be the only authorized outlet for this tire globally. While researching on Apollo Apterra AT2, I came across the fact that Vredestein was taken over by Apollo back in 2009 and have quite a reputation. They have been manufacturing performance tyres for more than a 100 years now and their latest product, the Pinza AT has garnered rave reviews across the globe. On digging deeper, I realized that the tread pattern was almost similar across Pinza and Apterra AT2. This tempted me to go back to Apterra AT2, which cost less by almost INR 3,000 per tyre, compared to the Pinza. I spoke to the knowledgeable folks at Madhus at length and came to know that while pattern was similar, the Pinza was made of a different compound, rendering it more comfortable and less noisy on tarmac. I paid a visit to Madhus this last weekend and was really impressed by the Pinza in the flesh. Now, these are new to our market and yet to be proven, but given their global track record, I decided to take the plunge.
  

OE Bridgestone Dueler HTs - good, but a 4x4 SUV deserves better!


Delicious Tread Pattern of the Pinza


Looks meaty!


All set!


Initial impressions (30 km ride back home) are very good - ride is more pliant and road noise has come down. Will report further post a highway spin.

I will keep this thread updated with long-term performance of these tyres, as these are new to the Indian market/terrain. Hope my gamble pays off

[rahulya007]

Hi,

Even i am looking for tyre change on my ScorpioN 4x4 Z8L AT from stock tyres 255/60R18. I have so far completed 5800 kms. Spoke to someone (good brand store) and he recommenced Pirelli ScorpioN ATR or Conti CCLX2. Both these are 265/60R18. OEM tyres are A/S and want to shift to A/T tyres but both above mentioned brands don’t seem to be complete A/T tyres though most AT tyres nowadays are 70-30 highway-offroad capable with silent ride and decent offroad capabilities. Had also thought of Yokos G015 but the dealer recommended above 2 brands over Yokos in terms of overall quality and comfort.

Need suggestions -

1. Is it wise to change after completing 5800 kms which will drastically reduce the cost I’ll get of the existing tyres.
2. Are the above 2 models capable of mild off-roading, snow, slush etc ? From the tread pattern they seem to be more HT than AT.
3. How different will be AS tyres than AT in above conditions of mild off-roading ?
4. My usage is currently not high owing to WFH and vehicle is used for local trips and occasional tarmac rides. I guess AS should be able to do that occasional offroad rides with ease. So far had no issues with the stock MRFs.

Regards,
Rahul

[dicor]

Hi Folks,

I have XUV5OO FWD and completed 80000 KMs on my stock Bridgestone Dueler H/T (235/65/R17). The tyres can still travel more than 10,000 km, but for the past 12 months, one of them has been giving me trouble.

Despite the fact that the Bridgestone Dueler H/T is a loose rock/stone magnet and makes an obnoxious tik-tik sound at low speeds, I have no other concerns about it. Four out of five tyres have never experienced a puncture or pressure leak issue.

I wish to change the set of 4 now and I need your guidance.

Here is my use case.

• 90% of travel is on asphalt and concrete roads. On 10% of occasions, I go on WBM road and it contains a lot of small crushed stones. Please see the attached pics for my 10% usage.
  
• I plan to sell vehicle in next 3-4 years (more 40,000 KMs)

I have a few questions

• Will it bring any positive impact by deploying A/T tyres on only front-wheel drive XUV5OO? or should I continue with H/T? I found XUV5OO struggle to climb on lose gravel inclines. Will A/T solve this issue?
  
• Is there a tyre which sits between A/T and H/T?
  
• Which ones are longer lasting (cover more KMs)? A/T and H/T?
  
• Which ones are more aquaplaning resistant? H/T or A/T?
  
• Are silica tyres successful in terms of durability and handling(BluEarth / Ecopia)? I am not much bothered about fuel efficiency.
  
• Can we say that a higher load index also increases tyre stiffness?

Please suggest to me to choose between H/T and A/T for my Single Front Wheel drive XUV5OO.

50% of the driving is done on city roads, 40% on tarmac and concrete highways and remaining 10% on the not so good roads. (Please see below pictures)

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Disclaimer: This is a longish post but hopefully should help folks considering a tyre swap for their SUVs. The views expressed below are solely my own, based on my limited knowledge and research, and I could be wrong on some quarters.
.
.

Initial impressions (30 km ride back home) are very good - ride is more pliant and road noise has come down. Will report further post a highway spin.

I will keep this thread updated with long-term performance of these tyres, as these are new to the Indian market/terrain. Hope my gamble pays off

Thank you for the details! Could you mention what's the tyre profile and the cost of these tyres ?

Even better if you can mention the price of all brands you considered as it gives a good comparison perspective.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by rahulya007

Need suggestions

My responses below:

Is it wise to change after completing 5800 kms which will drastically reduce the cost I’ll get of the existing tyres.

I'd say you have gone slightly above the km threshold of getting a good buyback value but still not too late. If you hesitate now and miles keep piling up, you will have to wait till at least 40,000-50,000 km, essentially the entire life of your current set. I changed mine at ~3,000 km on the odometer and got a decent deal.

Are the above 2 models capable of mild off-roading, snow, slush etc ? From the tread pattern they seem to be more HT than AT.

Yes, both are good brands/tires but you are right - the tread pattern is more tarmac-biased which could be good or bad depending on your use case. Please see my post above on various options I considered - should help.

My usage is currently not high owing to WFH and vehicle is used for local trips and occasional tarmac rides. I guess AS should be able to do that occasional offroad rides with ease. So far had no issues with the stock MRFs.

For your current use case, OE tires should be just fine but I strongly believe that a 4x4 SUV should be shod with ATs in case you decide to take it off the beaten track. After all, that is what you bought a 4x4 for, isn't it?

Originally Posted by dicor

I wish to change the set of 4 now and I need your guidance

Please see the attached pics for my 10% usage.

I plan to sell vehicle in next 3-4 years (more 40,000 KMs)

Given the kind of roads you need to traverse and the fact that you intend to keep the car for not more than 3-4 years, I'd suggest one of the following (in order of my preference):

• Apollo Apterra AT2
• CEAT Czar A/T
• MRF Wanderer A/T

All of the above are great VFM and come with robust sidewalls.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Thank you for the details! Could you mention what's the tyre profile and the cost of these tyres?

These are 265/60/R18 and cost me ₹17,800 per tyre here in Bangalore.

Even better if you can mention the price of all brands you considered as it gives a good comparison perspective

Prices for the ones I got quotes for, are given below:

• Yokohama Geolandar - ₹16,700
• Michelin LTX Trail - ₹18,750
• Apollo Apterra AT2 - ₹14,800

[OffRoadFun]

Originally Posted by dicor

Hi Folks,

I wish to change the set of 4 now and I need your guidance.

Please suggest to me to choose between H/T and A/T for my Single Front Wheel drive XUV5OO.

50% of the driving is done on city roads, 40% on tarmac and concrete highways and remaining 10% on the not so good roads.

I am not an expert on tires but my use case is similar to yours, sometimes I drive in countryside/grave/dirt roads (to my farm etc.) but I bought Continental LC2 a year back for my Audi Q5 and it has worked very well. Of course, mine is AWD. I would guess slipping in gravel is more due to FWD rather than tires and H/T should be fine, as it is for me. My other FWD car does show slip on gravel/loose dirt.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...q5-amazon.html (Bought tyres for my Audi Q5 from Amazon.in)

There are some good points about tires made there on the thread by some experts, may be it can help you.


Heck, I ordered one extra and still have it and can sell at an attractive price.

https://www.amazon.in/Continental-CONTICROSSCONTACT-108H-Tubeless-Tyre/dp/B07MZ34ZPV/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2IAVZ9XE5F0U8&keywords=235%2F65+r1 7+tubeless+tyres&qid=1693471749&sprefix=235%2Caps% 2C283&sr=8-5

It is 235/65/R17.

I believe higher load/speed rating will increase stiffness though based on my research at the time.

All the best.

[DustyWanderer]

I am using Continental Conti Cross Contact 215/60 R16 and I can proudly say that it is really good.

Likes :
-Very comfortable
-Smooth
-Less road noise
-Good Performance in Wet Condition
-Suitable for light Off Roading (To Pass any rough patches of Roads)

Dislikes
-Not Soft Compound like Michelin Primacy so although Braking Performance is good when compared to MRF Wanderers and Yokohama Geolanders, Michelin still wins in this department by a small margin.

I purchased the tyres from TyreMarket website as they were giving some offers and the tyres were delivered to the nearest authorized Continental Tyre Service Center. The Tyre Fitting, Wheel alignment and balancing were also done free of cost.

Just like you, I too spend considerable amount of time in researching which tyre was best by watching plenty of Youtube review videos and other websites and then came into my personal conclusion as mentioned below

My Personal Preference :
Michelin>Continental>Bridgestone>Yokohama>Goodyear >Apollo>MRF

Michelin : Soft tyres, good braking performance, less roll resistance, fast degrading
Continental : Medium Compound, Good Wet Performance, Off Road Grooves, Above average braking performance, slow degrading
MRF Wanderers : Hard Compound, Good Dry performance, Poor Wet performance, light off road use, slow degrading
Yokohama : Off Road Tyres (For Front Wheel Drive its a overkill), Too much road noise, All Terrain Tyres so tyre will manage all conditions but does not perform too well in any one condition.

[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

[b]Disclaimer: This is a longish post but hopefully should help folks considering a tyre swap for their SUVs.
All set!
Attachment 2496398


I will keep this thread updated with long-term performance of these tyres, as these are new to the Indian market/terrain. Hope my gamble pays off

OT - How do you manage to keep those alloys in such top shape? They look like they have got regular TLC. Do you opt for the dedicated alloy-cleaning option at the detailing shop?

TIA