[achyutaghosh]

Voted for Geolandar G015 AT. I feel it is the best all rounder tire for SUVs in Indian conditions, and no wonder it is one of Yokohama's most popular tires. I changed the Duelers in my Fortuner to the Geolandars on day 3, and it made such a difference. It is less noisier, more grippy and rides better. Additionally, it comes with unconditional warranty too which kind of nullifies the slightly higher price.

Of course there may be better HTs in the ride and noise category like the Primacy SUV, and there are better AT tires like BFG for dune bashing etc, but as an all-rounder, there are few that equal the Yokohama Geolandar.

[vinaydatla]

Are Michelins available in the market today? I have not seen Michelin tyres in AP and TS since the import ban from last year. Most of the dealers have moved to other brands or selling old stock.

[condor]

I would have preferred a multi-choice poll here. Poll does not list the Goodyear or MRF's.

Bridgestone - came as stock tyres on my Sumo and Storme. These lasted 97k, 8.5 years on the Sumo. Fairly hard, no issues with these, But the Sumo was not used beyond 100-105.
Yokohama - The G015 are my first replacement set on the Storme. I have a not deep cut on the sidewall near the shoulder. Else the tyres have been good. 3 years, 40k so far. Going well, and still at half tread.
Continental - have heard good reviews on these too.
BFG - used on my CR-V long back in the US. More expensive compared the Yoko & Conti.
Michelin - First set on the Storme, the Latitudes. Lasted 5 years, 65k before I started seeing cracks. Softer than the Yoko. This includes about 1.5 yrs of very low use.
Pirelli - not tried.


I am likely to go for the Yoko's again. Conti's are possibly a tad more noisy than this.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

I am now looking to replace the existing tyres on my SUV (Harrier) with new ones since they are almost at the end of their lifespan.

I am now confused between the following options.
On a scale of 10 how do you rate all these below and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Bridgestone Dueler D684
2. Yokohama Geolander A/T G015
3. Continental ContiCrossContact LX2
4. BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
5. Michelin Primacy SUV
6. Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Thanks for starting this thread, I am in the exact same dilemma. The OEM Bridgestone Dueller on my XUV500 are very hard and cracking now after 6yrs and 43K kms. I had a similar list, only other addl line I had was Yoko Blueearth rv02 which seem like HT option.

My driving is 99.9% on roads, so I am really leaning on HT tires since road noise is a big consideration for me and AT certainly will be bit worse in that aspect.

My order of purchase would be Michelin->Yoko->Conti based on availability of the right size.

Do share what you decide.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

Can experts here also share the prices of the different tyre brands being discussed here? Thanks.

In general Bridgestone tends to be more expensive in comparison to most other brands except Michelin/Pirelli etc on account of demand. Bridgestone is a are very sought after brand , not necessarily better in terms of performance but market is like that.

You can expect to pay anything from 12K to 14K per tyre among Continental, Yokohama , Bridgestone.

[achyutaghosh]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Bridgestone is a are very sought after brand , not necessarily better in terms of performance but market is like that.

Bridgestone is one of the world's largest selling tyre brand because of their deep OE connects, not necessarily because of the quality and performance. And it is a sought after brand because most users do not think of options but tend to replace with what brand the car originally came with, which, in many cases, is Bridgestone.

For those users who can look beyond the obvious, there are far better options to choose from.

[ValuableRecluse]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

I am now looking to replace the existing tyres on my SUV (Harrier) with new ones since they are almost at the end of their lifespan.

I am now confused between the following options.
On a scale of 10 how do you rate all these below and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

What kind of roads do you frequent?

If it’s mostly smooth NH’s, you’ll be happy with a highway terrain tire like the D684 and Primacy SUV.
Low noise, pliant ride, low fuel consumption and good handling are the advantages of these tires. You’ll also have the shortest braking distances.
No wonder they are OE for quite a few SUV’s.

But beware, they have delicate sidewalls, so any rough-roading will have to be attempted cautiously.

If you drive on rough roads or trails often, then look at an AT. They have a heavier construction and tougher sidewalls, so less prone to punctures.
The trade off is higher fuel consumption, noise and braking distances.
The blocky tread pattern will give you far better grip in muddy offroad conditions at the expense of degraded grip on-road, especially wet roads.

My Fortuner came with D684’s. I used them for 55000km till the tread was worn down to the legal limit. They had good handling and decent braking performance on road but were not surprisingly, lacklustre off road. Would fill up with mud instantly. If it wasn’t for the ATRAC system I would have been using my spade and traction boards fairly often. I did lose one tire to a sidewall cut when negotiating a landslide on the expressway!

Since I enjoy off-roading and driving on trails leading nowhere in particular, I replaced the Bridgestones with BFG’s earlier this year.
Short of Mud-terrains, they’re the absolute opposite end of the tire spectrum!

Disadvantages of BFG’s- They rumble at low speeds (felt more than heard).
Firm ride. Had to drop the tire pressure by 3psi to make it acceptable. Even then had a harsher ride then the Bridgestones.
Fuel consumption increased, so mileage dropped 1 kmpl in the city and a little bit more on the highway. Noise, as expected was also a little bit more than the D684’s. Under hard braking, ABS cuts in earlier.

Advantages- Brilliant off-road.
Can drive up trails with loose rocks without even engaging four wheel drive.
Self cleans in mud.
Super tough sidewalls, so I’m no longer apprehensive about reducing tire pressure when off-road.
Surprisingly, can pull higher lateral G’s on-road, then the D684’s.

Summing up my long post, all I’m trying to say is while there isn’t a perfect tire, there can be one that suits your you’re requirements more than others.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

Summing up my long post, all I’m trying to say is while there isn’t a perfect tire, there can be one that suits your you’re requirements more than others.

That's my confusion - I know there is nothing that gives the best of both worlds. I am trying to find the one that is at least close to having the best of both worlds.

Harrier is absolutely no comparison with a Fortuner. Obviously, it is a given that a Fortuner is more off-road capable than a Harrier - So it definitely makes sense to go with A/T's on a Fortuner.

Nevertheless, Harrier can do mild off-roading - the trails don't need a 4*4 but also need high GC and rugged capable chassis and suspension.

Having said that, apart from 80% in plains, 20% I also use my car in the hilly terrains of Kerala, TN, and intend to do a Leh trip as well. How do you classify this - on-road (or) off-road.

My existing tyres are Goodyear Wrangler Triplemax which is not an A/T. I am satisfied but not happy. I always do triple-digit speeds on the highways. Also, I drive with a light foot in the city. And you know the roads in India (metros, cosmos, towns - all are equally bad) during the wet seasons.

I feel that the fun factor is limited with my existing tyres. With better tyres, I can get more out of the machine - Better handling, better braking, Better ride. Of course, I also want better puncture-resistant tyres (compared to my existing one's) which can take appropriate beatings.

[ValuableRecluse]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Harrier is absolutely no comparison with a Fortuner. Obviously, it is a given that a Fortuner is more off-road capable than a Harrier - So it definitely makes sense to go with A/T's on a Fortuner.

Nevertheless, Harrier can do mild off-roading - the trails don't need a 4*4 but also need high GC and rugged capable chassis and suspension.

Having said that, apart from 80% in plains, 20% I also use my car in the hilly terrains of Kerala, TN, and intend to do a Leh trip as well. How do you classify this - on-road (or) off-road.

I would imagine, the tire choice for a Harrier which is a heavy front wheel drive SUV is far more critical. You will be using a fair bit of momentum and wheel spin to climb up rocky trails, which could potentially damage the tires as compared to a 4x4 Fortuner in low range with ATRAC, which can slowly crawl with negligible wheel spin.

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

My existing tyres are Goodyear Wrangler Triplemax which is not an A/T. I am satisfied but not happy. I always do triple-digit speeds on the highways. Also, I drive with a light foot in the city. And you know the roads in India (metros, cosmos, towns - all are equally bad) during the wet seasons.

I feel that the fun factor is limited with my existing tyres. With better tyres, I can get more out of the machine - Better handling, better braking, Better ride. Of course, I also want better puncture-resistant tyres (compared to my existing one's) which can take appropriate beatings.

If you’re going to Ladakh or Spiti please choose an AT. Nothing is worse than a sidewall cut, mid trip. As tire replacement for anything other than a Sumo or Bolero is impossible in these areas, this could potentially mean the end of your expedition.

You can do triple digit speeds with an AT but please allow for slightly longer braking distances on-road. Off-road expect the performance to be much better!

Cheers!

[Kumaran93R]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Having said that, apart from 80% in plains, 20% I also use my car in the hilly terrains of Kerala, TN, and intend to do a Leh trip as well. How do you classify this - on-road (or) off-road.

I'm from Erode. Since, you're from Pollachi, I can safely say that most of the Munnar / Valparai / Ooty / Kodaikanal trips would be considered as thoroughly on road by anyone. Only after reaching your destination, you might want to do a bit of off roading.
For your use case, which I also do a lot of, I would highly recommend a HT tyre. The better ride, lower noise, better grip all play a huge role in how the car behaves in the frankly brilliant roads in TN and Kerala. Our ghat roads will benefit a lot from good HT tyres.

But be aware that HT tyres are mostly bigger and beefier car tyres and not really off road friendly. They're prone to wheel spin in anything more than mild slush. To put it in perspective, a 4x4 thar with HT tyres will not be able to go to places that a Harrier with AT tyres can. But on road performance is just the opposite.

[supertinu]

Folks, so I did a survey of the market on the weekend around Whitefield area in Bangalore. Went to 4 different stores out of which 2 are michelin dealers looking for HT 235 65 R17 for my XUV500. Outcome was this

1. Bridgestone Dueler HT - Available, same as my current OEM tyres which I dont want to buy again. Around 13K per tyre
2. Michelin Primacy SUV - Not available in that size for the last 1 yr and no line of sight but the best HT option for XUV
3. Continental ContiCrossContact LX2 - Most recommended option due to similar characteristics as Michelin. Cost again around 13K and readily available fresh stocks since Made in India
4. Yoko Blueearth rv02 - Available but not recommended for heavy car like XUV500, more for Compact SUVs. Soft compound and wears fast

All other HT options like Yoko Advans are very expensive. So I am basically having only Conti CCLX2 as the option currently meeting my needs. Given that I dont have an urgency yet, will wait for a month or so and see if Michelin situation changes before taking the plunge.

[mtnrajdeep]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Folks, so I did a survey of the market on the weekend around Whitefield area in Bangalore. Went to 4 different stores out of which 2 are michelin dealers looking for HT 235 65 R17 for my XUV500.

Did you try to DM Nikhil from Madhu's to know if they have Michelin stock? Even thought I am in Whitefield, i still go to Madhu's for my tyre needs. I somehow don't have enough faith that the shops in Whitefield will do a good job or have all the tyre branso in stock. My XUV too is completing 6 years in March and I plan to get the tyre changed after that. I should say though that I have only driven 35k km and tyres still seem to be in good shape without any surface cracks.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by mtnrajdeep

Did you try to DM Nikhil from Madhu's to know if they have Michelin stock? Even thought I am in Whitefield, i still go to Madhu's for my tyre needs. I somehow don't have enough faith that the shops in Whitefield will do a good job or have all the tyre branso in stock. My XUV too is completing 6 years in March and I plan to get the tyre changed after that. I should say though that I have only driven 35k km and tyres still seem to be in good shape without any surface cracks.

thanks Rajdeep. Ajmat also suggested Madhus on a separate thread. Can you please confirm NIkhil's handle? i am assuming he is Madhu's owner? Thanks

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

I am now looking to replace the existing tyres on my SUV (Harrier) with new ones since they are almost at the end of their lifespan.

I am now confused between the following options.
On a scale of 10 how do you rate all these below and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Bridgestone Dueler D684
2. Yokohama Geolander A/T G015
3. Continental ContiCrossContact LX2
4. BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
5. Michelin Primacy SUV
6. Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Why do you want to go for AT tires? Do you drive on bad roads too often? I would suggest to go for good HT tires as they are more comfortable and less noisy in case you need them primarily for good roads.

My friends had very bad experience with G015s as the side wall punctures and cracks are way too many than others.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Originally Posted by supertinu

1. Bridgestone Dueler HT - Available, same as my current OEM tyres which I dont want to buy again. Around 13K per tyre

3. Continental ContiCrossContact LX2 - Most recommended option due to similar characteristics as Michelin. Cost again around 13K and readily available fresh stocks since Made in India
4. Yoko Blueearth rv02 - Available but not recommended for heavy car like XUV500, more for Compact SUVs. Soft compound and wears fast

All other HT options like Yoko Advans are very expensive. So I am basically having only Conti CCLX2 as the option currently meeting my needs. Given that I dont have an urgency yet, will wait for a month or so and see if Michelin situation changes before taking the plunge.

1. Why you don't want Bridgestone again?
2. Why not ContiCross?
3. Yoko Advans are sports tyres, right? How will it fit XUV500?