Michelin Tyre Woes: Fact or Fiction? (Michelin users please vote)

viper_711 · 12th January 2010, 22:34

I upgraded from GPS2 to XM1+ and have now clocked about 2K kms (Including a pot-holed drive to Pondy!). The difference in performance is huge - the car has very reduced road noise and brakes better than before! I did notice one thing though - the tread depth seemed a bit less as compared to some other makes - I checked this with a coin.
So far so good - I hope they last about 25K kms!

sachinj12 · 12th January 2010, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper_711

So far so good - I hope they last about 25K kms!

25K, is that the life span of Michelin

? Please tell me, its a 'no' .

Nikhilb2008 · 12th January 2010, 23:02

No it isnt. XM1+ will last 35-40k easily.

nkapoor777 · 13th January 2010, 00:07

I've had Michelin XM1's since 2006 on my WagonR (155/65/R13). Done 30k kms and no problems what so ever.

GSMINC · 13th January 2010, 01:27

I have XM1+ on my Swift Diesel (ofcourse changed the OE JK tyres immediately).
car bought in August 2008, alignment & tyre rotation every 5000kms & balancing every 10000kms, it has run 70,000kms till date & the it is just great no bulges/cracks/punctures & know what! still 40% of the tread is intact.
was just wondering these tyres might just last over a lakh kms., touchwood

bj96 · 13th January 2010, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSMINC

car bought in August 2008... it has run 70,000kms till date
...

70k in ~1.5 years

.
When do you sleep

-BJ

Abhay · 13th January 2010, 16:24

I changed to XM1+ a couple of months ago (only 1.5k done on it) and they have been pretty good till now. But I guess have not run on them enough to vote on this thread.
Initial impressions are positive.

GSMINC · 14th January 2010, 00:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj96

70k in ~1.5 years

.
When do you sleep

-BJ

On the contrary I am travelling less nowadays, around 1500-2000 KMs only, regretfully

The way I started with this car I thought I would finish both the primary & the extended warranty within 2 years,but what to do man proposes & HE disposes, I guess

finneyp · 14th January 2010, 02:15

My XM1+ (185/65 R14) has done 11K kms & 1.5 years so far, no issues, just one puncture, enjoying the comfy ride on Michelins!

GTO · 14th January 2010, 19:37

I am a HUGE Michelin fan, and became one only after using their tyres for 6 years. Running LTX's on my Jeep since 6 years. Excellent balance between onroad and offroad performance. Good wear & tear rate, but the quality of rubber transformed the behaviour of my ol' Jeep (atleast as far as an ol' Jeep car go). Despite all the abuse she's gone through while offroading, never had a puncture in 4x4 mode. In 6 years, only a total of 2 punctures and 1 tyre damage. Tyre damaged after something poked in while offroading, but I never realised until the next day morning. The tyre still didn't go flat, lasted the rest of the OTR, but I'm using it as the spare now.

Running Michelin PP2s on my C220 since 2+ years. Again, satisfied with the performance envelope, though the ride has firmed up. C220 has covered over 20,000 kms since the time of install, and IIRC, has had only one puncture till date. What I like is the level of grip they offer at 20,000 clicks....my Goodyear Eagle F1s on the same car had given up after 10,000 kms!

Voted No on the poll.

Based on hearsay, I believe their entry-level asia-specific tyres have issues. I haven't used any of those, and again cannot comment as I do not have first hand experience with their lower end stuff. However I do believe that a premium product manufacturer should stand by their tyres. And if anyones new Michelins have developed bulges, they ought to REPLACE them ASAP. Free of cost.

lancer_rit · 14th January 2010, 19:49

No problems in my MXV8 tyres for 20 months and ~18k. The improvement over the OE MRF ZV2K is huge. So, voted no!

However, Michelin do make brouhaha over tyre warranty advertising it, while reality shows that almost nothing will fall under it. It seems recently they have updated their website and put in tyre warranty conditions in detail (which wasn't the case earlier) - so atleast they are making it transparent.
But do compare it with the warranty and info on the same provided in US by them. In my reading, the warranty basically assures a certain mileage on a tyre model, and almost everything else is mostly damage not related to warranty.

Michelin India
Warranty / Buying Guide / Home - www.michelin.in

Michelin US
Warranty: Michelin Tires

The warranty booklet is a very good source of info on tyre care, how to handle blowout etc...

paras211 · 14th January 2010, 19:57

Using pp2s no issues for which i am not to blame(2 burst clipped the divider). Excellent set nothing like it for the price.Life is a tad bit less but its a fair trade-off for the grip levels.

adnaps · 14th January 2010, 19:59

I have use XM +1 on my VDI for the last 10K Km. Used OEM Jk.s for 47 K Km earlier. Though the handling on the JK's was a tad better. Ride quality & road grip is far far better on the Michelin XM +1. No punctures or damage so far.

jayded · 15th January 2010, 02:04

Changed the stock tyres (Bridgestone 155/70 13) of our Santro Xing to Michelin XM1 (165/65) last July. The handling has improved considerably with lesser body rolls.
The Michelins are doing a pretty good job for the last 6-7 months, no troubles with them till now *fingers crossed*

ravibhat · 15th January 2010, 09:07

I do agree Michelin tyres have soft sidewalls even AT tyres in my Safari. But almost ZERO noise, best ride comfort and decent braking ability make me happy about XM1+ and LTX AT tyres I am using. If Michelin maintains same quality I would stick to same brand since other 4-5 brands I used till datedon't offer the package offered by Michelin and cost wise I found Michelin is cheaper than other brands for quality it provides.

Ravi.

View Poll Results: Have you had Issues with your Michelin tyres?
Yes (Bulges, premature tyre wear, frequent punctures etc)	50	17.12%
No. They're quite problem free	242	82.88%
Voters: 292. You may not vote on this poll

12th January 2010, 22:34	#31
viper_711 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 366 Thanked: 93 Times View My Garage	I upgraded from GPS2 to XM1+ and have now clocked about 2K kms (Including a pot-holed drive to Pondy!). The difference in performance is huge - the car has very reduced road noise and brakes better than before! I did notice one thing though - the tread depth seemed a bit less as compared to some other makes - I checked this with a coin. So far so good - I hope they last about 25K kms!
	() Thanks

12th January 2010, 23:02	#33
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	No it isnt. XM1+ will last 35-40k easily.
	() Thanks

13th January 2010, 00:07	#34
nkapoor777 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 608 Thanked: 143 Times	I've had Michelin XM1's since 2006 on my WagonR (155/65/R13). Done 30k kms and no problems what so ever.
	() Thanks

13th January 2010, 01:27	#35
GSMINC BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 393 Thanked: 196 Times	I have XM1+ on my Swift Diesel (ofcourse changed the OE JK tyres immediately). car bought in August 2008, alignment & tyre rotation every 5000kms & balancing every 10000kms, it has run 70,000kms till date & the it is just great no bulges/cracks/punctures & know what! still 40% of the tread is intact. was just wondering these tyres might just last over a lakh kms., touchwood
	() Thanks

13th January 2010, 16:24	#37
Abhay BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 727 Thanked: 11 Times	I changed to XM1+ a couple of months ago (only 1.5k done on it) and they have been pretty good till now. But I guess have not run on them enough to vote on this thread. Initial impressions are positive.
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 02:15	#39
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,716 Thanked: 319 Times View My Garage	My XM1+ (185/65 R14) has done 11K kms & 1.5 years so far, no issues, just one puncture, enjoying the comfy ride on Michelins!
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 19:37	#40
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,533 Thanked: 300,534 Times View My Garage	I am a HUGE Michelin fan, and became one only after using their tyres for 6 years. Running LTX's on my Jeep since 6 years. Excellent balance between onroad and offroad performance. Good wear & tear rate, but the quality of rubber transformed the behaviour of my ol' Jeep (atleast as far as an ol' Jeep car go). Despite all the abuse she's gone through while offroading, never had a puncture in 4x4 mode. In 6 years, only a total of 2 punctures and 1 tyre damage. Tyre damaged after something poked in while offroading, but I never realised until the next day morning. The tyre still didn't go flat, lasted the rest of the OTR, but I'm using it as the spare now. Running Michelin PP2s on my C220 since 2+ years. Again, satisfied with the performance envelope, though the ride has firmed up. C220 has covered over 20,000 kms since the time of install, and IIRC, has had only one puncture till date. What I like is the level of grip they offer at 20,000 clicks....my Goodyear Eagle F1s on the same car had given up after 10,000 kms! Voted No on the poll. Based on hearsay, I believe their entry-level asia-specific tyres have issues. I haven't used any of those, and again cannot comment as I do not have first hand experience with their lower end stuff. However I do believe that a premium product manufacturer should stand by their tyres. And if anyones new Michelins have developed bulges, they ought to REPLACE them ASAP. Free of cost.
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 19:49	#41
lancer_rit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 1,266 Thanked: 309 Times	No problems in my MXV8 tyres for 20 months and ~18k. The improvement over the OE MRF ZV2K is huge. So, voted no! However, Michelin do make brouhaha over tyre warranty advertising it, while reality shows that almost nothing will fall under it. It seems recently they have updated their website and put in tyre warranty conditions in detail (which wasn't the case earlier) - so atleast they are making it transparent. But do compare it with the warranty and info on the same provided in US by them. In my reading, the warranty basically assures a certain mileage on a tyre model, and almost everything else is mostly damage not related to warranty. Michelin India Warranty / Buying Guide / Home - www.michelin.in Michelin US Warranty: Michelin Tires The warranty booklet is a very good source of info on tyre care, how to handle blowout etc...
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 19:57	#42
paras211 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 646 Thanked: 108 Times View My Garage	Using pp2s no issues for which i am not to blame(2 burst clipped the divider). Excellent set nothing like it for the price.Life is a tad bit less but its a fair trade-off for the grip levels.
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 19:59	#43
adnaps BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 195 Thanked: 119 Times	I have use XM +1 on my VDI for the last 10K Km. Used OEM Jk.s for 47 K Km earlier. Though the handling on the JK's was a tad better. Ride quality & road grip is far far better on the Michelin XM +1. No punctures or damage so far.
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 02:04	#44
jayded BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TVM, HYD Posts: 564 Thanked: 548 Times	Changed the stock tyres (Bridgestone 155/70 13) of our Santro Xing to Michelin XM1 (165/65) last July. The handling has improved considerably with lesser body rolls. The Michelins are doing a pretty good job for the last 6-7 months, no troubles with them till now fingers crossed
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 09:07	#45
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,256 Thanked: 37 Times View My Garage	I do agree Michelin tyres have soft sidewalls even AT tyres in my Safari. But almost ZERO noise, best ride comfort and decent braking ability make me happy about XM1+ and LTX AT tyres I am using. If Michelin maintains same quality I would stick to same brand since other 4-5 brands I used till datedon't offer the package offered by Michelin and cost wise I found Michelin is cheaper than other brands for quality it provides. Ravi.
	() Thanks