Best Alternatives to Michelin Energy Saver A/S ?

I second this Savers much better at higher pressure, mine are at 42/38. Just do not go higher they loose grip (though different gauges may be off by 3-4psi!)

The MPG will go up. Mine is in low 60s now, at least 5-6MPG higher then on OEM Yokos

 

I ordered Michelin Energy Saver A/S 185 65 15 for my 2009 at samsclub.com last saturday night, yesterday I got email they were in, I go today to have them installed.

When I got there, they were $70 off for four from the price I was quoted. I got the tires balanced and installed for $1 less than price for just the tires.

 

I really dislike the OEMYokohama AVID S33d. I am tempted to get the Energy Saver A/S as a replacement when the time comes. With the $70 rebate they are not badly priced and obviously the mpg is fantastic. Did you really notice that large of a gain?

 

Good to hear !! I just bought 4 to put on in about 5K miles. My dealer had a sale on tires ... buy 3 get one free. Price was $104 apiece. Not too bad ... 4 for $312.

REV

 

The price on the EcoPlus is tough to beat as is the overall performance. If I don't get the Energy Saver A/S the the EcoPlus is my next choice. I guess it depends on what they will give me for my AVIDs.

 

Also look at the Ascend

MB860 ?

 

Seriously considered it but they weigh 3lbs more each than the other tires. That scares me. They basically weigh the same as my 17" MXM4s.

 

Nice!i can't wait to see what they get at 5,000+.

 

I drove 240 miles on the ecoplus, lost 2mpg from stock. Ride and noise are similar to stock, noise is slightly better

 

Not bad for brand new tires. I can't wait to see how they do at 5,000 miles.

 

The Michelin X-Ice Xi2 appear to really live up to their LRR rating.

I try to stress the probable mpg drop when going with the ProContacts. Fortunately the price, longevity and performance of that tire makes up for small mpg loss IMO. I hope you feel the same.

 

yes on Avids I was getting 53-56 and with Energy Savers 58-62 (had one tank at 63.1 indicated last summer). My commute route has 40-50mph limit, and due to frequent speed traps it does not make sense to drive more then 3-7mph over limit. With Savers car is rolling alot better, so you have to start regen braking earlier, and it seems more eager to switch to electric when you release accelerator.

This is at 76K on car, replacing fronts only the rears are still OEM Avids. I will be rotating Avids to front and then replacing them with Savers before fall.

With respect to Avids, they really horrible before they break in, 500-1500mi. They get better after that. It has something to do with thread block design. They are also stiffer. You might try to run them at 30psi and then pump up to 50 for overnight, that usually speeds up carcass break-in good luck

 

I could understand the gain. I have been scrutinizing many tires to try and figure out why they offer so much better mpg than others and it is hard to find any rhyme or reason. In the case of the Enegy Saver A/S, however, they offer a few "tells" in their specs. They are a lower load and speed rating (89T vs. 91H) than some of the other tires and they also have a lower tread depth (9.5/32 vs. 10/32 or even 12/32). Unfortunately none of those factors alone really tell the full story because tread compound and tire construction play a HUGE part. *shrug* I guess all we have to go on is TireRack.com testing, anecdotal evidence and faith in the manufacture.

Thanks for the tip on the AVID S33Ds. I won't be needing it, however, because I am having new AVID Ascend tires installed today. The extra weight and 12/32 tread depth scares me though.

 

Too bad you don't live closer. I'd take those S33's off your hands if they were cheap enough. Even though I just bought the ProContacts, I never thought the S33's were all THAT bad. I never had an issue with them. Sure ... they're only a 30K mile tire, but who cares ?

I've used Yokohama products for the last 10-15 years and have always loved them, expecially the Avids, Avid Tourings, and Avid TRZ's.

You can do a LOT worse in OEM tires .... like ANY goodyear or bridgestone product.

I know there are a lot better tires, but I think the Avids 33's get a bad rap partially BECAUSE they're OEM. I think they're the best OEM tires I've ever gotten on an economy car.


REV

 

My only real complaint with the S33D is the tramlining issue. They don't drive bad otherwise and they corner pretty well. They are not a cheap tire though. They retail at $107 on TireRack whereas my new tire is only $96. I know price is not everything but a cheap OEM tire is still a cheap tire when sold aftermarket much like the old Integrity.

I just wanted to take advantage of the tires still being new and get as much credit for them as possible and reduce my frustration with the tramlining. I'm sure my mpg will drop with the Ascend but overall it should be a better tire. I loved my dB Super E-Spec tires.

 

I never experienced the tramlining that people talk about. I hear you on the trade in value. I also agree that the S33's are worth NOWHERE NEAR the $107 that TR sells them at (that is just absurd). IMO, they're a $60 tire ... no more. I must admit that they gave me a good solid quality 30K miles. They're at 5/32 now and are nearing the end of their life. I'm gonna put another 4-5K on them before I mount up the ProContacts at 30K. They're actually decent at cornering as you mentioned, and not that bad in the rain and snow. ANY tire is good in the dry ... it's in the rain where a tire either shines or falls down. If it falls down ... it's gone. My wife's Corolla came with Integrities and that car was flat out dangerous in the rain brand new. I replaced them at about 1000 miles ... they're STILL in my shed.

REV

 

IMHO sidewall construction is a prime suspect. It is the thinnest/flexiest sidewall I've seen in my life, even bicycle tire sides are stiffer. As a result they feel flimsy when under-inflated and loose grip quicker when over-inflated.

Also thread rubber compound: grip seems to drop quicker with lower temps then on others.

Post your reviews of Ascends, looking forward to reading it.