Tire Suggestion

[jgk913]

I had a 1999 Rodeo with 170K on it and bought GY Silent Armors for it in August. In late September the transmission bid its farewell and we decided to find a replacement vehicle. After much debate we settled on a 2005 Pilot EXL with 33K on it. Now I had read the threads on here about the Integrity tires lack of traction and I really didn't care for the road noise. I also found that I could put my the larger GY Silent Armors on it from the Rodeo 245/70-16 on the Pilot. It sure reduced the road noise, but I immediately noticed the drag of the larger tire and my MPG went south. Since I still have the Rodeo in the garage with the Integritys I'm trying to decide whether to put those back on or convince my wife I need $800 worth of traction provided by GY Tripletreds. I do live in northern IL and get plently of snow. Would I make it through a winter with the Integritys? Any suggestions?

[krygny]

I have heard "speculation" that the the Silent Armors caused a drop in mileage because of supposed increased rolling resistance. Your testimony is the first confirmation I've heard of that. I have Fortera Triple Treds and I had no change in mileage when I went to them from the Integritys. They are much quieter than the Integritys and I can't really imagine the Silent Armors being much quieter than them.

My personal priority is good bad-weather performance and the Triple Treads are outstanding. Here on LI, we get a lot of sloppy / wet / slushy storms. I never really had a problem with the Integritys (I think a lot of the criticism on these boards is excessive), but the Triple Treds are a big improvement.

Those are just my thoughts. I really can't advise you. It comes down to factors like how much life is left on your tires, how much disposable income you have, what your priorities are (mileage, noise, performance, etc.) and of course, what you can convice your wife of.

Just remember Triple Treds are directional, so always plan to keep a non-directional tire as a spare when you buy future sets.

[2dahills]

Just purchased four General Tire Grabber tires which were highly rated by Consumer Reports in the most recent issue. I replaced the 50,000 mile almost worn out Goodyear Fortera tires before the snow started to fall. So far they appear to be as high in quality as the Fortera's. Always check out the tirerack.com for reviews of the tires recommended by Consumer Reports. Tirerack may also have a better deal than your local dealer. I have purchased tires in the past from tirerack.com and had them inexpensively installed at a local Sam's Club.