New tires for 2006 Honda Pilot EX 2WD

[deanq]

I am looking to replace the Goodyear Integrity tires (OEM). They now have almost 70K miles. We live in the Kansas City area and have some snow here and there. Winters can be rough or pretty mild. This is my wife's vehicle - mainly on road - some gravel roads here and there. Would appreciate any advice.

I am looking at several tires:


Michelin - Latitude Touring - some of the tirerack reviews specific for Honda Pilot were inconsistent.

Michelin - Radial X Radial LT2 - (Costco/Sams exclusive)

Michelin - LTX MS2 - recommended by dealer - not sure if this tire is that great. It is fairly expensive.

Bridgeston Dueler Ecopia - Good reviews on tirerack. None specific from a Pilot owner.

Dunlop Signature CS - Very good reviews on tirerack and good reviews from Pilot owners. Very good price at Sam's.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks,

[vanduker]

Best Tires for '05 Pilot

[rocky]

That you kept the GY for so long is remarkable. Most people me included felt they were not good tires in rain and snow.
Part of the equation is how many miles you are going to do on your Pilot before you trade it.
If for ever, Michelin LTX MS2. Done over 50k on mine and I swear they'll get close to 100k.
If shorter period 50k or so, Bridgestone or Dunlop and keep the cash difference.

[dj5]

+1 on the Michelin LTX MS2

[deanq]

I read people noticed decreased mpg on the LTX MS2 tires. Has anyone experienced that problem?

[vanduker]

Put LTX MS2 on daughters 05. We only had it for a few days so couldn't check the mileage but rides way better than the Goodyears though the Goodyears were maybe old/hard.

We had the LTX on a Trooper and just could not get them to wear out. On Tire Rack a number of folks claim over 100k miles and still good usability.

[silvergga]

Definitely the LTX M/S2 for a 06 Pilot with 16" wheels. Don't get the Latitude Tour in that size because it's a Ford OE fitment with less than normal tread.

[NJGuy]

Originally Posted by deanq

I read people noticed decreased mpg on the LTX MS2 tires. Has anyone experienced that problem?

I don't have the LTX MS2, but I did have the Goodyear Integrity tires. While most drivers will dump negative comments on the Integrities, one positive that the tire had was a low rolling resistance compared to many other models. This resulted in pretty good gas mileage. However, it most likely resulted in reports of poor traction as well.

A switch to almost any other tire model with significantly better traction will most likely result in a reduction in gas mileage. If gas mileage is your primary concern, I'd probably steer towards the Michelin Latitude Tour, Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia, Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max, or Kumho Solus KL21. I don't know if these tires will match the Integrities at mpg's, but they might come closer than the other available tires. While tire technology keeps improving, keep in mind that there's still a compromise between traction, treadwear, and rolling resistance.

I currently have the Continental CrossContact LX20 tires. Continental markets their "EcoPlus" technology with this tire. Supposedly this is to help the tire with fuel savings, but my MPG still dropped about 1-1.5 mpg when compared to the Integrities. Other than that, the LX20's are superior in pretty much all other aspects.

[mmmmark]

I got good mileage and use out of Yoko Geolanders, YMMV.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

[rocky]

Originally Posted by NJGuy

I don't have the LTX MS2, but I did have the Goodyear Integrity tires. While most drivers will dump negative comments on the Integrities, one positive that the tire had was a low rolling resistance compared to many other models. This resulted in pretty good gas mileage. However, it most likely resulted in reports of poor traction as well.

A switch to almost any other tire model with significantly better traction will most likely result in a reduction in gas mileage. If gas mileage is your primary concern, I'd probably steer towards the Michelin Latitude Tour, Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia, Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max, or Kumho Solus KL21. I don't know if these tires will match the Integrities at mpg's, but they might come closer than the other available tires. While tire technology keeps improving, keep in mind that there's still a compromise between traction, treadwear, and rolling resistance.

I currently have the Continental CrossContact LX20 tires. Continental markets their "EcoPlus" technology with this tire. Supposedly this is to help the tire with fuel savings, but my MPG still dropped about 1-1.5 mpg when compared to the Integrities. Other than that, the LX20's are superior in pretty much all other aspects.

I agree with you that the GY were selected not for traction by mpg bump they allowed Honda to report via the EPA.
That said driving habits are the biggest factor in the mpg results that you get. Best mpg I've seen recently 21, on an all interstate drive with one stop before the fill up. Worst 16 with many short runs in freezing weather.
Overall I tend to experience just under 20 on average in my 05 with 153k

[deanq]

We have not had problems with traction on the Integrities until just recently since the tires have gotten really low on tread. Very rarely did our traction light come on. I looked at the GY Assurance Fuel Max tire but the survey results on tirerack were not favorable. With regard to mileage our 2wd was supposed to get 24 highway and about 20 in town. It usally gets about 21 highway. I don't really calculate the mpg on the around town stuff. Since the mpg is not really great anyway, I didn't want to reduce by 1 to 2 miles more. The reviews of the Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia tire had multiple comments about increased mpg. The Dunlop Signature CS reviews really surprised me. There were multiple Pilot owner reviews and none spoke of decreased mpg but wrote glowing reviews on these tires. When I talk to tire shops about them they seem not real positive on Dunlop as a whole.

[04gixx6]

(Off topic) How is winter treating KC this year? Born and raised in Overland Park and definitely missing that place!

[deanq]

We actually live in Lenexa. It has been a fairly mild winter thus far. Where do you live?

[04gixx6]

Originally Posted by deanq

We actually live in Lenexa. It has been a fairly mild winter thus far. Where do you live?

Awesome, lived in Lenexa for awhile after high school. Billings, MT now.

[deanq]

You probably see lots of snow. What tires do you have on your Pilot? I am wondering since the the OEMs were low resistance tires maybe that is the recommended tire type.