Tire replacements for the 18" Dunlops - (Grand Touring All Season) Category.

[gameday22]

While I like the Dunlop tires in general, the extremely low treadwear life leads most people to replace them with under 30k miles...with reports of some replacements as low as 15k (which I would assume is from hot-dogging them to death).


Here are 2 tires that I looked at with a decent warranty and they all have a review by both the consumer and Tire Rack. These are just my opinion on some options to look at when replacing your OEM tires, nothing more or less. I hope you find it informative and of some assistance to you in helping make your next tire decision.

Both tires have an 11/32nd's tread depth rating and out of 29 tires in the Grand Touring Category they both rank within the top 5 tires. Please take the time to look under the Survey tab for each tire, it has a lot of very useful information. Each tire rated has in excess of 2.5 million combined miles driven so it is a pretty good indicator of how well they should do for you.

Tire # 1:


Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum (Ranked 5th Overall). Size 235/50ZR18 97W - 600AA (600 Treadwear, A Traction, A Temperature) manufactured in Korea. They have a 6 Year/60K warranty on them. A Uniformity Warranty: 1 Year/ first 2/32" of wear. A Workmanship & Materials Warranty: 6 Years / Free replacement first 2/32" of wear, then prorated to final 2/32" remaining depth. In addition they include a 2 year 24/7 Roadside Assistance warranty. Price is $144 Each

Link to Tires:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...35WR8ELX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes


Tire # 2:


Bridgestone Turanza Serenity (Ranked 3rd Overall). Size 235/50R18 97W - 440 AA A (440 Treadwear, AA Traction, A Temperature), manufactured in Japan. They come with a 5 Years / 45,000 Miles on their V/W rated tires. They have a Workmanship & Materials Warranty: 5 Years / Free replacement first 3 years, then prorated until 2/32" remaining depth. A Uniformity Warranty: First 1/32" of wear. No standard Roadside Assistance warranty is offered but they do give you a nice 30 Day Buy & Try Guarantee. $212 Each....

Link to Tires:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...=35WR8TS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes


If Michelin made the HydroEdge Green X in our tire size then without a doubt it would be the tire on my Genesis once these wear out. They may have a little bit more road noise but I can live with that for how well they perform under all road conditions. They stand behind the product they manufacture 110% and with a 6 Year/90k warranty it would be the only other pair of tires I would ever need before getting a new Genesis 5-7 years down the road....
.....of course this is assuming that no other car would come out in Hyundai's line-up to make me wanna leave the Genesis family


I like Tire Rack for my tire purchasing needs, I have used for many years when replacing my OEM tires. This is no plug for Tire Rack and you may like other companies that sell tires better or find them cheaper on other sites. Personally I have had nothing but great service from them through the years and the staff there really knows what they are talking about.


Best wishes and may your Genny treat you well for many years to come

 

[ctrcbob]

Don't forget that on top of that price, you have to pay the shipping, plus installation.
True, you don't pay the state tax. That is the only advantage to buying from Tire-rack and others.

In my case, I purchased my Pirelli PZero Nero AS tires local. Got a lot of prices from various dealers, and got a good price from two different dealers. Both included a Road-Force balance plus the installation.

In addition, (and this is VERY IMPORTANT), if for any reason, you have a problem with the tire, you have to send the tire back. What does this mean? Well it means that you have to pay someone to remove the questionable tire from your car. (Not the installers fault the tire is bad). Find a temporary replacement tire while the questionable tire is sent back and inspected by the selling dealer (Tire-Rack), Mount the temp tire, paying the mounting dealer. Then assuming the selling dealer agrees, the send you a replacement tire, however if they don't agree, you have to purchase a different tire. Then when the replacement tire arrives, you have to pay the installer again, to remove the temporary tire, and to mount the replacement tire, paying them again for the work.
Installer has to be paid, after, it is not their fault the removed tire went bad, and you did not buy from them.

I make it a point to buy almost everything local, not by mail/telephone/computer. When I have a problem, I just bring the product back to the local selling dealer and let them "fight" with the distributer or manufacturer. Your local dealer will bend over backwards to help you.

 

[Mark_888]

While I do purchase many things on the Internet, I have never done that with tires. I like the service I get with Discount Tires, and their prices are good. If they don't have the exact tire I want, most times they can order it from their warehouse and it will be there is a few days. I can go to any Discount Tire shop anywhere in the country if I have a problem such as out-of-balance (weights do fall off) or puncture, and they will fix it for free (unless the tire needs to be replaced).

Regarding the rating of specific tires, there is usually no positive correlation between a tire with long tread life and one that performs well (braking, handling, etc). In fact, there is usually a negative correlation between these two characteristics. So it is always a little difficult to say one tire is best for everyone, since different people have different priorities and each car is a little different.

I strongly prefer a good handling tire over long tread life. Because I have an early 2009 Genesis, when my Dunlaps wear out I will also look for a tire that has a smooth ride, something that I might not be as concerned about with a different car or even a 2010 model of the same car.

 

[danieltoye101@msn.com]

I had to replace my Dunlaps at 22k after normal driving habits. My serviceman(Firestone dealer) of 15 years recomended the Bridgestone Serenity. Got to tell you that after 6 months they are in my opinion much better than the Dunlaps and even more quiet on the highways. I got them for $1067 TOTAL and I live in Fort Lauderdale

 

[TJPark01]

If you plan on keeping the car for a long time, then investing in the Bridgestone Serenity may be worth the extra money.

 

[gameday22]

Each person has their favorite place they do business with.. for me Tire Rack has been an excellent choice, have fast shipment and have always advanced exchanged/cross shipped tires for me so I'm not waiting for them to receive one back before another ships. Usually I change out tires at 3-4/32nd's, but these Dunlops I might ride right to the end since they have such a short lifespan to begin with.

My post was more to present a couple tire options vs. the Dunlop 18" OEM's. The Bridgestone Serenity's are ranked #3 out of 29 Grand Touring Tires tested, with over 3.5 million miles logged among all users over various terrain/weather settings, I think this gives a pretty solid indication how well they should hold up for just about anyone using them. The Kumho's have over 2.5 million miles logged on them so once again a good indicator of how everyone feels about the tire.

The Michelin's are rated #1 almost every time but don't come in our size, unless you back down to a 17" and change out the rims..this isn't something I'm willing to do. Michelin's HydroEdge with Green X have a warranty of 6yr/90k miles which for most people might be the last set of tires their car needs.

Does anyone know if Tire Kingdom / Merchant Tires still has a 30 day try before you buy policy? Thanks as always

 

[CanukV6]

For what its worth, I recently changed my worn out 18" OEM Dunlops for a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires from the Tire Rack. They rate very highly for both Wet & Dry weather grip, Low Noise, Ride & Tread Wear. I have found them to be an excellent replacement. They certainly provide a more comfortable ride and excellent wet weather grip. Noise is also quite low although I am comparing them to the worn Dunlops so an improvement would be expected. The DWS is a High Performance All-Season tire, which I wanted as I still like to enjoy the great handling that the Genesis chassis provides. The initial turn-in of the DWS isn't as sharp as the Dunlops but overall I am very happy with them and based on reports I look forward to much better longevity.

I have used the Tire Rack twice now for a full set of tires and have been very pleased both times. Their recommended installers are proficient and charge reasonable rates (especially considering they make nothing on the tire sale) and you can read feedback on the Tire Rack site. As for standing behind their product, that was a big concern for me living in Canada, but although I have never (yet) needed to use it, a friend of mine had a problem with one of four tires that he bought from the Tire Rack. The tire wouldn't balance properly due to a manufacturing defect. The Tire Rack not only replaced the tire, but they paid to ship it to a dealer near my friends home (in Canada) and covered the installation charges. They also gave him a credit voucher to compensate for the unsuccessful balancing charges he incurred. I call that good service.

 

[scb]

May I ask why you chose the Grand Touring class of tire over one of the performance classes?

 

[gameday22]

For a balance between performance and longevity of the tire, anything in a pure performance tire has a very short tread life. If you read up on some of the Grand Touring tires they actually perform rather well in all categories. Look at the survey tab on Tire Rack, where it shows all the people reviewing the tire and how many miles have been put on each set etc... It gives you a better feel for how well this type of tire can still perform while not sacrificing as much tread life.

As I said this is just what I'm looking at as a replacement possibility. They will still provide solid grip and great all around handling while letting me have a tire that will last at least 40-50k in mileage. Just my 2 cents, nothing more or less

If you have found a pure all season performance tire that can compare in mileage, please post a link to it here....I'm all for performance but didn't see anything that just stood out from the rest of the pack at a price that wont break the bank.

 

[scb]

You make some good points about Touring versus Performance tires.
I'm in a similar situation and looked over the choices on TireRack as well.

Overall, I was impressed with these candidates which mostly come from the Performance category. It seemed that the Touring category had fewer high-scoring tires, especially in the snow, which is important to me here in the North East:

Tire Rating Cost per four Treadwear Dry traction Wet traction Deep snow traction
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 8.7 $708 540 8.8 9.2 8.1
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus 8.3 $768 500 9.0 8.8 6.9
Pirelli PZero Nero All Season 8.0 $524 400 8.8 8.1 6.9
Dunlop SP Sport Signature (W&Y) 7.7 $592 420 8.6 8.2 6.5
Goodyear Eagle GT 7.5 $648 400 8.7 8.4 5.9

Best

PS. Tried to format the table so it was readable but no luck

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[gameday22]

I tried to make a table out of my information to begin with but it kept coming out all screwy also lol.

Yep, for my $ I will spend a little more and go with one of these Grand Touring tires in place of my Dunlops. For me dry/wet traction is ultimately most important being in Florida. One minute the sun can be out and the next you can be in a torrential downpour out of nowhere.


If your looking for the ultimate in Snow/Deep Snow and Ice/Slush handling while also giving you decent characteristics in other road conditions during the winter months then look to Michelin's X-Ice Xi2 235/50/18's, 97T Green X (low rolling resistance for best gas mileage) DIR-Directional. They are ranked #1 in their category out of all winter tires and are $676 for 4.

Note: These are for winter use only, but if you want the absolute best possible tire during those months in your state when their is unpredictable weather....then I say go with something that is bar none going to get you where you need to go with 110% safety and peace of mind. According to Michelin you can use them for the entire winter season regardless of snow/no snow days and on clear roads, it's just not suggested that you use them as a year round tire.

Link to Tire on Tire Rack, I hope this is of some help to you and best wishes :

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=35TR8XI2&tab=Specs

 

[dg_moore]

I went with Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60's for winter - also good ratings

Haven't used them yet - they're mounted on rims and waiting for winter. This is a very aggressive tire. I'm waiting to see how noisy they are.

 

[scb]

They're both very good tires. However, I'm trying to avoid having four tires sitting in my garage year round. I've spent the last 10 years swapping tires twice a year and it gets a little tiring (joke).

Its interesting that the snow traction numbers are almost the same for those all season tires as the two winter tires. I suspect part of that effect may be the market (region) they are sold in and the performance expectations of the owners.

Best

 

[dg_moore]

I just got a Racor Heavylift storage rack for my tires - crank it down from the ceiling, load/unload your tires, and crank it back up. My other choice was to schlep 4 55# rims/tires to the basement and back twice a year.

 

[gameday22]

If those tires are not studless then they are going to have all kinds of noise when your not in the snow by comparison, that is one of the advantages the Michelin's hold in that category. They are a Green X tire which gives them a low rolling resistance and increased gas mileage. The studs on winter tires remind me of the noise you get riding over a metal grated bridge, you know the noise you cant wait to get rid of by getting back on the asphalt lol..... beyond that the tires you picked look like they should serve you well.

In Florida we also deal with ice, but not in the conventional sense. When it first begins to rain here all the oils come to the surface of the road and it is commonly referred to as Black Ice. You cant see it but it makes stopping quickly a nightmare, so a highly rated wet traction tire with solid all round statistics are extremely important to us.

 

[dg_moore]

If those tires are not studless...

If you're talking about the Blizzaks, they are studless

 

[gameday22]

If you're talking about the Blizzaks, they are studless

Wasn't sure, he should be fine with that tire then...has a decent ranking and should provide what he is looking for....thanks info.

 

[CanukV6]

They're both very good tires. However, I'm trying to avoid having four tires sitting in my garage year round. I've spent the last 10 years swapping tires twice a year and it gets a little tiring (joke).

In that case, check out the Continental Extreme Contact DWS ratings on Tire Rack. They have very good Winter & Summer performance numbers as well as good treadwear.

 

[daviderle]

After a mere 14K two weeks ago my tires were almost down to nothing (I know, I know way too much ESC disable testing), I went with All season PZERO NERO A/S 97W OE after briefly considering Proxy T1R.

At $609 including lifetime warranty from a local dealer v.s $$$$ for the Proxy's it was a done deal.

These tires coupled with the "Driveability update" even with the normal ESC disengaged full acceleration is much more composed making the ESC complete disable less relevant...

For what its worth, only 300 miles on them, my impressions so far; noise, comfort, stickiness are acceptable but slightly more prone to under steer in comparison to the OEM tires...

 

[robthoke]

I've got just under 16k on my 4.6 and still have good tread left on all tires. I've looked at Tire Rack and Discount Tire for the rankings and reviews on tires and will continue to do so until I have to make a decision as to what to buy. I'm fortunate that I've got a friend that owns a tire shop and he can get me what I desire at decent prices. Also if something goes wrong, he is there to fix it.