Jamie McWhir

Well If you really need to change them, then go with the PS3's. If they are still at 3mm or better they would probably be ok until the Primacy3 arrives. What I would say if the rears were too worn you'd have failed the MOT On the Fuel efficiency, it comes down more to testing differences between standard and extra load tyres, the actual difference in service wouldn't be significant. Are the rear tyres on the wear bars? If you don't do big mileage, then you could wait for the Primacy3 if they aren't

Neville How worn are the tyres on the car at present? In what way do you think the XL (97) load tyre will have a better mileage? It's fairly irrelevant..

Hi The Latitude Tour HP is a good all season type of tyre Whilst it doesn't have the deep snow/heavy winter capability of the Alpin range, it's good on light occasional snow, and copes well with temperatures down to around -20. So for UK winters it's more than capable It also gives a good level of wet performance, which to fair is what we experience for the majority of the winter Also has a better performance if you go occasionally off road, so anything from wet grass, to sand and light mud. I've recommended it to many consumers over the years, and never had one come back saying they hadn't found it to be a good tyre for their needs.

Neville Thanks for your post I'd actually advise you to wait a couple of weeks if you can. We are launching the Primacy 3 in 245/40-18 at the start of June (product code..199410), as it gives you the best of both worlds. It's a good step forward over the Primacy HP and has a great level of grip wet and dry. Unless you drive the car "hard" I'd go with this one over the Pilot Sport 3 any further queries, or if you struggle for availability, let me know

Ashar we say when you start seeing 7 celcius or lower on the dash (or if you hear it on the news if your car doesn't display a temp..) That doesn't mean the tyres only work below 7, it's just a fair representation of the temps you tend to see October through to March/April time.. You don't need to wait for it just to snow.. they work particularly well on a winter road that's cold and damp

Ian tram-lining is basically the tyre following the grooves worn in the road by trucks or other heavy vehicles. The wider the tyre then the wider the contact patch, therefore increasing the likelihood statistically of finding a groove Equally the shorter the sidewall height (aspect ratio) the more direct the movement from the tyre back up to the wheel. Hence a wide low tyre will always be worse than a tall narrow one. Always bear in mind that due to road camber and UK road layouts, the most common form of wear is the outer shoulder of the NSF tyre. (you only go round roundabouts in one direction for example...)

Running a winter tyre in the summer will lose you a little in braking distance @ 50mph, on a dry summer road you will lose about 4m braking, and the tyres will feel slightly lighter during the braking, but the car will stop in a well controlled manner still. Similar figures on a wet summer road. So if you never drive hard, you may never feel the difference, beyond that a touch more noise, but only slight Best is always right tyre for the season, but the losses in winter with a summer tyre are vast.. so running a winter tyre in summer isn't perfect, but it's never a vast difference

Ashar labelling is complex, but let me answer your questions. Labelling testing is self certifying. E.g. we test our tyres, other brands test theirs. However, we will test other brands too, simply to cross reference and verify. However, the European regulatory bodies have now started testing people tyres against the published results and in a few cases have penalised manufacturers for not meeting the labelling results in testing. Michelin follow the regulations for the testing completely, but we also go further, for example we aim to test summer tyres as close as possible to 20 celcius, and winter tyres at 5 celcius. The regulations allow wider temperature windows, but the results can vary dependant on temps, so a manufacturer could decide to test when the temp best suits. Which is why we test at temps where the tyres actually run. Otherwise you develop products that are "false" for their use.. At Michelin, we have a philosophy of Total Performance, so we consider a lot of other performance areas other than the labelling results, so we never make a tyre just for the label. It's easier to attain a good wet grip rating than the Rolling resistance figure. However, you can compromise a tyre a lot, just to get one result. For example a hard hard compound or a light thin tyre can achieve good rolling resistance. This isn't something Michelin would do. We aim to be good in every area. we aim to be in the green zone for all our key ranges (e.g. C or better) A wider larger tyre is always going to be worse in rolling resistance than a thinner smaller tyre. It's simple physics. Wet grip is quite simple. Each band e.g. A->B in wet grip is approximately a car length of wet braking from 50mph. So from the best to the worst you can get 15-18m worse. So the length of a 40ft Truck and Trailer. That's worth the extra money for a good Premium tyre. Michelin own the mid range BF Goodrich brand, and Kleber, and in budget Kormoran/Tigar & Riken

On a 4wd our advice is simple. Same brand and pattern. and no more than 4mm of difference between axles. All tyre brands have to adhere to the ETRTO regulations on sizing (European Tyre & Rim Technical Organisation). There are levels of tolerance. Hence one manufacturer may make to the minimum one to the maximum. Hence that's why I'd recommend not mixing them. In some instances if your 4wd is heavy on one axle, it may be worth occasionally moving them from one axle to another, evening out the wear. Yes, you'll end up probably needing four tyres at once, but if the pattern and tyre type has been replaced (we tend to change specs every 5-7 years), you can end up trying to by 2 and not being able to get them.

Ian I couldn't agree more. Yes, in general gone are the days of "my michelin's/goodyear's etc.. used to last 80,000 miles.." Why, because, cars performance and drivers expectations have increased significantly over the last 30 years. If we look at an average family hatchback like a Ford Focus, the on average have a minimum of around 120hp, 16" or 17" wheels as standard, with complex suspension systems and powerful brakes. Compare that to a 1985 Ford Escort, with 75-90hp and 13" or 14" wheels. Are cars performance has improved, tyres needed to improve to cope with the performance improvements. So with Premium tyres, yes, the extra grip has in general been needed, as the cars have so much more potential. Therefore, with the increase in grip there has been some differences with mileage attained, but it's not all down to the tyres. That 1985 Ford Escort, will never work it's tyres like the 2014 Ford Focus. So really you can't compare, as they aren't the same. I often say to drivers and consumers, that the only reference you have for the mileage you attain, is your car, on the roads you drive on with you driving it. So the only mileage comparisons are with the car you have, and even then it changes as the car ages (suspension and component wear and tear..) Lastly, you always may find some options, for example on the 17" sizes for the IS's we will offer Pilot Sport 3 and Primacy 3. So the Primacy may give you a better compromise if less sporty... And the final word is.. really for people trying to save money on tyres.. The one time you need the car to stop or steer or grip.. you want the absolute maximum amount of grip. £20-40 a tyre extra vs. the costs of an accident and your health.. really can't be summed up easily.

Dan, apologies for the delay in getting a reply back. This is a tough one to answer without being critical of competitors, or sounding pompous but I will give it a go... Why are we different? We've lead a lot of developments over the years, and continue to spend more on R&D than any other tyre company. So if you have a Michelin on the car, it's a fairly high probability it's at the forefront of current tyre technology We have a philosophy of Michelin Total Performance. what does that mean? Quite simply that we want our tyres to bring together lots of different areas of performance, including safety, fuel efficiency, wet and dry grip, longevity etc etc. So while Tyre X may perform slightly better in Test Y with Magazine Z, we develop our tyres to give more overall performance to more consumers and manufacturers. We make tyres that work for more people more of the time, for longer We build a lot of our own factory machinery. Sounds simple, but it means we aren't constrained by the machines. If a designer needs a tyre built a certain way and there isn't a machine to make it, we make the machine. It gives us scope where others are constrained by the ability of the machinery. We actually use motorsport for product development, not just as a marketing exercise. So what you cry... i don't drive a sports endurance or rally car.. well the lessons we learn developing tyres are applied to our road tyre range, very often by the same designers. So again visible with our Pilot Sport ranges, where we use motorsport compounds and materials in road tyres. Apart from that we have the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff :D

Sadly (well understandably I suppose), the budget winter tyres never do quite well in the tests compared to the Premium or Mid line tyres. As with summer tyres, Premium manufacturer's do have the best technology, materials and R&D so their advantage over the budget brands is the same really. And the advances in winter compounds and pattern and sipe technology, aren't easy to replicate. Michelin, as with most of the Premium brands to have their own ranges in 2nd line, which quite often can be based upon the premium tyre of one/two generations back. So that would be a good compromise. I would personally avoid the budget ones, especially on a quiet well engineered car, like a Lexus..

James I'd always say minimum axle pair. Whilst you may never lean on your tyres hard enough, i think having a "balanced" set up, e.g. one where you have the same potential across the axle, means you won't have different behavior in different turns. So if you steer left or right, it's the same. Plus removes any element of "pull" under traction or braking. Some European countries actually have same tyres on an axle as law..

Hi We tend to kind of have tyres with around a 5-7 year life cycle. So once we launch a product we start working on it's replacement. Hence we can end up with you buying a tyre towards the end of it's life cycle and then it's not available 2-3 years later. We always advise new tyres to the rear for grip potential and car balance, but an additional benefit of that is that as you normally wear front tyres out quicker, it uses up the old tyres quicker, so you can end up back with a matching set quicker. With our products, there is very often a level of shared technology between one generation and the next, so the best match is often the newest product. When you use tyres from the same manufacturer, there is more of a "family" commonality between them.

I'd only really change to these higher pressures if you were loaded up and spending 2+ hours or more at high average speed. All it does is basically protect the tyre's construction and allow it to carry more load. I have a Mondeo estate for work, and in the two years I've had I haven't altered the pressures once. You'd be surprised just how much "spare" capacity is in most tyres, e.g. 205/55-16 91V's carry 615kgs a tyre, so 2400 a set. Most cars aren't that heavy! The benefit from changing them is that the added air pressure protects the carcass at high speed. It reduces flexing and heat build up

Ok.. Few things. Run Flats should really only go on vehicles with run flat wheels as the hump for the bead seat is slightly different, to improve bead retention under pressure loss.. 99% of Run flat's on the market are used on cars that left the factory on them, primarily BMW, Mini and Mercedes. In the past they have traditionally been heavier and less compliant and supple. Hence have often worn unevenly, been worse for grip and rolling resistance and the comfort of the tyre (as part of the unsprung suspension of the car) has been the worst complaint. Now things are changing a bit. I can only really talk about our ranges in depth, but I know we aren't totally alone. Our 2014 new runflats are thinner, lighter and perform like a standard tyre. So things are changing. It's individual choice. I wouldn't buy a run flat, if I had the choice, however, loads of people drive run flat equipped cars.. As for the temporary repair solutions they all have they're pluses and minuses. The most important thing to bear in mind is they are all just a get you home or to a garage. They have benefits, but get the tyre checked asap, as often the damage is internal and you can't see it..

Hi In a word, no.. When we were in F1 (oh those glorious heady days...) we used ultra dry air. The only benefits of nitrogen are that pure nitrogen tends to be dry (so you remove any small amount of water vapour from the gas used), however if the garage has a decent drier on their compressor it will be fairly dry. And that the molecules themselves are larger, hence diffuse slower through the polymer of the rubber. So you will maintain pressure slightly better. All modern tyres have a butyl liner anyway, so this tends to be the difference between slow and very slow.. Plus the air we breathe is ~80% nitrogen anyway. If it's free then maybe there is a small benefit.. but I always use air.. If it's good enough for Fernando Alonso, it's good enough for me!

Ok Ideally stored inside, in a stable temperature away from direct sunlight or harsh UV lights. E.g. if they are in the shed and you've a window, cover them with something If you have them on wheels they don't need stripped Stack them flat on their inside sidewall (e,g, wheel face up) If you stack them as all 4, I'd invert the stack once every 3-4 months (so the bottom tyre isn't loaded all the time.. to be fair even I sometimes forget to get round to that) You can also store them on a rack (as opposed to just on the floor) Other important thing for tyres is away from a direct heat source and away from any chemicals and solvents (e.g. not next to the petrol can for your lawnmover..) You can get for around £20-30 sets of "tyre blankets" that look like the motorsport ones, but are marked with the tyres position so you can store them that way (search on ebay or amazon...)

ok.. Fellow scotsman being devils advocate about money.. (I'm basing this on my experience running winters on a 330d E46 BMW..) Second hand alloys from Ebay £150 Four 17" 225/45-17 Winter tyres £450 (If I'd bought them without my discount...) So £600 invested. Tyres rotated front to rear each year. Did 4 seasons and virtually 30K so £150 a winter 18" Summers would have been £125 each for fronts £200 for rears. So the fact that over that 30K i ran the winters I didn't wear any summer tyres out, there's £650 saved Plus the reduced likelyhood of an accident (no costs of insurance excess) and the fact the car was never immobile in heavy snow, (what value is that?) Plus two separate occasions on taking the summers off I noticed a nail that I could then repair, possibly saving a dead tyre.. So yes, I don't deny that it's a cost. But while it might be a cost up front, then it pays back if you have the car a year or two. I would always say that the winter alloys don't need to look mint, as they are only going ot get covered in salt and grit anyway.. 205/55-16 Winters vs. 225/45-17 Winters, a quick cost comparison.. £90 vs. £120.. so almost enough to buy a set of wheels with the saving. Yes, its an expense. If you are selling the car in the next year.. don't do it.. but there are ways to do it.. Ebay is a great place to look, as you may find someone who's had a set and doesn't have the car is now selling them on..

Doug It's really two different mechanisms in place. Aquaplaning is purely down to the tyre not having sufficient tread depth to cope with the water depth. Which basically lifts the tyre off the road and it floats along on the film of water. So it can affect the front or rear equally. Yes, with lower front tread depths as the front tyres always hit the water first, you'll experience aquaplaning first on that axle. However, you don't tend to get much aquaplaning until your tyres are close to 1.6-2mm. E.g. virtually dead. However, our data shows that when accidents happen in the wet, the majority are on roads with very little water depth, ~0.5-1mm. Hence the main mechanism happening on wet road accidents isn't aquaplaning, its pure lack of grip. So with new tyres to the rear, all you are doing is giving the rear axle more grip potential. So the car will more likely understeer. Which is always a more benign balance. Oversteer is harded to correct and less progressive, plus cars are designed primarily to be either neutral or slightly understeery, as its the most easy balance to correct. Having tested new fronts or new rears for years, I'd always fit new tyres to the rear. Garages don't tend to do it, as most modern cars are FWD, hence wear front tyres out quicker, and swapping tyres and wheels around in the workshop just takes time... As the tyre isn't in contact with the road, it just lifts.. that's why aquaplaning it scary.

what kind of size??

Absolutely not.. It will massively unbalance the car. We have done testing with it, and the cars are very difficult to handle as you would end up with traction and no steering.. Imagine going outside with a wellie on one foot and a trainer on the other.. Think about a second hand set of winter wheels. As the difference in tyre prices 17" to 16" could be enough to pay for the wheels. Plus you end up with a set of wheels that will mean you don't wear your summer tyres out over the winter!

Hi It depends where you are, but the 220d could run the 225/45-17 or 205/55-16 (obviously on other wheels...) If you aren't in russia or scandanavia, go with Michelin Alpin Range, (the tyres for the other countries are X-Ice North)

I owned a 330d E46 a few years back and ran 17" winter tyres on it every year. As a rear wheel drive it was rubbish in the snow, especially with wider rear tyres. No, I wouldn't use chains or socks, as they really are only a "get out of trouble" option. Winter tyres are better significantly over summer tyres on a cold wet road, as the compounds and pattern are more efficicient. At around 5-7 celcius (and below, e.g. October to March/april), braking from 50km/h (~30mph) you gain a car length in braking on winter tyres. If you end up being unlucky enough to come across an ambulance in the UK, most of them will be wearing our winter tyres. There are loads of options for the 220d, but as I said in the post above, you can go same size or smaller wheels and a second set..

Hi Allister Winter tyres were a bit of a mystery to me prior to living in France, but really after the first time I used them in the winter, I've been a convert, as have been most of my family and friends. Once you have them in the cold and wet and snow, they are a huge benefit. To some extent give me a 2wd on winter tyres on a cold day over a 4wd on summer tyres. The main benefits are the compounds are designed for lower temperature ranges. They aren't like an "on/off" switch, but they will remain supple from -20 all the way up through to summer temps, where a summer tyre compound will start to stiffen as it cools. Meaning the winter tyre will give you more grip as it will key into the surface and give the macroscopic bonds the ability to form with the road surface. The tread patterns are also different to claw into snow and ice. Our tyres have compounds for a "european" winter (we sell others for a harsher "nordic/siberian" winter), meaning that the whole range of winter conditions will be covered. If you are keeping your RX for a while, you have a few options. go summer/winter with the same size, or what I would do is buy a second set of wheels in a smaller size (what's your options..) as the tyres will be cheaper, and this also keeps your summer wheels free from the salt and grit off the roads. Plus you save yourself £200 a year swapping tyres over. If you have the car over 2-3 years, you won't spend anymore money on tyres/wheels but running a second set (which is the common way of doing it on the continent) if you want anymore help with sizes or a specific recommendation let me know.. oh.. ps.. don't wait til it snows as the small supply of winter tyres will have disappeared by that point if you are going to do it , plan now..