So, just had these mounted in 205/55/16. Racked up some miles so here's some first impressions:
1. Buttery smooth and quiet: seriously they are so quiet I hear drivetrain noises i never heard before. They have a luxurious ride and they really make the car feel a class above just because of the comfort and low noise level.
2. They didn't make a mess of the cars steering: unlike other ice radials I've tried, these dont feel like they're made of jello. On-center feel is tight, stability at speed is very good for winter tires. They pretty much feel like all-seasons.
3. Rolling resistance: one of michelins big selling points is rolling resistance, and the coasting difference between these and all the other tires I've had on my car is quite significant. I don't use the brakes alot on my car (keep large distance and coast up to stops and lights) and I'm still having to re-adjust as the car coasts significantly longer with the Michelins than with my summer tires.
4. Handling: The tires feel tight, nimble and responsive like an all-season, up to a certain point. When you start pushing hard though, it starts to feel pretty vague. I'm assuming at a certain point, when pushed hard, the interlocking sipes stop holding together and that's probably when they start feeling a little less precise and tight.
Overall I'm very satisfied. I bought them because of their reputation for being comfortable, quiet and all-season-like, I'm not expecting these to be terrific on snow and slush, but so far, on dry/wet pavement they are enjoyable that I'm willing to put up with a little less grip on those snowy days.
1. Buttery smooth and quiet: seriously they are so quiet I hear drivetrain noises i never heard before. They have a luxurious ride and they really make the car feel a class above just because of the comfort and low noise level.
2. They didn't make a mess of the cars steering: unlike other ice radials I've tried, these dont feel like they're made of jello. On-center feel is tight, stability at speed is very good for winter tires. They pretty much feel like all-seasons.
3. Rolling resistance: one of michelins big selling points is rolling resistance, and the coasting difference between these and all the other tires I've had on my car is quite significant. I don't use the brakes alot on my car (keep large distance and coast up to stops and lights) and I'm still having to re-adjust as the car coasts significantly longer with the Michelins than with my summer tires.
4. Handling: The tires feel tight, nimble and responsive like an all-season, up to a certain point. When you start pushing hard though, it starts to feel pretty vague. I'm assuming at a certain point, when pushed hard, the interlocking sipes stop holding together and that's probably when they start feeling a little less precise and tight.
Overall I'm very satisfied. I bought them because of their reputation for being comfortable, quiet and all-season-like, I'm not expecting these to be terrific on snow and slush, but so far, on dry/wet pavement they are enjoyable that I'm willing to put up with a little less grip on those snowy days.
