Current Suggestions For New Tires 1995 Q45 Southern US

[brx1]

I have a 1995 Q45. I last replaced the tires in Oct. 2004, and prior to that - when I bought the car used in late 1998. I live in New Orleans, but getting ready to move to Los Angeles.
In the last six years, I have probably only driven about 10,000 miles since I got the Yokohama AVS dB assymetric radials. From the email conf 6 yrs ago:
4 P215/65VR-15 Yokohama AVS dB S2 $74.00 $296.00 (plus shipping and installation/balancing ?120 more.)

The tires have been fine, as were the Michelin or Pirelli's before (arond $100 each in 1998) and they still have some tread left, but after 6 yrs, maybe it's time. I could get new tires before getting to LA, or once I get there. I think the taxes and fees are higher in LA than NOLA. My 2.5 miles R/T commute now will increase to 20-30 miles R/T out west.

Beyond tire rack .com, we have Sears and Tire Kingdom here. Out west, many other additional choices.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[masoQist]

I have Goodrich G-Force Sport tires on several cars and am happy with them. The 225-60/15 has a 96 load index, is V speed rated and is about $110. Not too many good choices for 15" anymore.

[lino]

The best all season tire for the Q in 15" as has been discussed in hundreds of previous posts is the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S (225/60 R15 96V). Some members have seen 50,000+ miles with these tires. Tire rack has them on sale for $120 each since there's a rebate on right now.

Tire Rack also has the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S in 215 65 R15 96H on sale for $68.50 each after the rebate!

Here is an account of qship96's experience with the Michelin Exalto A/S:

I have 10,600 miles on 225/60/15 V rated Exaltos so far,and they are wearing very evenly without any dismounts/flipping-just front to back rotation. Have used xgt in both V and H ratings for the last 100,000+ miles,and the Exaltos are better in every aspect.

I have the Exalto in 225/60 V 15 for about 21,000 miles now- fantastic tire for the factory 15" wheel- much better than the old xgt v or h.

get the exaltos in 225/60/15 as they are V rated,while the 215/65/15 exalto is H rated-I have been using these for 23k miles so far-wearing very well,expect to last 45-50k by the looks of them-was a xgt v & h customer for over 100k on the q- the exalto is better than the xgt all around.

go with the michelin pilot exalto in 225/60/15 which is V rated,an excellent tire,I have 25k on them,and they are better than the xgt I have used in both h and v rated versions for over 150,000 miles on my Q

Exalto 225/60 V 15 if you want to keep wheels and have a v rated strong tire that will hold up to the q`s demands

I agree,as I historically have gotten 36-38k out of numerous sets of michelin xgt pilots in h and v series{now have pilot exalto in 225/60/15 V,and with 29k so far,there seems to be much life left

might as well move up to the pilot exalto in 225/60/15 V rated with a 50,000 mile wear warranty

ok,curiousity got me today as I was in the store buying new wiper blades,I picked up a tire treaddepth gauge-$ 2 and some change

results were 6/32 tread left at 31,000 miles use to date-wearing extremely similar across the tread of all 4 tires

new,the exaltos had 10/32 tread depth{8 usable-now 4 usable left} so 50% worn at 31,000-extrapolated life...........62,000 miles--much better than the 3 sets of pilot xgt used previously which lasted 36-39k.

Thought I would provide an update on the Exalto tire wear thread I started back in july....as of today, 5/32 tread depth at 44,000 miles and just over 2 years of use., Wearing evenly across each tire, projected 66,000 mile life if you want to run down to the legal limit bars{2/32}

I will probobly replace sooner,as Tirerack has this size{225/60/15V} currently on sale for only $85, regularly $123.00 from them.

Qship:

Just looked at TR's web site, and still @ $123 per. Called them and, still, $123 per. Do you recall rep's name?

Thanks!

DAMN-looks like we missed the special-They had price listed at $85 "special" on their website as late as yesterday for this size...I never called....should have,and ordered them at the same time...

Good news, and a thumbs up for our Nico site advertiser TIRE RACK.

I called them 12/29/07 to order another set of the Exalto 225/60/15V tires,and they said sale was over....but to send a e-mail describing that I saw the sale price { $ 85.00} late on 12/28/07 on their site,well low and behold,they agreed to give me the sale price!

Wow,all 4 tires delivered for only $377.00 ...I looked at my receipt from last time I bought them locally,and I paid $651 including tax and install!{27 months ago} They will sit in the garage till current tires wear to 4/32

PS-tires were delivered on my doorstep 23 hours after placing the order by phone!!!!!!!!!!!
Modified by qship96 at 3:20 PM 1/8/2008

Final update on the life of the Exaltos!

Woke up this morning to my first flat tire ever on the Q. Put the spare tire on and because I am down to 4/32 tread on the Exaltos with 54,873 miles on them {3 years old this month} decided to get the 4 new ones out of the garage and tossed them into the Q and headed to the Tirerack recommended installer......got all 4 mounted/balanced for $66.00

Guess I will schedule a 4 wheel alignment check/adjust with my front end guy,even though old tires wore extremely evenly{last alignment done 54,873 miles ago}

Odd feeling thinking I have just put my FINAL set of new tires on my Q.

P.S. Check your air pressure in your spare tire, my never used one was down to 34psi {suppose to be 60psi}

As of today I have 30,500 miles on the set of Exaltos that replaced the set that I posted about in the above quote.......measured tread depth and I have 6.5/32 tread left on all 4 tires, shockingly close to the previous set mentioned above at about the same miles of use- they are consistant, even as the car is aging at 248K total miles- did ok too this winter with our 79 inches of snow for the season, never got stuck !!!

I also recommend the Exalto,best tire I have ever used on the q in 200,000 miles of various michelins-currently have 35k on them,wearing well in the 225/60/V rated 15 size

Yes, definitely Exaltos on the 15" wheels. I went with 225/60 x 15, in the V-rated. The main problem for other tires is load rating - should be 95 or higher.

Lots more choices in 17".

225/60/15v or 215/65/15H are available in the Exalto=both are extremely close in size,with the first being the better choice due to v speed rating and higher load rating

Michelin Pilot Exalto 225/60/15V perfect tire for the 15" Q45 factory rimsExcellent handling, long wearing, strong, V rated proven tire that has lasted over 50K so far on my Q and still has life left to go

The Exaltos are soo good, I bought another set back in January when Tirerack had the 225/60/15/v on sale for $85 each, even though I didnt need them at the time! They sit in the garage patiently waiting to come out and play.

I would go with a 225/60/15 PilotExalto....nothing like getting over 50,000 miles of smooth riding, good handling performance for such a small investment. The big wheel look is so played out, yet the punishment to ride quality and increased risk of damage to wheels/tires/suspension
lives on.

I ran the 235/60/15 pilot H load index 98 tires before switching to the 225/60/15V Exaltos{now on my 2nd set}, you will love the Exaltos- I find them better all around than the 235/60/15h pilot xgt.....last longer too-got 55k with 4/32 tread left on last set of Exaltos{3 years of use}

[brx1]

Thanx. I added "current" to the post as tire names change with time.

My tires are: P215/65VR-15, not 225. What is the difference from 215 to 225 and will they ok on my factory wheels? Thx

[qship96]

I will provide a update on my 225/60/15V Exaltos.....as of today, I have 44,000 miles on this 2nd set,been on the car for 25 months, and wearing great- tons of tread left, wearing evenly, and got me through Balt/Wash record 80+ inches of snow last winter without ever getting stuck......yeah I am a believer....already eyeing up sale prices to purchase and store a set in the garage for when current set wears out {I expect to get 55K out of these, just like the last set which were at 4/32 by then}

[brx1]

Thx,
215 -> 225
65 -> 60
Do these changes matter at all, and are they ok on original wheels?

[lino]

215 65 R15 is the original size that came on the Q. The original tires were a V rated tire. Today, the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S in 215 65 R15 come in a 96H. In order to get the V rated tire, you need to buy the (225/60 R15 96V).

The 225/60 R15 fit perfectly on your original wheels.

[masoQist]

Compared to the stock 215/65, 225/60 will be slightly smaller in diameter (0.4") and have a slightly wider sidewall. All other things being equal, the tread should be wider, but in reality there is significant variation between different manufacturers and models of tires. I also live in SoCal. I tend to use only "extreme performance summer" type tires, year round. My tires usually wear out from old age or ozone damage before I wear the tread out.

[brx1]

What are "extreme performance summer" type tires?

While at the dealership Saturday, they said they would get me "special dealer prices" for tires. That was after I mentioned tire rack and discount tire. They are still working on the final price for the 4 tires, balancing, ?disposal fees, and (they mentioned an alignment too):
Michelin H rated 114/tire >> 685 ttl p & l plus tax Which exact tire???
Yokohama V rated 121/tire >> ??? price Which exact tire????
No mention of the Michelin V rated in the slightly different size.

They did mention the likely need for a new alignment if I had the upper links and passenger side tension rod replaced. But replacing those is about $1000-even before the cost of an alignment. On the tension rod, some fluid was leaking from what they called a bushing. Why not just replace that part. It alone does not seem to be a $300 job. I could not see any damage to the upper links from below (car was raised up on the service bay). The cost of the "cure" seems worse than the disease. There was asymmetric wear on the old tires. However, to be honest, even on balding tires, wear was not greatly asymmetric.

I had an alignment done by the dealer in 1998, when I got the car and had 4 new H tires (put on by the prior person who ??leased the car) removed for 4 new V tires. The car sounded "wrong" with the H tires. It sounded "normal" with the V tires. So I really do not want H tires after that experience. The alignment alone cost $400 IN 1998--yikes!! I was also told back then, that due to the "complexities" of the Q45, it had best be done by a dealer as special tools and such were needed.

Rods, links, alignments and tires is looking like almost $2000. That is a lot more than I expected. I may just do the tires for now, and if I note asymmetric wear being a problem later on, may do the rest.

[OwnerCS]

I think Tire Rack has a fairly large warehouse and outlet in Shreveport LA. Are you passing through there on your way to Cali?

When I order tires from them, I usually get next day or 2 day at the most delivery from the Shreveport LA warehouse.

[brx1]

THX

Not sure yet about route. May even put the car in the truck. Will have to be in LA around 11/1. Due to other things going on, I might rent a car out there for a bit. BTW I was at UAMS for 4 yrs. I was back for the 1st time in yrs in June on my way to the klipsch factory (audio speakers) in Hope. The growth at UAMS was amazing (and apparently not paid for either). WHOO PIG, SOOEY (From a Michigan fan).

Interestingly, the mechanic and service mgr guy both told me NOT to put the 225/60 16 Vs on the car, but to stick to orig size-215 65 15s.

[masoQist]

What are "extreme performance summer" type tires?

I think it's a category invented by tirerack. Look here http://www.tirerack.com/tires/types/tiretype.jsp

[OwnerCS]

THX

Not sure yet about route. May even put the car in the truck. Will have to be in LA around 11/1. Due to other things going on, I might rent a car out there for a bit. BTW I was at UAMS for 4 yrs. I was back for the 1st time in yrs in June on my way to the klipsch factory (audio speakers) in Hope. The growth at UAMS was amazing (and apparently not paid for either). WHOO PIG, SOOEY (From a Michigan fan).

Interestingly, the mechanic and service mgr guy both told me NOT to put the 225/60 16 Vs on the car, but to stick to orig size-215 65 15s.

Mine came with 225/60 15 Vs from the previous owner.

That whole UAMS medical corridor has really grown over the past few years. I figured it was from finding a purpose for some of the state budget surplus money or an endowment from the Stephens family -- or both.

I have a pair of the Klipsh Heresy speakers that I bought as soon as I finished school and started working as a programmer. From the prices I've seen, I think the speakers are worth more now than when I purchased them 30 years ago. Actually, I was able to meet and visit with Paul Klipsch at a few of his audio history lectures that he would host at the local dealer in the early 1980s.

[3Q Jay]

sure, you can't go wrong with the exhaltos. give the kumho asx (ku21) a look also. they are v rated in the 225/60/15. i think you typo'd above--you can not put a different rim diameter tire on, but you can change the aspect ratio by putting on 225/60 in place of the 215/65 balloons. kumho asx are asymmetric tread pattern (i'm very prejudiced against directional tires due to road noise with age). i rot out before i wear out tires: still the kumhos have 8/32 remaining after 11,000 miles. by all means drive your g50 x-c. i drove all 3 q's from ca to fl last year, was a blast. changing tension rods and third links is an incredibly easy job. should take no more than 5 minutes per item (and that's being generous) once on rack and wheels removed.