Has anybody had any experience of Michelin XH1 tyres?
I'm in need of four new tyres for my car (185 65 14H) and my local tyre centre has these on offer at the moment at £65 each all inc. (I think I may be able to push him down to £60)
This is approximately the same price as other brands such as Pirelli etc.
Am I right in saying that Michelins are better than any other tyre or is that just a common perception?
By the way, I mainly use my car for town journeys and the odd motorway jaunt and good wear rate is a priority.
Your views would be greatly appreciated as I don't want to waste £250!!
Thanks,
Jason
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Jason,
A well timed post of yours here. I was going to pop one on later because I've had the bad luck to ruin both front tyres on road debris over the New Year period. In each case the sidewall has been damaged.
What is so annoying is that last year I tracked down these two Michelin Classic HRs after months of looking so I could have a matching set of four, they were a discontinued pattern.
With the low mileage I cover in this car these tyres would have lasted four years, and replacement with two similar tyre seemed to be a £150 wallet cruncher.
My tyre size is 185/65x14 as well.
Been to the local independent I use and he wanted £76 each for Michelin, £60ish for Goodyear/Pirelli and the best deal was Continental EcoContacts at £51. All prices inclusive.
I'd read good things of the Continentals but looking at them the tread wasn't the very flat profile of the Michelins I want to match on the rear. What I did find was a pair of Michelins with defective sidewall lettering, "DAs", that I'm having on Monday. I guess they will come out at around £45 each inc. They match the rears well and are at least Michelins, that should keep the Xantia happy.
Having said all of that look at the brilliant TyresOn-Line website. Your Michelins are on this link www.tyres-online.co.uk/tyretest/michelin.asp
What is interesting to me is the couple of comments about the ride quality being only satisfactory or even poor for the XH1. Thing is I have a Xantia here today for service and routine front suspension sphere replacement. Even after the new spheres the ride is very lumpy on poor surfaces. Looking at the car I can see the guy has two new Michelins on the front, XT2s. I wonder if these latest Michelins are getting a little harder on ride refinement?
David
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Costco does Michelins pretty cheap.
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Michelin Energy XH1 (195/60 HR 15)were fitted to my Vauxhall Astra from new and I am very disappointed with them. They are the noisiest tyres I have EVER had, bar none. The front tyres have only lasted 21,000 mile whereas I normally get 27,000 out of fronts. This is particularly frustrating as I am driving more sedately as I get older. Michelin long life is a myth as far as I am concerned. I am about to fit a pair of Goodyear NCT5 which are quieter and longer-lasting according to Which? magazine and are only 2/3 of the cost of Michelins.
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Not strictly comparing like with like, but the Classics on our 205 D-turbo (both the original set and the replacements) are doing 50k (with rotation every 15k or so). Problem is the sidewalls are beginning to crack with old age!
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The Michelins on the back of my old Citroen AX (now in my mother's hands) lasted 70,000 miles. I eventually told her to replace them because the sidewalls were cracking. The tyres still had about 3mm tread. Is this a record?
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Got something very similar from the rear OE Michelins on our 91 BX estate. Still had plenty of tread but they began to bulge, presumably as the steel bracings failed. Fronts made 25/30k
OE kit on the current Xantia Forte estate look like making 25k on the fronts, little evidence of significant wear at the rear.
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Don't know where you are, Jason, but, whatever you decide to purchase, if you're within striking distance of Micheldever Tyres you ought to check out their prices (www.micheldever.co.uk). I travel 100+ miles (OK, I usually combine it with a business trip) for their prices (last time they beat local Kwik Fit by £40 a tyre), equipment (including state-of-the-art wheel alignment bays) and expertise. They're one of HJ's old favourites, and my experience of them has validated his recommendation.
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Yep Roger, you beat me to it - I think the prices quoted are a bit OTT and I was going to mention Micheldever...
Dave
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I have changed from 195x65x15V Pirelli P6000, to Michelin XV1 DA's (£53ea, from Micheldever), mainly due to wear rate on the Pirelli's (10-14k for fronts, 29krear).
The Michelins do not have the same level of (excellent) wet grip as the P6000, but are quite acceptable, and do not seem to be wearing so fast, after 6k on fronts. I get some wheelspin if I 'hasten' out of a side turning, which was less apparent on the Pirelli's. I am glad to say, touch wood, I have not had to test either to their cornering or stopping limits!
No noticeable difference in noise level, OR fuel consumption. Latter is a bit disappointing, as they are s'posed to be 'low rolling resistance'/'energy' tyres.
Incidentally, I checked with Michelin, who assured me, in writing that DA's were only 'cosmetiically' defective, and were otherwise as good as normal XV!'s
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I don't have any experience with Michelin XH1 but I remember the Michelin X tyre of the 1960s or 70s. They had very little grip, especially in the wet, but lasted forever -- because the car spent more time on its roof than on its wheels!
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I managed 46000 out of my Michelin Energy front set and the rears are at 3mm at 54000 this week. The car is an Avensis doing mostly ( steady ) motorway miles. I used to get 25000 when I had a company car !!!
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I was pretty impressed with the AA recently for three Dunlop SPs; very competitive pricing and they come to you whwen you want. Just for a laugh I called the local Kwik Fit who quoted @£20 per tyre more. When pressed, said they'd match any written quote, however as they AA's was over the 'phone this was a problem for them, so the AA got the business.
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In answer to original enquiry - yes, they are the best, at least for 'middle of the road' family stuff - if you ned out-and-out stickiness, try Toyo or Yokohama but for normal motoring Michelin are in a class of their own.
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I changed from the standard Michelin mxt to goodyear eagle venturas. The wet handling of the car is dramatically better, the dry handling is significantly better also. I usedd to have a dodgy corner on the way to work that i could get the back out on if i wasn't careful, now i have 4 venturas i it's bloody hard to make it start to slide without being dangerous. 185/65 R14, usually get two for a hundred quid
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The facts of life are, as always, that you can't have everything for nothing.
NO tyres will give extra-high mileage AND superb wet & dry adhesion, be whisper-quiet, low rolling resistance, AND cost £20 each.
They are all a compromise, with the 'premium' brands usually offering a good mix of grip v longevity, at a 'premium ' price. You are usually safe buying Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Vredestein, or Goodyear, (+ probably quite a few others, I haven't tried!), for 'normal' use in 'normal' cars.
Specialised use requires specialised rubber, at a price.
No tyre, or make, is 'THE BEST' - just some offer more of what you or I want, at a price we are prepared to pay.
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