Michelin Energy MXV4 tires or Pilot Exalto?

SilverLexus · 11-21-06, 04:57

I am looking for a nice luxury ride but what are the members feelings on these two tires?

The MXV4 tires are quite expensive ($165 per) but I'm worried the Pilots ($130) may be too stiff...any advice?

Thanks.

Setec Astronomy · 11-21-06, 05:16

The stiffness really has to do with the speed rating. I'm presuming that the Energy is an S or T while the Pilot is an H or a V. If you are looking for a "luxury" ride the choice is simple, the MXV4. The Pilot is the more performance oriented of the two. IMO Michelin tires are generaly overpriced and there are better choices, although they typically have excellent treadwear. I hate the Pilots that came on my RSX; they are terrible in the rain.

White95Max · 11-21-06, 05:18

The MXV4 is one of the worst tires I've ever driven on. It's OEM on most Hyundais, which explains the high replacement cost. I drove a 5spd Tiburon with those tires, and they had terrible grip. A 15mph turn would result in tire squeal, and that's without much throttle input. They ride soft and hold dressing very well. Those are the only two good attributes I can think of.

I would go with the Pilots...no comparison. But keep in mind - I prefer a more "connected" feel to my tires. If you drive slow around curves/corners and don't care much about overall grip, the Michelins would suit you fine.

SilverLexus · 11-21-06, 07:27

The MXV4 is a V rated tire in the specific model I am looking at.

MCA · 11-21-06, 07:40

My parents got "upsold" and purchased the Energy MXV4's for their Mazda 626. The tires provided a very comfortable, plush ride but were definitely lacking in grip and handling - this was just fine with them since they don't have "spirited" driving tendencies. The one thing that was terribly disappointing was tread life...replaced after ~30K miles due to poor wet traction.

On a side note, Paul is right about tire dressing. I find Michelins look great in any dressings (I had Pilot MXM4 as OEM on my Mazda 6). Hope this helps.

velobard · 11-21-06, 07:55

Have you reviewed your options at someplace like tirerack.com? Just enter the size, what kind of tire you're looking for, and check out your choices. One tire I've heard good things about for a nice, quiet ride with good performance is the Cooper Lifeliner Touring SLE. It might be worth a look.

SilverLexus · 11-21-06, 08:04

Good idea. I will look at tirerack.com

SilverLexus · 11-21-06, 09:32

My research is putting the Pilots in the lead so far.

SilverLexus · 11-22-06, 07:17

Looks like I'm going with the Exaltos. I'll sacrifice a bit of ride but pick up some wet traction I hope. I'll post a review of driving impressions.

Thanks for the help everyone.

twopu · 11-22-06, 09:09

I'm going with the Exaltos next month because the number of positive reviews can't be wrong. Also, I believe Consumer Reports rated it as a top tire. I really didn't care for the MXV4. Everything about the tire was avg. to poor. Let us know how you like them.

SilverLexus · 11-22-06, 01:05

twopu,

That's helpful info as I was too cheap to pay the web fee to read the Consumer Reports survey on the web.

Yal · 11-22-06, 01:54

Exaltos all the way. The MXV4's are over rated and the extra expense is because they are OEM tires for some makes. OEM tires are very rarely good. I had them on my Benz and they were terrible especially in the wet.