Michelin Energy MXV4 tires or Pilot Exalto?

SilverLexus

SilverLexus

Super Enthusiast
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. :)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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. :)
 
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.
 
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.
 
I've had MXV4 as OEM tires on my Elantra and although they lasted awhile, they weren't the best handling tires in the rain. Part of the reason why I chose to go with something else was because my car seem to hydroplane often on the MXV4, which is a scary feeling when you're on crowded SoCal freeways where no one ever seems to know how to drive in the rain.



Like Setec Astronomy said, Michelin tires are overpriced and you can generally find better or comparable tires at a much more reasonable price. I'm currently having pretty good luck with my current set of Falken Ziex512.



I have the Consumer Reports they did on tires not long ago, so IF I can find that, I can post their results. I'm not sure if the wife threw away the issue or not.
 
I did the Pilots and after a few miles they are still breaking in but they are A+ in the performance category. The ride is not bad as well.
 
I don't know much about the Pilots, but I would never get the MXV4s again. They are way overpriced and really don't excel at anything. I blew one getting off the highway a couple of years back and got two Kumho KH11s for the price of one of the MXV4s. I've been happy with the Kumhos and don't mind that they are not all-season since I switch to Kumho winter tires.
 
Please keep us posted on the Exalto's :) I need some new tires soon and if you like them I think I am going to pick some up as well. This will be the first winter I am not going to put my car away in storage so I want to have some nice tires on the car. Thanks for the help!
 
These tires are terrific so far...I believe they broke in a bit on the trip to Grandmas yesterday. The handling of the car is noticeably better. I'm actually looking forward to some wet driving. Very good performance for $134.99 a tire.
 
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