Bridgestone EP422 tires swapped for Michelin Primacy MXV4s.

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Which Michelins did you go with? Please let us know what you find out - grip vs energy efficiency, quietness, etc.
 
I went with the Michelin Primacy MXV4 and will let you know what differences I note... After much consideration, I decided on these over the somewhat newer (and more expensive) MXM4 for the Leaf... I'm going to have them installed this weekend so I'll report back shortly thereafter...
DeaneG said:
Which Michelins did you go with? Please let us know what you find out - grip vs energy efficiency, quietness, etc.
 
DeaneG said:
Which Michelins did you go with? Please let us know what you find out - grip vs energy efficiency, quietness, etc.

Michelin Primacy MXV4 from Costco in the 91H version. I now have enough mileage on them and in both wet and dry conditions to make some observations:

Pluses:
Quieter. About 3db under like conditions compared to the EP422s.
Better wet and dry braking, dramatically so in fact.
Better steering turn-in and on-center feel.
Increased adhesion and much better handling, particularly near the limit.
Appear to be more robust construction and with a higher weight rating than the EP422s.

Cons:
Cost.
Tends to follow rain sipping on freeways somewhat more (tramlining).
Slightly heavier.

Overall assessment:
They dramatically transform the driving character and fun quotient of the vehicle and are money well spent. I also feel more confident that these tires will not strand me. Admittedly, I am more sensitive to tires than some so others enthusiasm for the difference may vary... I am very happy with the upgrade.

I have not been able to detect any significant difference in efficiency due to the swap. My Miles/Khw is about 2-3 percent lower for the trips I regularly take - I typically average 4.4 long-term - compared to what it was before the change. I expect this to improve as the tires wear in since new tires are always less efficient. Interestingly, my efficiency actually seemed to go up slightly in the rain... Perhaps they channel water away better than the EP422s... They certainly handle and brake well in the wet.
 
2-3% is insignificant IMHO as far as range goes. do you have the SOC meter? if so, that info alone will increase your range 10% simply from being informed!

keep us posted!
 
Funny you should ask that. I just finished building mine yesterday! I picked the kit up from Gary earlier this week.

DaveinOlyWA said:
2-3% is insignificant IMHO as far as range goes. do you have the SOC meter? if so, that info alone will increase your range 10% simply from being informed!
 
TomT said:
Funny you should ask that. I just finished building mine yesterday! I picked the kit up from Gary earlier this week.

DaveinOlyWA said:
2-3% is insignificant IMHO as far as range goes. do you have the SOC meter? if so, that info alone will increase your range 10% simply from being informed!


it is all psychological of course, but i would have never made 100 miles in winter without it. its simply too unnerving to drive nearly 10 miles after the display goes to "_ _ _" but with the "real" SOC displayed i knew i could actually drive more than a few blocks away from home without having to worry about getting a tow!

earlier i went 93.7 miles on a much better day statistically only to give up because i did not know i could drive as far as i could have. i would have been easily in the 105 mile range but once again, did not want to get too far away from home. i live situated between two lakes on a street with 13 houses so there is no "neighborhood" for me to circle. the closest place that i could even consider this is a few miles away and it only provides a circuit barely a mile long so it gets old quick

trust me, the SOC is like getting a 10% boost in your range. it gave me at least that much confidence!
 
Tom,
do you still feel the tires had little impact on your efficiency? I need to reply my stock tires now and I'm curious about your experience.

Thanks, Bill
 
Nope, I detected no real difference. And the latest CR test rates them both as having excellent rolling resistance. The MXV4 finished first in their tests and the Ecopia 422 last.

Electric4Me said:
Tom,
do you still feel the tires had little impact on your efficiency? I need to reply my stock tires now and I'm curious about your experience.
Thanks, Bill
 
I feel like I took a small hit with them, but I also last a bar around the same time so it's hard to say.
 
GeekEV said:
I feel like I took a small hit with them, but I also last a bar around the same time so it's hard to say.
If you're comparing the new tires to your old ones, they are very likely to be slightly worse. But they should improve after a thousand miles or so as they break in.
 
New tires - even of the same make and model - will always have higher rolling resistance than older ones. As the tires age, the tread depth decreases and the rubber hardens slightly, both of which decrease rolling resistance.

GeekEV said:
I feel like I took a small hit with them, but I also last a bar around the same time so it's hard to say.
 
I did this swap, too.
and the first day's m/kWh went down from about 4.5+ to 4.1- for my commute of 50 miles.

is this logical, that m/kwh would drop so much?
is there such a thing as, the tire will wear in and increase its rolling speed?

by the way, the ecotopia's went bad with one hit by a nail and a bad patch job, and another with a gouge and a bulge from road hazards. i had 17.5k on them.

cost was about $175 per tire with tax, install, full road hazard and replacement, and lifetime rotate and balance. discount tire.

finally, the car has a slight shimmy now at 60mp and up speeds.
i first thought it was the gripping tread, now i am thinking there is a balance issue. what do you all think about that?
 
thankyouOB said:
in answer to a question (pm), there is not steering wheel jiggle or vibration.
I'd take it back to the shop and have the balance checked again. No steering wheel vibration might mean the problem is on one of the rears. Or just that it's too faint to feel through the wheel.
 
TomT said:
Nope, I detected no real difference. And the latest CR test rates them both as having excellent rolling resistance. The MXV4 finished first in their tests and the Ecopia 422 last.

Electric4Me said:
Tom,
do you still feel the tires had little impact on your efficiency? I need to reply my stock tires now and I'm curious about your experience.
Thanks, Bill

Tom, what tire pressure are you running?
 
a PM mentioned the possibility of tramlining--tires are so precise that they track road grooves.
a consumers reports buyer in AL said this:
I had the local retail store re-balance them (and they needed it) but, (even when warm) these tires still have an annoying vibration / shake betweem 60 -65 (they smooth out some on the interstate at speeds of ~ 70

makes me wonder if the tires are not a good choice as 60-65 is my driving/range freeway sweetspot.
 
I wonder if the tires are slightly out of round? I had a set of GoodYear FuelMax tires on our Prius where 2 of them were enough out of round that they were replaced. Might try rotating them and see if it's any different.

I had the MXV4s on my previous car, and they were really smooth at all speeds.
 
I do most of my driving on freeways at that same speed range and have not had a problem. They do tramline some but so did the Ecopias and I believe it to be more a result of the Leaf suspension design and alignment settings. The improvement in braking, handling, tire wear, and tire robustness was well worth the swap to me. My efficiency feel by only about 3 percent so that was not a big consideration either.

thankyouOB said:
makes me wonder if the tires are not a good choice as 60-65 is my driving/range freeway sweetspot.
 
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