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2017 - Will Michelin's make a difference?

('14-'18) 
25K views 57 replies 39 participants last post by  les1 
#1 ·
I have a 2017 Forester with the Yokohama Geolander tires - almost all reviews I have read say they are crap. I like the how smooth my new Forester operates but the handling seems a bit squirrely - I am a huge Michelin tire fan and have always found that when I replace factory tires with Michelin's they make a vast improvement in ride and handling over factory tires...anyone replaced the Yokohama's on this current generation of Forester (2014-2017) with Michelin's or other premium tires and found a difference in ride and particularly handling? I am thinking about biting the bullet and putting a set of Michelin Premier A/S tires on my new Forester soon...
 
#2 · (Edited)
Quieter

Just put a set on yesterday. With less than fifty miles on them the only thing I can definitely report is that they are quieter than the Yokohamas at highway speed.

Though the car did feel a bit more planted on a few miles of side roads that may be placebo effect. Unless we get caught in a downpour, I won't put them to any real test until after 200 miles of use when the mold release has worn off.
 
#3 ·
I love Michelin tyres both XM1 & XM2 versions and also the Michelin Latitude Tour HP. I had both the XM1 & XM2's on my old 2003 XS Forester and they handled both wet & dry conditions really good as well as corners and roundabouts.

I put a set of Michelin Latitude Tour HP's on my 2013 CRV and it too handled a lot better and was quieter on the road.

I must add that with all the above tyres I had never been off road with them, strictly bitumen use only.
 
#4 ·
They should help some, sure. Also, think about adding a WRX/STI rear sway bar in place of your stock bar. This goes even further towards shoring up that squirrel feeling. It's not expensive to purchase, and even the greenest shadetree mechanic can swap it out in a half hour.
 
#6 · (Edited)
... 2017 Forester with the Yokohama Geolander tires... have always found that when I replace factory tires with Michelin's they make a vast improvement... anyone replaced the Yokohama's on this current generation of Forester (2014-2017) with Michelin's or other premium tires and found a difference in ride and particularly handling?...
Geolandars came on my 2008, and were extremely noisy. They rumbled on coarse pavement, and sang and whined on smooth pavement, and made touring unpleasant. At 3,500 miles I replaced them with Michelin MXV4 tires, which are silent running. And at 48,000 miles, the Michelins have almost no tread wear.

In 2008 I recall the Geolandars were called Geosquealers here. I did not notice them squealing in turns, or anything wrong with their ride or handling. They were just very noisy.

I think that is due to the Geolandars' more aggressive tread pattern for off-road and snowy driving. No doubt the Geolandars are better than the MXV4s for that, but the Forester with MXV4s still amazed me in the few 6-8" snows we have had in Louisville since 2008.
 
#7 ·
Try the Michelin Pilot A/S 3. 97V load rating. Kevlar sidewall, had on my 08 Legacy Wagon and put them on my wife's 11 Impreza Sport. Very quiet, no hydroplaning, and grip like mad. They are going on my Forester when I burn these stock Bridgestones off.


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#8 ·
I bought a 2011 Forester in January 2015 with 14000k on it. The Yokohamas were like new. In February 2015 I bought a 2015 Forester with Yokohamas. It is now August 2016, and the 2011 has 21000k and the 2015 has 13000k, and the tires on both cars look almost new. The ride seems ok to me on both. I too am a Michelin man, but if these tires continue to wear well, I may have to flip a coin when it comes time to replace.
 
#9 ·
REALLY like the Michelin Premier A/S tires

Bought a 2015 Outback and drove across the street to Discount Tire and swapped the Bridgestone Dueler Hps for the Michenlin Premiers. Now less than 2 years later ordered a 2017 Forester and will be making the same swap. Factory Bridgestone tires had no warranty rating and too many bad reviews for my liking.

I am also a fan of winter tires as I live near Chicago,Il. Both cars will have Michelin X Ice3 tires on rims. Not a cheap option, but free life time rotation and balancing and resetting of the TPMS is a big plus and repays some of the cost over many miles of ownership.
 
#10 ·
Hear in Salt Lake City, UT Michelin Premier A/S are on many Subaru's and the owner's I've talked only have great remarks on those tires. But, I have also talked to some people that have put Falken Pro G4 A/S's on there Subaru's and have only good things to say. In fact a coworker replaced his Michelin Premier A/S's with the Pro G4 A/S's and he likes the tires better stating the Falken's are better on the slushy roads. The Falken tires are also $40-45 cheaper per tire.
 
#16 ·
Our factory order of a 2017 Forester Touring arrived today and it has Bridgestone Dueler tires.

I have never used this tire and currently have Michelin tires on our 2009 Forester. I hope these tires are better than some of the reviews I see or a fall switch to Michelins may be in the works.
 
#15 ·
While on a long 6k mile trip, one of my tires was damaged beyond repair.
I had the option of waiting for a new OEM Geolander, putting on a used
tire and hope I didn't damage the AWD system or purchasing 4 new tires.
I opted for a set of Michelin Defender's. I have not regretted the purchase
or the expense. Compared to the OEM Geolander's, the Michelin are quieter,
smoother and offer better traction. The downside is that the softer sidewall
makes for some "drift" at high speeds, especially noticeable on straightaways
during windy weather....
 
#25 ·
I put Defenders on my 2010 Honda which still had quite a bit of tread left when I traded the Honda in for a 2015 Forester in February 2015. They're rated for 90,000 miles, but I doubt they will get even close to that. I would get them again.
 
#17 ·
I actually replaced both the OEM wheels and tires on my 2017 XT. Bought Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/45 18 100Y XL and OZ Racing Leggera HLT wheels in 18x8.
The combo improved handling quite noticeably. Granted, I also put on a front strut tower brace and a 20mm rear sway bar, but the Michelin's really grip.
 
#18 ·
I've run several different tires on my Subies over the years. Like you, I'm not a fan of the Geolanders. The Michelin MXV4 was just OK. My favorite tires so far have been, by a long shot, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS.

I just bought my current Forester last week and it's still got the OEM Geolanders. But with 15k miles, they're in pretty good shape. I'm probably going to scrap them for the Contis before winter. The Contis aren't quite a dedicated winter tire and don't perform as well as Blizzaks in the snow but, IMHO, are good enough on a Forester for all but the most extreme conditions.

The Contis turned my old 06 Impreza into a tank in the snow and slush.


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#21 ·
I have never disliked tires more than the Duelers. It is my plan to swap tires asap, and I look forward to having a safer tire. I bought my car used and they had 20k on them but I have put 7k on them myself and they are rubbish. Dry braking is sub-par and handling is nothing to write home about. What bugs me is they hum at side street speeds almost as much as my AT's I had on my previous truck.
I moved down to California from Seattle right after I bought the FOZ so I did drive it in the rain some up there but I can't think of anything too noticeable during that short time. Lastly, the wear is disappointing for only 27k on the car.
I've heard all bad things when it comes to wet driving even with Subaru AWD.

If you have the chance to work it into a deal with the dealership to swap tires I would recommend that, but either way you go, choose another tire.
 
#23 ·
I've always liked Michelin tires. I just had Michelin Premier LTX 225-60-17 installed on my 2014 Forester. Only have 100 miles on 'em so far so I'll report back later. Initial 100 mile impression - stiff tire. Reduced pressure to 30psi all around (was 35psi) and that helped but still a lot stiffer then the Yokos my Forester came with. I consider the Yokos the worst tire I'd ever owned but maybe the weak sidewalls those tires have had an upside. :) Had 29000 miles on 'em when I replaced 'em. Could have gone to 35000 though. BTW - I use snow tires in the winter.
 
#24 ·
I usually buy Continentals because of their road handling however, tread life seems to be short. This time opted out for Michelin LTX 235/60/17 based on many owners saying the tread life often exceeds the warranty in addition their handling in wet conditions. Had them on for 3k now ride quality does not match the Continental PureContact but now switching to snow tires and back the Michelin may last me over 4 years.
 
#27 ·
I have Defenders on my 2001 Nissan Sentra and I really like them. I had thought to replace the Geolanders on my wife's 2015 Forester with them when it's time, but the Defenders are only T-rated for speed, and I hesitate to put on a tire with a speed rating below the manufacturer's recommendation.
 
#28 ·
I have 110,000 miles on my MXV's and there's still some useable tread left (over the wear bars). Outstanding tire that I have not had to mess with for four years, great ride. I've never even come close to getting this kind of mileage out of any other tires before they'd go out of round or wear out. I will be purchasing another set of michelins as a result.
 
#29 ·
Real quick update on my new Michelin Premiere LTX tires on my Forester. Now have 600 miles on them. I like everything about them except one thing - they are a harsher ride on rough pavement then the OEM tires, even at 29psi. The Premiere A/S might be a better option for the Forester rather than a light truck tire. But other than that they're a great tire with a lot less side roll when taking a corner, no noticable hit on gas mileage, quiet and something unexpected ... they track straighter! By that I mean with the super light steering on the Forester means the lightest touch makes you drift out of the center of your lane (drives me nuts). I found that to be less of a problem with these tires. Driving in heavy rain was like driving on dry pavement. Impressive. I won't have much to say about snow capability because I use snow tires in the winter. 33% of our driving is in the boonies on 2-track roads, 67% on 2-lane highway at 60mph.
 
#31 ·
I'm guessing since the LTX is a light-truck tire it has a much higher load rating than necessary and stiffer sidewalls are just part of the deal.

The Geolandars are definitely a soft tire. The aforementioned Defender has a 90k rating but also has soft sidewalls according to my tire guy. He sold me a set of Pirelli P7+ and they are quite good. Stiffer sidewalls than the Geolandars but ride quality is still good and there's a lot more dry grip. So far my only negative is there does seem to be some loss in fuel economy. I guess that's par for the course when you have stickier tires. But, it's only been 2 weeks so I need to collect more data!
 
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