# need tire recommendations



## shabalia (Dec 27, 2005)

I am looking at replacing tires this year. I have Toyo observe garit HT for winter and the stock Dunlops for summer. Not much mileage (68k) but notice a decrease in traction when stopping and taking off. Both sets not so good on wet roads anymore and the ABS and ESC got a lot of use this past winter, so the rubber seems not so sticky anymore.
Anyone have opinions on the Hankook Optimo 4S, which is supposed to be a true 4-season tire. I am thinking to go this route as it doesn't make much sense to spend so much on 2 sets of tires. 
Otherwise recommendations on both summer and winter would be appreciated.
Thanks!


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## dfroach (Oct 30, 2011)

Michelin Harmony 225-60-17


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## shabalia (Dec 27, 2005)

Thanks, I like idea of a quieter tire. I checked your other posts and saw your X has really low mileage. Why did you change tires? How did you choose, ie retailer help etc. How was your winter driving this year where you live?


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## dfroach (Oct 30, 2011)

Two reasons for tire change.
1. The age of the tires is almost as important as km's. (rubber gets old, cracks and gets harder)
2. I just couldn't stand the road noise. Dunlop makes a great bike tire and a great race tire, if you can stand the harsh, noisy ride.
Winter was great. I had Michelins on my previous Pathfinder so I knew what to expect.
Hope this helps.
PS, It is nice to hear the engine and not just road noise.


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## brodeo (Aug 16, 2012)

I have Nokian WR All weather tires on my recently purchased Xtrail. They do very well in summer so far (only owned for two weeks), but have yet to test them out in the cold canadian winter.


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

I just ordered a set of BFG All Terrain TA KOs in 215/70-16 from Cdn Tire. Not cheap at $211 each, but they'll look great. 

I ordered a cheap all season tire in the same size for a spare.


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## Do Bamboo (May 3, 2010)

akamcfly said:


> I just ordered a set of BFG All Terrain TA KOs in 215/70-16 from Cdn Tire. Not cheap at $211 each, but they'll look great.


Interesting choice. Can you post a pic & some feedback on them? Do you go off road much? I wonder how these will do in the snow?


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

Do Bamboo said:


> Interesting choice. Can you post a pic & some feedback on them? Do you go off road much? I wonder how these will do in the snow?


Will do when I get them. Cdn Tire has discontinued them, but I was able to order them through Kal Tire. They'll be in on Monday the 10th. I know they'll look good and, apparently they have the snowflake logo on them. I'll post sidewall pics whether or not they do have the snowflake.

I just bought the X Trail and haven't had the opportunity to take it off the pavement yet. Admittedly, this is more for appearance. Although I do plan to take it camping, biking and kayaking, I don't plan to take it mud bogging or rock crawling.


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

Got the BFGs today and they definitely have the snowflake logo on them. Also, A 215/70-16 tire _just_ fits in the spare tire well.

Pics tomorrow


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

Sorry I'm tardy on the pics, but I don't have a hosting site - any recommendations?

I've had them for a couple weeks now and I'm very happy with them. I did an 800km trip today and the road noise is definitely there, but not horrible. My old cavvy is louder with basic all-seasons on it. The gps still shows my speedometer reads a bit high. It's worse at highway speed, but part of that is parallax. Still, if anyone is looking for a more available and less expensive tire size, look into 215/70-16s.

One more thing - a 215/70-16 does fit in the spare tire well.


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## 88turborx7 (Jul 28, 2012)

I recently bought some General Grabber AT2 studdable tires. Some sizes of this tire have the snowflake symbol, but unfortunately not the stock size. But looking at the tread and the fact that they are studdable I would believe that they would do fine in the snow and ice. I like them alot, they look great and the noise is very acceptable in my opinion.


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

88turborx7 said:


> I recently bought some General Grabber AT2 studdable tires. Some sizes of this tire have the snowflake symbol, but unfortunately not the stock size. But looking at the tread and the fact that they are studdable I would believe that they would do fine in the snow and ice. I like them alot, they look great and the noise is very acceptable in my opinion.


They were my first choice, but were on back order at Canadian Tire with no ETA. I switched to Kal Tire and never thought to ask if they could get them. They're less expensive and have a UTQG wear rating. My brother has them on his F-150 and loves them.

I do like my BFGs a lot though. They look the part.


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## Do Bamboo (May 3, 2010)

akamcfly said:


> Sorry I'm tardy on the pics, but I don't have a hosting site - any recommendations?


Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

Do Bamboo said:


> Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket


Testing, testing...


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

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## Harvey (Sep 30, 2012)

Akamcfly

I had those tires on my GMC Pick up a few years back. Look great and perform great.

Harvey


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

They look great for offroad use but they must be noisy as heck on the highway.
Right now I am using Cooper Cs4 for summer tires and Toyo Observe for winter. The X trail is amazing in winter with snow tires. We have a Bonavista that came with 17 inch tires. The Cooper tires are excellent. I bought a set of 4 used ones, and they are far superior to original Dunlops.


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## akamcfly (Aug 31, 2012)

Noisy as heck is a relative term, I'd say.

They're noisy for sure, but I've done some long road trips and didn't find them fatiguing at all. They're good on snowy/icy roads too - much better than expected actually.


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## RangerRay (Oct 10, 2013)

Howdy! New member here... 

I just bought a new-to-me Exey and I need to buy new tires. I really like the BFG T/As. I've had them on previous vehicles and love them, and I really like how they look on akamcfly's car. However, I notice that they are unavailable in 215/65R16. Were you able to to mount these on the stock wheels? As well, is there any disadvantages to getting 215/70R16 tires as opposed to the recommended 215/65R16's? 

I'm just wondering if it would be worth my getting 215/70R16 BFGs, or 215/65R16 General Grabber AT2s instead? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Howdy Back
I don't have the AT tires but in your situation I would go for the General Grabber AT2s in your proper factory size. Mainly because they have a higher speed rating and I would guess a stronger sidewall. They also get great reviews on TireRack that I just looked at. 
The bigger BFGs would throw off your speedometer by a couple of km an hour, but could be used. One thing you might find is that it might make your car seem a little more sluggish if you have an automatic transmission. Other thing is you are increasing wheel weight. If your front bearings are older might be wise not to add any stress to them, though the difference is probably minimal 
I found that out when I changed from 215 60 17 to 225 60 17. Wider tire was nice but it was a Q rated tire that felt soft and screechy in corners and did not feel safe over 120 km/h on the highway. So I then went opposite way and found a set of slightly used Toyo Tourevo V rated 225 55 17 on 17'' Nissan Maxima rims. These are slightly smaller in circumference than the original size, so I am going slightly slower than speedometer shows, but the wider tire and stiffer sidewalls are an upgrade in terms of how the X Trail handles and feels on the road. 
In the winter I use 215 60 17 Toyo Observe Go2 T rated. Personally I wont go below that anymore for a tire on X trail. . 
Enjoy your new tires.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

After checking prices I am even more convinced. Save the money and put the difference in your repair fund. The BFGs really look more like big truck tires, and the Generals look more appropriate for the X Trail which came with Passenger Tires.


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## 88turborx7 (Jul 28, 2012)

I've had my General Grabber AT2 for over a year now and I love them and find they look awesome. You can get a set of 4 off Discount Tire Direct for $444 US delivered (to a US address of course). Dirt cheap for the quality!


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## ArtPeru (Jun 6, 2014)

Hi everyone, I´m looking to get at/s Yokohama Geolandar¨s for my 2008 T31, does anyone know if 225/70/16 will fit without rubbing at full lock?


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## kieranm105 (May 22, 2014)

Hi 
I'm new to the xtrail as I had an old LR 90 (with bfg's) and recently a freelander mk1 (with Falken land air at's) both of these tyres coped really well with the snow we get in the UK and the green laning that I occasionally did in the freelander. I won't be off roaring the xtrail but we still get the snow in Yorkshire. I'm not sure which way to go with tyres on the xtrail as I will be using it more for motorway as well. 
I was looking at 215/60r17 Falken Wildpeak All Terrain tyres or Yokohama Geolander ATs as there are limited options in all terrain for the size. My other alternative is a full set of winter tyres and run them al year round as they are better in the wet as well. 
I've seen Falken euro winter hs-439 winter tyres ( I like the Falken brand as I've had their ATs on for last 4 years with the freelander and very impressed). 
Kieran


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

If you are mainly driving on paved roadways and doing lots of highway, I do not see the point of using AT tires on the X trail. OEM It has always used passenger vehicle style tires rather than truck tires. All season tires with good tread depth work well in snow until about 6 to 7 mm of wear. Winter tires are advantageous if you live and drive in a cold climate, and in my experience come into their own below 0 Celsius. Particularly good when its minus 10 to minus 30 or so. You are right about them being better in rain than most all seasons, but that is mainly because of siping on the tires. Something you can actually have done aftermarket, if you so desired.
Seeing you have 17'' rims, you might consider going to 225 55 17s and get a more performing touring tire with an excellent wet traction rating. Nissan's special tuning division Autech in Japan which modifies the X trail to improve its on road performance upgrades to this size. Your X trail will feel more planted and handle better. It will also be zippier. The transmission gearing seems better with this size. I also tried 225 60 17s and these made the X trail more sluggish and handle worse. I use Toyos observes 215 60 17 for winter which are great and handle well but wear out really quickly if subjected to a long highway drive in plus 30 celcius weather. Not to mention the noise level. 
The only reason I can see to get the tires you are considering, is if you routinely drive off road or have to do long stretches on dirt roads. Good luck whichever way you go, and happy X trailing!


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