[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by VVK69

Hi BHPians,

I have used GoodYear and Michellin on my Innova. Of the two, I find Michellin XM1+ tubeless 205x65/R15 really good. I checked out the comparators (Yoko C, Bridgestone, Apollo, Goodyear) and found the Michellin to be the best. The Michellins are slightly expensive Rs5550/- per tyre but VFM. I know there are a lot of "Yoko admirers" in our team but, this is my first hand experience !

Have a great weekend!

Curious to know how you 'checked' them out? Was it just by looking or have you driven an Innova with each of the above?

[RickyC]

I changed all 4 tyres of my Innova and went for GOODYEAR ASSURANCE on serious recommendation of my tyre vendor. Hve done about 14k and am quite happy with the results. The grip, ride and balance is very good. Haven't felt the need for tyre allignment or balancing. I would suggest you have a look at them. Well priced and with warranty !

[greyhound]

After clocking 40,000 Kilometers on my Diesel Innova (2008 model V) I finally thought of changing the tyres. I've had Bridgestones E390 until now and they have performed well. It was time to give my beloved car a new set of shoes to run on. As when I’d bought my car two years ago, once again it was also time to turn page after page at Team-BHP. After loads of reading and research with a few friends there were certain decisions to be taken.

1. Do I upsize the tyre from the original 205/65R15 to 225/60R15?
2. Which make should I purchase? Bridgestone, Michelin, or Yokohama? (I did not venture out with MRF or JK or Good year or Apollo).

Answers to both questions were actually interlinked. Let me explain. My research led me to the following data and options:
1. Original size: 205/65R15
a. Bridgestone: Model E390: (Price 5100 ex Mumbai)
b. Michelin: Model XM1+: (Price 5400 ex Mumbai)
2. Upzise: 225/60R15
a. Bridgestone: Model ER60: (Price 7200 ex Mumbai)
b. Michelin: Model XM1+: Not available in this size
c. Michelin: Model Primacy LC: (Price 8000 ex Mumbai)
d. Yokohama: Model C Drive: (Price 6200 ex Mumbai)
e. Yokohama: Model db Comfort Drive: (Price 6600 ex Mumbai)

Further research indicated:
- Bridgestone:
Against: Bridgestone tyres make noise. I’m quite a sensitive person with any squeak or screech in my car. So I did find that after running them for more than 5000 to 7000 kilometers, they do have a hmmmmm…. kind of noise when driven at speeds any higher than 80 Kmph or 90 Kmph. Also found that these tyres tend to decrease in their performance under wet conditions after about 40% to 50% use. This % is calculated on the basis of their service mileage before requiring replacements.
Pro: In the past I’ve used Bridgestone’s in my Maruti 800, Tata Estate, Maruti Esteem and in my Innova. No worries with respect to its service longevity or effectiveness in avoiding punctures. I’ve hardly had any even after driving the cars on roads and off roads (in rural territory).

- Michelin:
Against: I’ve never used these before. Upon reading loads of comments from fellow BHPians and in particular Senior BHPians I found that these tyres have a softer sidewall than others. They tend to develop defects in the sidewall relatively quickly. Another important thing I read up was about the poor after sales service. If the sidewall does develop a defect, you do not get any replacement from the company, let alone any kind of appropriate replies to your queries. These are opinions of folks who have had trouble. But if these are from more than one fellow BHPian, then I’d believe it.
Pro: Michelins pride themselves in the ride comfort and low noise levels. Moreover those who did buy Michelins and who did not have trouble with the sidewalls, were all praises about it.

- Yokohama:
I never did a lot of research on these because of very little information available about them. However a couple of things to note. These are relatively cheap tyres (at least when compared to Michelin) and these don’t have a lot of folks complaining about them. (could be because not many use these tyres).

The Decision:
Ok, so I had to decide two things. Do I upsize and then which one to buy. Let’s answer the second question first. Between Bridgestone and Michelin, I decide to go in for Michelin. Why? One, I wanted to check them out. Never used Michelin in the past. Two, I was intrigued by everyone’s opinion that Michelin tyres offer great riding comfort and low noise. However you might ask that even after knowing that the sidewall is soft and prone to developing defects, why did I choose Michelin? The other factor that led me to decide Michelin and that too the XM1+ is also interesting. I’ve got a few contacts with folks who drive the Innova as a tourist vehicle. If at all someone who’d know what to expect of a vehicle tyre, then that would be the driver. Upon speaking to a few of them I found them to choose Bridgestone over Michelin; however whoever choose Michelin, did want to use the XM1+ and not the Primacy LC. Experience said that Primacy LC was very soft and very prone to developing defects even with very minor bumps on the road. Some of them said that the Bandra Worli sea link bumps would be enough to cause a defect in the Primacy LC. So that put me off these models. Also, they advocated very strongly to not upsize since it would compromise vehicle stability when cornering hard. So instead of going in for an upsize, I choose the original size.

So the decision was Michelin XM1+ original size 205/65R15. It was a perfect balance between a little risk of using a softer tyre than the Bridgestone’s, while experiencing the comfort and silence of Michelins.

I’ve been on these wheels since last evening and have driven them for about 80 kilometers. First impressions are pretty good. So before I forget how the Bridgestones felt, let me give a few pointers:

- Driving comfort is pretty good. This may be because the tyres are new. But also could be that they are soft. Also what I mean by driving comfort is the way that the tyres absorb minor pebbles, or minor surface unevenness that we experience on Mumbai roads.

- Steering experience is almost the same. No difference.

- One major observation is the pickup and the speed V/s RPM. Let me explain. I am not an expert on vehicles, but I am very sensitive to every aspect of a driving experience. How does the gear shift, how hard or soft is the clutch, how responsive is the steering and it’s feedback, how responsive is the braking and so on. I did observe that when cruising at about 80 KMPH my RPM would earlier hover slightly above the 2000 RPM mark. Now it’s slightly lower the 2000 RPM mark. The vehicle pickup has also improved. I’m beginning to believe that the tyre is offering lower resistance than the stock bridgestones. Can this happen? Is this true?

- Noise levels are pretty much the same. Actually I’d find the difference if I’m driving about 90 or 100 KMPH. For now I haven’t. However I do want to mention one interesting observation. In Mumbai you'd experience three types of road surfaces. One is your regular black tarmac; two is the cemented stretches; three is the precast blocks of cement then fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. I did notice a very noticable difference in the noise levels when driving on the precast blocks road surface. Extremely low noise. That was good for now. I'll post further experiences in a couple of weeks.

Anyway’s I would love to thank everyone who did post information about tyres in the past and I hope this review helps others. All opinions in this review are either based on readings of fellow BHPians or from my experiences. Cheers and happy driving. Season’s greetings to all!

[Akshay1234]

Greyhound - Im sorry but whoever told you about the upsize dosent know anything about tyres. Infact the upsize to 225/60 r15 would help stabilizing the car when cornering hard, and also make it feel much more stable at speeds.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Greyhound - Im sorry but whoever told you about the upsize dosent know anything about tyres. Infact the upsize to 225/60 r15 would help stabilizing the car when cornering hard, and also make it feel much more stable at speeds.

Completely Agree, I also have 225/60R15 Yoko C.Drives on my Innova and I love the grip and silence that they offer.

Of course for normal driving, the stock size will do anyday but I tend to drive a bit fast and can do with extra grip.

[Tornado]

Hi My fellow BHPians,

My white colour innova bearing 9900 number is having 225-60-15 Bridgestone turanza , i have not used the OE tyres till now. So not able to comment on the difference.
But i am planning for a replacement , any suggestions?
I am finding a vibration on steering after 110 KM speed, but Nandi toyota guys told me that its due to wobbling in the rear alloy wheels. No idea if it is true.

[Nikhilb2008]

1). A wobbling in steering wheel is not connected to rear alloy wheels. I highly doubt that. I think the front wheels are unbalanced or have uneven wear. If the front alloy wheels are bent or damaged you could again have steering vibration.

In 225/60-15, the Yoko C Drive is a very good option.

[misguidedmisile]

Hi Nikhil,

I want to upsize the tyres for a New Innova coming this week. Requirement is that should offer better grip on higher speeds and they should be less noisy. From the many posts that i read i have in mind Continental & Yokohama.

I asked around and a dealer quoted 6800 for a new Yokohama tyre(225/60) with a buy back of the stock tyre at 3000. Which means i need to pay 3800 more per tyre. Does it look like a good deal? Or do you suggest another tyre? The car is the Innova V.

Thanks in Advance!
Varun

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by misguidedmisile

Hi Nikhil,

I want to upsize the tyres for a New Innova coming this week. Requirement is that should offer better grip on higher speeds and they should be less noisy. From the many posts that i read i have in mind Continental & Yokohama.

I asked around and a dealer quoted 6800 for a new Yokohama tyre(225/60) with a buy back of the stock tyre at 3000. Which means i need to pay 3800 more per tyre. Does it look like a good deal? Or do you suggest another tyre? The car is the Innova V.

Thanks in Advance!
Varun

First thing. Since you have not yet taken delivery shout, scream, beg your dealer to give you an Innova with Bridgestones as stock. With that you will get a better resale. And 3000 seems a bit low, please find out from another shop too for the buyback.

I've not used Continentals ever, but all 3 of my cars are on Yokohamas presently, 2 of which are C-drives.

[car_crazy1400]

Hi guys!
I have a 2009 march innova riding on 225/60 R15 Yokohama C Drives from day one, on o.e. Rims & has done 59,000 odd kms.

The tires have performed exceptionally well & infact did not even suffer a single punchure till bout 50,000 kms!!

Now the tires need replacement as they have worn out irregulary owing to alignment issues.

Can some one please tell me the price for C Drives in the same size in Delhi /NCR.

I asked Jitesh (B.K. Tires) and was quoted 6800 each tire, which i think is expensive.

So guys.. Need a little help here,
Thanks

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by car_crazy1400

I asked Jitesh (B.K. Tires) and was quoted 6800 each tire, which i think is expensive.

So guys.. Need a little help here,
Thanks

Tyre prices have been steadily going up the past while. This guy might not be ripping you off, check it some other shops too. Why don't you try out the DB decibel V550 this time?

[car_crazy1400]

Well i had recommended the Db series on my friends city & two tires had to be changed due to sidewall damage..
One was cut so no warranty , while the other had a sidewall bulge & was replaced under warranty.

And my friend drives over good roads rather sedately.

Whereas i need all terrain kinda tire & these have performed rather well.
So hoping to repeat these tires only.

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by misguidedmisile

Hi Nikhil,

I want to upsize the tyres for a New Innova coming this week. Requirement is that should offer better grip on higher speeds and they should be less noisy. From the many posts that i read i have in mind Continental & Yokohama.

I asked around and a dealer quoted 6800 for a new Yokohama tyre(225/60) with a buy back of the stock tyre at 3000. Which means i need to pay 3800 more per tyre. Does it look like a good deal? Or do you suggest another tyre? The car is the Innova V.

Thanks in Advance!
Varun

In 225/60-15, it is definitely C drives. Very good tyres and I suggest you take it. Buyback is also decent. You could also consider the Primacy LC if it is there in stock.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

In 225/60-15, it is definitely C drives. Very good tyres and I suggest you take it. Buyback is also decent. You could also consider the Primacy LC if it is there in stock.

I agree. Speaking from experience, the 225/60R15 C.Drives in my Innova have done 25.2 k kms and are still almost as silent as they were when new.

On the downside, they have one of the softest sidewalls, softer than even the Michelins, so better ride comfort but please check out for sharp edges on the curb.

If it is of any help, in Sep 09, I purchased the C.Drive at INR 5450/Piece and sold my stock bridgestones for INR 3800 / Piece (please ask the Toyota dealer to give you Bridgestones and not Goodyears as they will fetch nearly INR 1k more per tire in exchange)

PS : My sidewalls did not get any cuts till now but did get a puncture due to large thorny bushes

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post1954386

Originally Posted by car_crazy1400

Well i had recommended the Db series on my friends city & two tires had to be changed due to sidewall damage..
One was cut so no warranty , while the other had a sidewall bulge & was replaced under warranty.

And my friend drives over good roads rather sedately.

Whereas i need all terrain kinda tire & these have performed rather well.
So hoping to repeat these tires only.

I would not recommend DB series either as C.Drive as better grip and are very silent if not as much as DB.

positioning map for Yoko

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post2022454


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[Tornado]

Hi fellow BHPians,

I replaced 2 aged bridgestone turanza 225 *60*15 with same profile Yokohoma C drive.
I bought Yokos in April 2011 for around Rs 6180 (it was a superb deal as other shops could offer only till Rs 6400 on my bargain through my friend who owns a shop in JC road)

Bridgestone Turananz look more bulky and the road presence is more compared to Yokos.
Try to get fresh stock. If you ask for then you may get FALKENs at cheap rate but it may not last as yoko or bridge stone last.
I was about to pick up Flaken around 3.5K ( 225*60*15) but it was bit old stock, so i did not go for it.
Bridgestone is superb in lasting my Matiz 99 model has 99 model OE bridgestone tyres (all 5) with 41K run succesfully.
You can also consider COOPER Cobra ( Dont buy the made in china one ,but Made in USA one)
Check out in JC road Bangalore with Cherry agencies or Madhus.
Another tyre is Achilles from Indonesia , they are good quality one but only available in 205 * 65 * 15 profile. Venkateswara tyres in Wilson garden has stock.