# Starting to search for New tires for my ECO MT



## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I too will need tires before fall and am also considering the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology. For me it is between that tire & the newer design goodyear Triple tread, price wise the Continental is $25 less per tire(in my 16in size). 

The cost difference does lean me toward the continental, but noise and ride comfort is also much better rated. Anything should be an improvement over the 1LT 16in Firestone FR-710.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I'd go for the Conti or Goodyear.

I've never had a bad Conti tire...the DWS's on my Volvo were fantastic, and I was impressed with the 2LT tires as well.

The Bridgestone Turanza line is known for BAD road noise, and would completely ruin the Cruze's quiet ride. I can't wait to get rid of the ones on our Toyota, and fortunately, they're wearing out extremely fast.


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## CruzeEcoBlueTopaz (Jan 5, 2012)

I will be purchasing my 3rd set of ECO OEM Goodyear Fuel Max tires in a few months. The low rolling resistant compound used in these tires is definently a win. The demonstration vs standard rubber compounds found in most other tires is a convincing sale. I figure these tires saved me $ 200 in fuel over the lifetime of the tire considering I drove my 1st set of tires 85k miles with 3/32 tread remaining. Keep in mind these tires are rated for 65k. These are quality tires using advanced rubber compounds for durable long lasting all weather performance.

I wont attempt to convince you to purchase any brand of tires obviously thats your decision im just sharing my own personal experience with these tires. Im not a tire expert and I dont have much information to share about other brands. 

Each and everyday this summer I notice countless drivers off the side of the road with shredded or flat tires. Most people purchase inexpensive tires and regret it later.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

CruzeEcoBlueTopaz said:


> I will be purchasing my 3rd set of ECO OEM Goodyear Fuel Max tires in a few months. The low rolling resistant compound used in these tires is definently a win.


I'm really surprised you keep buying the OEM goodyear tires, there are better LRR tires out there for the same price or less that have much better all around reviews. 
I have driven those same goodyear tires on a Malibu ECO in an 1 inch of snow and decided I would not wish them on my enemy. Looking at the surveys on tirerack the user reviews show the same poor snow traction/braking I experienced. 

Heck Even the 1LT firestone FR710 actually reviews higher in almost every category than the ECO's Goodyears, though both have pretty poor snow/ice traction.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I happen to like the OEM Goodyears on my Cruze, which is why they are in the running. Of the major brands that I have used in the past, Michelins are the only ones that don't have a seat at the table. By the way, Penguin LS will be getting the Continental ExtremeContact DWS when the Firestones expire. My son hates the Firestones - he says they are super soft even when inflated to the next 5 PSI above the door placard.

I don't think this one tire is normal for the Goodyears.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Tire Rack has one review of our OEM Goodyears showing them as one of the best straight-line snow stopping in dry snow. Idaho, where CruzeEcoBlueTopaz lives and drives, has dry snow, which means the Goodyears may very well be the best tire for him. I had no problems last winter in the snow with them either. According to a discussion sciphi and I had two winters ago, wet snow is a different story, however.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> I'd go for the Conti or Goodyear.
> 
> I've never had a bad Conti tire...the DWS's on my Volvo were fantastic, and I was impressed with the 2LT tires as well.
> 
> The Bridgestone Turanza line is known for BAD road noise, and would completely ruin the Cruze's quiet ride. I can't wait to get rid of the ones on our Toyota, and fortunately, they're wearing out extremely fast.


The Turanzas I had on my Montana weren't loud, but they did have extremely hard sidewalls so every little bump jarred the suspension. They never once broke traction in their 60K mile tread life, nor did the Bridgestone Potenzas I used before the Turanzas or the OEM run flat tires, which I couldn't find aftermarket. This was even on ice. I put Michelins MXV4s on that van after the Turanzas and while softer over the bumps they would break traction very easily.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

obermd said:


> The Turanzas I had on my Montana weren't loud, but they did have extremely hard sidewalls so every little bump jarred the suspension. They never once broke traction in their 60K mile tread life, nor did the Bridgestone Potenzas I used before the Turanzas or the OEM run flat tires, which I couldn't find aftermarket. This was even on ice. I put Michelins MXV4s on that van after the Turanzas and while softer over the bumps they would break traction very easily.


Different from my experience. The Turanzas are terrible in rain and the way I drive, crap in corners as well. Also extremely hard/uncomfortable, but that may be more the car's suspension.

MXV4's are more of a touring tire, not great for handling, but great in rain and for a comfy ride. MXM is the better-handling tire.



> Penguin LS will be getting the Continental ExtremeContact DWS


Unfortunately they don't come in our size


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bump. Now that the weather has turned colder my slow leak is now about 5 PSI every 3-4 days. The cold nights are stiffening the tires and the air is leaking out faster as a result. If my local Discount Tire can't find & fix the leak I'll be replacing all four tires. The tires are down to 5-6/32 inch tread so they're too far down to replace just the one tire. Also, all four tires are now showing signs of sidewall deterioration with cracks forming all the way around the wheels.

My priorities in order:


Fuel Efficiency
Dry traction
Dry cornering
Wet traction
Snow traction
 
As I said earlier, Michelins are out based on my past disappointing experiences with multiple models of Michelin tires.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Winter tires?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I considered winter tires but Denver itself really doesn't get that much snow. We have a lot of days even in mid-winter where the daytime highs are in the 50s and 60s. When it snows, unless its a major dump, our roads are dry in two to three days. Our mountains get a lot of snow, but CDOT does an incredible job clearing the roads, so even there winter tires aren't really necessary. During the actual storms drivers out here can't seem to get out of 1st gear.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

Not sure how they do in snow but Yokohama YK580 is supposed to be good (only found at Discount Tire)


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

My Eco tires are also starting to show signs of sidewall degradation. It's rather pitiful at only ~34k miles and 2 years. 

This will not help you a whole lot, but when they do get changed, I will move up to a larger tire; a 235/50/17. I will do this for better curb rash protection, better traction, and for aesthetics. The two tires on the left in this photo show what a 235/50/17 tire looks like on a 17x7 rim. 










Past that, I have far too little experience with tires to make any solid recommendation.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Although I like the Goodyears, if they show sidewall degradation after two years I'm not sure I want to put another set on my ECO.


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## milehigh (Nov 24, 2012)

$70 off Bridgestone's this month at Costco if you are a member. I am looking at the Turanza serenity plus myself...


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

milehigh said:


> $70 off Bridgestone's this month at Costco if you are a member. I am looking at the Turanza serenity plus myself...


Does Costco sell genuine tires? I heard something about either costco or walmart (or both?) selling a different version of the tire on the same brand label. Not sure if that's true or not.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Does Costco sell genuine tires? I heard something about either costco or walmart (or both?) selling a different version of the tire on the same brand label. Not sure if that's true or not.


Definitely. I've bought many sets of tires at Costco. Great road hazard warranty as well - I shredded a tire and only paid $18 for a replacement. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> Definitely. I've bought many sets of tires at Costco. Great road hazard warranty as well - I shredded a tire and only paid $18 for a replacement.
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


Awesome. It was just Walmart then lol. 

I have heard great things about the Turanza tires. 

Sent from mobile.


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

I buy mine from tirerack and ship them to my installer. Has worked well, but I have been able to beat total cost (shipping) on occasion.

My Original tires show no evidence of sidewall degradation at 36K miles. I might buy these Goodyears again, but I hear the new Continentals are pretty good.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

Whatever you do don't buy Turanza EL400 tires. oem tires on my Mazda 3. Replaced them within 1 month, that should tell you something. Awful tires


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

steve333 said:


> Whatever you do don't buy Turanza EL400 tires. oem tires on my Mazda 3. Replaced them within 1 month, that should tell you something. Awful tires


The same are standard on Camry SE's. They are complete junk.

The Serenity Plus may be the best tire Bridgestone has put out in years, but I'd still go for the Continental PureContact/EcoPlus.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I ended up putting Perelli Cinturato P7 AS Plus tires on at lunch. The three tires with small surface cracks were ok but the tire losing nearly 1 PSI per day had cracked so badly the sidewall's structural integrity was questionable. The Perellis are quieter than the OEM tires. 51 PSI Max cold pressure - running at 45 PSI. I also stopped and got an alignment on the way home.

Discount Tire even gave me a credit for my Goodyears.


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## milehigh (Nov 24, 2012)

Nice! Keep us posted on how you like them. They are on my "top 3" list.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Will do. I'm going to be watching my MPG's closely. I also can't wait for the first real snow to see how they handle. They certainly grip the road well in hard cornering - I tested that on the way home from work.

I picked them up at the Discount Tire at Hampdon and Iliff.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

obermd said:


> I ended up putting Perelli Cinturato P7 AS Plus tires on at lunch. The three tires with small surface cracks were ok but the tire losing nearly 1 PSI per day had cracked so badly the sidewall's structural integrity was questionable. The Perellis are quieter than the OEM tires. 51 PSI Max cold pressure - running at 45 PSI. I also stopped and got an alignment on the way home.
> 
> Discount Tire even gave me a credit for my Goodyears.


Those were my second choice, I just wasn't sure how they would handle the grooved freeways here and whether or not they would tramline.
Do you have grooved freeways where you live?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

steve333 said:


> Those were my second choice, I just wasn't sure how they would handle the grooved freeways here and whether or not they would tramline.
> Do you have grooved freeways where you live?


Some, but I don't drive them on a regular basis.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

You're lucky.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Agreed - I've never figured out why highways get grooved in the direction of travel. It doesn't help water move off the roadway. Grooving sideways would do that.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

I guess they figured it would make the roads even more hazardous to drive on.
The freeways are in such bad shape here-not only the intentional grooves but uneven, poor surfaces. The Cruze I test drove glided over it pretty well but the Mazda 3 ain't digging it.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

The grooves are there to help prevent hydroplaning.


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## CruzeEcoBlueTopaz (Jan 5, 2012)

Well I figure I will provide a quick update regarding the current status of my 2nd set of Goodyear OEM Fuel Max tires. My 1st set 85k miles 3/32 tire tread remaining rated for 65k. 2nd set currently 80k 4/32 remaining. Keep in mind im able to achieve 10k per 1/32 and drivers continue to use tires well after the legal and safe reccomended 2/32. Both set of tires held strong at 41 psi every month ALL WEATHER any terrain zero flats what more can you ask for in a tire.I drove 165k miles on GY FM with an average of 49.5 mpg. Sell me a tire that will increase my mpg, last 35k safe miles over the rated tread and will provide lasting protection all season. I cannot recommend any other tire for the professional cruze driver. I will purchase my 3rd set of OEM Goodyear Fuel Max tires within the next couple months.

I will mention at 125k I did start to notice a balding of the inside shoulder of the two tires on the drivers side. During the install of my 3rd set of new OEM GY FM tires I will have the allignment checked and possibly corrected hopefly preventing this uneven tire wear.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> The grooves are there to help prevent hydroplaning.


Unfortunately they make every day driving more dangerous


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

CruzeEcoBlueTopaz said:


> Well I figure I will provide a quick update regarding the current status of my 2nd set of Goodyear OEM Fuel Max tires. My 1st set 85k miles 3/32 tire tread remaining rated for 65k. 2nd set currently 80k 4/32 remaining. Keep in mind im able to achieve 10k per 1/32 and drivers continue to use tires well after the legal and safe reccomended 2/32. Both set of tires held strong at 41 psi every month ALL WEATHER any terrain zero flats what more can you ask for in a tire.I drove 165k miles on GY FM with an average of 49.5 mpg. Sell me a tire that will increase my mpg, last 35k safe miles over the rated tread and will provide lasting protection all season. I cannot recommend any other tire for the professional cruze driver. I will purchase my 3rd set of OEM Goodyear Fuel Max tires within the next couple months.
> 
> I will mention at 125k I did start to notice a balding of the inside shoulder of the two tires on the drivers side. During the install of my 3rd set of new OEM GY FM tires I will have the allignment checked and possibly corrected hopefly preventing this uneven tire wear.


You should get an alignment with every set of new tires. I really did consider a second set of the Goodyears but their cornering wasn't quite as good as the Perellis I went with. I will say the Perellis are quieter on the road - I noticed my car is back to where it was noise wise before the engine shield hack.


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## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

I've had 2 sets of conti's on my Altima and I must say they got real loud after about 40,000 kms ( 25000 miles or so)


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Nitto's Motivo looks like a very good tire based on everything I've read so far:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/12-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/9147-what-motivo.html#post130769


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> Nitto's Motivo looks like a very good tire based on everything I've read so far:
> 
> http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/12-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/9147-what-motivo.html#post130769


Would be near the top of my list if they had a 235/50/17.


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## 6speed (Dec 7, 2011)

This is just a preliminary, only 2,000 miles on them-(4) Continental Pure Contacts 215/55R17, 94V. I don’t have enough data on them yet. But right from when they were installed, my MPG dropped & stayed lower as compared to one year ago. Right now I am saying 2.5-3%. Driving habits or routes have not changed since car was new. Same 37 PSI in them-cold. Might not seem like a lot, but on a 48 MPG car in warm weather, that is over 1 MPG. I could have saved some money by going with the Goodyear FuelMaxs. The Pure Contacts (Safety) are rated better, especially in the snow (my main complaint with the Goodyears)-I’ll report on that & the ride in this Tire Technical Discussion when I have more experience on them.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

When I had my tires put on it was close to 65 outside. They were set at 45 PSI. This evening I put them at 48 PSI. It's been cold enough over night that I have been seeing PSI numbers in the high 30s.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

That's quite a drop.
I'm going to swap my Yokohama YK580s for Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus this week. Hope for more stability and they had better not tramline


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Other than the PSI drop that resulted from a 35-40 degree temperature drop I'm happy so far with the P7s. It was 30 degrees out when I went out to add air this evening. I have noticed that the sidewalls are a little softer than the OEM Goodyears, which reduces cornering ability and softens the ride. I'm hoping that increasing the PSI will stiffen the ride back to where I want it.


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## steve333 (Oct 23, 2010)

The softer sidewalls should help against tramlining at least


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

obermd said:


> Other than the PSI drop that resulted from a 35-40 degree temperature drop I'm happy so far with the P7s. It was 30 degrees out when I went out to add air this evening. I have noticed that the sidewalls are a little softer than the OEM Goodyears, which reduces cornering ability and softens the ride. I'm hoping that increasing the PSI will stiffen the ride back to where I want it.


H or V rated?


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

94V - the same as my Goodyears were. I wouldn't put H rated tires on this car.


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## *tim* (Aug 7, 2013)

has anyone else used the michelin defender or energy saver a/s tires on thier cruze


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## Huntersrun (Jun 16, 2012)

I just put 225-50-17 BFG Gforce Sport 2 on my 12 ECO...couldn't be happier....Hated the Goodyears....wore out at 41K...don't handle worth a darn either...I want grip...I will gladly give up a couple MPG for more grip anytime...


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Huntersrun said:


> I just put 225-50-17 BFG Gforce Sport 2 on my 12 ECO...


Nice, got pics?


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## Huntersrun (Jun 16, 2012)

Weather has not been nice lately..Car is filthy...as soon as I can bathe her....Photos will be posted...


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