Tires - 2013 Sport

[gobronx]

Does anyone have any insight into the OEM tires shipping with the new Sport? In particular, the all seasons. I'm not feeling so great about this photo I found on autoblog:

Those clearly look to be Hankook Optima H426s. It's happened before, so I know the pain. Just don't want to be burned with sub par tires on a fantastic new ride. Will probably work out a deal with a tire shop to trade them out for some Michs on day one. What do other Sport orderers think?

 

[gobronx]

Here's another thought... Is there any chance of going up to 31"s or even a bit bigger? Looks like the tires are pretty close to the wheel wells as is.

I'm guessing the stock size is the way to go for optimum city driving, but it sure would be nice to get another inch or two of ground clearance. Not that I'll be doing a lot of 4 wheeling or anything in a cherry new $50k car, but it gets a bit hairy on the way to some of the favorite trout streams and backpacking spots here in CO.

Still blows me away that I give up a full inch of ground clearance if I trade in the Outback XT for an Explorer!

 

[grrtrainman]

‘Just checked: my 2013 Limited 302A 4WD w/ factory tow package has the Hankook Optimo H426 - P255 / 50R20 rubber. Somehow you’d think the “Sport” model might have different tires, no ??? So far, I am pleased with the ‘Kooks’ . I don't plan on any deep woods stuf.

 

[peterk9]

Does anyone have any insight into the OEM tires shipping with the new Sport? In particular, the all seasons. I'm not feeling so great about this photo I found on autoblog:

Those clearly look to be Hankook Optima H426s. It's happened before, so I know the pain. Just don't want to be burned with sub par tires on a fantastic new ride. Will probably work out a deal with a tire shop to trade them out for some Michs on day one. What do other Sport orderers think?

That is the same tire I had on my 2011 Limited. I had them taken off the same day that I picked it up and put on Yokohama Parada Spec-X tires. I had to call around to different tire shops because most weren't interested in the Hankooks.
For Winter, I have the 17" BFG Winter Slalom KSI tires on the base model 17" steelies.

Peter

 

[waskly]

this is a little off topic but, what's so bad about Hankook ?

 

[peterk9]

this is a little off topic but, what's so bad about Hankook ?

When I checked user reviews while waiting for my Explorer, there were many that were very critical of its Winter performance. Even one of our members here couldn't make up his slightly inclined driveway with his AWD. As I was taking ownership in March and Winter weather was not quite over, I decided to change the tires to one with a slighly more aggressive tread. Also OEM tires are not usually made to last. They are put on to sell the car and I think that the manufacturer will sign a deal for a certain length of time and that will usually be with the lowest bid. Many owners have not had any problems with the Hankooks while a few have.
If I had to do it over again, I may have kept the OEM tires but I have no regrets going with the Yokos and always use Winter tires as well.

Peter

 

[gobronx]

this is a little off topic but, what's so bad about Hankook ?

Well... I don't really know if there is anything wrong with the Hankooks. I've heard good and bad things about Hankooks but never owned a set. I'm a bit of Michellin guy, never had a bad experience and love the Pilot a/s sport pluses I'm riding on right now. But I'm not a pro on tires and not necessarily loyal to any given brand. Whatever works best with the vehicle and in the predominate conditions, that's what I want to go with. Of course, treadlife and price goes a long way in the decision process.

Basically, I don't know anything about the Optimas other than the reviews on tirerack, which are not good at all. So I'm hoping to get some feedback before I drive on a tire for a month, decide I don't like the tire, but then it's too late and I'm stuck with them for three plus years.

I've read some good things about the Bridgestone Duells in that size. I need a good all season that's going to grip well in summer with minimal body roll, handle some wet roads, stay quiet enough so I don't notice, wear evenly and slowly. Most of all, I need a tire that can do a stellar job (for all seasons) in the snow.

 

[Carnivore]

I have the hankook optimos on my 2011 limited and I love them. They are quiet, they wear perfectly and they grip the road well. I turn really hard and rarely do they lose traction. I have 27k miles on my exmplorer and the tires still look new! They really are good tires!

 

[Carnivore]

I will say I have not had them in much snow so I don't know how well they do in snow, but in rain, dry pavement and sand they are fantastic!

 

[WiEx]

I'm planning to keep the Hankooks and use winter tires during the cold and snow. The tirerack reviews of the Hankooks are particularly poor for winter use.

 

[Dr Plastic]

Although I do not own an Explorer Sport I had these tires for 5 years on my '08 Malibu...they were great tires, Great traction in the slippery stuff. My only nit pic is that they were a tad bit loud at highway speed. They are standard equipment on Porsches and some BMW's

 

[peterk9]

Well... I don't really know if there is anything wrong with the Hankooks. I've heard good and bad things about Hankooks but never owned a set. I'm a bit of Michellin guy, never had a bad experience and love the Pilot a/s sport pluses I'm riding on right now. But I'm not a pro on tires and not necessarily loyal to any given brand. Whatever works best with the vehicle and in the predominate conditions, that's what I want to go with. Of course, treadlife and price goes a long way in the decision process.

Basically, I don't know anything about the Optimas other than the reviews on tirerack, which are not good at all. So I'm hoping to get some feedback before I drive on a tire for a month, decide I don't like the tire, but then it's too late and I'm stuck with them for three plus years.

I've read some good things about the Bridgestone Duells in that size. I need a good all season that's going to grip well in summer with minimal body roll, handle some wet roads, stay quiet enough so I don't notice, wear evenly and slowly. Most of all, I need a tire that can do a stellar job (for all seasons) in the snow.

If you want a tire that does a stellar job in Winter, get a dedicated Winter tire. The problem with a so called 'all season' tire isn't as much the grip in snow as it is the grip on cold bare pavement. An 'all season' tire begins to lose grip at 44 degrees F. As the temp gets lower, the traction gets worse due to the rubber compound hardening. Winter tires have been proven to reduce stopping distances by up to 20% compared to non Winter tires due to tread and a softer rubber compound with increased traction.
Hankook and some other manufacturers now have come out with what they call a true all season tire that has part of the tread designed for Winter and the other for non Winter driving. In my opinion, it is a trade-off on both kinds of dedicated tires.
In Canada, one province, Quebec, has mandated the use of Winter tires from December 15th to March 15th. My insurance company gives me a 5% discount on my yearly premium for using Winter tires from November to March.
This just goes to reinforce the importance of safety in using a dedicated Winter tire.
Anyway that's my 5 cents worth. Have to get used to that since the penny here is being discontinued.

Peter

 

[gpzrider]

I really don't know why people complain about the hankooks on snow. I've driven my EX up 30 degree slopes on ice with no problem. Obviously with awd. I have prada spec x's on my awd fx35. They perform exactly the same in harsh conditions. Well actually the spec x's don't stick as nicely when your driving 45 mph on snow covered roads. But that is more a function of the foot print being much wider than the foot print, ie contact patch of the hankooks.

 

[gdecamp]

i've had the Hankooks on my Limited for a little over a year now and they seem fine.

 

[peterk9]

i've had the Hankooks on my Limited for a little over a year now and they seem fine.

The Hankooks are fine. They, like every so called 'all season' tire, are just not designed for cold weather driving. They just cannot match a dedicated Winter tire for traction and safety.

As for the Poll, there is no such thing as a solid all season tire unless you live in a region where the temperature rarely falls below 44 degrees F.

Peter

 

[gobronx]

The Hankooks are fine. They, like every so called 'all season' tire, are just not designed for cold weather driving. They just cannot match a dedicated Winter tire for traction and safety.

As for the Poll, there is no such thing as a solid all season tire unless you live in a region where the temperature rarely falls below 44 degrees F.

Peter

To rehash on what I was saying earlier, I have no experience with the Hankooks, which is why I'm asking. They pull 3 out of 10 stars as a user rating over at Tire Rack. And that scares me. A lot. There are some people posting reviews over there that know way more about rubber than I will ever need to.

As far as all all seasons being created equal, I'd say that's an extremely subjective statement. I've played around enough to know that my experience would say otherwise. On an 88 Taurus. Then I compared and contrasted on my 97 T Bird. I did the same on my 98 Explorer where the Firestones fell flat against Mich. Most recently, I dropped the Bridgestone Potenzas for some Michelin Pilot A/S Pluses. Night and day. The more affordable tire actually wins out by a landslide, in sun and snow.

I live in Colorado, where "all season" isn't a catchy marketing moniker, but a reality as far as what I can potentially see in a day. I see some ice, plenty of snow, and do a fair bit of mountain driving every winter. Winter tires aren't really worth investing in if I can find something that suits well when it snows. I may go 6 weeks without driving in snow during the winter - sun and 50-60 degree temps. Then we get 14 inches of snow. It's just too unpredictable.

I don't doubt the Hankooks in normal, dry conditions. It's the slick roads, 3 inches of slush, and driving on hard pack that I care about. I just need to understand if they'll do the same job as some competitor tire or if they really are below par (as I've read other places).

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

The Hankooks on my 2011 have been excellent. Even after 51,000 miles. I have over 320,000 miles of driving experience on SUV tires in an Explorer (2003, 2005, 2007 and now my 2011). This has been the best tire so far. I have NEVER had an SUV tire last more than about 45,000 miles, until now. I plan to replace the Hankooks in November. With that said, I plan to replace these with the Bridgestone Alenza. I had the Alenza's on my 2007 Eddie Bauer and they were a slightly better tire in the winter.

I also have over 80,000 miles of experience driving at high speeds in performance sports cars. So, I feel fairly knowledgeable in tires.

 

[peterk9]

As far as all all seasons being created equal, I'd say that's an extremely subjective statement. I've played around enough to know that my experience would say otherwise. I don't doubt the Hankooks in normal, dry conditions. It's the slick roads, 3 inches of slush, and driving on hard pack that I care about. I just need to understand if they'll do the same job as some competitor tire or if they really are below par (as I've read other places).

I didn't say all 'all-season tires are created equal. They certainly are not. Just as not all Winter tires are created equal. What I said is that all-season tires were not really created for cold weather driving. They have a harder rubber compound that begins to stiffen at 44 degrees and get worse as the temp drops. Dedicated Winter tires on the other hand use a different rubber compound that will stay more flexible in cold temperatures and therefore will provide not only better traction in the cold but will also be safer. That is one reason why some insurance companies now offer premium discounts if you use four dedicated Winter tires and also why some jusridictions have brought in laws to cover their mandatory use during certain times of the year.
I'm not saying that an all-season tire won't get you through the Winter, it just can't provide the overall traction and safety of a dedicated Winter tire. In the end it is all about being well informed. There is a reason they make Winter tires and it isn't all $$$ since with one set you replace them more often. With two sets, you extend the life of each.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair/can-all-season-tires-really-handle-the-snow

Peter