I'd like to revive this thread and see if there is anyone out there that has used the Michelin X radial DT tires on their OBs. I've had these tires on a couple of other cars and I liked the way they performed. I have a 2008 OB 2.5i with 32000 miles and the original tires are down low enough I don't want to go through a winter with them. Will these tires work well with the OB?

A question concerning speed rating, these tires are T rated, whereas the original tires are V rated. The T rating is good for 118 MPH, I can't see any time I will get anywhere near 118 MPH. Is there any thing else I should consider here?

 

I put Michelin Xs (from Costco) on my 97 OB several years before I traded it on a new '11 OB. I was very satisfied with them overall. They were quiet and the car felt "steady on its feet" with them on both wet and dry roads and in hard cornering. They were good in snow as well. When the stock Conti tires on my '11 are ready for replacement, I will definitely consider the Michelin X, if it's still available.

 

I had to replace my Conti's on my '12 Outback Limited(picked up some screws too close to the sidewall, no one had any Conti's locally). Stopped by Costco, the only tire they had in stock to fit my '12 was the Michelin X. I had the X's on a prior '96 Ford Bronco and liked them, so I decided to give them a try.

On the 2012 Outback, they were the loudest tires that I have ever owned. I even took the manager of the local Costco tire department for a 18 mile test ride. He had over twenty years of tire experience with Costco, and agreed that they were very loud. We tried several different tire pressures and speeds with the X. He was shocked, so was I, as I have ALWAYS used Michelin tires. Since I only wanted Michelins, he ordered in some Michelin LX4's(?), which were quieter than the michelin X's, but still had a noticeable amount of road noise.

Both of my daughters have '10 Outbacks, both with original Conti tires, and unfortunately live 2500 miles from me. When they visit next time, I'll ask them if they can tell a difference.

I hope this helps.

 

Good road noise information to know about the Michelin X on the OB '12. I had good overall experience with the Michelin X on my CRV. The mild tire tread pattern was good for dry+wet conditions and with awd it was decent in snow. Definitely considering them when the Contis wear out.

 

My Michelin post

I'm very surprised (as it looks like you and the manager were also) to hear the X's were significantly loader than the Conti's. I'd guess you got an old model or a defective tire. They changed to an "SUV" version a few years back. It looks like the "Defender" is basically the next version of this tire with some small changes to the compound and tread.

Hopefully someone else that has these tires can jump in and comment on the road noise issue.

The X's were the quietest tire with awesome handling in most conditions that I've driven on six different vehicles. The only area I found them lacking was in mud. I went with the Ice Xi2's this time to try something different.