[bigal]

bigal,

It's not recommended to mix tire models on a car, they can pull differently in adverse weather conditions making a car unstable and unpredictable leading to accidents. I replaced 2 of my tires as well but used the factory model to change out the two baldish tires that were 2/32 depth on my Volt. Bought 4 tires of the same model 16798 91H Michelin Energy Savers to get the rebate on a 4 tire purchase. The last two new ones will be installed in the fall. The Michelin Energy savers aren't that great in rain and worse in snow but I live in SoCal so that's not usually an issue for me.

Stephen

Thank you. I really appreciate the alert, Stephen. Sadly, the GM dealership that services my volt recommended these tires. Even more sadly, not knowing you, I trust/value your opinion more than them! What to do now---

 

[stevon]

bigal,

No problem, I've done the same in the past with some sudden squirrely driving results wondering what was going on. It may not be dangerous if a similar tread pattern is used on both model tires. I forgot to mention that I have good weather here in San Diego and that I wanted the best Low Rolling Resistance tires available for a Gen 2 Volt, (my research verified) If you live in normal weather states with rain and snow then you did a good upgrade for your needs where you live. I recommend replacing the next 2 tires with the same model Uniroyal, Tiger Paw Touring all weather tires and make sure the part numbers match, for example there are 4 different part numbers for the available model Michelin Energy Saver A/S 215/50R 17, so I bought the lightest weight 16798 D/T version for my car. Purchased 4 of them on Amazon/TireRack, locally mounted.

Michelin Energy Saver A/S models available for the Volt:

MFR# 16798 91H 20 lbs Different Thread Formula (To make them last longer)
MFR# 11674 91H 21 lbs OEM Volt
MFR# 33539 91H 22 lbs OEM Bolt - Self Sealer
MFR# 51569 94V 22 lbs V Speed Rating

Stephen

Thank you. I really appreciate the alert, Stephen. Sadly, the GM dealership that services my volt recommended these tires. Even more sadly, not knowing you, I trust/value your opinion more than them! What to do now---

 

[underest]

FWIW, just replaced the original Michelins with Bridgestone Turanza Quiettracks. Night and day difference in performance, comfort, and noise.

Personally, I like Michelins a lot. And while the Pilot Sport 4S and Cup 2 tires I normally run (and like) are way different than the Energy Savers, I absolutely hated these tires. Noisy, lack of dry/wet grip (even in San Diego), and the fact that with tires rotated every 7.5K miles only lasted about 34K before hitting the wear bars was disappointing. They wore extremely evenly, but just more quickly than I expected.

With the Turanzas, the ride is much improved, no tire whine, and more grip all around. Range hasn’t really suffered; maybe lost 10% for the first 500 miles or so, but it’s the nearly the same now. I know these tires technically aren’t LRR, but do market their “tire technology” as fuel economy focused.

 

[obermd]

FWIW, just replaced the original Michelins with Bridgestone Turanza Quiettracks. Night and day difference in performance, comfort, and noise.

Personally, I like Michelins a lot. And while the Pilot Sport 4S and Cup 2 tires I normally run (and like) are way different than the Energy Savers, I absolutely hated these tires. Noisy, lack of dry/wet grip (even in San Diego), and the fact that with tires rotated every 7.5K miles only lasted about 34K before hitting the wear bars was disappointing. They wore extremely evenly, but just more quickly than I expected.

With the Turanzas, the ride is much improved, no tire whine, and more grip all around. Range hasn’t really suffered; maybe lost 10% for the first 500 miles or so, but it’s the nearly the same now. I know these tires technically aren’t LRR, but do market their “tire technology” as fuel economy focused.

Thanks for the quick review. My Bridgestone Ecopia 422+ are nearing the end of tread life and I don't really want to go into the winter season with them. I have to deal with snow, slush, and ice in the winter here in Denver. I've had Turanzas on other vehicles in the past and really liked them so I was leaning towards them again. I won't put Michelins on any car - they have zero traction in the wet.

 

[lpete14]

Following this post as I'm looking to replace tires on my 19 Volt before winter really hits here in MN. Seen some good suggestions, but wondering how one finds out if tires have low rolling resistance. I don't see that listed in the stats on tires. Would really like a tire that can handle the weather without impacting my electric range. Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[stevon]

lpete14,

In MN I would think safety should be your focus and major concern, what good is range mileage if your car is upside down on the side of the road! LLR tires are opposed to traction is what I found out in my weeks of research with snow being the ultimate challenge for any All Season/snow tire out there. I would look for traction in snow with "fuel saving design". Doing research the most you will get is opinions with little facts or scientific data from consumers, studies, research or the tire manufacturers. You can get opinions here on Volt tire experiences in this forum with a little research and a lot of reading. In tire design, It seems that you can't focus on a specific performance goal without compromises trading off some other performance variable. For example tread wear vs traction. The tire compound focused on traction tends to be softer than for a tire with treadwear set as a priority. Race tires are soft designed for "stick" as a priority and they could care less about longevity. Looks like you have a research project to do, at least many internet searches ahead of you if you want to find a definitive answer for your specific question. Scientific data is scarce I found out just for the tire LLR ratings of one brand versus another for example, sorry about the "wordiness" of my answer

Stephen

 

[Steverino]

In MN I would think safety should be your focus and major concern, what good is range mileage if your car is upside down on the side of the road!

That's why I invested in a set of snow wheels. All Season are at best 3 Season...

 

[mikeviater]

December 2022: I needed replacement tires for my 2013 Gen1 Volt after my OEM Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires wore out prematurely. Never missed a tire rotation and I am not a sped demon. Chevy dealer only quotes Fuel Max tires. I was able to get some pro-rated money back from this Fuelmax set and used it to purchase a set of BridgeStone Ecopia EP422 Plus.... They seem very good and it doesn't appear that I lost any range. I say "appear" because its difficult to judge in a midwest December where the ambient temp may vary 40 degrees from day to day... the colder the more range I lose, so tire effects on range are difficult to judge. Especially when the engine runs due to freezing temps even with battery is full. That being said, It appears to me my range has actually improved over the worn fuel max tires. I am very happy with the driving performance of the BridgeStone Ecopia EP422 PLus tires.

Mike