replaced OEM 17" ContiProContacts with 17" Michelin Priamcy MXM4's

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
The car came with 17" silver Goal wheels wrapped in Continental ContiProContacts. Awful tires. Grip was O.K. in dry and wet, but they were the noisiest, harshest tires I've ever had. I was looking forward to the day I could ditch them.

In the winter, I run a set of 16" aluminum rims from TireRack with Continental ExtremeWinterContacts. GREAT winter tire. I got them because they were well-rated both by TireRack's staff reviews, as well as Consumer Report's reviews. Winter performance was great, and they handled much better than my 15" Dunlops that I ran on my Mk4 Golf.

I mention my winter setup because those winter tires rode SO smoothly and SO quietly. When I put my winter wheels on, I went "aaahhh" at the quietness and smoothness. And putting the summer ContiProContacts back on was depressing, because it meant I had 8 months of harsh, loud tires ahead of me.

So I wasn't sure what to do when it came time to (somewhat prematurely) ditch the ContiProContacts. I was torn between trying a different set of 17's, or whether I should ditch the Goal wheels and get a set of VW 16" wheels. Was it the tire, or was it simply the wheel size?

Well, I went with a new set of 17" Michelin Primacy MXM4's. And I'm glad I did. They are a great tire. HUGE improvement over the ContiProContacts. Smooth and quiet, although not quite as quiet as a 16". We've got a section of highway that's extremely rough (lots of aggregate poking through the concrete), and these new tires are very tolerable on it. At highway speed they're quiet, too.

One downside is that I lost 2mpg when I went back to the 17's.

I had 4 sets of Michelins on my Mk4 Golf, and they were all excellent tires, so I've been a fan of Michelins. They're more expensive tires, but worth it, in my opinion. I hope we don't get into a tiff with France where we have to boycott French things again. :) (think 'freedom fries')
 

koharatx

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
USA
TDI
Golf TDI
I agree they're kinda crappy, but not the worst. I DID win that autocross event on the ContiProContacts. They're not a summer tire, they're all-season. They do NOT have very much grip, and yes, they're noisey as hell. I think there was only one other car out there that seemed to make as much noise as mine.

I believe the ContiProContacts are meant to be a cheaper, low rolling resistance tire. With a 400 tread wear rating, that would suggest a hard compound, which is not ideal for grip or comfort by any means. Traction is rated at AA and temperature at A, but these grades do not pertain to performance characteristics at all. Hankook semi-slicks are rated at 40 C A by the government UTQA standards, because traction, according to the government, simply means your tire can stop your car on wet pavement.

Seeing as how I am now in Germany, and my ContiProContacts are showing some wear, I haven't decided yet whether I want to get a dedicated set of snow tires, or just run some good all-seasons for my next set of tires. I have a feeling that if I get snow tires, I may only be using them for one season.
 

ksing44

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Location
Southeast PA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Great news! I'm planning to get the Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires when I need new tires. I loved the old MXV4 tires on my Mercedes. I'm also planning to go up to 235/45/17 for a little beefier look and taller sidewall to fill the fender gap. I suspect the taller sidewall may also smooth the ride. I already run my tires a little softer than many. I keep them at 32 psi, which I think does help with the ride comfort and noise too.

Thanks again for the report!
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
I think this will be my next set of tires:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ar=2010&autoModel=Golf TDI&autoModClar=4-Door

I've been so impressed with my General Altimax Arctic winter tires that I've become quite a fan of General tires. And these G-Max tires are significantly less expensive than the Michelins ($448 vs $716 for a set of four tires), while also getting a very high rating on Tire Rack.

So that's my plan, once my OEM Contis wear out, which won't be for awhile since I have winter tires installed four months out of the year.
 

KITEWAGON

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Location
Seacoast, NH
TDI
2014 Touareg Exec, 2014 JSW
I think this will be my next set of tires:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ar=2010&autoModel=Golf TDI&autoModClar=4-Door

I've been so impressed with my General Altimax Arctic winter tires that I've become quite a fan of General tires. And these G-Max tires are significantly less expensive than the Michelins ($448 vs $716 for a set of four tires), while also getting a very high rating on Tire Rack.

So that's my plan, once my OEM Contis wear out, which won't be for awhile since I have winter tires installed four months out of the year.
I did this exact thing on my last car. Loved my General artics so I went with a set of high rated General all seasons and I hated them. I wished that I had stuck with Michelins. I can't remember the model but I don't think they were gmax.
 

davebugs

Vendor
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
Pittsburgh suburb
TDI
2001 Golf TDI Automatic, MKIV rear axle bushing install tools
I have the Michelins being discussed on factory 17" GTI wheels that I got used that are decent other than the slightly rougher ride.

I have had 2 sets of 4 General Altimax's 195/65/15 for my original Gold wheels and really think they are a good value even though I don't like them being directional.
 

CryoTech

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Location
VA
TDI
2011 tdi sportwagen
michelin > all other tires. I hate the contis on mine. Even more than runflats on a BMW
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
I did this exact thing on my last car. Loved my General artics so I went with a set of high rated General all seasons and I hated them. I wished that I had stuck with Michelins. I can't remember the model but I don't think they were gmax.
For what it's worth, the G-Max model is considered an ultra high performance all-season tire, so I wouldn't expect it to perform like a typical all-season tire that you might find on a Toyota Camry.

What was it you hated about the General all seasons you tried in the past? Were they ultra high performance tires?
 

MaddogTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Location
MetroWest, MA
TDI
2011 Golf TDI, United Grey, 6M
I love my Conti ProContacts... Great dry and wet grip and braking IMO. Good compromise between efficiency, grip, and noise. Much prefer to have them on the car than my General Altimax Arctics... Although I love those as well for their phenomenal snow & ice grip. Just love the performance and reduce noise from the Conti's more.
 

gmcjetpilot

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Location
Memphis TN
TDI
2010 JSW TDI DSG Matalic Grey
Great info... I am running 16" Hankook Optimo 725A LRR tires... the road noise is OK, good... However I just bought a set of GOAL 17" VW OEM rims... and now looking for some rubber to wrap them in... The Michelin's sound good.

Looking at Discount Tire Direct they have some nice rubber (according to customer reviews) in the sub $120 range, even down to $90. I think we are conditioned to think paying more is better on tires. Or name brand has to be better.

I am VERY happy with my 16" Hankook Optimo 725A's. It is interesting they go for $122 on tire rack but in 17" they are $114. Usually the lower profile tires are more expensive. Any way have another +5K of good tread on the current tires, then I will make the switch from 16" to 17".
 

St.Hubbins

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Location
Nashville
TDI
'10 Golf, DSG / '11 A3, DSG (both went buyback) - '15 GSW SE
i'm also looking forward to swapping the Conti's for something like the Primacy's... don't think i can wait to wear 'em out, either (only 19k), so i guess i'll try to sell em to offset some of the $$ of Michelins.
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
My local dealer (TCI -- Tire Centers, Inc.) has a $70 Michelin mail-in rebate for the month of March when you buy a set. That's probably true at dealers near you. TireRack had that deal through the month of Feb.

I put on about 40k miles on the Continentals, and they still had some life left. Probably could have gotten 50k. (the other 15k were on my snow tires)
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
When I bought the car in 2010, I didn't needs 17's. But the car on the lot had the 17" Goals on it, and I hated the look of the Biolines that were the stock 16" rim. The Goals look good.



Before buying these replacement 17" Michelins, I seriously considered selling the Goals and getting a set of 16" VW wheels. Something like Mugellos. I like the classic 5-spoke look:



The 17" Prmacies are good, and I'm content. They are quieter. However, since they are still 45-profile, they transmit more harshness than 16's. When I first drove on the new Primacys -- which was coming off of my 16" snows -- for a moment I thought they shop had mis-balanced them. I was feeling a vibration. Well, it was just undulations in the road. The waviness in the asphalt produced by traffic. Expansion joints are a little harsher. Et cetera. These things weren't being felt when I had the 16" snows on. But they are more apparent with 17's.

If I had it to do all over again from scratch with a new car, I'd probably go with 16's. The advantages of 16's are:
* Lower cost (~$50 per tire....it can add up over 5 sets of tires in 300k miles, like I had on the old Golf)
* Quieter/smoother
* Better mileage. I see a ~2mpg INCREASE in mileage when I put the 16" snows on in the late fall, and have seen that ~2mpg decrease when I put the 17" Goals back on in the spring. (however, now that the temps have also warmed up, I'm back up to 40-48mpg on my commutes on the 17's, depending on temp. and wind.)
 
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wsktdi

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Location
Topanga, CA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagon
If I replace my contis with the primacies and also move to a 50 profile, will the extra little bit of rubber help reduce road noise?
 

RNDDUDE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Location
Valencia Ca.
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
I have the Primacy MXM4's on my JSW, although in a 225-50-18 size (NOT the runflats). Only about 1K on them so far, but they are quiet and return very good MPG, ALMOST as good as the BS 205-55-16's they replaced. I would recommend. BTW, got the best price thru Discount Tire online, and I checked MANY places....
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
If I replace my contis with the primacies and also move to a 50 profile, will the extra little bit of rubber help reduce road noise?
Probably a wee bit, but I wouldn't do it, personally. The outside diameter of the tire will be larger than the car was designed for, and the speedometer and odometer will be off.
 

mischievousMk6

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Location
Albany, NY
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
could that difference in MPG also be due to the tire diameter affecting odometer and thus the cars calculations of mileage?
 

RNDDUDE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Location
Valencia Ca.
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
could that difference in MPG also be due to the tire diameter affecting odometer and thus the cars calculations of mileage?
Absolutely, but if you measure the tire rollout (circumference) on both sets, you can calculate the % error and adjust your MPG accordingly. Odometer will be off also. Some states have sections of the freeway with marked, calibrated 5 mile sections marked at each mile for verifying odometer accuracy. It is possible that a tire size change might result in a MORE accurate odometer reading....
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
could that difference in MPG also be due to the tire diameter affecting odometer and thus the cars calculations of mileage?
The outside diameter of the tires is the same. With the larger rim, you have a lower profile. There is no difference in odometer/speedometer.

225-45/R17
205-55/R16

225*0.45*2/25.4 + 17 = 205*0.55*2/25.4 + 16

width(mm)*profile(%)*2, converted to inches by 1in/25.4mm, and then adding the rim diameter.

I get only a 0.4% difference between the two. Your tire pressure will affect things more than that.
 

vw_leadfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
GTA, Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI Wagen
I just ordered from www.discounttiredirect.com a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, 225/45ZR-17 91Y BSW, to replace my Conti's in a few weeks...highly recommended by my mechanic who runs them on his S4 and another mechanic there who runs them on his GTI...great tread life...I only got one summer out of my Continentals....great tire but very soft...

Just a nice fact for you Canadians, they have free shipping to Canada thus making their to my door price $91 cheaper than TireRack...
 
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gmcjetpilot

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Location
Memphis TN
TDI
2010 JSW TDI DSG Matalic Grey
* Lower cost (~$50 per tire....it can add up over 5 sets of tires in 300k miles, like I had on the old Golf)
Nice write up, but I would say that the difference between 205/55R-16's and 225/45R-17in price does NOT have to be great. In fact there are many 17's in this size that are way cheaper than 16 inchers. If you are looking ONLY at Michelin Primacy MXM4 than yes there is a $50 difference, but that is just Michelin.

You can find some VERY nice tires for under $100 in the 17's..... In fact the prices are about the same between 16 inch and 17 inch..... However if you stick with one brand, they may have some goofy price scheme. When I looked only at just LRR tires on Tirerack, there was a $30 difference for the lower profile 17 inchers.

However looking at other brands and tires, at tirerack.com and especially discount tires direct dot com ..... there is little difference between the two sizes, at least not $50 across the board.
 
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vw_leadfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
GTA, Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI Wagen
You must drive like a crazy person. Or you put a crazy amount of miles on your car over the course of one summer.
Yes I drive relatively hard/aggressive but safe. My daily commute is 140km minimum, mainly highway. If you look at the wear rating of this tire, which I did not when I bought them, it is really low. I didn't expect miracles out of a $121 tire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

RNDDUDE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Location
Valencia Ca.
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
vw leadfoot, you handle says it all!!! LOL
BTW, my daily commute is 150 miles, so I understand how the miles can roll up pretty quickly. My father was from Matheson (sp?), Ontario ....
 

gmcjetpilot

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Location
Memphis TN
TDI
2010 JSW TDI DSG Matalic Grey
Here are some 17's that look good (read the reviews) from Discount Tire Direct. All of these are WAY under $180, the price of Michelin Primus MXM4's</SPAN>

Nankang NS-1 Radial
Tire Size 225/45R-17XL 94H BSW
UTQG 340AA
Speed Rating H
Ultra high performance is now available at a
very affordable price. H speed rated.
$79.00
Free Shipping!


Falken Ziex ZE-512
Tire Size 225/45ZR-17 XL 94W
Mileage Warranty "30,000 miles"
UTQG 360AA
Speed Rating Z
All-season performance. W-speed rated. Rated #1
by a leading consumer magazine.
$96.00
Free Shipping!


Kumho Ecsta AST
Tire Size
225/45R-17XL 94H BSW
UTQG 400AA
Speed Rating H
"High performance grip, handling and all-season"
traction.
$99.00
Free Shipping!


Hankook Ventus V2 Concept H437
Tire Size 225/45R17XL 94V DSB
UTQG 500AA
Speed Rating V
"High performance, all-season tire."
$102.00
Free Shipping!


Falken Ziex ZE-912
Tire Size 225/45R-17 94W XL B
Mileage Warranty "40,000 miles"
UTQG 360AA
Speed Rating Z
All-season performance tire for your import
tuner car. Z-speed rated.
$103.00
Free Shipping!


Kumho Ecsta ASX
Tire Size 225/45R-17 94W XL BW
Mileage Warranty "30,000 miles"
UTQG 40AA
Speed Rating Z
Premium ultra-high performance with all-season
capability. Z-speed rated.
$103.00
Free Shipping!


Falken Ziex ZE-612
Tire Size 225/45R17XL 94W BLK
Mileage Warranty "40,000 miles"
UTQG 360AA
Speed Rating Z
All-season performance touring.
$108.00


Kumho Ecsta 4X KU22
Tire Size 225/45R17XL 94W BSW
Mileage Warranty"40,000 miles"

UTQG 420AA
Speed Rating Z
Ultra-high performance all season.
$111.77
Free Shipping!


Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105
Tire Size 225/45ZR-17 94W XL B
Mileage Warranty "50,000 miles"
UTQG 420AA
Speed Rating Z
Ultra high performance all-season. Z-speed
rated.
$113.00
Free Shipping!


Nitto NT NeoGen ZR
Tire Size 225/45ZR-17 XL 94W B
UTQG 280AA
Speed Rating Z
Designed for sport compact enthusiasts. Z-speed
rated.
$113.00
Free Shipping!



Falken Azenis PT-722
Tire Size 225/45R17 91V BLT
Mileage Warranty "60,000 miles"
UTQG 600AA
Speed Rating V
Premium performance touring.
$117.00
Free Shipping!


I bought a set of Falken's for my 1991 Acura Legend last year before I sold it, and it was WOW, night and day.... the car was so smooth, handled better, was quiet..... So as a brand I was impressed. I currently have 205/55R-16 Hankook Optimo H725A's on my 2010 JSW.... they came with the car (I bought the car used, CPO from the dealer, about 13 weeks ago). They look nice, handle great, OK on road noise (but have nothing to compare it to), and I am gussing they came OEM with decent tread, now with +40K miles. I don't think they will go another 20K but another 5K-10K for sure.
 

VDUB_TDI_2004

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Location
Daytona Beach, FL
TDI
2011 JSW TDI
MXM4 run flat or regular??

Tirerack has Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP (Run Flat) on sale for $129. Are the run flat tires as good as non run flat? The price difference is about $50 per tire. I need to replace my original Conti's which are at the end of their life (40k miles)
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
run flats

Run flats are for cars like Corvettes that don't come with spare tires so they can drive safely on the flat tire until the tire can be replaced. Reports say they also have a stiffer ride and they often wear unevenly.
 
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