Since the other Ranger thread got off topic I wanted to start a fresh one.

I ordered these from TireRack.com (through our wonderful EOC link) and they were drop shipped to my local guys the next day. (UPS ground was 1 day from just over the border in Georgia.)

This is my initial report, I'll check back at 500 miles, 2500 miles and 5000 miles I'm thinking, and then every 5k after that.

Initial Thoughts:

1. I love that they are blackwall. OWL would look nice, but I don't want to have to keep it clean, and finding tires that I like for the E that weren't OWL was tough.

2. The price was worth the shot. Out the door they were under $400 for a 520 treadwear tire. If they're awful, I'll change them out for a set of Alenzas or Forteras, but for now I'm happy to try the Ranger's for $200+ less.

3. The tread pattern is aggressive for a Highway All-Season. Basically I just like how it looks. But the tires have deep channels, and look like they'll be good in the rain. For the few minutes they were in a heavy downpour they seemed to stick nicely. (Of course my Wranglers had 25k+ on them, and maybe 3/32 left on the tread, so ANYTHING might feel better to me.)

4. They feel a little slushy to me on the response. That could be the difference in the tread depth though. I'll comment more on that as they break in.

5. Quiet, quiet, quiet! They've considerably reduced the road noise that I had with the original Wranglers.

500 miles:
Well, I'm over 600 miles after a long road trip down to St. Petersburg. The tires were fantastic on the interstate, much, much quieter than my old HPs. And, overall, quiet in general.

I really like the grip I get at 36 psi in the front and 38 psi in the back (my preferred psi combo).

In wet conditions I could hardly tell a difference in traction from dry. We're talking heavy, heavy rain at 45mph and Interstate speeds (70+).

The response is better now that they are broken in more, and I need my alignment adjusted (they over corrected a bit imho and I want it checked again.)

They smooth out a lot of the bumps in the road even at my tire pressures. My "E" is still a bit bouncy, but a lot less Jeep like than with the Wranglers at the same psi combo.

I'm immensely happy with these tires for the price! See ya again at 2500+

2500 miles:
http://www.emptynotebook.com/2007/10/02/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-3-2500-miles/

5000 miles:
http://www.emptynotebook.com/2008/01/01/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-4-5000-miles/

10000 miles:
http://www.emptynotebook.com/2008/04/23/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-5/

Thanks for sharing. Will be looking forward to hearing more about your experiences.

Anticipate that I'll soon be buying a new set from Tire Rack . Probably will go with the stock size. I noticed on the Tire Rack's comparison chart (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HAS&tireSearch=true&width=215/&ratio=70&diameter=16&speed_rating=S&speed_rating=T&speed_rating=U&speed_rating=H&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2005&autoModel=Element%20EX&vehicleSearch=true&autoModClar=4wd&filter=y&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2005&autoModel=Element%20EX&vehicleSearch=true&autoModClar=4wd) that the AVON TSE, Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051, and Michelin LTX M/S all ranked well.

Primarily because of past positive experiences, I'm leaning toward the Yokohamas. But still haven't made up my mind. Please keep us informed about your experiences.

Would be pleased to hear about other peoples experiences as well.

Best of luck.

:)

Ordered the Rangers recently and put about 200 miles on them so far. They have been pretty good, no complaints here. Had a pretty good rain storm this past weekend and they did well, even on the autobahn.

I was not as lucky to get the great price you did though. Paided around $500 total after overseas shipping :mad:, balance and mount. Still much cheaper than getting a set of tires here locally... dollar to Euro rate sucks right now. :evil:

Don't really remember what the Wranglers felt like when E was brand new, but after 25K on them, the Rangers are of course a better and quieter ride.

I agree I have about 1000 miles on mine and I am very pleased. They are a huge improvement over the stock tires, and I loved the price also. I am interested to see how they perform in winter weather.

UPDATE @ 500 miles:

Well, I'm over 600 miles after a long road trip down to St. Petersburg. The tires were fantastic on the interstate, much, much quieter than my old HPs. And, overall, quiet in general.

I really like the grip I get at 36 psi in the front and 38 psi in the back (my preferred psi combo).

In wet conditions I could hardly tell a difference in traction from dry. We're talking heavy, heavy rain at 45mph and Interstate speeds (70+).

The response is better now that they are broken in more, and I need my alignment adjusted (they over corrected a bit imho and I want it checked again.)

They smooth out a lot of the bumps in the road even at my tire pressures. My "E" is still a bit bouncy, but a lot less Jeep like than with the Wranglers at the same psi combo.

I'm immensely happy with these tires for the price! See ya again at 2500+

UPDATE @ 2500 miles

Here's the link to Part 3 of my review after 2500 miles with the tires. (http://www.emptynotebook.com/2007/10/02/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-3-2500-miles/)

I just ordered a set from tire rack. I kept going back and forth tring to decide if I should wait until the Goodyears completely wear out or get a new set of tires before winter and before a big road trip I'm taking over Christmas. Decided that I didn't want to listen to the Goodyears for the road trip, so I ordered a set of the Avons.

I looked at the Michelin LTX M/S, the Goodyear Fortera SilentArmor, the Goodyear Fortera TripleTred, and the Avon Ranger TSE. The SilentArmors are good tires, but wear pretty quickly (had a set on my old Grand Cherokee that showed a lot of wear for 10K miles of easy use)...the wear concern was backed up by comments to that effect on tire rack. The TripleTred is rated as the #1 tire in the Highway All Season category, but there were a lot of comments about them being fairly noisy...noise is something I'm on a campaign to reduce in my E. I almost bought a set of the Michelin LTX M/S, but I like to have a little cushion and flexibility on tire pressures...the Michelin's max pressure is 35 psi, which means I'd be right on the max pressure...I like the flexibility to go a little higher than 35 for a little better MPG...right now I'm running 35 psi front and 37 psi rear onthe stock Goodyears.

So after reading good comments here and on tire rack's site, I ordered the Avons today. They should arrive sometime this week and be on the E before next weekend.

I just ordered a set from tire rack. I kept going back and forth tring to decide if I should wait until the Goodyears completely wear out or get a new set of tires before winter and before a big road trip I'm taking over Christmas. Decided that I didn't want to listen to the Goodyears for the road trip, so I ordered a set of the Avons.

I looked at the Michelin LTX M/S, the Goodyear Fortera SilentArmor, the Goodyear Fortera TripleTred, and the Avon Ranger TSE. The SilentArmors are good tires, but wear pretty quickly (had a set on my old Grand Cherokee that showed a lot of wear for 10K miles of easy use)...the wear concern was backed up by comments to that effect on tire rack. The TripleTred is rated as the #1 tire in the Highway All Season category, but there were a lot of comments about them being fairly noisy...noise is something I'm on a campaign to reduce in my E. I almost bought a set of the Michelin LTX M/S, but I like to have a little cushion and flexibility on tire pressures...the Michelin's max pressure is 35 psi, which means I'd be right on the max pressure...I like the flexibility to go a little higher than 35 for a little better MPG...right now I'm running 35 psi front and 37 psi rear onthe stock Goodyears.

So after reading good comments here and on tire rack's site, I ordered the Avons today. They should arrive sometime this week and be on the E before next weekend.

Good luck! I think you'll enjoy them, and personally I think they look great on the E.

My new Avon Ranger TSE tires arrived from TireRack on Wednesday afternoon, and I just had them mounted today (Friday 12 October 2007).

The stock Goodyear Wrangler HP tires had 8050 miles on them when I replaced them, so they still had quite a bit of tread left. I wasn't happy with the high noise levels and impact harshness, and I had not read good things about them at all concerning traction in snow & ice...I'm living in an area that gets both, and I'm taking a trip in December that will have me driving through Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California...all areas that I'm likely to run into less than optimal road conditions. So rather than wait, I decided to replace the Wranglers before they were worn out.

First impressions of the Avon Ranger TSE: WOW! WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I gotta say...either the Rangers are really great tires, or the Wranglers were really bad...perhaps some combination of the two. Granted, I've only driven about 15 miles so far, but the Avons are MUCH quieter...I still hear a little bit of tire noise, but it is VASTLY less than with the Goodyears. The impact harshness is also greatly reduced. Between all the sound deadening I had installed last week and the new Avons this week, I can now honestly say that my E is a quiet vehicle. Like wmk7479 noticed, they do feel a little "slushy" in the response, but I'm chalking that up to the fact that the little nubs haven't even worn off yet.

Like others have said here, I wish I would have changed out the Goodyears immediately. Goodyear does make some good tires, and the Wrangler HPs are certainly very good in terms of fuel economy (low rolling resistance), and I did like the look of the Wranglers. But the Avons seem to be a much better tire, at least in terms of impact harshness and noise. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough how they handle rain, snow, and ice.

I did have to chuckle a bit about one thing on the Avons...molded into the sidewall of the tire is a warning: "mount only on 16 inch rim." Well DUH! I know I shouldn't ask this, but what kind of idiot would mount a 16 inch tire on anything BUT a 16 inch rim?!?!?! :lol:

FWIW my Bad Years lasted less than 30K/2 years. Here in Texas, we have inspection every year except on brand new vehicles. So I'm just coming due for my first, @ 2 years. The state requires 4mm of tread...I have maybe 3, so it isn't me being persnickety or anything. But the Bad Years have always slipped far too much in the wet and are a legit safety concern. The traction just ain't there. Terrible excuse for a tire IMO, and I'm a total dolt about these things.

Based on what I read in here and tire rack, I ordered them and hope to have them mounted locally today. Crossing my fingers that the mpg doesn't take too much of a beating. More as developments warrant.

I did have to chuckle a bit about one thing on the Avons...molded into the sidewall of the tire is a warning: "mount only on 16 inch rim." Well DUH! I know I shouldn't ask this, but what kind of idiot would mount a 16 inch tire on anything BUT a 16 inch rim?!?!?! :lol:

The same kind of idiot that would use an electric hair dryer in the shower or tub.

Bob

FWIW my Bad Years lasted less than 30K/2 years. Here in Texas, we have inspection every year except on brand new vehicles. So I'm just coming due for my first, @ 2 years. The state requires 4mm of tread...I have maybe 3, so it isn't me being persnickety or anything. But the Bad Years have always slipped far too much in the wet and are a legit safety concern. The traction just ain't there. Terrible excuse for a tire IMO, and I'm a total dolt about these things.

Based on what I read in here and tire rack, I ordered them and hope to have them mounted locally today. Crossing my fingers that the mpg doesn't take too much of a beating. More as developments warrant.

I've put a few hundred miles on mine so far, and have run one complete fill-up and just into the 2nd tank with the Avons. I didn't notice a gas mileage hit on the first tank, but I track my gas mileage so if I do take a hit I should see it soon.

What I have noticed is that they have continued to be quiet. There was a bit of a "squishy" feeling at first as well as a small loss of directional stability, but both have gone away. I attribute both to the tires getting broken in and losing the little nubs on the treads. I've also noticed that they seem to do well in the rain...we've had some pretty heavy rain since I had them installed last week, and they do quite well in terms of traction and stability. I did spin them once pulling away from a stoplight, but I think that was a combination of the heavy rain, the tires were sitting on a wide painted line when I hit the gas, and I hit the gas much heavier than normal because I needed to get out & around the guy in the next lane over.

So I'm very happy with the Avons. Good tires so far!

I have at least 20 miles on them so far and they seem quieter than the Bad Years. NTB did okay by me, though I'd say you may want to demonstrate some savvy. I took in a couple of internet printouts from tirerack.com, though over the phone some mysterious charges were included.

Disclaimer: NTB may have different deals with different vendors, so maybe their over-the-phone quotes etc. may not have been a clip-job. Ultimately they did right by me, had the new tires on in about an hour as promised....no fuss, no muss.

Updates

1) After 1 tank, I got 22 mpg for mixed driving...very comparable to what I usually get.

2) I think they're a lot quieter than the Bad Years. Traction is much improved, though not perfect.

3) NTB scratched one of my rims while installing them. It took about a week to remedy, but they made it right, sending it out to have it airbrushed it. All seems fine now.

Tank #2: 22 mpg in mixed driving. Mileage may be down slightly from what I'd expect but it isn't significant. Very satisfied so far.

I did have to chuckle a bit about one thing on the Avons...molded into the sidewall of the tire is a warning: "mount only on 16 inch rim." Well DUH! I know I shouldn't ask this, but what kind of idiot would mount a 16 inch tire on anything BUT a 16 inch rim?!?!?! :lol:

Some older trucks, came with 16.5 inch rims when 14 and 15 inch wheels were the norm.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd say the best choice in tires would be...AWD.

I drive through the smallest puddle and when I accelerate very moderately the front tires slip, even with new tires. Maybe the tires will become broken in and that will change, but it still surprises me.

I don't offroad, I don't get much winter driving, and there would be a slight loss in gas mileage with AWD, so I didn't really consider it when I bought. But next time, I'd get AWD.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd say the best choice in tires would be...AWD.

I drive through the smallest puddle and when I accelerate very moderately the front tires slip, even with new tires. Maybe the tires will become broken in and that will change, but it still surprises me.

I don't offroad, I don't get much winter driving, and there would be a slight loss in gas mileage with AWD, so I didn't really consider it when I bought. But next time, I'd get AWD.

Odd... I love the traction in the rain here in Florida, and I have a FWD. What tire pressures are you running?

If I had it to do all over again, I'd say the best choice in tires would be...AWD.

I drive through the smallest puddle and when I accelerate very moderately the front tires slip, even with new tires. Maybe the tires will become broken in and that will change, but it still surprises me.

I don't offroad, I don't get much winter driving, and there would be a slight loss in gas mileage with AWD, so I didn't really consider it when I bought. But next time, I'd get AWD.

You'd still get a little slip even if you had a 4WD E. The RT4WD system is front-drive until the front tires spin, and then it's a purely mechanical system that gets the rears into play...no electronics, no sensors, no nothing. In fact, the RT4WD will only come into play if the front wheels start spinning. I've only spun the front tires once...wet pavement, the tires were sitting on a large painted line, and I hit the gas harder than normal from a dead stop...but as soon as they started to spin, I backed off the throttle.

I'm kinda curious how the traction and stability control affect the operation of the RT4WD...since the RT4WD system must have spinning tires up front in order to operate, I wonder how much it'll actually come into play now that traction and stability control are standard.

By the way...I've put about 800 miles on my Avon Ranger TSE tires and they're doing great! Much quieter than the stock Goodyears, they smooth out the road impacts very nicely, and my gas mileage is the same as it has been all along even though the tread pattern on the TSE is a little more aggressive and each tire weighs 5 pounds more than the Goodyears.

NTB set them for 34 psi.

I drive a 5MT; we MT ppl have complained elsewhere that Honda should have had a taller 5th for OD/mpg, so maybe the gearing for first helps create that.

I just had 3rd fill up (21.5 mpg) so maybe they'll break in a little more? The spinning is really my only issue with them. They're far better than the Bad Years IMO.

Got a bump in mpg, up to around 23. Probably a fluke as it settled back to where it was. I have a long drive coming up and if anything dramatic results, I'll let you know.

Overall I like the Avons...for less $ than the original equipment, they give about the same mpg and produce less noise. I think there would have been less squawking on these boards if Honda had fitted the E with them in the first place.

Just wanted to check in... 4,000 miles and I love them. They're quiet and super in the rain.

Out of curiosity, has anyone had the tires in the snow? I won't get too much of that in Tallahassee, but I'm curious for other readers.

I've had the chance to use mine in light snow, on ice, and sluch. No issues...they grip well and feel safe. But I drive very gently in snow, ice, and slush...I'd rather stay on the road and keep my E shiny-side-up.

I have felt totally comfortable & confident with them in situations where other cars were sliding around very noticably. Last week in a snowfall, a couple of cars in front of me (a Dodge Grand Caravan and a BMW 330i) were both slipping around quite a bit, and I was able to drive over the same surfaces with no slipping. And on Sunday with icy roads and freezing rain, I made it through an off ramp just fine with no slipping, but a Grand Am behind me wasn't so lucky...I watched them slide off the road and down a gentle slope before coming to rest against a fence...no visible damage, but the driver was shaken up a bit.

Good tires and smart driving can help out a lot in snow & ice, but neither can overcome the worst of conditions.

Thanks Soldier, I'm glad to hear it!

I should have a 5k update on my Rangers after the new year.

Had my rangers in the snow a few times, nothing to deep so far. They are far superior to the OEM Goodyears. Its funny because the street I live on is a pretty steep hill that I must park facing up hill. While other people are struggling to get out I pull out with ease. There are even a few people with 4x4 explorers and one mountaineer spinning there tires, when I pull out they give me kind of a dirty look like "how did you get that box on wheels out so easy"?

Part 4 (5000 miles +) of my long term Avon Ranger TSE review is up (http://www.emptynotebook.com/2008/01/01/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-4-5000-miles/) on my blog

I have about 8,000 mi. on my Avon Ranger TSE's and I absolutely love them. Far superior to the stock Wrangler HP's; pure junk IMHO. I live in Upstate, NY and have had the opportunity to drive plenty in the snow this season. They perform flawlessly in +10", to the slushy stuff. No worries for anyone living in snow country. Mileage is still ~22 mpg, they are grippy dry/wet, and they are quiet, quiet, quiet. I paid $74 ea. for mine and I would buy these again without thinking twice. Seems like I'm not the only one, check out which tire scored the highest "Would Buy Again?" rating and which scored the lowest @ $133 each...

Tire Comparison (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareTires.jsp?sortValue=2&resultsNumberSelected=Y&displayResults=10&compare=true&compareList=30&RunFlat=All&goWhere=%252Ftires%252FCompare1.jsp&sortCode=&width=215%2F&ratio=70&diameter=16&startIndex=30)

I just bought a 2008 Atomic Blue Metallic Element EX 4WD AT today (woo whoo!) and I'm thinking that I'm going to have the dealer swap the tires before I pick it up... that is how much I believe in these over stock. I'm just not sure how this will affect my warranty.

Viggen, how's your tire wear going? I just pulled mine off at 7500 miles, and the readings at Honda were between 9/32 (front) and 10/32 (back). Since they started at 13/32, that kind of alarmed me, like I won't be getting the treadlife I was hoping for... close to 40,000.

I'll have to check with a depth gauge to see where mine are at. I do know they show no signs of visible wear and the shoulders look good with no signs of wear from rolling over. I traded the 2004 with the Avon's the other day and had too much going on to check then. The dealer told me I could think about whether or not I wanted to swap the tires over and let them know.

I'm a bit torn on whether to swap the stock Goodyear Wrangler HP's for the Avon's only because they do have 8,000 mi. on them but maybe the tread depth that is left will help me make the decision when I check. I'll check Monday and report back.

Viggen, how's your tire wear going? I just pulled mine off at 7500 miles, and the readings at Honda were between 9/32 (front) and 10/32 (back). Since they started at 13/32, that kind of alarmed me, like I won't be getting the treadlife I was hoping for... close to 40,000.

Well... here is the verdict.

8,000 mi. - Front: 10/32", Rear: 11/32"

So assuming the same wear factor and a 13/32" starting tread:

16,000 mi. - Front: 7/32", Rear: 9/32"
24,000 mi. - Front: 4/32", Rear: 7/32"
32,000 mi. - Front: 1/32", Rear: 5/32"

Granted they should be rotated regularly, but still this does not look good. I thought these were a 520 treadwear?? Looks like I might try the Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 next go round.

Well... here is the verdict.

8,000 mi. - Front: 10/32", Rear: 11/32"

So assuming the same wear factor and a 13/32" starting tread:

16,000 mi. - Front: 7/32", Rear: 9/32"
24,000 mi. - Front: 4/32", Rear: 7/32"
32,000 mi. - Front: 1/32", Rear: 5/32"

Granted they should be rotated regularly, but still this does not look good. I thought these were a 520 treadwear?? Looks like I might try the Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 next go round.

What pressures are you running? I'm 36 front / 38 rear.

The 520 is meaningless across brands from what I've read, so a 520 in Avon isn't the same as a 520 in Michelin or Bridgestone. I'm with you, if the Rangers only last me to 24,000... 4/32" then I'll spend the extra money that I was "saving" with the Avons.

Don't get me wrong, I love the tires wet or dry, but if the tread wear isn't too good, then I'm out. I don't want to put tires on my E every two years. :)

I believe mine were at 36 front and rear.

Hi Everyone,
I've owned my 05 E three years this month but I'm new here. Warranty runs out the 27th of April.
:(
I only have approx. 8,500 miles but I live in the mountains of western NC and drive on twisty roads so my Goodyears are almost all used up.
Wanted to thank you all for posting about tires, looks like I'll be going for the Yokos or the Avon callings.
Don
p.s. My other car is a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (they look funny in the garage together) and I love it but I also love my E!

Good luck with the choice... the Avon's aren't quite the bang for the buck I'd hoped, but they are very very good performers, if you don't mind changing them out after 25-30k miles.

Part 5 (10,000 miles) of my continuing review is up.

http://www.emptynotebook.com/2008/04/23/avon-ranger-tse-review-part-5/

Hi,
Had four Avon Ranger TSE tires put on my Element Tuesday, 4/22. I said in an earlier post the OEM Wranglers were used up at approx. 8,500 miles. The Avons feel good so far but it's early. One of the new Avon tires will be replaced as the vehicle pulled left constantly. Place where I got them switched the front tires to see what would happen and the vehicle then pulled right but not as much as it wanted to go left with the suspect tire on the front left. Shop said tire is probably out of round, can happen to any brand tire, and ordered me a new one. Kind of wish I'd gotten the Yokohamas now. My Porsche tires were also shot with under 8,000 miles so I got to put tires on it too this week. I put Yokohama Advan Sports on it. Can you say $1,800 for tires this week? I guess I'll get to try the Yokos on the E in another 8,500 miles when these Avon's are shot. More reports when the replacement tire comes in and I get some miles on these Rangers. Oh, I had the E aligned before the new tires so that isn't the reason for the pull.