Toyo Open country A/T 215 vs Mich LTX 225's

6431 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Tuscan, Apr 30, 2010

TracyDP

Discussion Starter · Jun 24, 2009 (Edited)

Hey there PNW E owners. I am ready for some new tires and wanted opinions from NW Les Schwab customers that own Toyo tires. I want to go through my local Les Schwab store but they don't carry the Michelin tires that are so highly recommended on this site. I could probably have them order them but I am guessing it will cost more than the Toyos.

I also wonder if the wider 225 is worth it, I've heard good and bad on here. My main concern with new tires is that they handle better than the craptastic Wranglers and are quieter. The roads out here SUCK and are so noisy it drives me crazy.

Quote from LS for the Toyo Open country H/T 225 for $689
Quote from Americas Tire for the Mich LTX M/S 225 for $682 w/ $70 rebate (so $612)

Thoughts?

ETA: I peeled out trying to cut accross HWY 224 tonight so getting new tires has become a more pressing issue than I thought. I'm going to go with the Toyo's at the Estacada LS store tomorrow afternoon. I found some good reviews of them on here and decided it's worth the extra $80 for the free local tire rotations/flat repairs and pressure checks. The LS is only 4 miles from here and the nearest Americas is 30 min away. I've had 6 tire pressure alerts in the last 2 years, 2 of which ended up being a large foreign object in my tire. It's nice to have a repair close by.

I'll come back and post my opinions and experience for others looking at the same tires.

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CoolE'sRule

· #2 · Jun 25, 2009

TracyDP,

Looking forward to your opinions. There is a LS about 8 blocks from where I live, and while my '03 no longer has the Wranglers, it has some old Toyos (not the ones you are getting) on the front, and I think some Generals on the back. Maybe it's because I have a m/t, I find I also chirp the tires a lot when starting out.

Maybe you should try showing LS the Michelin bid from AT. Maybe they will give you some $$ off.

Doesn't cost anything to try!

Jeff

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Bobman79

· #3 · Jun 25, 2009

I decided I needed to replace the stock Wranglers when I started hydroplaning several times on a wimpy "mountain pass" with hardly any water on the road. I've always really liked the service at Les Schwab and was going to get those Open Country A/T tires, but I decided to check at Costco and found the Michelins for $100 before rebate. I did some more reading, and there are a lot of folks on here who have them, love them, and say they last forever. I now have about 20,000 miles on them, rotated regularly, and they still look new.

I would have loved to go with the Toyos and my local Les Schwab, but I couldn't justify the local love for an extra $150 after the rebates.

For what it's worth, both are excellent tires. I know lots of people here in Boise with the Toyos (and my in-laws on the other, more snowy side of the state), and all of them are happy. They are work well on road and off, in rain and snow, etc. You can't go wrong either way, so it seems to me that the question is really about whether it's worth paying more to go to Les Schwab or not. Had the price gap for me been closer, I still would have gone with the Toyos, but I exceeded my threshold where price won out over local/brand loyalty.

As for the width issue, I guess I can't directly comment on that. I bought my LTX in the stock size. It was like night and day when I put them on, so I don't feel bad about not going wider. They grip and handle wonderfully in the 215s.

Good luck!

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TracyDP

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 25, 2009 (Edited)

I'm going in this afternoon when my daughter wakes up from her nap. I'll post my impressions when I get home. I decided to go with the slightly larger 225 size, same price and the consensus on the EOC seems to be that they look better on the E if nothing else. We'll see how that goes.

CoolE'sRule I did have the price match conversation with the manager of the LS and he wouldn't do it because the Toyos are already on sale $20 discount each tire right now. He flat out told me if I was set on the Michelin tires to go to Americas Tire (but gave me all the reasons having the local service would be worth it).

Bobman79 if the difference was $150 I might relent and go to Americas Tire for the michelins but the Toyos are on sale right now so even with the Michelin $70 rebate the total difference is only $80. I can handle that considering all the times I've needed the free tire service in the last 2 years. If I lived in Portland and had a Discount tire near by I'd have gone with the Michelins for sure but for me to have to drive 20 miles through the Carver Curves to get to Costco or Americas Tire when I've got a low tire warning doesn't appeal to me.

ETA: I had to go through and change the Discount Tire above to Americas Tire...I am from Phoenix and am used to calling it Discount.

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TracyDP

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 26, 2009

Ok, so out the door it was a little over $700 since I got the siping on the tires too. I had my Honda Civic tires siped and it made a huge difference on the super rainy days.

The tires look GREAT. The other EOC members are right when they say the 225 size fills the wheel well better and looks like it's actually the tire that was meant to be on the E. Not much comment yet on the ride since I only drove the 5 miles home, but I immediately noticed it was quieter and smoother. I will be driving from Eagle Creek to North Plains tomorrow so I'll get a much better idea of the cornering and highway performance.

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Bobman79

· #6 · Jun 26, 2009

Like I said, for a lesser price differential, I would have gone with the Toyos because I like the brand and I like Les Schwab. You can't go wrong with either tire.

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TracyDP

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 27, 2009

Yup, the new tires are fantastic! SO much quieter, look great (I like the larger size, it does fill out the wheel well more), corners great and just feels all around like my E went from cheap flip-flops to Keens.

Hopefully I won't know how it handles in rain for a LONG time yet...;-)

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gregstoll80

· #8 · Jul 31, 2009

I'm curious, what is the difference in gas mileage for your new 225's when compared to stock?

Greg

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TracyDP

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 30, 2010

I've been away from the forums for a while but thought I'd come in with an all season review of my Toyo Open Country H/T's

Still going strong. I noticed better handling this past winter, no skidding or hydroplaning, and the car still handles better than with the stock tires. Much better on corners, quieter and just overall more steady. I am happy with the larger size, especially the looks. Last time I checked the mileage it was 24mpg, mixed city/highway and 26 on a mostly freeway road trip. Not much different than I got with the stock tires, maybe 1 or 2 mpg less. Worth the trade off for me.

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ElementaryEd

· #10 · Mar 30, 2010

Thanks for the update. Sounds like you made a good choice.

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lostniraq25

· #11 · Apr 1, 2010

im running the Toyo's as well and love em.

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ElementaryEd

· #12 · Apr 7, 2010

How about some pics?

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Tuscan

· #13 · Apr 30, 2010

I was in Nova Scotia when my Wranglers wore out at 32,000 miles. Since there was a Costco in Halifax I put on 6 new Michelins (2 for the trailer) and have 62,500 on the Element tires now. When purchasing they said I should get 80,000 miles from them. That should be about right.

Has anyone gone through a set of Toyo's or Michelins yet?

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