Hi All,

I'm looking at replacing the tires on my 2002 Maxima SE. This will be my third set of tires. We all know the OEM Potenzas are crap (slide in the rain when new) and now I can add that the Avon M550 AS are also crap. They are great up to about 10k miles, then they get noisy. I'm only at 30k miles on these tires and the noise and vibration on certain roads is awful. It gets worse at 60 MPH. Surprisingly, rough old roads make the tires ride better than newer roads and highways.

I'm now looking for a smooth, quiet tire. Kinda like a touring but I really like the performance and look of the low Ultra High Performance All Season tires. Trying to find something in between I guess. Here are my choices based on reading threads here and going through all the reviews for Maximas on TireRack:

Anyone with experience (especially > 10k miles) please chime in on these tires.

 

It sounds like you just need your tires re-balanced. They can become out of balance over time. I normally get my tires balanced at least 2 or 3 times throughout their life do to slight vibrations.

I have the Yoko V4S on my '03 (~20k miles now). Very smooth and grip well. Not the greatest tire in the snow, but not the worst either.

I have heard great things about the Pole Postion A/S, but never had them. Too expensive for me. Most people that I have heard say they are the best all season tires they have ever owned, but like I said, I have no personal experience with them.

 

Nope, already had that checked out. The tires were recommended to be replaced by my mechanic in the next 2500 to 5000 miles. The treads are down to the wear marks.

They've had the vibration for a while. I've attempted to have them rebalanced twice (originally balanced on a Hunter Roadforce 7000).

 

wow....down to wear marks at 30K? I will remember to avoid those tires.

You may also want to check for a bend in the rim. When I bought my car, i had the tires balanced 3 or 4 times, and it was still vibrating. Turned out i had a slight bend on the inside of one of the rims. You probably had that checked out too, but figured I would throw it out there....

If you are looking for a comfort ride, you may want to avoid the ulta performance category. Those can be pretty harsh over bumps due to the stiff side walls. I think the Yoko's are a good mix of comfort and performance.

 

Potenza 960 a/s pole postions hands down are the best ultra high performance tire out there. I have them and they are so quiet and smooth, plus handle like a dream.....I've noticed the price has risen to 171.00 ea. I got mine for 141.00 a few months back. They also seem to be on backorder alot.....

 

Tks, I'm def leaning that way.

How many miles on your Potenzas now?