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H rated vs. V rated tires S40-V40

posted by  DavidSF on  Fri Apr 18 11:31 CST 2003
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last visit: Tue Sep 22 12:59 CST 2009
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I will be needing new tires (all four) in the next 1k - 2k miles. I'm very happy with the Micheline MXV4 tires that came with the car but they also happen to be the most expensive tires.

What do people think about using H rated tires instead of the OEM V rating? The H rated tires are cheaper and last longer and I never go past 90 MPH. Does using H rated tires effect the performance of DSC (dynamic stability control)? Was DSC optimized for V rated tires or will it not make any difference?

The tires I'm considering are:

Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus HR rated $110 (tirerack.com)
Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus VR rated $125(tirerack.com)
Michelin MXV4 VR rated $125 (OEM)

BTW- does anyone know the difference between the "Energy" MXV4 vs. non-"Energy"?

thanks
David







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    H rated vs. V rated tires S40-V40

    posted by  Rick850R on  Fri Apr 18 16:21 CST 2003
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    I would suggest going with the H rated tire. The V rated may be a higher performance tire, but truthfully you probably won't be able to tell the difference.

    I have run H rated tires before and Z rated now, and the funny thing is that I have to balance the Z rated I have now more than the H rated I had before. Go figure?

    Hope this helps

    Rick in Denver








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    H rated vs. V rated tires S40-V40

    posted by  Gerald C on  Fri Apr 18 12:37 CST 2003
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    V-rated tires are, of course, capable of higher speeds, but some will say that they also have certain suspension and handling characteristics that your car has been optimized for. Whether or not this means that safety is somehow affected is beyond my knowledge, but some tire installers are ficklers for only installing the manufacturer's spec tires on cars (probably on the advice of their attorney!).

    BUT, it is definitely very common to substitute H-rated for V-rated tires. I personally don't think there is a safety issue, and your typical S40 or 850 is not exactly a BMW M-series in the handling department anyway. YMMV.

    Gerald C

    p.s. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information is hereby disclaimed. :)






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