My wife drives a '98 S70 NA. The original tires were Michelin (not sure of the exact model) P195/60R15. We live in Michigan and to say the least the roads here leave much to be desired. I found that the ride was harsh even after adjusting the tire pressure. I had to replace two tires with broken cords before the car had 40k miles because of pot holes.
I replaced all four tires with Michelin Pilot XGT H4's P205/65R15 at 40K. These tires fit very well. They really filled up the wheel wells, a look I like, and they never rub. The ride and handling improvement was dramatic. I did notice about 1 GPM reduction in fuel economy. The taller side walls really protect the tires and rims from potholes.
We now have 85K on the car and it looks like I will get another 20K out of them.
However much I like these tires I have to admit that their snow perfomance is very poor, in fact it is dangerous. For this reason I think that when I change them I will select a different tire but most likely the same size.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I would like a tire with better snow performance but I don't want to give up handling or ride comfort.

Also, I will be changing the struts and shocks soon. Any recommendations on them would be appreciated, keeping in mind that my wife is interested in a smoother ride than anything else.

On a side note let me just say this. I am 37 and have been woking on cars all my life. I have seen the best and the worst that Detroit has to offer. It was a quirk of fate the led to me buying a Volvo for my wife but what a nice car this S70 has been. When I started maintaning this car the differences in the engineering and workmanship was immediatly apparent. This car is a real pleasure to maintain. I am seriously considering a Volvo for my next car.


Thank you,

Kenric Rose