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We have a 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan... It's a great car, we have had no issues and love the car. However, it goes through tires like I've never seen with any other car!
I do rotate the tires every 5000-7000 miles and do an allignment every year but yet the most I've ever gotten out of a set of tires (Yokohamas) is 32000 miles! My latest set (Michelins) has 22K miles on it and will need to be replaced within the next 5K miles!!
I have been told this is typical of minivans because of their weight etc... Is there any brand/type of tire that anyone on here would suggest that would last more than 30K miles? Any suggestions would be appreciated....
Just off the top of my head (others will correct me if I'm wrong), it's my understanding that tires are designed to do one of two things, but can't do both: Last a long time, or give good road grip. The reason they can't do both is because hard rubber lasts a long time and soft rubber give good traction. and it can't be both hard and soft. (A third thing they can be designed to do is run quiet on the road, and that's what you get on a new car, which is why a lot of people switch out the tires immediately on new cars.)
I buy the cheapest branded all-season tires I can find from an independent shop, usually Kelly or Cooper, at around $50 a tire, I never rotate them, and I don't align unless I feel a steering issue. I have no problem if I have to replace them around 30 K, by which time they're well worn, and unevenly. I drive older cars, probably with imperfect rolling characteristics that's not worth correcting for the price of tires. I like the feel of good tires under me, and it doesn't bother me to replace them.
If you're buying a higher-priced tire, you might be getting significantly better road-handling and traction, but not necessarily longer wear.
It's the weight of the vehicle combined with the fact that it's FWD that's killing you. The only thing you can do to counteract that is to maintain the proper tire PSI and rotate regularly, although the frequency you're rotating at is certainly more than adequate.
I don't have one specific tire to recommend, but I would recommend spending time on www.tirerack.com to research tires for your vehicle. That site has a wealth of knowledge and will allow you to sort based on your vehicle type, driving style, desired tire performance (wear vs traction, etc), and other critical parameters.
My experience was somewhat similar way back when I had a minivan. Its been many moons since I had one so I do not have current experience. First, just in case you are not aware of it - maintaining correct tire pressure is critical to maximizing tire longevity. It really makes a difference and you ought to check at least weekly and keep them up to spec.
That said, I suggest you go through Tire Rack's (Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels) selection routine, focusing on wear factors to get a sense of their recommendations. Then give them a call and talk with one of the staff for their opinions as well. The TR folks are very knowledgeable, helpful and its free.
Sorry I can't be more helpful with specific tire brands but I just don't have current experience. I previously favored Bridgestone but that was a long time ago and I've no credible knowledge about current offerings.
the very first thing i would do is take the vehicle to a GOOD alignment shop technician and have them do a proper four wheel alignment to make sure that everything is set up properly. you may have an alignment problem. as for long lasting tires, i have found that big O tires tend to wear like iron, but then i can make tires last far longer than most people can.
Like jtur pointed out, you can't have it both ways, so you need to set priorities. If you want a tire that wears like iron, it's also going to grip and handle like iron. The key is to really strike the balance.
One thing I would check besides the alignment is that all of your suspension components are in good working order. Worn struts/shocks can cause excessive and uneven tire wear. Given the age of your vehicle, that may be a strong possibility. Even if they pass the "bounce test", they may still be contributing to the tire issue.
As far as an actual tire recommendation, I would personally suggest the Pirelli P4 Four Season for the minivan. It is a long wearing, relatively cheap ($100-$120 per tire) tire that still returns decent performance. Look for one with a 98T service description and a UTQG of 760 A B.
What are the wear ratings of the tires you are buying? Surely they have a warranty.
I don't put a whole lot on the warranty, since they're typically prorated off a set price, so there may be occasions in which the warranted tire will cost more than just buying it straight out. That was the case for me a while back ... the prorated price was $2 higher than the new tire price.
All else being equal, higher treadwear (it's marked on the tire) will mean longer life. Of course, all things are not equal, so just use it as a guideline ...
I don't put a whole lot on the warranty, since they're typically prorated off a set price, so there may be occasions in which the warranted tire will cost more than just buying it straight out. That was the case for me a while back ... the prorated price was $2 higher than the new tire price.
All else being equal, higher treadwear (it's marked on the tire) will mean longer life. Of course, all things are not equal, so just use it as a guideline ...
To answer your question...I bought a set of Yokohama YK520 for this car which is a 60K mile tire... Those wore out after about 32K miles... so I took them back to Discount Tire where I bought them and they prorated the warranty and put a set of Michelin Symmetry tires on it which is a 65K mile tire... This is what I currently have on the car which is pretty worn out after 22K miles!! I believe this is the tire the car originally came with... Before the Yoks, I had Michelin Destiny on it and the same thing.
My wife drives this car, so no hard driving etc... Also, I always check the air pressure and the car is in prestine condition as I'm a bit OCD about cars, I've had the suspension, everything checked out several times by different reputable shops and have had the allignment done at several different reputable shops... even took it to the dealer and had them take a look. They all said there is nothing wrong with the car, it's just that minivans are like trucks with car tires on them and they wear quickly.
I'm not looking for tires to last 100K miles here guys but I don't think wanting them to last atleast 40K miles is too much to ask, do you guys? JUST 40K-50K miles!!
Run a search there ... others may have much more experience there versus us over here.
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