marketing claims vs. customer satisfaction - what’s more important to you?
October 19th, 2005marketing claim:
the Michelin Energy™ MXV4® S8 tire offers an array of improvements over its predecessors including a quieter, smoother ride, improved snow performance, lower rolling resistance and improved handling on dry surfaces.
owner experience:
Was very happy with the tires these replaced (OEM MXV4 Plus) with 52k. NOT HAPPY with the MXV4 S8. Dont believe Michelins hype – they are not better in every way. Handling diminished, ride now jittery (not balance – just harsher), braking distances longer. They are quieter, and I expect they will last, but if youre happy with the MXV4 Plus, stick with them!
our take:
The Michelin Energy MXV4 has long been one of our favorite tires of all time – grippy, quiet, confidence inspiring, surprisingly capable in the winter. The next generation – the Plus version – had better impact absorbtion and uncanny tracking but was slippery when cornering in the wet or snow and loud on some surfaces. Still a number of cars that drive well do so largely because they come from the factory on the MXV4 Plus – take them off and your refinement and fuel ecomomy are often lost. Unfortunately the S8 version is as vague as its predecessor was precise. It exchanges grip 99% of the time for better winter traction and lower noise levels on those rare occasions. Whereas the Plus made the car it was placed on, the S8 detracts from it – witness the feel of the old Accord or Jetta vs. the new ones: in both cases the S8 lends a slippery, vague feel regardless of any improvements made elsewhere in the chassis.