Coming down to the tire...

[Radio]

or where the rubber meets the road.

Alas, after 85,000 happy miles the tread on my original equipment Michelin LTX MS/2 tires is almost down to the tread wear indicators. If I weren't towing I'd ride them out another 5,000 miles.

I have also decided to go with a slightly bigger tire, 265/70 17" as opposed to the original 255/65 17". The new tire(s) are about 1.5 inches taller than the originals.

After some comparison shopping the finalists are, based on performance numbers and what I can afford:

Cooper Discoverer LTX vs Goodyear Wrangler AT/S

Here's a blow by blow: (with the original Michelin's thrown in for comparison. Remember they were a smaller tire.

Tire.........Speed......Load.....Warranty....UTQG. ....Price OTD.....Rebate

Cooper........S..........115.........65,000......5 20 AB.....$740............$100
Goodyear....S..........113........unknown....360 AB.....$728............$50
Originals.....S..........108.........60,000......4 20 AB

So I think I'm going with the Coopers. I've not owned any Coopers before. Anybody got experience with them? I have owned at least one set of Goodyear, and they were decent, get-what-you-pay-for tires. But did not WOW me like getting 85,000 out of these factory equipment/original Michelin tires.

BTW the Michelin equivalents are $1126.46 OTD.

The Goodyear guy is my Ford dealer. He doesn't know beans about tires and said Cooper was a "cheap, no name house brand" and then answered my "max load in pounds" question with "42 psi" I noticed he sells Mastercraft which is a Cooper brand.

However his road hazard insurance is only $8, whereas the Cooper guy want's $90 for his. (Which I have declined in this price) I haven't torn up a tire in quite a while, so I'll do without.

Anybody out there despise Cooper tires? Why?