Okay, I'm at 54,000 miles and the original tires that came with my 2006 Accord SE (4 cylinder) and they are pretty much done.

The OEM tires are Michellin MXV4 with a "V" rating. I'm looking at a set of "H" rated Bridgestone Turanza Serenitys for a total cost of $514.

I don't race my car and drive mostly on the highway.

From what I've researched, going from a "V" rated tire to an "H", in my case, doesn't seem like a big deal, as I don't drive faster than 85 mph, too many damn tickets already! In addition, the Turanza Serenitys scored much better than the OEM tires based on Tire Rack's survey responses.

So, whaddya guys think? Okay to do?

 

I'd say it's OK but the lawyers would say it's not OK.

Lemme 'splain....
Yeah, you never drive over 85mph. I'll believe you. But your car is CAPABLE of going much faster. A tire store that wants to help & wants to be reasonable should let you buy H-rated tires. But a tire store that's afraid of lawsuits will say you MUST have V-rated tires.

Because if you change your mind & drive 165mph, and crash yourself into a tree, that's your own fault. If YOU decide to drive 165mph & a tire blows out, then the resulting crash is the tire-store's fault.

 

Hmm, interesting. But, Tire Rack and Big Brand Tires must not be afraid as they're okay with me buying the H rated tires.

Would you buy the H rated tires, Jim?

 

Personally, I'd buy the V-rated tires because it's been my experience that H-rated tires tend to be softer, quieter, & more cushy-comfortable. While V-rated tires tend to be more crisp handling & more cornering power. NOT because I'm afraid of "accidentally" exceeding 120mph.

Actually, a higher speed rating doesn't automatically make a tire more responsive but it usually works out that way.

Since you mentioned TireRack, I'll explain it in their terms. First I'd pick the categories like HP, UHP, HPAS, & UHPAS (browse their site for explanation). I'll usually UN-check the GT, T, & similar categories.

I look at their surveys, but probably put more credibility on their tests. Customer satisfaction is strongly influenced by what the customer is looking for. Quiet cushy ride is important to MANY people. Not so much for me.

ps... having had MXV4 tires as stock on a couple cars, I'll say I've found better choices - for the things that are important TO ME PERSONALLY. I didn't choose Turanza Serenity because it was a more comfortable tire that wasn't my mission in life at the time. It would be a strong contender for (for example) my daughters car 'cause she doesn't drive like that.

 

I ended up going the the "V" rated Turanza Serenitys. Something about dropping to the "H" rated tires just didn't sit well with me.

My stock OEM Michelin Vs lasted 54,000, which is about what V rated tires should last. I'm okay with that.

 

In the last 2 months, I went from Goodyear Eagle "V" rated tires with over 60,000 miles of service to Yokohama Avid Envigor "H" rated tires.

The ride is quieter and wet performance is improved (the Goodyears were worn down to the wear bar). In corners, the tires go where pointed although the responsiveness isn't as crisp when compared to the Goodyears.

At 75+ MPH, the Envigors handle as well as the Goodyears. There have been no changes in gas mileage.

So far, I have 4,000 miles on the rear Envigors and 400 miles on the front Envigors.

 

Hey, I just noticed that the 2007 BMW 328 my GF recently acquired is sporting "H" rated run flats. Lol. What's up with that?

Oh, and, I ended up switching back to the "H" rated tires. After talking to the Tire Rack guys a bit more there's really no justification with going with "V" rated tires.

We'll see how the Turanza Serenitys pan out.

 

Possibly those tires on your GF's car are not original? But my Saab 9.3 came with H-rated tires. Those Serenitys are one of the few tires that's available in BOTH H & V ratings. It's more common that you don't have a choice. That whole spiel of mine about V-rated tires being more responsive is probably more applicable to choosing one tire type over another. I've never had the opportunity to compare H vs V in the same tire.

 

I have a bit over a 1,000 miles on the set of H rated Bridgestone Turanza Serenitys that I recently bought. What can I say? I REALLY like these tires! The are way quieter, don't transmit bumps into the cabin and appear to handle a bit better than the OEM Michelin MXV4 Energys that came on the car.

We'll see how long these suckers last. So far, I'm sold on these tires.

 

Okay, I now have 6,509 miles on my "H" rated Bridgestone Turanza Serenitys and they have been doing well. I "feel" that the car's handling has improved with this set of tires and that there is less noise. Gas mileage took a hit initially, but has been improving as the tires wear. I recently had a 6 hour trip and gas mileage was much better.

I have yet to see these tire's performance in really wet conditions, but I don't doubt that they should perform well there as well.

At this point, I have to say that I am sold on these tires and will, more than likely, buy the same tires again in the future.