For those shopping new tires.

[bbf2530]

Hi gang, this is for anyone interested in new tires. Costco is currently running their sale on Michelin tires. Their prices are already among the lowest, even when compared to The Tire Rack and other online sellers. And right now, Michelin is offering an additional $70 rebate (credited at purchase, no need to wait for a check in the mail), and Costco is offering installation, balance, valves, stems etc. for a penny a tire (versus $15 a tire normally). That adds up to an additional $129.96 savings over their already low pricing.

Purchasing from them also gets the vehicle owner free life-of-the-tires rotation, flat repairs, balancing, nitrogen fills, pro-rated road hazard replacement etc. I like to do my research when buying, and it is always the best deal in my area. Even Ford and Lincoln Dealers "Guaranteed Price Match" offer can not touch it. My local Dealers let me know they can't beat it and to take the Costco deal.

I just had four new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires installed yesterday on my older MKZ.

Hope this information helps and good luck. ?

Edited September 6, 2018 by bbf2530

[srs244]

not to rain on your parade, but michelin has become close to a second rate tire these days. way too many problems reported by owner's of replacement tires. my tire shop told me that they (the manufacturer) are the toughest to deal with whenever they have a problem. the last set of michelins i bought (for a cadillac srx) developed sidewall hairline cracks after only about 24 months on the car (properly cared for, proper inflation pressure, and always rotated at proper intervals). michelin in effect told me to pound salt that it wasn't road hazard etc. (the tires weren't out of date according to the date code at purchase so i can't attribute it to old age). i have had great service out of hankook and nitto ever since. i'm not certain if the product that gets shipped to a COSTCO kind of facility is a different quality than the product shipped to a higher end tire outlet, but i've given up on them. i know they are an OEM product at delivery, but................ just my 2 cents worth and certain my humble opinion.

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by srs244

[bbf2530]

24 minutes ago, srs244 said:

not to rain on your parade, but michelin has become close to a second rate tire these days. way too many problems reported by owner's of replacement tires. my tire shop told me that they (the manufacturer) are the toughest to deal with whenever they have a problem. the last set of michelins i bought (for a cadillac srx) developed sidewall hairline cracks after only about 24 months on the car (properly cared for, proper inflation pressure, and always rotated at proper intervals). michelin in effect told me to pound salt that it wasn't road hazard etc. (the tires weren't out of date according to the date code at purchase so i can't attribute it to old age). i have had great service out of hankook and nitto ever since. i'm not certain if the product that gets shipped to a COSTCO kind of facility is a different quality than the product shipped to a higher end tire outlet, but i've given up on them. i know they are an OEM product at delivery, but................ just my 2 cents worth and certain my humble opinion.

 

Hi srs and welcome to the Lincoln MKZ Forum. It's okay, my parade does not get rained on by the polite opinion of others. So far, it is still a free country and we are all entitled to our own opinion. Right? ?

My experience is the complete opposite of yours, which is why our opinions vary. I tend to prefer Michelin, Goodyear and BF Goodrich tires due to my personal experience over the course of my driving years.

Not sure about your personal experience, since if it was claimed to not be "road hazard" damage (or accidental under-inflation), then it would be a manufacturers defect, which would obviously be covered. Who told you to "pound salt"? The Cadillac Dealer, a third party tire installer, Michelin Corporate? Just curious.

I just registered my new tires with Michelin yesterday.  So as an FYI to your uncertainty, the tires are the same tires as you would purchase from The Tire Rack (also a very good place to purchase), any other online seller, or your local tire distributor.  Same coverages and warranty.

Anyway, nice to see you have become a Lincoln Guy now and good luck. ??

[srs244]

certainly opinions do vary, that's why there are so many flavors of ice cream, lol. i had always been a fan of michelin going back to the 60's (i'm almost 75 yrs old at this point). they were always a great product. but my experiences have been different than your apparently. my dealer (who sold me the tires and has been my tire shop for the past 15 years) couldn't get any satisfaction from michelin after providing pictures of the problem and date codes, etc. michelin basically said, sorry not covered, not a defect, must be owner abuse. certainly not abused.  i have been a corvette guy going back to 1963 and my split window coupe. have had at least one at all times during  my lifetime. my daily drive is a 2005 crossfire srt6 roadster (supercharged MB sk32 with a crossfire body on it, lol). the corvette comes out to play on many weekends. i am building a 500hp street rod currently.  needless to say, i was extremely disappointed by the lack of customer service i received, and certainly as you point out, it's still a free country, so i choose to direct my business to other than michelin. so far my wife is enjoying her lincoln and that's the main point. it's a very nice product, runs and drives very well is very comfortable so all is good in that regard. happy wife, happy life, lol.

[bbf2530]

Hi srs. As long as your wife is happy. 

Wishing you many more happy miles of driving, and good luck.

Edited September 7, 2018 by bbf2530

[bbf2530]

Hi again gang. For those who are Bridgestone fans as opposed to Michelin (see above...lol), Costco alternates their sales between the two. So in a few weeks, they will usually offer Bridgestone with a $70 manufacturers rebate. The one penny installation is a come and go kind of thing. You just need to check for when they are offering it. When they do, it is usually for at least a week. 

They also offer BF Goodrich, but I do not recall seeing rebate offers on that brand. Perhaps they do, I just don't recall seeing them offered.

And of course, always do your own shopping and check around for pricing online and locally. There is always the possibility you may find a better deal elsewhere. I specifically waited for the $70 manufacturer incentive + one penny per tire installation, since it saves $129.96 over the usual pricing.

Hope this information helps someone.

Edited September 7, 2018 by bbf2530

[ZED]

My tire experience has shown me that I have not had the greatest luck with Michelin tires I have had several over the years although my father who passed away two weeks ago always bought them he says he has had great luck with them so go figure to each his own right. 

My 2017 MKZ 3.0t with the 19" wheels came with "summer" Michelin Pilot Sports and after 15,000 miles they are quite finished! Not the tires fault tires in this category wear out real fast. The car needing new sneakers sort of snuck up on me so I did not have the best of funds on hand. Unless I wanted a cheep Chinese tire that is much more hit or miss then tires made in other areas of the world. The best deal I came up with on a quality tire was from Simpletire on line I purchased 4 Nokian Z Line A/S tires for $475.00 and my dealer will charge me $60.00 to install them. 

Now about the Nokian's ... Nokian is a Finish Company best known for there snow tires some of the best in the world. Nokian really wants to be known as a tire company that makes other tires other then snow tires so this tire I purchased is there high performance all season tire. The Nokian Z Line A/S is getting excellent reviews and has a great deal of modern technology to offer that I won't get into here so I don't borre you! Lol this tire is currently made in Russia and will be made in the USA probably by late next year. Nokian is building a new real large $360 million dollar factory in Tennessee with the capacity to build up to 5 million tires per year and also store up to 600,000 tires in inventory so expect to see a great deal of Nokian tires of all types on the roads in the US in the future.

[bbf2530]

16 minutes ago, ZED said:

My tire experience has shown me that I have not had the greatest luck with Michelin tires I have had several over the years although my father who passed away two weeks ago always bought them he says he has had great luck with them so go figure to each his own right. 

My 2017 MKZ 3.0t with the 19" wheels came with "summer" Michelin Pilot Sports and after 15,000 miles they are quite finished! Not the tires fault tires in this category wear out real fast. The car needing new sneakers sort of snuck up on me so I did not have the best of funds on hand. Unless I wanted a cheep Chinese tire that is much more hit or miss then tires made in other areas of the world. The best deal I came up with on a quality tire was from Simpletire on line I purchased 4 Nokian Z Line A/S tires for $475.00 and my dealer will charge me $60.00 to install them. 

Now about the Nokian's ... Nokian is a Finish Company best known for there snow tires some of the best in the world. Nokian really wants to be known as a tire company that makes other tires other then snow tires so this tire I purchased is there high performance all season tire. The Nokian Z Line A/S is getting excellent reviews and has a great deal of modern technology to offer that I won't get into here so I don't borre you! Lol this tire is currently made in Russia and will be made in the USA probably by late next year. Nokian is building a new real large $360 million dollar factory in Tennessee with the capacity to build up to 5 million tires per year and also store up to 600,000 tires in inventory so expect to see a great deal of Nokian tires of all types on the roads in the US in the future.

Hi ZED. I am sorry to hear about your father.

My condolences for your loss. Good luck.

[MediumWilly22]

For the record.  I'm a Michelin guy and have been for 20 years.  I have Pilots on my Linc and have no complaints.

Costco offers tires at low prices because they are indeed of lesser quality.  These tires are called "club tires".  Big box stores have deals with the manufacturers to produce large amounts of tires specifically for sale at discount prices to these stores. Differences are generally nominal and are hard to notice.  They may have slightly differing tread patterns and speed ratings, or treadware ratings while still carrying the tire model name of the higher quality tire it was based on.  Look closely and compare the specs and tread design of a Michelin passenger tire from Tire Rack to the specs of the "same" tire for sale at Costco.  Serial numbers will tell all, if you have the means to look them up.

On the other hand, vehicle manufacturers do the same thing.  That Michelin purchased at Tire Rack can be for any car.  The Michelins a manufacturer provides on their cars when purchased new, may be specifically designed for the vehicle to optimize performance.  Once again, they carry the same model name as the tire they were based on, but generally perform better on your specific car and usually cost a little more.  Ever wonder why the tires on your new car last 80,000 miles but the direct replacements only last 60,000?

I buy from Tire Rack or Discount Tire.  I want a quality tire, but I don't necessarily need to pay dealer prices.

That tire with the cracking sidewall likey is either defective or was stored improperly before sale.  Probably the former if the tire is only 2 years old.

[bbf2530]

2 hours ago, MediumWilly22 said:

For the record.  I'm a Michelin guy and have been for 20 years.  I have Pilots on my Linc and have no complaints.

Costco offers tires at low prices because they are indeed of lesser quality.  These tires are called "club tires".  Big box stores have deals with the manufacturers to produce large amounts of tires specifically for sale at discount prices to these stores. Differences are generally nominal and are hard to notice.  They may have slightly differing tread patterns and speed ratings, or treadware ratings while still carrying the tire model name of the higher quality tire it was based on.  Look closely and compare the specs and tread design of a Michelin passenger tire from Tire Rack to the specs of the "same" tire for sale at Costco.  Serial numbers will tell all, if you have the means to look them up.

On the other hand, vehicle manufacturers do the same thing.  That Michelin purchased at Tire Rack can be for any car.  The Michelins a manufacturer provides on their cars when purchased new, may be specifically designed for the vehicle to optimize performance.  Once again, they carry the same model name as the tire they were based on, but generally perform better on your specific car and usually cost a little more.  Ever wonder why the tires on your new car last 80,000 miles but the direct replacements only last 60,000?

I buy from Tire Rack or Discount Tire.  I want a quality tire, but I don't necessarily need to pay dealer prices.

That tire with the cracking sidewall likey is either defective or was stored improperly before sale.  Probably the former if the tire is only 2 years old.

Hi MediumWilly. What you state is partially true.  There are store brand specific "club tires" made by Michelin (and other tire manufacturers), which are only manufactured for and sold by Costco, BJ's, Sears, Walmart etc. You will find those particular model names only at those particular stores/wholesale clubs.

However, the major models that you can purchase at the Tire Rack and other major retailers (i.e. Pilot Sport A/S 3+, Primacy MXM4 etc.) are the exact same tire, whether purchased at Costco, The Tire Rack, Discount Tire, or your local tire shop. As an example, I just purchased 4 Pilot Sport A/S 3+ at the Costco we usually visit.  It is the exact same Pilot Sport A/S 3+ as I would get if purchased from any of the other tire sellers mentioned above.

Proof of this can be found by calling the tire manufacturers themselves and on the manufacturers website.  Again, I will use my Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires as an example.  You can go to the Michelin website and find every tire manufactured by Michelin, their construction, specs etc. You will also see that there is are no separate sections or listings for a Tire Rack version, Costco version, or a BJ's version, Walmart version etc..

You are referring to specialty tires...and those specialty tires manufactured by Michelin, Goodyear, Continental , Bridgestone made for those Big Box wholesalers are only sold at the particular wholesaler who contracted for that particular tire. But they have unique names and will not be found at The Tire Rack or your local tire retailer.

Bottom line is: If a Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich tire model has the same name in a Costco, BJ's, Walmart, Tire Rack, local tire retailer etc., then it is the exact same tire, with the same specs, construction, Warranty etc., wherever you purchase it.

I have called Michelin and Goodyear in the past to verify this information, and I encourage anyone not sure to do the same.

Edited September 8, 2018 by bbf2530

[MediumWilly22]

Pretty sure my statement is true friend.  I never specified that Pilots were club tires.  They are not.  And I have seen with my own eyes and was trained to spot club tires at a former place of employment by referencing serial numbers.  My statement was intentionally fairly general and pretty much true from my experience.  Thanks for the one-upmamship tho.  Thats really cool of you!

[bbf2530]

55 minutes ago, MediumWilly22 said:

Pretty sure my statement is true friend.  I never specified that Pilots were club tires.  They are not.  And I have seen with my own eyes and was trained to spot club tires at a former place of employment by referencing serial numbers.  My statement was intentionally fairly general and pretty much true from my experience.  Thanks for the one-upmamship tho.  Thats really cool of you!

Hi MediumWilly. Not one-upsmanship. And I certainly was not rude as you were for no reason. I agreed with you as far as specifically made "club tires" which are specifically manufactured for a Big Box seller like Costco or other discount sellers and made to their differing specifications. Those "club tires" have different names than big name models and are not even available at The Tire Rack etc. That was the reason I used the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ and Primacy MXM4's as examples of big name models which are available at both Costco and The Tire Rack, just to explain those mainstream, widely available tires are of the exact same quality wherever we purchase them.

However, what you wrote seems to say that all tires sold at Costco and other Big Box sellers are inferior to those with the same model name, sold at The Tire Rack. That part is not correct, if it is what you meant to say.

You stated: "Costco offers tires at low prices because they are indeed of lesser quality.  These tires are called "club tires".  Big box stores have deals with the manufacturers to produce large amounts of tires specifically for sale at discount prices to these stores. Differences are generally nominal and are hard to notice.  They may have slightly differing tread patterns and speed ratings, or treadware ratings while still carrying the tire model name of the higher quality tire it was based on.  Look closely and compare the specs and tread design of a Michelin passenger tire from Tire Rack to the specs of the "same" tire for sale at Costco.  Serial numbers will tell all, if you have the means to look them up. "

That seems to state that the same model name of a tire sold at Costco or other Big Box stores is of lower quality of one sold at Tire Rack, Discount Tire or other non-Big Box tire retailers. So I used the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ as just one example. I also mentioned the same about the Primacy MXM4 and any other of their big name models.  I did not specify only the Pilot Sport A/S 3+, as you incorrectly accused. The same can be said for any big name Michelin model or other tire manufacturers big name models. I shouldn't need to list them all. 

Your post seems to state that all tires sold at Costco etc, are "club tires", even when they have the same model name as a tire sold elsewhere. I simply pointed out, politely, that statement was not true.

If I misread what you wrote, then simply explain what you think I misread. And if you meant something different than what you wrote, don't get angry at me.

Bottom line is I was not rude to you, so there is no need to be rude. Everyone is here to help and expected to be polite.

Good luck.

Edited September 8, 2018 by bbf2530

[MediumWilly22]

All I'm saying is that there are different variations of the same tire model though-out that model's lifetime.  Costco sells a certain type, and Tire Rack sells a certain type.  I'm not claiming angone is doing anything wrong.  It's just how it works.  I've said what i have to say, I speak my mind how I wish, and I dont argue with people online,  its stupid.

[bbf2530]

48 minutes ago, MediumWilly22 said:

All I'm saying is that there are different variations of the same tire model though-out that model's lifetime.  Costco sells a certain type, and Tire Rack sells a certain type.  I'm not claiming angone is doing anything wrong.  It's just how it works.  I've said what i have to say, I speak my mind how I wish, and I dont argue with people online,  its stupid.

Hi MediumWilly. To be clear, you did not state anything about "throughout their lifetime" in your previous posts. You mentioned nothing about throughout the years. But if you want to bring it up now, yes, of course tires with the same model names vary over the years.  Tire compounds, tread patterns etc. are improved over the years.  And I would have have agreed if you had said "there are different variations of the same tire model though-out that model's lifetime", in your first post.

And I stated is that yes, I agree that the Big Box and even smaller sellers do contract to buy tires from the major tire manufacturers at lower prices with different specs than the big name models. Those are "club tires", as you referred to. And they may cut some corners to cut price....on "club tires". I agree with you on that subject.

However, I also pointed out an example, that if you buy a Pilot Sport A/S 3+, you are getting the same exact tire no matter where you purchase it, assuming you don't buy three year old tires from one seller or another. That also applies to a Primacy MXM4, or a Premier A/S. Or you a BF Goodrich Advantage T/A Sport or GForce Comp-2 A/S, or Bridegestone DriveGuard or Turanza Serenity Plus and many more major model examples.  When we buy any mainstream, major manufacturer tire model from Costco, Tire Rack, Discount Tire or your local Michelin store...they are the same tires no matter where you buy them. Your initial post was confusing at best concerning these major name model tires. So since I am here to help others with information, I added that information.

To explain it another way so others don't get confused: If I buy one 225/50-17 Primacy MXM4 from the Tire Rack and one 225/50-17 Primacy MXM4 from Costco and they both were manufactured in June of 2018, those two tires are exactly the same. No differences in tread, compound warranty etc.

And I did not infer you said anyone was doing anything wrong. I simply corrected some confusing information.

Again, all you had to do was explain where we may have misunderstood, without seeming to be rude. I have not been rude, since that is how arguments start.

Hopefully we can put this behind us and let the thread get back on topic now.

Good luck.

Edited September 9, 2018 by bbf2530

[MediumWilly22]

Blah, blah....blah

[bbf2530]

Hi gang. Back on topic for anyone interested in new tires. Costco is currently running their sale on Michelin tires. Their prices are already among the lowest, even when compared to The Tire Rack and other online sellers. And right now, Michelin is offering an additional $70 rebate (credited at purchase, no need to wait for a check in the mail), and Costco is offering installation, balance, valves, stems etc. for a penny a tire (versus $15 a tire normally). That adds up to an additional $129.96 savings over their already low pricing.

Purchasing from them also gets the vehicle owner free life-of-the-tires rotation, flat repairs, balancing, nitrogen fills, pro-rated road hazard replacement etc. I like to do my research when buying, and it is always the best deal in my area. Even Ford and Lincoln Dealers "Guaranteed Price Match" offer can not touch it. My local Dealers let me know they can't beat it and to take the Costco deal.

I just had four new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires installed yesterday on my older MKZ.

And for those who are not Michelin fans, Costco alternates their sales between the Michelin and Bridgestone. So in a few weeks, they will usually offer Bridgestone with a $70 manufacturers rebate. The one penny installation is a come and go kind of thing. You just need to check for when they are offering it. When they do, it is usually for at least a week. 

They also offer BF Goodrich, but I do not recall seeing rebate offers on that brand. Perhaps they do, I just don't recall seeing them offered.

They unfortunately do not offer as many tire brands and models as a Tire Rack or Discount Tire. But if they offer a tire you like, their pricing and ancillary services and benefits are excellent (free life-of-the-tires rotation, flat repairs, balancing, nitrogen fills, pro-rated road hazard replacement etc.).

And of course, always do your own shopping and check around for pricing online and locally. There is always the possibility you may find a better deal elsewhere. I specifically waited for the $70 manufacturer incentive + one penny per tire installation, since it saves $129.96 over the usual pricing.

Hope this information helps and good luck.

Edited September 9, 2018 by bbf2530

[MediumWilly22]

This guy obviously works for Costco.

[bbf2530]

36 minutes ago, MediumWilly22 said:

This guy obviously works for Costco.

Your words: "...I dont argue with people online,  its stupid".

I moved on and put the thread back on topic without referring to you at all. You continue to argue a lot for someone who thinks online arguing is "stupid".

Now you're simply trolling, being argumentative and abusive. Further off topic posts will be deleted. This is your warning. If you have a problem, start your own thread in the Lounge.

EDIT - As far as your latest misinformation and attempts at misdirection, I clearly stated:  "And of course, always do your own shopping and check around for pricing online and locally. There is always the possibility you may find a better deal elsewhere."

 

Edited September 9, 2018 by bbf2530

[MediumWilly22]

I'm going to make an exception in your case.  You work for Costco, who is no doubt a sponsor of this forum, thats why youre a moderator.  Youre trying to change my message just like CD3 did a year ago (another sponsor) and turn me into the bad guy for speaking my mind.  If you're going to boot me for that then so be it.  I can sleep at night.

[bbf2530]

20 minutes ago, MediumWilly22 said:

I'm going to make an exception in your case.  You work for Costco, who is no doubt a sponsor of this forum, thats why youre a moderator.  Youre trying to change my message just like CD3 did a year ago (another sponsor) and turn me into the bad guy for speaking my mind.  If you're going to boot me for that then so be it.  I can sleep at night.

I haven't changed any of your messages.  And I will make an exception for the online argumentative guy who thinks "arguing online is stupid" and will comment on where I don't work.

Like many of your incorrect and uninformed beliefs above, you are wrong about where I work. I do not work for Costco. Anyone who knows me from any of the three MKZ and Fusion forums I moderate would know that.

I've agreed with you where you are correct, and I've politely addressed every one of your incorrect assertions with information which can be obtained by calling any one of the tire manufacturers mentioned. You on the other hand, throw insults or attempt to change the subject or even misrepresent (I'm being polite using that word) what you previously said, instead of staying on topic.

You've expressed your "opinions", no matter how incorrect. Anything else to say, go start your own thread. Second warning. Further off-topic threads will be deleted.

I will now put my thread concerning tire information back on track.

 

EDIT - In fact, I have recommended The Tire Rack and Discount Tire for tires in the past, for those who do not have Costco memberships.

Edited September 9, 2018 by bbf2530