Vredestein Quatrac Pro vs. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus Two

[DrakeR]

Looking to replace the OEM Michelin Primacy(s) on my 2019 MKZ (down to 4/32s at 25 K despite regular rotations). Michelin stopped treadwear warranty coverage on OEM tires after 2017 model year.

 

Have pretty much narrowed down my search to the Vredestein Quatrac Pro vs. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus Two.

 

Looking at Tirerack these seem to be the top two GT tires (along with the more expensive Continentals) in that category. Main difference seems to be Pirellis may have better treadwear vs. Vredestein better in winter (definitely an issue here in upstate NY). Vredestein's are a bit cheaper. Best deal on Vredesteins is about an hours drive vs. Pirellis in town. Using Tire Rack installer $100 more expensive on Vredesteins than an hours drive, plus I prefer to buy from non-internet businesses when I can.

 

BTW, the Pirellis are the Cinturato P7 Plus Two(s) that reputedly have better rain and snow traction vs. the previous generation Cinturato P7 Plus.

 

Anybody have any experience with either tire?

 

Thanks.

[bbf2530]

2 hours ago, DrakeR said:

Looking to replace the OEM Michelin Primacy(s) on my 2019 MKZ (down to 4/32s at 25 K despite regular rotations). Michelin stopped treadwear warranty coverage on OEM tires after 2017 model year.

 

Have pretty much narrowed down my search to the Vredestein Quatrac Pro vs. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus Two.

 

Looking at Tirerack these seem to be the top two GT tires (along with the more expensive Continentals) in that category. Main difference seems to be Pirellis may have better treadwear vs. Vredestein better in winter (definitely an issue here in upstate NY). Vredestein's are a bit cheaper. Best deal on Vredesteins is about an hours drive vs. Pirellis in town. Using Tire Rack installer $100 more expensive on Vredesteins than an hours drive, plus I prefer to buy from non-internet businesses when I can.

 

BTW, the Pirellis are the Cinturato P7 Plus Two(s) that reputedly have better rain and snow traction vs. the previous generation Cinturato P7 Plus.

 

Anybody have any experience with either tire?

 

Thanks.

 

Hi DrakeR. I have not owned Vredestein or Pirelli, so can not comment on them. I have heard good things about Vredestein, especially when snow performance is important, which it sounds like it is for you. 

And I can comment that I have purchased Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and A/S 3+ for my older MKZ and been very happy with them. I believe they have been superseded by the Pilot Sport A/S 4 (or a model with a similar name...I forget).

 

However, your information about the Michelin treadwear warranty has me confused. Where did you obtain information that "Michelin stopped treadwear warranty coverage on OEM tires after 2017 model year."?

 

There generally has not been any treadwear warranty on OEM tires for a long time (i.e. those that were on the car from the factory).

OEM/Factory tires usually only have a warranty covering defects in material/workmanship. However, if you purchase the same model tire or another later, there is a treadwear warranty, just as there always has been.

 

In other words, there is no treadwear warranty on the 4 Michelin Primacy's that came on your 2019 MKZ. However, if you purchase a Michelin Primacy, or 2, or 4, those purchased tires have a treadwear warranty.

 

Ignore all this if I misunderstood  what you meant.

 

Keep us updated and good luck.

Edited October 14, 2021 by bbf2530

[leftoverture]

I have a run flat, summer only version of the Pirelli Cinturato's on my wife's BMW, I neither love them nor hate them. They are scary dangerous in even the slightest winter precipitation (so I switch to winter tires). 

 

I put the Falken Ziex ZE960 from Discount Tire on my 2014 MKZ and loved them. They had very good road feel, ran quiet, and worked well in winter conditions. So if you haven't considered these, now you have a 3rd option. I liked them so much I plan to install them on my 2018 when the factory Michelins are done. 

[DrakeR]

1 hour ago, bbf2530 said:

 

Hi DrakeR. I have not owned Vredestein or Pirelli, so can not comment on them. I have heard good things about Vredestein, especially when snow performance is important, which it sounds like it is for you. 

And I can comment that I have purchased Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and A/S 3+ for my older MKZ and been very happy with them. I believe they have been superseded by the Pilot Sport A/S 4 (or a model with a similar name...I forget).

 

However, your information about the Michelin treadwear warranty has me confused. Where did you obtain information that "Michelin stopped treadwear warranty coverage on OEM tires after 2017 model year."?

 

There generally has not been any treadwear warranty on OEM tires for a long time (i.e. those that were on the car from the factory).

OEM/Factory tires usually only have a warranty covering defects in material/workmanship. However, if you purchase the same model tire or another later, there is a treadwear warranty, just as there always has been.

 

In other words, there is no treadwear warranty on the 4 Michelin Primacy's that came on your 2019 MKZ. However, if you purchase a Michelin Primacy, or 2, or 4, those purchased tires have a treadwear warranty.

 

Ignore all this if I misunderstood  what you meant.

 

Keep us updated and good luck.

Hello bbf2530,

 

Actually there is a treadwear warranty on OE Michelin tires for MY 2011 through MY 2017. My info comes from three sources:

 

A: Page 34 of the Tire Warranty Guide included with the warranty material I received when I bought my 2019 MKZ (under the Michelin section it states: "Michelin passenger and light truck tires [replacement and original equipment] are covered by a limited warranty for treadwear.") (Emphasis mine).

 

B: Phone conversation with a Michelin rep who stated that "OE tires are only covered 2018 and earlier" (I was told this after I went through a tire inspection at a local tire shop and several other conversations with Michelin reps, before they decided to check what year my car was purchased). Apparently their info was a bit wrong though because.........

 

C. Michelin website https://www.michelinman.com/auto/assistance/warranty 

 

All MICHELIN passenger and light truck replacement tires, and original equipment tires for 2011-2017 model years, are covered by a limited mileage warranty for treadwear, as well as a limited warranty which covers defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the original usable tread, or for 6 years from date of purchase, whichever occurs first. (Again, emphasis mine)

 

Like you, I had previously always assumed their was no treadwear warranty on OE tires on a new car. And I know for a fact that at least one car I owned (OE Firestones) MY 1999 explicitly stated no treadwear warranty in the warranty literature included with the car. I believe that the three cars I leased afterwards (but prior to the MKZ) also explicitly stated the same in their warranty lit, though I don't actually remember so. None of them were OE with Michelin products. So I never pursued a treadwear warranty on any OE tires before, despite the OE tires always wearing out well before their treadwear rating, and despite always undergoing required tire/wheel maintenance.

 

A product of my driving habits and the very hilly area, changeable weather and lousy roads in my location, I suppose.

 

So when I purchased the MKZ, and was going through the warranty literature and looked in the tire booklet, I was surprised to see that my car had a treadwear warranty stated in the booklet. I filed that info in my brain for future reference. Unfortunately, the info in the booklet was apparently not updated for MY 2019. So all for naught. Well, for me at least.

 

But if anyone out there is running OE Michelins from MY 2011-2017, maybe you can get some use from this info. Probably too late for the vast majority, however.

 

Michelin Pilot Sports: 

I had Pilot Sports on the MY 1999 car I referred to earlier (I remember it well, I purchased them on September 11, 2001). Then, as now, they were very highly regarded. I thought they were good tires at the time, but perhaps a bit overrated (Michelin and Sears were very good about replacing them under the treadwear warranty a year and a half later, however).

 

I actually liked the Primacy(s), in fact I had purchased them as replacement tires on my previous ride, an Acura, and was pretty happy with them, though again the treadwear was a bit worse than I expected. I turned the car in before the tires were worn out, so it didn't really matter.

 

 But my understanding is that Michelin is a pain anymore to get to honor their treadwear warranties (the shop that was dealing with me explicitly told me this, and I have seen other references on the internet to this aspect of the brand, as well.) Though I'm not sure if anyone else is any better. Still I think I'm going to try a different brand for that reason, plus just to see how the other half lives, as it were (and maybe save a little money, as well).

 

Thanks for your reply bbf2530.

[DrakeR]

2 hours ago, leftoverture said:

I have a run flat, summer only version of the Pirelli Cinturato's on my wife's BMW, I neither love them nor hate them. They are scary dangerous in even the slightest winter precipitation (so I switch to winter tires). 

 

I put the Falken Ziex ZE960 from Discount Tire on my 2014 MKZ and loved them. They had very good road feel, ran quiet, and worked well in winter conditions. So if you haven't considered these, now you have a 3rd option. I liked them so much I plan to install them on my 2018 when the factory Michelins are done. 

Hello leftoverture,

 

Are the Pirellis the "Plus Two" version that came out about a year ago? Or are they an older version? My understanding is that the older Cinturatos had a rep for being bad in the winter (and even in the rain, I think). This newer Cinturato "Plus Two" supposedly is improved for those conditions. Whether that is true or not-I'm not sure.

 

Falkens: Yeah, I was actually interested in those but they kind of fell off the radar for me. I was sort of looking for a GT tire (while realizing that these tire categories are kind of arbitrary in a sense). Falken makes the Sincera which is their GT tire, and was highly rated by Consumer Reports but when I input my car into various tire shops websites the Sincera never comes up as an option. Maybe they're not made in my size. Maybe I will look into the Ziex, which I think are classified as "high performance".

 

One thing I like about Falkens-they are a Sumitomo product. Best tires I ever owned were a set of Sumitomos I bought back in 2004. Best treadwear I ever got, and provided good handling and ride quality. Was going to purchase them back in the day on the next car I owned, but got talked into BF Goodrich instead by the sales rep, and was locked into them for awhile because of treadwear warranty. Still regret it.

 

Thanks for your reply, leftoverture.

[leftoverture]

If you have a Discount Tire nearby, I really recommend them. They can get you any tire you want and will walk you through relevant options. Their service is second to none and their prices are competitive. 

[DrakeR]

leftoverture,

 

Unfortunately nearest Discount Tire to me is in Pittsburgh, 300 miles away. But thank you.

[bbf2530]

Hi DrakeR. And to add to leftovertures good information (but unfortunately not for you): if you are a Costco member, their tire prices (along with their tire buyer perks) are near unbeatable. Excellent prices, plus...for the life of the tires: Included Road Hazard warranty. Free balancing. Free flat repairs. Free tire rotations. Free tire pressure check/fill with nitrogen etc.

 

However, if you were/are a Costco member, this is information you likely already knew. And their manufacturer selection is limited. It normally includes Michelin, BF Goodrich and Bridgestone.

And maybe Continental? Not sure at the moment.

 

Also, you are correct, I should have been more precise/detailed in my previous reply. So I attached the Ford/Lincoln Tire Warranty guide. If anyone wants to take the time to read though it, there was essentially (in reality) no treadwear warranty for any OEM tire on a 2018 prior Ford/Lincoln...no matter the manufacturer.

 

Some brands outright state they only cover "defects in material and workmanship", and show no treadwear warranty specified or offered (i.e. Toyo, Hankook, Maxxis, Pirelli, Yokohama).

 

And Michelin forces the vehicle owner to jump through so many hoops that by the time they get done, there is essentially no treadwear warranty (as you stated you have heard with Michelin). For example, with Michelin tires (copy and paste), just one caveat is: " 2. The tires have been rotated and inspected by a participating Michelin
tire retailer, and the attached Mounting and Rotation Service Record has
been fully completed and signed;"

It is very doubtful many owners jump through rotation/Service Record hoop.  And once you don't, there goes the ethereal treadwear warranty anyway.  So while there is a "treadwear warranty", it is not usable in real life.

 

Full disclosure: I can not speak for OEM tire treadwear warranties in the 70's, 80's, 90's or 00's etc. Although I was driving then, I have never needed to have a tire replaced for bad/low/insufficient treadwear life. I've been lucky.

 

I guess my only point is that Michelin is no better and no worse than every other manufacturer when it comes to OEM tire warranties. In real life, their warranties are mainly for "defects in material or workmanship".

 

And to everyone: I try to have a non-Internet life once in a while, or at least my lovely wife makes me, so I only took a quick look through the Tire Warranty Guide , so if I missed anything, please feel free to correct any incorrect information.

 

Hope this information may help someone at some time, and good luck.

2017-Ford-Lincoln-Tire-Warranty-version-1_tirtw_EN-US_02_2016-1.pdf

[leftoverture]

19 hours ago, DrakeR said:

Hello leftoverture,

 

Are the Pirellis the "Plus Two" version that came out about a year ago? Or are they an older version? My understanding is that the older Cinturatos had a rep for being bad in the winter (and even in the rain, I think). This newer Cinturato "Plus Two" supposedly is improved for those conditions. Whether that is true or not-I'm not sure.

I finally had a chance to check and even though I think they are just over a year old, my Pirellis appear to be the older version. Being summer only tires, it is not surprising they are scary in winter weather. In rain during summer they have performed fine.  

[fusionff]

19 hours ago, DrakeR said:

leftoverture,

 

Unfortunately nearest Discount Tire to me is in Pittsburgh, 300 miles away. But thank you.

 

You can order drom Discount Tire Direct, same company but they will ship your tires directly to a local installer near you.  There is a list of installers, with all prices listed, on their website.  You choose an installer and they ship your tires to them directly.  The installer will contact you when the tires arrive, and you'll already know what the cost is for mounting and disposal, etc.  I've bought tires for my truck and my Fusion through them, great prices both times.  You can call them with questions or for advice.

 

Discount Tire Direct

 

 

.

[drolds1]

19 hours ago, bbf2530 said:

Hi DrakeR. And to add to leftovertures good information (but unfortunately not for you): if you are a Costco member, their tire prices (along with their tire buyer perks) are near unbeatable. Excellent prices, plus...for the life of the tires: Included Road Hazard warranty. Free balancing. Free flat repairs. Free tire rotations. Free tire pressure check/fill with nitrogen etc.

 

However, if you were/are a Costco member, this is information you likely already knew. And their manufacturer selection is limited. It normally includes Michelin, BF Goodrich and Bridgestone.

And maybe Continental? Not sure at the moment.

 

Also, you are correct, I should have been more precise/detailed in my previous reply. So I attached the Ford/Lincoln Tire Warranty guide. If anyone wants to take the time to read though it, there was essentially (in reality) no treadwear warranty for any OEM tire on a 2018 prior Ford/Lincoln...no matter the manufacturer.

 

Some brands outright state they only cover "defects in material and workmanship", and show no treadwear warranty specified or offered (i.e. Toyo, Hankook, Maxxis, Pirelli, Yokohama).

 

And Michelin forces the vehicle owner to jump through so many hoops that by the time they get done, there is essentially no treadwear warranty (as you stated you have heard with Michelin). For example, with Michelin tires (copy and paste), just one caveat is: " 2. The tires have been rotated and inspected by a participating Michelin
tire retailer, and the attached Mounting and Rotation Service Record has
been fully completed and signed;"

It is very doubtful many owners jump through rotation/Service Record hoop.  And once you don't, there goes the ethereal treadwear warranty anyway.  So while there is a "treadwear warranty", it is not usable in real life.

 

Full disclosure: I can not speak for OEM tire treadwear warranties in the 70's, 80's, 90's or 00's etc. Although I was driving then, I have never needed to have a tire replaced for bad/low/insufficient treadwear life. I've been lucky.

 

I guess my only point is that Michelin is no better and no worse than every other manufacturer when it comes to OEM tire warranties. In real life, their warranties are mainly for "defects in material or workmanship".

 

And to everyone: I try to have a non-Internet life once in a while, or at least my lovely wife makes me, so I only took a quick look through the Tire Warranty Guide , so if I missed anything, please feel free to correct any incorrect information.

 

Hope this information may help someone at some time, and good luck.

2017-Ford-Lincoln-Tire-Warranty-version-1_tirtw_EN-US_02_2016-1.pdf

Just to add to the Michelin "hoop jumping," I've read anecdotal accounts of Michelin dealers denying any warranty claims on tires with tire dressing applied.

[maurykendall]

Two weeks ago I changed out the dealer-supplied Toyo ultra-high-performance summer tires (ugh -- noisy, hard-riding) for a set of Pirelli P7 Cinturato All Season Plus IIs at $212 each, and the difference has been amazing. So much quieter, better road feel *and* ride. But we also just got our first rain of the season last night, so I don't know how they'll do in wet (or snow.) The reviews lead me to think they'll do well -- and they're already such a huge improvement over the Toyo ProXES summer tires that I am a happy MKZ driver again. I'll be driving up I-5 through the Siskyous and into some serious Oregon-coast rain next week, so I should have a better-formed opinion after that -- but I had P7s on my former car (C-Max) and got good use out of those.