Re: Firehawk vs. MXV4 (archive)

Good question, I asked myself this when I researched tires and here is what I found and the reasons I chose what I did...
Tire ---------- Michelin MXV4 --------- Firehawk SZ50 EP
Price --------- $122 ------------------ $119
Category ------ Grand Tour All-Season - Ultra High Performance
Speed Rating -- H (max 130 mph)-------- Z (149+ mph)
Warranty ------ 3� stars -------------- 4 of 5 stars
CUSTOMER SURVEY DATA (out of 10)
Survey Miles -- 2,834,657 ------------- 705,866
Handling ------ 6.9 ------------------- 8.9 (+29%)
Dry Traction -- 7.5 ------------------- 9.2 (+23%)
Wet Traction -- 6.9 ------------------- 8.9 (+29%)
SnowTraction -- 4.9 ------------------- N/A
Ride Comfort -- 7.7 ------------------- 8.4 (+ 9%)
Noise Comfort - 7.5 ------------------- 8.5 (+13%)
Wear ---------- 7.1 ------------------- 8.1 (+14%)
UTQG DATA
Wear ---------- 340 ------------------- 340
Traction ------ A --------------------- AA (due to wet traction)
Temperature --- A --------------------- A

Summary:
1) Firehawk is hands down way more tire for same money.
2) I have an E32 which is stock limited to 155 mph so the 130 mph 'H' rating doesn't cut it. Even though I rarely exceed 130 mph, I know the tires will take it.
3) I have 8 wheels so rather than using All-Season tires and compromising performance at each end, I chose to have GREAT summer performance AND great winter performance. For the Michelin die-hards, I will likely choose Pilot Alpin for winter driving. Using two sets of tires that are designed for the conditions gives me a major boost in traction and performance, which for me, translates into safety for me and for my family (check out the awesome wet traction). Likewise for the winter, compare the Pilot Alpin snow traction against the MXV4...8.4 vs. 4.9, no contest!

Simeon...A man of Courage!! You couldn't GIVE me Firestone tires. Not for a $60,000+ sedan. IMHO

Hey, that's all this is...humble opinions, right? So here is why I disagree with your comments - right or wrong, here is the way I see it:
1) I get my information about the Firestone/Ford mess from the media just like you (I presume) and here are a few of the things I have gathered:
a) failures were predominantly on SUV's, Ford's in particular, not passenger cars
b) failures were predominantly in the southern US
c) Ford's recommended pressure less than Firestone's for vehicle loading
d) 98% of the rest is corporate rhetoric and posturing by both sides designed to obfuscate the facts and to mitgate the impact of the huge bullet coming their way.
I believe the tires were underinflated (Ford's misdirection?) and while able to take SOME heat degradation, they were incapable of dealing with the higher ambient temperatures of the south.
2) As a company facing overwhelming negative opinion in the market place, what would you do to survive?
a) If there were QC problems in the factories, would I let it continue and hope no one finds out? No, I would immediately eliminate any potential problems in this area and as a matter of fact, I would probably end up going way beyond status quo to make damn sure QC would never come up again.
b) I would release new technology to show the public how high tech and advanced we are and I would make sure the pricing was in the range where no one else could touch it to get the best tires into the hands of the public...'where the rubber meets the road' in the world of public opinion. Hence the recent release of the EP (Extended Performance) addition to the Firehawk SZ50 line.
c) I would ramp marketing up to 200% 'yesterday' to get people back onto our products before the cash flow kills us. Hence the sale that hit on the weekend (that I have been hoping for/expecting).
3) So as I see it, after all of the above, "courage" has nothing to do with it. I believe Firestone's only option right now is to have the best tires on the market at the best price to save their corporate asses and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
4) I do understand what you meant by the $60k car comment, and I agree whole heartedly. In fact I will see you your car and raise you my family!! From the technical stuff summarized above, I don't believe I could possibly do better for the same $$ than these tires.

Sorry for the long post...I get carried away every now and then...but I hope it will stir up conversation from others out there with some good comments. After all, like the man said...it is just opinion.

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