Michelin or Bridgestone from Costco for Accord Help!

[TravelGal]

Soooooooo, I hit curb the wrong way last night and blew a tire. I mean, I can put my finger through the tire. AAA showed up in less than 15 minutes to install the donut tire from the trunk.

This is the original set so it is more than 8 years old with 31,000 miles. I was thinking of getting a new set anyway for safety's sake. Last purchase was Michelins for the Acura Larry drove. I didn't like those tires at all but it was so long ago, I can't tell you exactly what they were. Probably some sort of all weather. I'm looking for smooth ride over durability because, as you see, I only drive about 5,000 miles a year. Costco offers various Bridgestones and various Michelins. Advice???

Edit: oooh. They are also selling Firestone Firehawk Indy 500. :) :)

[datachicane]

Michelin and Bridgestone are both fine manufacturers, but I wouldn't assume that those Michelins you rode on years ago would have anything to do with your purchase decision now- they each make a range of tires from hard, noisy rim protectors on up to the better stuff. I'd look up reviews online for the specific tire models that Costco has on hand (can get complicated, since they sometimes have unique Costco models), and don't be afraid of Hankook and Kumho, who make fine tires as well.

[SteveH]

Try www.tirerack.com (https://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/homepage.html). Enter the make, model and year of your car, how you drive and it will show all tires that are applicable. Then you can read the reviews. I'm not suggesting you buy from them, you can probably find a comparable deal locally. But they will ship tires to a qualified installer if you wish.

[nrc]

We've had some very good Bridgestones but they seem prone to developing wear patterns that make them noisy if you don't rotate very frequently.

As DC suggested, read some reviews of the tires in question. I usually check Tire Rack reviews. Michelins are pricey but I tend toward them based on my historic satisfaction after research. I'd say I've been satisfied with 100% of Michelins vs 75% of Bridgestones, Continentals, and Yokohamas vs 50% of Pirellis and Goodyears. Totally unscientific survey. :D

[TravelGal]

Reviews say Michelin is better on dry roads. That'd be here. BUT, at least at Costco, only Bridgestone DRIVEGUARD PLUS - All-Season Tire is "run flat." Is that as important as it sounds? I had to drive 2 miles last night to get off the freeway at the next exit so it seems important to me. Edit: Tirerack gives only Goodyear choices. Hmm.

[SteveH]

I've hit two potholes that ruptured the sidewalls on run flats (you're from the Midwest, you remember those). Both times at speed on Interstates. I could not drive after that. I had to get a flatbed both times to take the car to the nearest dealer. To me, run flats do not ride as well but many new cars come with them to save the weight of a spare. They do work great if it's just a nail.

What Are Run-Flat Tires? (https://www.edmunds.com/driving-tips/run-flat-tires-a-primer.html)

[TravelGal]

I've hit two potholes that ruptured the sidewalls on run flats (you're from the Midwest, you remember those). Both times at speed on Interstates. I could not drive after that. I had to get a flatbed both times to take the car to the nearest dealer. To me, run flats do not ride as well but many new cars come with them to save the weight of a spare. They do work great if it's just a nail.

What Are Run-Flat Tires? (https://www.edmunds.com/driving-tips/run-flat-tires-a-primer.html)

This link is excellent. It is pretty much what I read elsewhere but much more well written. The poor ride would make me crazy. I should probably just take my chances and try not to short cut the curbs again. I'm leaning toward Bridgestone Turanza Quiet Track.

[TravelGal]

I wound up with Bridgestone Turanza Quiet Track tires. I was limited to what I could get a Costco that advertised comfort. I figured, what the heck; they've been out for decades so they must be good mass-market tires. It took 8 days to get an appointment for installation. The next day I had to get an alignment because, whoa, were they ever out after whacking that curb. Fortunately no suspension damage. Driving them in hilarious. Like marshmallows. Really spongy. I love it. I laugh every time I get in the car. Just what I wanted. Today I'll see how they handle in the rain. Who knew that would be important in Southern California?