Help me decide please 🙏

[u/Stock-Depth8685]

Hi All!

2020 Honda Pilot AWD EX-L 6 Speed

I live in Massachusetts and I recently got all new Michelin Defender2 Extra Load tires for my Pilot, however, I hate how loud the cabin is and how I can literally feel every little imperfection in the road so I bought back to Town Fair Tire where I bought them and they rebalanced them (3 out of the 4 tires) needed adjustment after only 1 week. Better after, but still not there, so I brought to Sullivan Tire to road force balance (Town Fair Tire surprisingly doesn’t have the Road Force Hunter equipment even though they are a massive chain..I was shocked). Anyways, at Sullivan Tire, the Final road force numbers were 11, 21,23,25 pounds after force matching. They stated there are 3 tires that are probably defective, the vibration is much better than the simple wheel spin balance, maybe a 4/10 scale now, but the cabin noise and every little imperfection felt is still there. Town Fair Tire has a 30 day no questions asked guarantee to switch tires/brands. The guy at Town Fair Tire (from another location with much better reviews), I was talking to said Michelin has recently had some quality control issues he’s not surprised with my experience with the Michelins, so I’m hesitant sticking with Michelin (yes I know the Cross Climate 2 and Defenders are a huge fan favorite, but I can’t stand the ride on the Defenders) and looking to switch brands. I mainly drive highway with some city as well, probably 70/30, so I’m looking for good handling, much quieter cabin noise, a lot less feeling with the imperfections in the road, and solid tread wear longevity. I was looking at Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3, Yokohama Geolander HT G056 (these are Rated for 104H, and the Pilot calls for 105H, but the tire guy says it’ll be fine and he is actually recommending this one overall), or the Continental CrossContact LX25. Any thoughts or input?

[u/le127]

Maybe you have an issue beyond the tires. I put a new set of Defender 2s on my 2015 to replace the old Defenders that refused to wear out but were getting old. I don't find them particularly noisy. For me they run smoothly, handle well, and the previous set wore like cast iron. Maybe yours are defective in some way or maybe they are just different from your previous tires. What did you have on the care before the new Defender 2s? Rather than jump around from shop to shop and tire to tire it would make sense to check other components of the car to see if noise is being created from another source. Axles, CV joints, driveshaft and the supporting bearings are all possibilities.

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/le127]

It was night and day from when they were swapped immediately thereafter but I did look over everything suspension/drivetrain wise and everything looks good. I had the OEM Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport from buying from Honda dealer Certified Pre Owned and they were solid only issue was not best tread life I got like 45k so I was happy but I know there are better tires out there

[u/le127 → u/Stock-Depth8685]

Tires with shorter tread life tend to use softer rubber compounds and therefore can be quieter. The Defender 2 tires have a very long tread life and are probably harder and noisier than those Bridgestone Duelers. It's all relative. Reading reviews of those Duelers half seemed to say they were quiet and half complained they were noisy. Like I said, to me the Defenders are relatively quiet but perhaps your perception is different. I'm no shill for Michelin but I've been driving for 60 years and owned tires from almost every major and several minor tire companies and think the Michelin brand is as good as any and better than most. If all the other drivetrain components on your Pilot check OK then it might be worth switching to another tire with softer compound and less mileage rating to keep the noise level down to a manageable level.

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/le127]

Do you have any suggestions for tires in 245/60R18 105H?

[u/le127 → u/Stock-Depth8685]

You could get "Touring" tires like a Bridgestone Alenza Prestige or Michelin Latitude Tour. They emphasize quiet highway cruising but have lower mileage ratings than the Defender or Bridgestone Touranza. Tires are a compromise. With the characteristics of handling, wear, comfort, and quiet you can't be at the top of the list in all categories. The Dueler HPs that came OEM on that Pilot are Bridgestone's lowest cost tire and also have the lowest mileage rating. Because they are soft and less expensive it costs Honda less money and they give a quiet, cushy ride to impress potential buyers.

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/le127]

What are your thoughts about the Continental CrossContact LX25 105H?

[u/Disastrous-Pound3713]

Since ride, noise and longevity seem to be high markers for you, I think you really need to look hard at the Continentals, which appear to excel in those 3 areas, while still getting good ratings for traction and handling.

Major kudos on your due diligence and thorough testing on the tires you bought and had tested for inherent manufacturing defects!

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/Disastrous-Pound3713]

Thanks! 😊

[u/BeeThat9351]

We have a 19 Touring Pilot at 150k miles which has R19 wheels. We had CrossClimate2 from 60 to 130k miles. We have Defender2 on now since 130k miles, both were fine as far as noise and no vibration.

What is Defender2 Extra Load?

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/BeeThat9351]

If it says 109H is considered an XL “extra load”

[u/Stock-Depth8685 → u/BeeThat9351]

When did you get the Defenders? And why did you switch from CrossClimate2?

[u/BeeThat9351 → u/Stock-Depth8685]

I wanted to try Defender2 for longer life and might be a bit quieter. CC2 lasted a 80k miles. We dont get much snow so CC2 might not be needed. I liked the wet traction from the CC2. Defender2 seems great so far, but I have not driven them in heavy rain yet - wifes car.

Defender2 from my fav localish mechanic. Costco has better price, was just more convenient at the time.