Why are these tires so cheap when compared to these Michelins? I am a complete tire noob so please don't flame if the answer is obvious.

Dunlop:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....g=YR&minLoad=S

Michelin:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....g=YR&minLoad=S

 

michelin tires have always been (arguably or not) considered the best tires available and they have always charged a premium for them. They are lightweight compared to most other brands and the quality is noticeably better. I have a bud that manages a tire shop and he says that they have the least amount of problems (tire being out of round, inherently unbalanced, etc.) with the Michelins.

If you're thinking about the Pilot Sports, I'd suggest the Pilot Sport 2's as they are a better tire for about the same $$$.

 

Dunlops make a fairly inexpensive performance tire. I have heard mixed things about them. However I had a set of Dunlop Winter Sport M3s for my Altima SE-R and they work great very impressive.

 

Those Dunlops are decent tires. I had them on my Track rims in stock sizes. I was looking for cheap when I got them and they were new and no ratings were out on TireRack yet. I was pleasantly surprised at how the ratings compare to the BFG KDWII that cost much more. They aren't the best, but for the price, they are rated pretty high and perform well; I would recommend them.

 

And if you're thinking of ordering today, be sure to read this:

https://my350z.com/forum/wheels-and-tires/209501-discount-tire-direct-today-only-aug-10-a.html

 

Michelin uses much more expensive, stronger and lighter components in their tires this extra $2-3 in components gets magnified significantly from manufactuer to distributor to retail selling price [profit]. They spend way too much on R&D compared to other tire manufacturers who are bound in US by retirement and pension health cost................yet Michelin makes very little profit because they spend to much to maintain reputation......check annual report.

Michelin always exceeds the standard tire durability specs by 20-30%.

In tires you get what you pay for..........I wish Chinese would copy Michelin instead of the bottom brands..........then they would have a tremendous low cost product.

 

I'm very impressed with my Dunlops, I'm actually surprised. I do have a different model though.

 

I have the Direzzas and really like them. I ended up getting mine through Sam's Club since they were actually about the same price as Tire Rack but I didn't have to pay shipping. They certainly aren't the best tires, but if you consider the price they offer a great deal of performance for what you get. After using these, I can't justify paying for Michelins over these, but that's just my opinion. I don't track my car, but I do drive fairly briskly and the tires do not break loose easily. I think they are comparable to the OEM Bridgestones.

 

That's pretty much my assessment as well. For the price and performance you get, it's hard to justify really expensive tires, especially considering how often they need to be replaced.

I DID notice a little less steering response with the Direzzas than the OEM tires and though they gripped well and predictably in cornering, they broke loose fairly easy when launching from a stoplight. In comparison, I now run Falken Azenis RT-615, which are just a hair more expensive than the Dunlops (still very cheap), and these tires are absolutely amazing in grip and steering response (though they are not meant for the wet and they will wear out faster). Still, as an all around street tire, I would recommend the Dunlops to anybody.

 

Like most competitive product, the ultra premium may only be 10% better than the industry average yet cost 50% more.
Assumming Federal regulators are on their toes and Industry watch dogs awake the bottom rung is adequate for the average use [to hold the car up off the road].

The major problem is there is no extreme durability testing to find out what happens to a tire after 8,000 miles of use. Manufacturers have learned to concentrate in the FIRST 8,0000 miles and let them go to HELL thereafter.


Michelin did some testing of their and other brands which showed that by 20,000 miles the chances of failure were 4 times greater and rose at an exponential rate thereafter!

 

For ease of shopping, tire manufactures put tires in groups such as Maximum Performance, Summer Performance and High Performance. The lines differentiating the groups are blurred. When shopping there is other selection criteria such as speed rating and tread wear.

Its common sense that a tire with a high tread wear rating (say 400) is a hard compound. Generally a soft compound is appropriate for traction. My advise is the you review tests done by Consumer Reports and Car & Driver Magazine before buying.