Tires MICHELIN or Maxxis

I had Defenders on my 2010 Escape. Loved them and they were so quiet rolling down the road.

I downsized to 275/65r18 Michelin Defenders. Mpg and handling/noise are much improved. Close to 19 around town and 21 on the Hwy.

I just got out of the Pirelli Scorpions and into Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUVs. AMAZING tire! First time in a long time I'm not running all season tires and the car sticks so well in corners it's mind boggling. Cabin is around 60dB at Interstate highway speeds.

I also replaced them with Cross Climate 2s as soon as I could. Took me a month but sold the set for $300 with 99 miles on them

I would suggest replacing those tires (this applies to model 3 and y) with a Michelin pilot sport 4s if you live in warmer climates and Michelin pilot sport 4A/S for people who experience temperatures below 10 degrees for more than a few days of winter. The acoustic foam adds unsprung weight to the wheel and beside the pilot sports are far stickier and much softer ride. And better performance in every category.

I have a MYP that came with Pirellis. I got 27K miles out of them, but being that they're summer tires, they had zero snow ability and didn't perform well under 45F. I just got all new Michelin Pilot Sport AS4's and they are so much better in every category. The ride quality is a massive improvement and they handle better imo. They're also all season and have a much higher tread life.

What's most important to me is the traction: dry, wet, snow. I want one of the best all season tires I can get, regardless of the sound or ride quality. I ended up going with Michelin CrossClimate 2, lots of reviews out there and I believe one of the best all season.

My experience was the same with the factory tires (I know you changed yours out). I replaced those at 70k with Michelin Cross Country II’s and HOLY CRAP, what a difference.

I've had the AS4 on my Mk7.5 GTI, but just about every review ranks the cheaper Conti as the better all around tire.

I put the CrossClimate2's on my 2015 Jetta TDI. 4% loss in fuel economy. Not only that but the car lost it's precise on center feel and required much more correction to keep in straight. Feels like driving on underinflated snow tires. I hate them and will replace them with the OEM Bridgestone Ecopias.