Full review
This is a review of the Michelin Latitude Tour tire.
We took our investigative skills and explored the internet to find customer reviews, tire ratings, and tire features to see if the Michelin Latitude Tour lives up to its preceding tires in the Michelin line.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
The Michelin is a mix of new technology, new features, and a blend of good and poor performances.
In this review, you’ll get the scoop of what this tire offers in terms of technology, benefits, durability, handling, comfort level, and performance in all seasons. See what other users have to say about how well the Latitude Tours perform and how they match up to other tires.
Michelin Latitude Tour Overview
The Michelin Latitude Tour is an all-season crossover/SUV tire designed for pick-up trucks, sports vehicles, and SUVs. This tire has a larger amount of upgrades compared to its predecessor.
The Latitude Tours claim to save drivers up to 82 gallons of fuel over the life of the tire, meaning you save money thanks to better fuel efficiency. The tire also has a silica-based tread compound for extended mileage in tread life. The wide grooves in the tread also help prevent hydroplaning. The Comfort Control Technology reduces road noise and absorbs impact from bumps.
The tire also has Michelin’s Green X certification positioning it as a tire with longer tread life, low rolling resistance, and good traction in both wet and snowy conditions.
Performance
The wide tread pattern and shoulder blocks help the tire prevent hydroplaning in rain. These tires seem to have a good grip according to user reviews and high ratings.
The wet traction of the tire has an 8.0 rating out of 10 and a 7.9 for hydroplaning resistance. You will want to be safe in rainy conditions and customers report feeling that way when they use the Latitude Tours.
The Latitude Tour’s excellent grip on wet roads and wide tread design make the drive safer and ideal for vehicles that drive in wetter climates.
Despite the wide groove pattern and biting edges for snow traction, the tire’s performance in snow is less than average. Many users say the tires should not be considered all-season and are better suited for drivers who do not drive in snow.
Users from Tire Rack did not hold back on their rating for snow performance. Overall, the tires earned a 6.3 rating out of 10. Light snow traction saw a better rating with 7.0 out of 10. The rating for the tire’s performance in deeper snow traction decreased to 6.1. Performance on ice received a 5.8, the lowest rating out of the three subcategories.
The performance in snow could be much better with the Michelin Latitude Tour. Vehicles would have better winter handling with the Michelin Defenders, which have better ratings and more positive reviews for winter traction.
The dry performance picks up the slack that winter performance leaves off. Ratings are very high with the dry traction of these tires, including braking, steering, and cornering.
Overall, the rating for dry performance in these tires is 8.6 out of 10. The tire’s cornering ability earned a rating of 8.4 and the tire’s steering responsiveness earned a slightly higher rating of 8.5. Higher ratings show a brighter side to the tire’s performance levels.
According to users, the dry performance is one of the best features this tire has. High ratings and positive reviews make this tire is a good tire for vehicles driving in mainly dry conditions.
Handling
The handling of these tires is one of the positive features due to easy steering responsiveness and excellent cornering ability.
Users rate both highly and report satisfaction with the tire’s ability to respond to turns, braking, and steering. Users are content with the smooth ride, and there aren’t many negative reviews towards how well the tires ride.
Noise and Comfort
The Latitude Tour’s Comfort Control Technology supposedly increases ride comfort by reducing on-road noise and vibrations. Despite high ratings in both noise and comfort, user reviews show that the tire produces loud noises on highways.
Users at Tire Rack rated the noise quality as an 8.2, but reviewers say that tire noise began around 15,000 miles and gradually got louder. Others say they disposed of the tires as they grew increasingly noisier with wear.
Noise levels caused discomfort for drivers even with regular rotation and tire pressure monitoring. Users reported poorer performance with road bumps and an increased noise level as the tires wore.
On the other hand, users say that the ride is typically comfortable even in rain or slushy conditions. One user reports that his tires provided a safer drive, resistance to hydroplaning, and reduced noise. More users support his opinions and note that the tires provide better maneuverability than other tires, which contribute to a comfortable feel behind the wheel.
Durability
The Latitude Tour has a 65,000 tread life warranty in addition to the materials and workmanship warranty. The tire also comes with a Standard Limited Warranty that covers defects for six years of tread life.
Michelin has a lot of trust in the durability of their tires. The majority of reviews from users say that they are satisfied with how the tires hold up over time. However, there is another group of users who are dissatisfied and report extreme tread wear after only 18,000 miles.
Driving style can affect how fast a tire’s tread will wear. Most of the users who report poor tread life drove on highways and regular roads with a normal driving style, meaning that spirited drivers would have more problems with tread life.
Price
The Latitude Tours are not the most expensive tires on the market, but they aren’t the cheapest either. The average price range is from $184 and up. While this tire is not as expensive, the tread life is something to consider.
The majority of users do not recommend this tire due to its poor tread life. One user mentioned that you would be sacrificing durability for safety, handling, and comfort. Not many of the tires make it to the 65,000-mile guarantee, so you would be getting what you paid for.
Recommendations
After looking through all the reviews and ratings, we only recommend this tire for vehicles that do not cover large distances and do not travel in winter conditions. This tire is ideal for sports utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and SUVs that want to save on fuel and mainly drive in dry conditions.
Reviews show that the tire does not perform well in snow and ice and lacks durability. The ratings and reviews of other all-season tires position them as a better alternative to the Michelin Tours.
If you prefer to stay within the Michelin brand, the Defender LTX M/S is a better alternative with its 90,000-mile warranty and enhanced tread life technology.
If you aren’t a fan of Michelin, the General Grabber Arctic LT is a good alternative for those who have to drive in winter conditions frequently. The lowest price for this tire is $167, which is cheaper than the Latitude Tours.
Conclusion
The Michelin Latitude Tour has a few well-performing features, including its dry and wet traction, fuel efficiency, and handling. However, these benefits come at the expense of durability, noise level, and winter traction.
The price isn’t too expensive, but many cheaper alternatives have higher ratings in tread life and winter traction. The Defender LTX M/S and the General Grabber Arctic LT are just a couple of tires that outperform the Latitude Tours.
References
Michelin Latitude Tour – Ratings & Reviews | Tirerack.com
Michelin Latitude Tour – Ratings, Specs, & Reviews | Michelinman.com
Michelin Latitude Tour – Reviews | Discounttire.com