The vast majority of tires on sport-utility vehicles are P-metric tires. That makes them passenger tires, although SUVs are classified as light trucks. Within the SUV segment, "luxury" and "cross-over" vehicles are the fastest growing sub-segments. Both SUVs and pickups are being targeted by the tuner crowd; the resulting "sport truck" segment leads to dressing up a Cadillac Escalade with 26-inch tires and wheels. However, those tires are still P-metric. And they are light truck tires as well. Sound confusing? We haven't even touched on mini-van or van tires yet.
Given the breakdown of uses for SUVs and the obsessive nature of original equipment vehicle manufacturers, light truck tire size proliferation is hardly a surprise. Adding to the numbers are tires for mini-vans and vans. How different are they?
"SUVs seem to have a lot of permutations," says Mike Ryan, vice president of administration for Somerset Tire Service Inc. "If you are looking at the 'family wagon' SUV (ES300, MDX), I'd say there is no real reason the tires should be any different than van/mini-van tires. They serve the same purpose and travel the same roads. These folks want a smooth, quiet ride, with decent mileage.
"If, however, you are looking at a segment of the SUV market we'll call the 'macho' vehicles -- those that may or may not go off-road, but must look like they might -- I'd say the biggest difference would be an aggressive tread pattern. (SUV owners) still want mileage, but the ride and noise aren't the highest priorities." As for true off-road SUVs, like the Land Rover or Mercedes G-Class, Ryan says a durable, aggressive design, "maybe even with an H rating," is needed. "With all the new crossover vehicles now hitting the market, knowing what the driver intends to do with the vehicle is more important than ever," he adds. There is no firm definition of an SUV, van or mini-van from a legal or insurance standpoint. Even vehicle manufacturers have trouble pigeonholing the categories as they evolve. Subsequently, light truck tires can be almost anything.
"The different characteristics between vans, mini-vans and SUVs are important to separate," says Steve McGrath, vice president of marketing for Tire Warehouse Central Inc. in Keene, N.H. "SUVs are being equipped with P-metric tires in most cases. The mini-vans are using S- or T-rated passenger tires in most cases. Vans are using P-metric or LT-metric tires depending on vehicle usage.
"If a tire salesperson does not understand when and how to identify these exceptions, prepare yourself for trouble. There are specific replacement applications for many vehicles so it is difficult to answer some questions with a one liner.
"In addition, some SUVs have unique characteristics within the SUV category," he says. "For example BMW, Lexus and Mercedes use H or greater speed ratings on their popular SUV applications, while Ford continues to stress the use of non-speed-rated tires and votes for all-terrain tires." McGrath says there are a number of sources available to help you determine the right tire for the right vehicle in these overlapping segments. The most important is the vehicle placard and owner's manual or a reliable industry fitment guide.
"Since vehicle manufacturers select tires based on their designed capabilities, they often recommend a type of tire found in the vehicle's owner's manual," he says. "Other tire manufacturers make their recommendations for the same vehicle fitments but may also offer additional features and benefits that the customers may desire. The tire manufacturers also offer Internet recommendations on tire options for vehicles."
McGrath says in some situations, the Internet site may say "no options are found" when exact tire criteria cannot be found for a vehicle. "A critical area is that the sales staff understands the features and benefits of tires they sell and can match up tires that are acceptable. There are times that substitutions from OE will leave a question in consumers' minds and they may feel uncomfortable after a sale.
"Once they fall into that category, any vehicle problems that occur later will be perceived as a (direct) result of the substitution in the consumer's mind." McGrath says dealers have to avoid potential problems "like selling high-speed cornering effects to some SUV owners.... The false sense of security that we could convey to a customer could result in a rollover condition.
"The customer's desire for more off-road benefits might cause the consumer to reach for a non-speed-rated option and open the door to more legal issues. Again, there are industry-approved policies to follow.
"Tire sellers must stress that they will meet the customers' demands with product choices that stay within these guidelines. I would not want a consumer to think that we create new ones."
Are tires for SUVs different than tires for mini-vans or vans in any way? We decided to ask tire manufacturers, marketers and dealers this question. Here are their responses.
|
|
|
|
|
||
| patbrweb01 2.16.10 | ||||||
