Has anyone tried Michelins on their X-type? I have found that they really quiet down the noise and smoothe out the ride on Toyotas. The tires on my Jag are not worn out yet, but I would consider Michelins when it does need tires. But I would like to hear from anyone who has tried them on an X-type.

 

I took a longer ride today. The X-type is like a totally different car.

Tires make HUGE difference. I am a fan of the Generals, my second set.

 

The X type ride has had a lot of post on this forum since I've been a member. They range from terrible to just OK. I traded a Benz for on 03 X type which had 23K miles on it in June of 2010. today I am closing in on 26.9K miles. When I first got the car it rode terrible, noisy, rough, etc. After a month of so of this I took it back to the dealer and he said the front and rear swaybar bushings were shot. Jaguar wanted over $800 to replace. I got my local mechanic to do the job, with parts included for $200, improved the ride 99%. I have the 17" wheels, sports suspension and Conti Pro Contact low aspect ratio tyres, which doesn't help the ride too much, until I replaced the air in the tyres with nitrogen, which improved the ride quality and I only fill the tyres about 2 or 3 times a year now. Also, the build, I think, has a lot to do with the ride quality especially in the rear. All the drivetrain is toward the front of the car, engine is mounted sideways, and the tranny sticks out the side manual or auto is mounted to the left side of the engine and then the transfer case is right there next to the tranny, all you have in the back is the rear end, so the car is nose heavy, but with the AWD this set up does not effect the really fine handling of the car, as I had it close to the limit on a track this past summer. I would have a good suspension person check those bushings on the swaybars, as they made the biggest difference in the ride quality of my car. I assume you have 17" wheels at least and low aspect tires, unless as someone mentioned you go to 16" and a higher aspect ratio, the ride is what it is. But the ride shouldn't be as bad as you say unless, like I found out, something is worn in the suspension. Even thou my car has low, low miles, it is still 8 years old and bushings and other suspension parts can wear or start to wear at this age. Also, coming out of a Benz which glides down the street, compared to the tight handling of the X sport suspension took getting use to. Just my 2 cents. As far as tyres go, my owners manual is very specific about this Conti tyres only, Why? I don't have a clue, perhaps Jaguar has a deal with them. The former owner had just put new tyres on when I bought the car after after a year plus ownership there is hardly any wear on them. Finally someone on the board mentioned a long time ago the swaybar bushings were troublesome on these cars, so look there first.

 

I had the Conti's on the front of the X-type and they were no picnic, although not nearly as bad as the junk tires in the rear. The ride now is actually perfect: comfortable without being like a sofa.

 

Can the nitrogen actually make the ride more comfy? How much does it cost to replace the air?

 

I don't think it has much to do with the ride. Nitrogen just lasts longer because it's molecules are larger than those in oxygen. I've had nitrogen in mine since I replaced the original tires and have only had to top them up once. I don't remember what my tire place charges to change over. The nitrogen was free with the new tires and any top off required is also free along with an annual rotate and balance, flat repair and road service.

 

I don't think it has much to do with the ride. Nitrogen just lasts longer because it's molecules are larger than those in oxygen. I've had nitrogen in mine since I replaced the original tires and have only had to top them up once. I don't remember what my tire place charges to change over. The nitrogen was free with the new tires and any top off required is also free along with an annual rotate and balance, flat repair and road service. Also I think you eliminate the moister that come with free air.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Mismatched tyres don't help and can be a dangerous.

 

All I can say is I noticed a difference in the ride when I switched to Nitrogen. COSTCO is free for the changeover if you are a member and free refills. IMHO conti contacts are one of the better tires on the market and last a long time. I had them on my benz and put 67K miles on them and they still had legal tread depth on them when I sold the car. When I bought the car it had Good year and 27K miles and the tires where shot, that's when I went to the Conti's and as I wrote 67K miles later and still good to go.

But the really difference in the ride was the sway bar bushings, they made a big difference in ride quality and a lot, a lot less noise in the suspension. My mechanic changed my oil on my 2.5L last nite. 6.1quarts of Mobil 1 5 30w and K&N filter. I finally switch to synthetic oil after two oil changes with mineral oil. I got a 6 pack of oil at BJ Wholesale Club for $37 or about $$6 plus a quart, plus I had an extra quart left over from the Benz, never opened so I could get the 6.1 quarts. He greased the ebrake cable, away went the squeak, all for $15 labor. So my suspension is relatively quiet except if you hit a really good bump, I avoid potholes like the plague.

 

I just read the first negative article about nitrogen in tyres. I was long but the main part was that nitrogen will dry out your tyres from the inside out as nitrogen contains less moister (H2O) then air. Anyone hear about this?