I need to replace the worn out Michelin 205x55x16 XGT V4's on my 1998 S70T5. They've given excellent traction but the ride is a little harsh. Michelin no
 longer makes this exact tire and recommends their Pilot XGT V4. My local dealer recommends stepping down to the H4, saying I won't notice the difference
 and will save a lot of money. Any experience or recommendations out there with these or others for the S70T5 ? Thanks

 I have a 98 S70 T5M. Recently replaced the OEM XGT V4s with
 Bridgestone Potenza RE730s. The Bridgestones are often
 recommended but they do ride harder then the OEM tires.
 If you think the XGT V4s were a bit too harsh you would not
 like the RE730s. The RE730s price is quite good and they really
 improve cornering performance (I have grown to like them, a lot).
 If you like the original tire I'd say call around and see
 if you can get another set of XGT V4s since are proabbly well
 tuned to the suspension (by the factory) and I'm betting many
 other performance tires are going to have a harsher ride then
 the XGT V4s did.

 I have Pilot XGT H4s on our 95 wagon (non-turbo). A good tire
 (so far, less then 1000 miles) but I would not put them on my T5.

 Maybe the MXV4 in V rated is worth considering. These are OEM
 on some Volvo GLT models and came OEM on our 95 wagon. It was
 a pretty good tire (note that I live in a dryer climate with
 no snow and mild rainy season). Ride was good as was performance.
 If you live where it snows or rains get some other opinions on
 the MXV4 since I recall some complaints in snow/rain posted here.

 To me, the Pilot XGT H4s don't feel quite as responsive on our 95
 as the OEM MXV4s did and on a T5 I lean a bit more towards
 performance (the Pilot XGT H4s are perfect for the use our
 wagon gets).

 --
 Ray Niblett 95 855 GLT / 98 S70 T5M

 I have an S70A (nonturbo) with MXV4s. These are what came on my car. I now live in California, but lived in Eugene, OR for two years and didn't have any
 problems with them.
 --
 Kierstin K. Schrader

 I previously had the Michelin MXV 4's (h rated) on my 1995 850 Turbo sedan.

 Decent tires.

 Just replaced with Michelin Pilot XGT (H)- Much better handling !

 Henry,
 I don't have a 1998 S70 T5 like you, mine is totally different; a 1998 V70 T5(M) ;-)

 Anyway, I went through an EXHAUSTIVE search in November. My OEM tires were the 50 series and I wanted to keep it that way. I also don't use snows on
 this car, so I wanted the impossible: a great handling tire all year round in all conditions. (Oh, and I wanted them cheap!)

 I finally settled on Pirelli P7000 Super Sports. I really like them. They are fantastic in the rain and dry, and good enough in the snow (which we had a fair
 amount of here in the Metro NYC area this year) to get me home safely from work. (I have 4 snows on my wife's Benz for the really bad weather.) These tires
 were backordered from Pirelli for months. I checked the web and then called every little shop with a .com site until I found 4 tires. I paid $110 each plus $10
 each to ship them from LA to NY. Not bad, eh? Plus, these tires have a very high treadwear number (another thing on my wishlist as these tires need to last
 200,000 miles ;-)

 Bottom line, read tirerack.com for feedback. Read posts here, AND DON'T LET SOME IDIOT TELL YOU TO CHANGE SPEED RATINGS OR SIZES (they  wanted me to go to 55 series) insisting "you won't notice the difference.

 Good luck.

 --
 Adam - V70 T5M - Still enjoying every shift!

 I just did the research on Tire Rack's web site and Discount Tire Direct, as well as reading some car mags to see what fell to the top of the tire heap.

 First, I'm cheap. I'm not inclined to spend $250+ per tire. For a lot less I believe you can get really, really close in performance. I noted that the Tire Rack
 feedback/rating page rated the RE730 a very close 2nd to a MUCH more expensive tire.

 For the money, I believe that the Bridgstone Potenza RE730 is a very good high performance tire for the street. It was rated significantly higher than other
 tires I have run on my Mustang that I was VERY pleased with, so I expect no surprises.

 I had Tire Rack ship four 245/45/16 RE730s to my door for $470. I would imagine that you could get a much better price on Volvo sized tires.

 Good luck,
 Barry

 I am also searching for new tires for my 95 850 Turbo Wagon. I liked the original Michelin Pilots but am not really happy with the XGT V4 that are currently
 on the car. I'm considering the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 or the Michelin Pilot XGT Z4. I found good comparison test info and survey results for the Dunlop on
 tirerake's web site and I've have several friends who sware by the Pilot XGT Z4's (on a Mustang GT and a Mitsubishi GT 3000). Any thoughts?

 I've got Dunlop Sp 5000's (am I forgetting some letters in the name??) and they're good. Quieter than the Continentals that were on before. Great grip, no
 squeal, good wet - need it in Seattle. $104 per tire US before install. Discount Tire.
 --
 Matthew de Seattle ____1997 850 T5, all opts.

 I'm curious why you don't like the current V4's. My problem with them is the harsh ride and relative short tread life. The Z4 should only be worse in turn for a
 little added performance above 150mph. Where is "tirerake's" web site ?

 I agree with your assessment (i.e., harsh ride compared to the OEM 205/50/16 Michelin Pilots and short life). I believe the harsh ride is a result of the higher
 inflation pressure (41 psi recommended) for the V4's and stiff side walls (e.g., my wife didn't even notice when we had a flat one time because of the support
 of the stiff sidewall). I'm not sure if the Z4 will have similar characteristics since it is a completely difference tire (e.g, different tread design, compound etc.).
 The suprising thing is that the Z4 has about a 50% great tread life rating than does the V4.

 John

 I'm on the second set of Dunlop SP9000 tires on my 97 T5. After the OEM Pirelli PZeros wore down to the cord at 20k miles, I wanted a high performance
 tire that would last longer. I drove Alfa Romeos for 20 years before buying the T5, so I was spoiled by really good handling. Volvo tries to make up for their
 lack of handling by using high priced tires, so we get stuck with this problem of cost vs. performance. I got 25k on the 1st set of SP9000s, and I'll probably
 get 25k on the 2nd set. The tire is great in all respects. Wet, dry, 90mph cruising, ride, noise, etc. no complaints at all. I'll probably get another set before
 the year is out.

 Good luck,

 Clyde Neal
 Angleton, TX
 --
 Clyde

 They are great. I thought the Michelins sucked and I was looking for a good all around tire. My wife drives our T5 and I have a BMW with 17" rubber, so I did
 not want ZR tires on her car.

 Regardless, I am very pleased with them. They have worn well, are very quiet and provide good grip in all weather conditions. They were a HUGE
 improvement over the Michelins and did not break the bank either.

 Check them out at the Tire Rack.

 Rob
 1998 S70 T5
 1994 BMW 325ic