If you drive a crossover, SUV, or light truck, you have many tires to choose from. While such variety is a good thing, it can also be overwhelming, especially when choosing the best option for your use case and driving style.
This article will compare two of these tires, the Latitude Tour and the Premier LTX, which may seem similar to the inexperienced eye but are actually aimed at different audiences.
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TL;DR: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Ready to discover which of these two tires is the most suitable for your vehicle? Let's first take a quick look at its pros and cons.
PROS
CONS
Best For:
Drivers of crossovers, sport utility vehicles, and light-duty pickups that need a tire with excellent durability and good wet and dry performance
PROS
CONS
Best For:
Drivers of crossovers, sport utility vehicles, light-duty vans, and pickup trucks looking for maximum grip and performance throughout the year
Performance Ratings: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Before starting the in-depth analysis of these two tires, it is essential to talk about the reliability of the ratings of each of them. On the one hand, we have the Latitude Tour with more than 18 million total miles reported and the position 16 out of 38 in the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season segment. On the other hand, we have the Premier LTX with more than 13 million total miles reported and the position 17 out of 38 in the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season segment.
Since both tires have a considerable number of reported miles, it is safe to say that their ratings are highly reliable.
In other words, the ranking of each one will hardly vary.
That said, below, we provide direct links to each of the categories to discuss.
Michelin Latitude Tour
Dry Performance: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Dry Performance Category | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Dry Overall | 8.6 | 8.9 |
Cornering Stability | 8.3 | 8.8 |
Dry Traction | 8.9 | 9.0 |
Steering Response | 8.5 | 8.8 |
Given the characteristics of both tires, the results of this category are fascinating. While it is true that the Premier LTX beats the Latitude Tour, it does so by a small margin.
What is striking is that the Premier is designed with Michelin's Total Performance technologies, which promote dry grip performance. For its part, the Latitude is a tire with a low rolling resistance compound, so its dry traction is relatively limited.
In other words, despite being designed with entirely different technologies and goals, both tires give you exceptional cornering stability and grip under normal driving conditions.
Wet Performance: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Wet Performance Category | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Wet Overall | 8.0 | 8.6 |
Hydroplaning Resistance | 7.9 | 8.6 |
Wet Traction | 8.1 | 8.6 |
Unlike the previous category, the difference in grip becomes more evident in the wet. It is clear that the use of Michelin EverGrip Technology in the Premier LTX has paid off. The Expanding Rain Grooves around the tire's circumference make a huge difference compared to the conventional shoulder blocks on the Latitude Tour.
This is not to say that the Latitude is not suitable for driving in the rain. The only thing it shows is that it is not as efficient as its rival to evacuate the water quickly and thus avoid hydroplaning. In short, if you are looking for the best tire for driving in adverse weather conditions, the Premier LTX is the best choice.
Snow / Ice Performance: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Snow / Ice Performance Ratings | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Snow / Ice Overall | 6.3 | 7.0 |
Light Snow Traction | 7.0 | 7.8 |
Deep Snow Traction | 6.1 | 6.9 |
Ice Traction | 5.8 | 6.5 |
The difference in the level of traction offered by each tire continues to grow when faced with snow and ice.
In this case, in addition to EverGrip Technology, the Premier LTX benefits from its advanced extreme silica and sunflower oil enhanced tread compound, giving it superior flexibility in cold climates than the silica-based tread compound used by the Latitude Tour. And while it is true that neither of the two tires is recommended for roads with more than one inch of snow, the Premier offers an adequate level of grip on light snow roads.
For this reason, if you require a tire for year-round use, the Premier LTX is your best option.
Comfort Performance: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Comfort Performance Ratings | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Overall Comfort | 8.3 | 8.6 |
Ride Quality | 8.5 | 8.7 |
Noise | 8.1 | 8.5 |
When it comes to comfort, the ratings for both tires are very similar. In fact, the Premier advantage is so small that very few drivers would be able to tell one tire from the other if they had their eyes closed.
That said, it is an achievement for the Latitude Tour to deliver a ride quality so close to that of its rival. In terms of overall comfort, you can't go wrong choosing either of these two tires.
Treadwear Performance: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Treadwear Performance Ratings | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Treadwear | 7.7 | 4.9 |
In terms of tread durability, Michelin's MaxTouch Construction technology used on the Latitude Tour has proven to be superior to the Total Performance technology on the Premier.
The Latitude's outstanding durability is arguably its strongest selling point, as it fails to outperform the excellent LTX in other categories. That said, if you're looking for which of the two tires gives you better tread life, the Latitude Tour is your safest bet.
Warranty: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Warranty Type | Michelin Latitude Tour | Premier LTX |
|---|---|---|
Treadlife Warranty | 6-year warranty or 65,000 miles (whichever occurs first). This warranty is halved for rear tires when they are different in size from the front tires. | 6-year warranty or 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first). This warranty is halved for rear tires when they are different in size from the front tires. |
Uniformity Warranty | One year of use or the first 2/32" of wear. | One year of use or the first 2/32" of wear. |
Workmanship / Materials Warranty | 6-year warranty and free tire replacement for the first year, 2/32" wear, or 25% wear. | 6-year warranty and free tire replacement for the first year, 2/32" wear, or 25% wear. |
Road Hazard Warranty | None | None |
Tire Rack Road Hazard Warranty | Refunds of up to $40 for repairs per tire per occurrence. Refund of the original purchase price or replacement purchase price (whichever is less) when the tire suffers non-repairable damage (valid within the first 2 years of use). |
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When it comes to the manufacturer's warranty, Michelin offers great support for both tires. The same can be said for Tire Rack's Road Hazard Warranty, which is identical for both tires. In short, if you are looking for the best Treadlife Warranty, the Latitude Tour offers you a slight edge over its rival.
Specs & Options: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
Contrary to what many may think, the biggest difference between these two tires is not their ratings but their market coverage.
On the one hand, the Latitude Tour is only available for cars with 17 and 18-inch tires and rim widths from 225 to 265. On the other hand, the Premier offers great market coverage with rim sizes ranging from 16 inches to 22 inches and rim widths from 215 to 285.
Despite this, the 620 AA UTQG on the Premier LTX is very similar to the 620 AB on the Latitude Tour. For more information about UTQG, read this article.
Regardless of the type of car you drive, the chances are that the tire size you need will be available for the Premier LTX.
Reviews: Michelin Latitude Tour vs Premier LTX
After analyzing user reviews, there are several aspects to highlight. The first has to do with the perception of drivers about these tires. While both tires have many positive reviews, there are also numerous complaints, mainly regarding the durability of the Premier LTX.
It is not surprising that the Premier has these types of complaints, given that its Treadwear rating is not the best we have seen. In most cases, drivers report that the tread shows noticeable wear around 55k miles.
It is worth mentioning that these complaints are more recurrent in relatively heavy crossovers and SUVs. Another aspect to highlight is that many drivers advise rotating these tires promptly to avoid this type of inconvenience.
That said, Michelin Premier reviews with more than 65k miles are rare, which is unsettling. For its part, the Latitude Tour is the other side of the coin. This tire has numerous user reviews with more than 75k miles and even some close to 100k miles. In fact, it's one of the most praiseworthy aspects of the Latitude, its impressive tread life.
In terms of performance, as expected, both tires have an overwhelming number of positive reviews from drivers.
All in all, it comes down to which aspect is most important to you, durability or performance, since each tire is focused on one of them.
Quick Recap
Michelin Latitude Tour | |
|---|---|
Dry | 8.6 |
Wet | 8.0 |
Snow / Ice | 6.3 |
Comfort | 8.3 |
Treadwear | 7.7 |
Premier LTX | |
|---|---|
Dry | 8.9 |
Wet | 8.6 |
Snow / Ice | 7.0 |
Comfort | 8.6 |
Treadwear | 4.9 |
End of the Road
Although the Latitude Tour and the Premier LTX are almost at the same level in the ranking of the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season segment, we have seen how their audience is very different. The Premier seeks to deliver maximum performance to drivers while the Latitude Tour excels at providing outstanding durability. Which is better? It depends on what you are looking for in your new set of tires.
