Michelin Energy XM2 145/80 R12. A compressive review
I bought Michelin Energy XM2 tyres for my Alto 800 Lxi in 2017. The size of my tyre is 145/80 R12. I had Apollo Amazer XL tubeless tyres earlier. They were good tyres, but with age and driving, the tyres became nearly flat. I will give a review of Michelin Energy XM2 tyres based on my experience.
I went to the dealer to see what option they have for my Alto Lxi. They asked me did I want Apollo tyres, I said no because I wanted to try out a different company. So I saw Bridgestone B290, JK Tyre Ultima NXT, Ceat Milaze and Michelin Energy. I saw all four tyres and asked about what was the difference between them.
| Michelin Energy XM2 | Ceat Milaze | Yokohama A539 | Bridgestone B290 | JK Tyre Ultima NXT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 145/80 R12 | 145/80 R12 | 165/60 R12 | 145/80 R12 | 145/80 R12 |
| Warranty | Against defect in material or workmanship for a period of five (5) years from the date of purchase, or until the wear of the minimum legal tread depth | 5 years from the date of manufacture or till the tyre tread is worn up | 2-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty | 3 Years Standard Warranty | 5 years from the date of manufacture or till the tyre tread is worn up |
| Tube/Tubeless | Tubeless | Tubeless | Tubeless | Tubeless | Tubeless |
| Price | ₹ 3,000/piece | ₹ 2600/piece | ₹ 4000/piece | ₹ 2800/piece | ₹ 2500/piece |
Michelin Energy XM2 tyres Review
I picked Michelin because I have heard about the company and that it makes high-performance tyres. I knew my car was not a high-performing car, but I knew with good tyres I will definitely improve my handling and control of the car.
Hence I bought them. To date, I have driven 50000 Km on these tyres. I have to say I have improved the overall ride quality, control and handling of my car. There is also an improvement in fuel economy. I used to get 16-17 KMPL on highways earlier, after these tyres I get 18-19 KMPL on highways. And in the city, I get 17 KMPL which was earlier around 15 km. Though fuel economy depends on how a person drives. but this is what I get. The major highlight was the driving dynamics, ride quality and handling, that’s the major improvements which I have got. I can easily maintain good speeds on curved roads.
For me, these tyres have performed well on rough patch roads, smooth roads, and cement roads, though on cement I hear quite a lot of tyre noise. Let me clear this these are summer tyres, not all season, so they would not perform great on snow or wet conditions. But I live in a place where it rains for 3-4 months and in winter the temperature doesn’t go below 10° C. And I have hardly faced any grip issues or traction issues. Though I would mention that in winter you cannot corner as hard as you do in the summer, high-speed cornering is affected in very wet conditions. But anyway it is not safe to do high-speed cornering in wet or snow conditions.
Conclusion
I would recommend these Michelin Energy XM2 tyres to everyone driving an Alto. Even if you drive any other car you should go for Micheline tyres as the compound they use is good. Though one thing I would like to mention, we went to buy a set of Michelin for my friend’s i10, but the dealer said, Michelin, stopped producing tyres for small cars in India. So we bought a continental ComfortContact CC6, and you will be getting the review of those tyres.
If you are looking to upgrade your car you should always go for a tyre upgrade, because tyres are the thing that makes contact with the road. It helps you put down the power, and improve the ride quality and fuel efficiency. A good tyre will result in the better overall safety of your vehicle. If you want a guide on tyres click here
