What Tires for LR3 after Pirelli Scorpion ATR 255/55R19 discontinuation

[Tictaktoe]

Hi Everyone,

I had a flat tire, and it seems that the damage was on the side because of which I will have to change the tire altogether. Not too bummed as I would have changed it anyways in 6 months. However, I havent changed the tires since I bought my 2008 LR3 HSE 7 seater few months back so want to make sure I am doing all my research and asking right questions. I changed the punctured tire with spare using the LR provided tiny jack, and now the flat tire is sitting in the back of the LR3.

Now few questions from the experts...

1. I am planning to change all the four tires rather than just one. Any reason I shouldnt do it given its a 4W drive?

2. Can I order the tires directly to the LR dealer and they can install to me or do I need to ship to my place and then carry it to the dealer?

3. I was thinking of buying Pirelli Scorpion ATR 255/55R19 however they seem to have been discontinued. I saw Scorpian Zero however am not sure if that's similar. Can you suggest which is the closest alternative, and still have the same aggressive look, on road capabilities, etc?

4. Where to get the best deal on buying it? Get it from dealer, order online and deliver it to the dealer, order home and take to dealer, tirerack.com or any other portal?

5. If I order the tires by myself, how much would LR dealer charge for installin it? What all should be included - alignment, etc? Also, can they be installed at any big shop (I am thinking of Costco and they seem to have Bridgestone-Dueler H/L Alenza Plus, free shipping, four set at $730+$60 installation and disposal for all tires) or it should be taken to a LR dealer only for alignment, etc?

6. Can one tire be used as a full size spare one? I noticed that it doesnt have the wheel cap that ties the usual spare with the vehicle? Can anyone suggest what they did to use a regular tire as a spare tire?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[bonz]

I've got 4 Scorpian atr with about half the life left in them I'd like to sell. You live in NC by chance? Hah

 

[Houm_WA]

I would not go to the dealer for this. You have plenty of options. You can go through any tire retailer, as long as they carry tires in your size. If you are looking for longevity I might suggest Michelin Latitudes. I had their Syncrhones which they discontinued but the Latitudes are similar. I put 75-80,000 miles on the Synchrones.

If you want an all terrain tire there are options there as well. No need for an alignment. You can just drive up to a discount tire or Costco or Sears or any retailer that has what you want and get that done. Many of these shops offer free rotations and other services as well. For instance, I run 32" MT/Rs for half the year then switch to Nokian Hakkas for the winter months. I just throw them in the back and drive into Discount Tire with a dozen donuts and they bolt 'em on for me. (the donuts are a personal touch, they'd do it anyway).

As for your spare; I took my best remaining Michelin and put it under the rig for a spare. It's the same size as the Nokians so it will serve its purpose as a "get me home" spare if called upon. I'm not sure what you mean by the "wheel cap" on your current spare. When I run the MT/Rs I throw my spare in the boot since it won't fit underneath. For that I have a BFG Long Trail T/A mounted on an 18" X5 rim. Again, that's a get me home spare.

 

[whydahdvr]

IN March 2014 I put a set of Nokian WRG2 tires onto my 2008 LR3 HSE and they've been great. I live in the Boston area and last year my tires certainly got a lot of use in the snow - which is what these are primarily designed for. My local tire shop does most of the city/government vehicles in the surrounding towns and has used these Nokians for at least the Winter tires on almost all their own and customers vehicles.
I had a set of Pirelli (Scorpion Zero I think) that I got on a 50% discount from NTB. They lasted about 1/2 what they should have and needed to be changed in about 16 months. Granted they had some long distance highway miles but not extensive. They also didn't do as well in the snow as the Nokians.
But you'll find plenty of options and advice so think about what your driving conditions are and what you want to do with the tires. Mine have done well on snow, sand, gravel, pavement, and even a bit rougher terrain. They get plenty of use on sand/dirt roads as well as the other conditions and have done well. I may get a set of the ATRs from someone to put on my 18" wheels I have but haven't wanted to pay full price since they won't get used a lot.
That's my take and advice. Houm_WA is right too - lots of options at the dealer or a really good local tire shop. And I also put the best of the Pirelli's I took off on a fill size wheel I bought for a full size spare. The donut spare is fine if you're on the highway but a full size spare is more useful (though more weight) in all other situations that are more likely to produce a flat.

 

[toddjb122]

I'm back to Michelins after bad experiences with the Pirelli's. They work find. Wish they had more tread but honestly, they do what I need and are built well.

 

[catman]

I have the 18" wheels and I had my General Grabbers put on by my local Cadillac/Saab dealer becasue they can do the Road Force Balancing (which I wanted) and are as reasonable as any indy shop in my area. If I had the 19" wheels I would use the Duratracs, my wife has them on her RR and she loves them. It just depends on what you want out of a tire. There is no right or wrong.

My local LR dealer would not even offer me anything but a handful of OEM tires and if I have them install my choice by bringing it to them, they charge 25% more on their labor rate to compensate for not selling the parts.

I happened to have been in for an alignment just 2 months before, so I did not need this at the Saab dealer, but they claim they can download the software for any vehicle Hunter has in their system (basically every vehicle) and do the proper alignement. I am still unsure if they realize there is a tight tolerance mode for doing this, but that is what they said. My local Indy guy does not do alignments on LR3 or newer Land Rovers and only uses one specific person at the LR dealer because he feels there is only one guy there that truly does it right.

So, I suppose no matter where you go it may depend on the tech...

 

[schwaggy]

For all-season tires, I LOVE my Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus.
Excellent grip in the wet, great in dry - even done some mild trails with them and they performed well.

 

[cmotomn]

I second that; Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus tires!

I've had two sets on our 2006 LR3 HSE, the first set went over 50K miles which is nothing short of amazing for this Land Rover!

 

[catman]

Our RR had a brand new set of Dueler H/L Alenza Plus tires when we bought it and we took them off after a month becasue they were terrible. But it is all relative to what you are looking for in a tire and how hard you drive to notice the differences. My wife is a very hard driver, so she can feel the differences racing around corners and such.

I think for basic symphony music driving (easy going), any name brand tire will suffice - they are all worthy of being on the road under modest conditions. It's the moderate to extreme conditions where the nuances come out, and many people just don't drive under those conditons anyway, so they do not need anything but a decent tire that lasts a long time. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Tictaktoe]

Well said.. thanks for all the opinion. I'll probably go with Dueler given the kind of driving that I expect to do but also because I see all 4 of them with installation and taxes for under $800 @ Costco.