Michelin Primacy LC – pretty decent comfort tyres!

Michelin Primacy LCThe new Michelin Primacy LC is the successor to the Michelin Energy MXV8 and was just introduced in Malaysia in April this year.

Michelin claims a reduced rolling resistance of 13% compared to the MXV8, as a result of testing conducted on a Honda Civic 1.8 i-VTEC using 2.4 bar tyre pressure on all four tyres. Michelin also recorded reduced dB levels for road and tread noise compared to the MXV8. The new tread pattern also gives 21% more rubber contact on the road surface compared to the MXV8.

Michelin’s product positioning has placed the new tyre under the Primacy line to move it up towards the Performance category instead of Entry-level category. There will be three “brands” in Malaysia for passenger cars – the Pilot, the Primacy and the Energy.

The Primacy LC is available in various sizes – 31 in total, ranging from 15 to 19 inch and 40 to 65 series, with 195 to 245 section widths. There is Rim Protector for all sizes 55 series and below. It is made from a full silica compound and comes in V, W and Y speed indexes.

michelin-primacy-lc-sizes-l

I tried out a 205/55R16 tyres on my Perdana V6, replacing the set of Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE001 tyres that were previously had fitted. I had previously found the RE001 a little too loud and while it is a high performance tyre that gave excellent grip in the dry and decent enough in the wet (no crazy stuff in the wet for the Perdana), and a great feel devoid of much tyre flex during cornering, it didn’t really suit the kind of ride and feel that I wanted with the Perdana. The noise levels were too high for my liking and to put it plainly, the tyre felt too ‘hardcore’ for a stock standard Perdana. It’s more of a performance tyre and I really should have gone for a “touring” or comfort kind of tyre instead.

The tyres are rather smooth and exceptionally quiet on roads where JKR have been holding up their end of the bargain, but it somehow gets very affected when the roads are a little bad, though I would still say they perform quite well in absorbing most of the little bumps and imperfections on the roads. Driving right through a puddle of water on the highway (at non-excessive speeds of course) also proved to be no problem for the tyres. I’ve not taken the tyres to the limit yet but so far the car continued feeling as stable as a Perdana can be when negotiating the usual medium-speed bends and curves especially on highway entry and exit ramps. I really doubt the grip is going to be outstanding but the tyre’s characteristics suit the kind of drive I am looking for.

I think it’s a decent candidate for those looking to replace “baseline” tyres and are looking for something quiet and comfort-oriented. Are any of you using Primary LC tyres, or any of its similiar competitors? Share your experiences to help other fellow motorists make a decision their next tyre purchase.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Kington on Oct 02, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    I’m currently enjoying the Pilot Preceda 2. Very good all rounder.

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  • Paul Tan on Oct 02, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    I used to run 16 inch PP2 on the E39, quite decent. Then went to 17 inch Bridgestone My01 and now 18 inch PS2.

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  • Good!

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  • swoosh3553 on Oct 03, 2009 at 1:39 am

    Me too using PP2 recently. Highly recommended by my tyre man over my choice of Goodyear F1. I am running on 195/50 R15. The PP2 is good performance; just that since it is soft compound, burn-smell generated after each trashing may sometimes be un-bearable! :-)

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  • Paul is on fire… rarely i see him posted soo many news in a day : )

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  • Paul Tan on Oct 03, 2009 at 2:10 am

    Need to catch up on tokyo motorshow news

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  • anylau on Oct 03, 2009 at 2:10 am

    i'm using primacy lc on my myvi 195/55/15. for 3 months… but only at some point it feels quite.. at alot of time it still have sound… and it feels hard at times… but with hitting stuff or our lovely malaysia pot holes.. the sound is dampen alot… i dint really dare to push this tyre to the limits as it's really cheap… but it did a decent of grippy feels to it… i really need to know how long the tyre wear it is on this tyre… please anyone know about it's tyre wear life can you let me know… i now already run it for 10,000km d.. it still looks nice for the front, and the back still look damn new… so any updates on this please let me know!! and izzit true that pp2 is more harder then primacy lc… i still feel comfort ride ducaro is the best..

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  • Changpw on Oct 03, 2009 at 3:15 am

    previous im using michellin xm1 just change to pp2 1 month ago. just found that pp2 is much more noisy than xm1 on highway cruising , but pp2 do very well in wet condition, for dry condition i think not much different . due to always outstation , im planning change my new pp2 ……maybe back to xm1 or this new primacy LC …..but still dunno how good this primacy LC will be …….looking forward these new Primacy LC performance …comfort …and silent …

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  • @ Paul Tan

    I noticed that… keep up the good work saudara.

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  • Screaming Cars on Oct 03, 2009 at 4:29 am

    I love Michelin tires. I have A/S Pilot 285/35/18 on my Mustang GT.

    They have great traction in rain and last longer than Nitto.

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  • kelvin on Oct 03, 2009 at 5:31 am

    Toyo C1S, Made in Japan is a good alternative to Primacy LC.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • infinity on Oct 03, 2009 at 5:55 am

    paul, any price list??

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  • Primacy LC is a touring tyre. So should compared it with same category ones like Bridgestone's Turanza series. The Pilot series or Potenza series belongs to different category

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  • I previously used Michelin Energy and switched to the LC's when they first came out. They do perform as advertised and am quite happy with them. Grip is noticably better and they really are very quiet on most road surfaces. There is quite an improvement in shock absorption over small irregularities too. If comfort is what you are after and your car is not performance biased, then these tires would be very suitable.

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  • coolguru on Oct 03, 2009 at 7:34 am

    I'm a great believer of Michelin MXV8 but once tried to change that to Toyo Proxes T1R. I'm completely in love with these rubber on my standard City – superb grip on any conditions, acceptable noise level and looks good!

    But lately I changed it to PP2 since it's pretty new with decent reviews. My comment:

    1) feel a little "heavy" – not sure if it's grip or physically heavier tire

    2) losing about 1.5km to 2km of petrol consumption on average

    Would I continue to use PP2 – maybe not.

    Same comments from my friend who drive an Alfa 157 using PP2 changed from Toyo Proxes T1R.

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  • ekcheah (Member) on Oct 03, 2009 at 8:04 am

    I just changed my 205/65/15 MXV8 to Primacy LC of the same size. I noticed the width of the MXV8 is much wider than that of the Primacy. I was happy with the MXV8 as it lasted almost 70,000km with threads to savely push them to another 10,000km. Nonetheless, I decided to change as the tyres were almost 5 years old.. The Primacy offers a very supple ride (all new tyres do that). Have not tested them fully in expressways and winding roads. Costs me RM1340 for a set of 4

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  • Analyzer on Oct 03, 2009 at 9:38 am

    Just changed from Continental CC-1's to the Michelin Primacy LC's on my Camry, 215/60/R16.

    At first I was skeptical with the advertised claims, but since my trusted mechanic recommended it, I opted for the LC's instead of the Premium Contacts from Continentals.

    Got it for RM 480/piece at Old Klang Road.

    Been using it for slightly over a week, and haven't done long distance drive with it yet, so nothing much to report aside that it is the most quietest tyres I've used so far. Have used the CC-1's, and the rubbish NCT 5's so far on the Camry.

    Prior to this, used the PremiumContacts on a previous gen Camry.

    My only concern is how fast this tyres will degrade. The Continentals started out pretty good in terms of noise and balance. But it degraded fairly quickly as by the first 15k km, I had to rebalance the tyres 3 times, and was somewhat worn fairly quickly. The CC-1's lasted me about 35k km, about less than 24 months.

    Hopefully the LC's last longer. I must say again, it's really very quite and so far am very satisfied for my 10-day old tyres. Handling in wet and dry, is nothing to shout about as I don't 'thrash' my car around corners, so it does fairly what you expect of tyres that are not factory fitted (aka cheap economical tyres).

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  • Benz83 on Oct 03, 2009 at 9:52 am

    Yokohama DNA db Decibel is another alternative for me. Made In Japan. Comfort and quite. Anyway, I do believe Michelin could give more mileage compare with other brand of tyre :-)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Kerelbort on Oct 03, 2009 at 10:32 am

    yey NCT5!! go go NCT5.. hahahah.. the onli tyres i could use…

    oh.. should I change car because of limited tyre choices? :P

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  • BlackJKX on Oct 03, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    Yeah,just look around this LC tires last week. Got 1 small guide blue book about all Michelin tires.'Tyre PAc' dont sell this online?

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  • klakaseram on Oct 04, 2009 at 1:48 am

    I recently purchased Primacy LC 205/65/15 for my MPV. Very comfortable and not too noisy. It cost me RM1210(RM300 a piece + RM10 for using credit card =p)

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  • Ariff on Oct 04, 2009 at 6:56 am

    hey,my dad just change his car's tyres to the 19inch Primacy for his Alphard.the pomen said it's the best.my dad's driver tested it and he said it's good too.wat's so special??

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  • Safetybear on Oct 05, 2009 at 6:42 pm

    Bridgestone AR10, for an entry level product can give such satisfactory performance, the higher end models will be better.

    Michelin is fine, just a little bit on the hard side maybe because of the Energy design for roundness.

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  • Baldwin on Oct 06, 2009 at 12:09 am

    I've just changed all 4 of my tires (195/55/15) to this Primacy LC on my Waja.

    It's about a week now I'm on these rubbers. Ride is much quieter and supple than my previous set of Conti CC-1; Rolling resistance is also less, meaning the car willingly glides along even after u've lifted ur foot off the accelerator.

    Could be due to the full silica compound and Michelin's Green X technology.

    Grip is reassuring & this tire does deliver just as it is advertised. No qualms bout that.

    Do not expect wet grip and sharp handling to be as superior to UHP tires, as these are made for passenger sedans with drivers looking for quiet and comfortable ride.

    If decent driving and comfort is what you're looking for, these Primacy LC's definitely wouldn't disappoint. It might even be next upcoming best-selling passenger car tire.

    Highly Recommended!

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  • david on Oct 06, 2009 at 7:08 am

    I am using 205/65/R15 on my camry. I have to agree on the rolling resistance of the tires. Quite and comfy.

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  • Zikri on Oct 06, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    I have been using Yokohama Aspec dB, Bridgestone Turanza GR80, Michelin MXV8, Michelin XM1, Continental CC, Bridgestone MY01 and Goodyear NCT5 on my Alfa & Renault.. If you want quiet & comfort, Michelin is my personal choice. GR80 is also good but not all shop have it. Look forward to Premacy LC. So far, my 1st choice is XM1, 2nd is MXV8, 3rd is GR80. MXV8 is actually quieter than XM1 but the sidewall prone to tear, so not cheap to change la, maybe due to big potholes.

    XM1 can lasts about 60,000km before I changed. The grooves still ok but for safety, better change. MXV8 lasts only about 40,000km. GR80 quite the same as XM1. My driving style is mostly comfort biased, and highways.

    IMHO, if you wanna quiet & comfort as top priority, and can afford spend a little extra, Michelin Premacy & Energy and Bridgestone Turanza tires is the way to go. Other makes also good but Michelin & Bridgestone seems have a little extra over the others.

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  • camry fannatic on Oct 24, 2009 at 6:39 am

    when i change my toyota camry 2.2 gx tyre,s from michelin energy that also called green x to michelin primecy.It only can run at 194km not like michelin energy green x it maka my camry be faster,silent from tyre sound and very comfort…

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  • Blue Carens on Nov 24, 2009 at 7:30 am

    I just fixed 195/60R15 Primacy LC allround last week & this morning had to test the breaking power unexpectedly due to the inactive smartTAG lane at MEX highway at the Purajaya toll. I was pulling the car about 120km uphill from the last bend right before the tollhouse when suddenly I saw a long queue for all the lanes including the smartTAG. I almost don't believe that I could stop my car in time offcourse with the tyres screeching moderately then I realized that the tyres not only feels & sounds excellent but saved my the front of my car from knoecking the new BMW 3-series right in front ! I was using the MXV8 earlier & prior to that the XM1 & these latest model is excellent value for money in terms of ride comfort, safety & hopefully longevity … Actually I planned to change the front pair in the first place due to the other pair of MXV8 still good for 20K km but the car behaved a bit awkward during fast cornering probably due to the softer structure of the Primacy LC that I decided to change another pair to 'balance' the ride especially during cornering. So I can say that my first two pairs of Primacy LC had given me a great start & I'm looking forward to a long distance ride towards year end around the peninsular to enjoy my holiday break & the new set of tyres … ;-)

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  • cost tyre 225/45 18 pp2,ps2,primacy lc???

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  • Zikri on Dec 09, 2009 at 4:02 pm

    Last week changed our company car (Perdana v6) to Premacy LC at RM410/pc , 205/55/16 (which is quite expensive). Previously used Bridgestone ER60, AR10 and GR80. Comparing to other models Michelin XM1 Energy and MXV8, I found in terms of noise is quite on par with the XM1 and MXV8 and GR80. The silence I expected is not that significant. So, a little bit frustrated la, becoz for the price, I expected more (maybe too high expectations?)

    However, if you used Goodyear or Yokohama Aspec dB or other normal or sporty tyres, you should feel and hear the significant differences in terms of silence (quietness) and comfort.

    IMHO, I rather stick to Michelin XM1 or Bridgestone AR10 as I feel it gives quite the same performance for less money, value for money.

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  • Harjit Singh on May 18, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    As I have heard so many positive comments on Michelin Primary LC, I wish to change my tires to Michelin Primary LC, 215/55/16. Can anyone tell me which shop I could get a best offer. I understand that the price varies from shop to shop.

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  • Vezeroth on Jun 01, 2010 at 2:33 am

    Hey Paul, after reading this review I changed my tyres to michelin premecy LC, was previously using NCT 5….
    Grip wise, i think about the same as the NCT’s, in the wet however i felt the NCT’s had slightly better grip…
    these tyre’s are soft, they do absorb some of the smaller uneven surfaces in the road however the part about road noise is not all true…. sure its very quiet on well surfaced roads, which are quiet rare in malaysia but i find them really noisy whenever the roads aren’t great and even on the old streches of the north south highway… I’m looking for some really quiet tyres any idea whats better than these especially on highways…?

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    • Gary YAP on Jul 05, 2010 at 12:50 pm

      After reading thru the good things about Premacy I don’t remember it saying ‘good in wet condition’ whereas the rest like PS3 was praising it’s wet holdings ability.

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  • Gary YAP on Jul 05, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    I read somewhere that someone is using it currently and it’s thumbs-up all the way. Of cos there’s a price to pay.

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  • I was using the Continental CC-1 on my E36 Coupe and changed to XM1. Initially I wanted to get the Primacy LC but the tire shop recommend the XM1. His comment was that the LC is quite soft and I might feel this softness;minimal sway to left&right on highways. The tire wear is faster than the XM1.

    So those who went from XM1 to LC can share their experince?

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  • Laichh on Feb 02, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    Just change to this PMichelin Primacy LC for both my rear tyre on my smart fortwo, size 195/50R15 at RM210/pcs… What I can say is, if you prefer comfort ride, this is the one to go for… Compare to my last tyre Conti CC-1, this Primacy LC is much much quieter & softer than CC-1… Highly recommended…

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  • Kihan Thomas on Jul 17, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Changing from my old tyres MICHELIN PP2 to MICHELIN LC was like having peace and quietness for the first time! The PP2 was overrated and dangerous for people traveling long distances and over uneven joined roads! I only liked it over short distances and around city. Whereas the LC was more mid comfort and mid performance. If you really want top notch quietness and grip, forget MICHELIN! Used to be good but not really great for our kind of roads.

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    • Paul Tan on Jul 17, 2011 at 4:44 pm

      You seem to have a strong opinion against Michelin… what do you recommend then?

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  • Yap Neng Hwang on Aug 18, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    I concur with Thomas. Michelin PP 2 was the biggest mistake I ever purchased for my Camry. They were noisy and coarse and spoil the ride! 3 months later, I got rid of them and got the Yokohama S Drives (recommended by Hin Leong Tayar) for good grip and smoother ride. Last week, when it was time to change my S Drive (18 months of long distance use), I took the advice of Hin Leong again and this time got the newly released Goodyear Asymmetric 2. No regrets! They are the best tyres I ever had for this car!

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  • ZXcosmo on Jan 27, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    i might be late to leave the comment now… i have been using primacy lc on my sylphy for 3 years… the car is quiet , but this michelin tyres overall are Not So Good… i think michelin tyres are overated , just because its from EU(france)… the quietness of primacy lc is only limited when u travel on the smooth , nice road (which most of the tyres can do it too) and the wet road handling is really below standard…and the worst thing is its quite hard as a comfort tyres, maybe due to its silica compound to reduce the rolling resistance… if really wan quiet , comfort , i strongly recommend go for Bridgestone Turanza GR90. tried out my friend’s turanza AR10 ( which is lower end model than GR90) on his Proton Persona which really a lot better than my michelin.. so i guess GR90 should perform better than AR10…

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