just to add to all the Marquis **** lol

 

I pointed out that I not only used the Yokohama Tires on my 2000 Mercury Marquis but my wife's 2000 Intrepid from years ago and now my '87SS Monte Carlo being I like them so much. You don't know much about me. I am retired from being in the Automotive Parts business over 40 years. I started out by opening up a Carquest Auto Parts Store with a Partner back in 1978 who I sold out to become a Automotive Parts WD. I own 11 Collector Vehicles and yes one of my main rides is my 2000 Mercury Marquis which to this day has less the 40k miles on it. I purchased it for my Late Mother back in April of 2000. She was only able to drive it a little less then 4 years being she had a accident with the car in 2004 being she was coming down with Alzheimers disease. The car then had 4k miles on it at the time. At the point we had to take her license away from her. I had the car repaired and put it back in her garage and would go there and park my truck in her driveway or whatever else I was driving to take her in that 2000 Mercury to the Doctors and where ever she needed to go until she passed away in 2011. That is when I brought it to my place where it sits more then I drive it.

Now getting back to those Yokohama tires. All those years I owned the Merc it had Michelin Symmetry Tires on it. It is what the car came equipped with from Mercury. I replaced cracked Michelin tires on that car with brand new Michelin Symmetry when it needed them. The last time I purchased them was maybe 4 years ago for the car. As I mentioned I put 4 Yokohama Tires on my car being I needed to replace 2 more. The Michelins I took off I still have and they are still like new. I have them for sale on Craigslist. I believe I paid better then $125 each for them. As I mentioned above I put the equivalent Yokohama Avid Touring S all around my 2000 Mercury Marquis in the size P225/60R16 97S. Below I will attach a photo of the Tire Sticker that came off one of the last Michelin Tires I purchased for the Merc proving that the Yokohama I purchased is the equivalent required by Ford/Mercury. Being I was in the Parts Business I can still buy right on many items but slowly I am losing my sources. If I told you what I paid for those 4 Yokohama Tires I put on my Merc you will probably not believe me. Remember they are 60,000 mile guarantee tires. I paid under $60 each for them a couple of years ago delivered to my door. I mount all my own tires and balance them. I have all the equipment in my 42'x60' Morton Pole Barn where I keep my Classic Cars. When you have so many vehicles you just can't be running to the Gas Stations or any where else all the time so you need the tools to keep up with them. Back to Yokohama. Yes I know Yokohama has another upgrade on tires if one wants it. I can probably get them at a better price then what Tire Rack is offering them for. Remember the same Yokohama I just looked up the other day that are on my Merc where a $100 and change each at Tire Rack and you already know what I paid for mine just 2 years ago. Believe me I am not short changing my car based on what I know and the experience I have had with these particular Yokohama Tires I am using. To me I like them much better then the Michelin Symmetry that came equipped on the car when new. Not telling you what to do. Your car do what you want. I am not a Yokohama salesman. I just speak based on my experience.

 

Wish I could still buy the Michelin Symmetry! Loved those tires!

 

I have a set of 2 here in Central NJ that have less then 500 miles on them that I purchased 3 or 4 years ago but I took them off my car to put 4 Yokohama all around almost 2 years ago being I needed to buy another 2 tires for the car. I paid $125 each for them. They have been sitting in my Morton Pole Barn out of the weather on a table covered. If you live anywhere in the area make me a decent offer for them and come pick them up. They still look brand new. Inspect before purchase. I can’t ship them it wouldn’t be worth it to me. Right now I have them listed on Craigslist. The Michelin sticker I showed in the photo above is to one of them.

 

Sorry to seem like such a Trumpist ******* -- I'm 82 years old, and have little patience with folks that are not interested in obtaining the very best tires that are available.
BUT -- I must admit that I've never been in a position where a "97S" tire would be satisfactory for my purposes.
Our goals are different -- I'm interested in the safety of my wife and family, with little concern for the "show quality" of the vehicle.
As they say, "To each, his own."

95 MERC at Flaming Gorge, Utah. US 191 at South end of the Gorge.

 

Not looking to argue with you being you got so upset but you are telling me that Ford/Mercury doesn't know what they are doing right now. Ford/Mercury equipped my car with Michelin Symmetry P225/60R16 97S. Ford/Mercury does a Tremendous amount of testing when they build a car and they put the P225/60R16 97S Michelin on the car. I have been doing the same until recently when I decided to switch brands because of my experience already with Michelin and Yokohama tires so I purchased a set of 4 Yokohama Tires in the same size P225/60R16 97S. For the money they have a very good rating. Yes I could of purchased a more expensive Yokohama Tire for it that was rated for 80,000 miles whereas the ones I purchased are rated at 60,000 miles and the speed rating is a little higher on the 98H then on the 97S. The 97S has a speed rating of 112 mph. The 98H has a speed rating of 130 mph a 18 mph difference. The speed limit in New Jersey is 65 mph. Even if I cheat and go 20 miles over the speed limit to 85 that doesn't happen very often. The 97S Load Rating per tire is 1609 lbs. The Load Rating for the 98H is 1653 lbs. 44 lbs different so 4 of the 97S on my car will hold 6,436 pounds way more then I will ever need counting the weight of the car itself and the 98H will hold 6,612 lbs.. The 98H will carry 176 lbs more in total. I think that 97S Ford/Mercury recommended for the car is plenty good and safe. and the 98H is overkill. I could see where you are coming from though. If you are buying them from Tire Rack the Yokohama 98H is $112.99 per tire and the 97S is $100.32 per tire. It would cost you $12.67 more per tire for the better rated tires not a whole lot more for 80,000 mile tires. I could see you going that route but remember one thing I paid no where even in the vicinity of what Tire Rack is asking for even the 97S Yokohama Tire. Once again not telling you what to do. If you are dead set on the 98H Yokohama I would check some other sources especially if you can get them mounted and balanced at a good price somewhere else. I don't know what kind of deal Tire Rack has with installers. As I mentioned in another post I mount and balance all my own tires being I have the equipment to do it.