Modern rubber must meet a number of requirements. A high-quality tire provides proper handling, directional stability and a number of important factors. This is especially important when it comes to winter tires. Let's look at the performance and features of the Michelin Alpin A4. Indeed, many motorists praise these tires, and they are installed for winter operation.
About the manufacturer
The French company Michelin appeared in 1889. At first, the organization's plants produced bicycle tires. Subsequently, the production of pneumatic removable tires for cars was arranged, for which the company received a corresponding patent in 1991. Already in 1907, the first branch outside France was opened in Turin.
From the 34th to the 76th year the company owned the Citroen organization, and in 1986 Michelin took over the American Goodrich tire manufacturer. In the entire history of the existence of the French company absorbed more than 10 tire manufacturers in various parts of the world. One has only to think about the numbers to understand the scale of production. For example, the number of personnel working at the company's factories is 130,000 people, and the total annual production volume is about 200 million tires. All this suggests that doubting the quality of Michelin products is definitely not worth it.
About choosing winter tires
Do not underestimate the importance of choosing the right tire for the winter season. Operation of the car in severe weather conditions contributes to increased accident rate. You can partially restore confidence on the road with high-quality tires. These include the Michelin Alpin A4. Reviews of motorists about them are almost always positive. Experienced drivers say that it is really high-quality tires that meet European quality standards.
We can say with confidence that it is Michelin that is in high demand among Russians, because it is not only quality, but also a relatively affordable price, which attracts many. Nevertheless, if you look at the performance characteristics of tires, then they can be safely attributed to the premium segment. Well, now let's take a closer look at the features of the Michelin Alpin A4, because there really is something to talk about.
A worthy replacement for the predecessor
For quite a long time, millions of motorists in Russia, and in other countries, used this line. For example, the A3 has won the hearts of many, and it was she who showed off on hundreds of thousands of cars, ranging from the budget class to the premium segment. But all this time, the developers did not rest, but continued the Alpine line. For several years, French designers and engineers tried to create an even better and better tire. Now we can safely say that they succeeded, as well as consumer reviews. Michelin Alpin A4 has much better performance than the previous model, so it is really a worthy and worthy replacement.
Irreplaceable qualities
To achieve the perfect balance of such characteristics as grip, energy efficiency and durability, it is possible only with the help of advanced technologies and a special compound. It is worth noting that the development of the A4 took into account harsh operating conditions, so some components were borrowed from the X-ICE North tire, which is manufactured for operation in extreme conditions. Special additives made it possible to achieve such important characteristics as rubber stability at low temperatures. Michelin A4 can withstand up to -60 degrees Celsius, retaining all its properties.
Green X flaunts on the side of the cord. This is the company's own development, which is designed to save car owner fuel due to reduced rolling resistance. At the same time coupling properties remain at a high level. Many consumers point out that Michelin Alpin A4 tires do provide excellent traction despite the absence of spikes.
Secrets of Alpin A4 91T Michelin Tire Production
The developers of the French company have achieved excellent performance in terms of durability and fuel economy. This allows car owners to significantly save money. But to realize all this was extremely difficult, therefore, the following innovative technologies were applied:
- Full Active Tread is something we have never seen before. He got a complex configuration, but the efficiency of each millimeter of the tread that is in contact with the road surface reaches 100%.
- Helio Compound + is an innovative rubber compound that contains sunflower oil, no matter how trite it may sound. This solution allowed to reduce tire wear and reduce rolling resistance, so that it is possible to save fuel.
All tread features
Even visually looking at the tire, it can be seen that it has a unique tread pattern. It is made continuous, which provides excellent longitudinal and lateral grip with the roadway. The load between the blocks is evenly divided, which positively affects the handling on ice and snow.
The number of tread elements compared to the previous model was increased from 59 to 71. According to the developers, the effect of the "caterpillar" when driving in the snow appeared, this is also confirmed by consumer reviews. Michelin Alpin A4 tires have 50% more edging edges, and lamelling is extremely dense. Also for this model, 3-dimensional lamellas were specially developed, which significantly increase the stability of the tire on ice. All this provides excellent controllability. Many motorists who are suspicious of non-studded tires were surprised by the stable behavior of the A4 on ice.
More details about lamellas
The tread structure is designed so that the lamellas intersect. The combination of vertical and horizontal folds made the block more durable and resistant to mechanical stress. This also applies to lamellas that close together, also enhancing the tread. All these decisions allowed to make driving more precise. Moreover, the tire shows stable results as with sharp accelerations, braking and maneuvering.
The increased depth of the lamellas is what sets the Michelin Alpin A4 apart from its competitors. Owner reviews indicate that even when reaching a depth of 4 mm, grip does not get lost when driving on a slippery surface. One cannot fail to single out lamelling at various angles. Some are located at an angle from 0 to 30 degrees, others from 30 to 150. According to the developers, this constructive solution provides consistent grip when cornering and while driving in a straight line.
Michelin Alpin A4 winter tires: expert reviews
According to most critics, this is really noteworthy rubber. When used on tires from some manufacturers, very often the tread is clogged with snow, which negates all its positive properties. Tests have shown that Michelin A4 perfectly cleans itself, removing snow, water and dirt from the contact patch. This is partly due to the V-shaped pattern. The grooves of the blocks go from the center and reach the shoulder area, which allows you to clean the tread so effectively.
As for the tests conducted by experts in a variety of conditions, the total score for all criteria was 4.5 out of 5. This is a very high score for winter not studded tires. Very often, drivers highlight benefits such as:
- excellent grip in the snow;
- low level of wear;
- good handling both on dry and icy surfaces;
- decent handling.
All these advantages make rubber so popular, although it also has flaws. All of them are not significant, but have a place to be.
About the disadvantages
Many motorists are deliberately looking for flaws in non-studded winter tires. Here they, unfortunately, are also available. The main disadvantage, which is most often focused on, is the high noise level as for a tire without studs. On test drives, this is confirmed. But you must understand that the extremely tough tread along with good handling can not work silently. And much depends on the sound insulation of the car. Nevertheless, this Velcro is quieter than any of the studs on the market today, this is an obvious fact.
Another caveat is the high cost. But here everything is relative, although prices are still above average. For example, Michelin Alpin A4 (175/65 / r14) 82T will cost 12,000 rubles per set. We can say that it is not too expensive. But already R15 costs about 16,000 rubles, and R20 about 80 thousand. But everyone chooses for himself. A car on which tires of the 20th radius are installed and are not cheap to maintain.
Why is Michelin A4 better than its competitors?
This question cannot be answered unequivocally, because in the total standings this model took 6th place out of 50. Of course, there are undisputed leaders, such as the Pirelli S3 or Goodyear UltraGrip 8, but all this costs many times more. Nevertheless, the experts rated it as the highest for the low degree of wear of A4 rubber. We managed to achieve such serious results thanks to the following design solutions:
- increased strength of the blocks, which is maintained throughout the entire life cycle and does not fall with tire wear;
- the addition of sunflower oil and silica improved the performance of the tire as a whole;
- the elasticity of the tire is not lost with decreasing temperature.
One thing is for sure, the rubber of your money is completely worth it, and you need not doubt it. Another thing is that not all drivers are used to riding Velcro and at first they may not feel comfortable.
To summarize
The Michelin company has long established itself only on the best side, so many drivers are willing to overpay a little, but in return get a really high-quality product. Winter tires Michelin Alpin A4 combines modern technology and an innovative compound. It is impossible not to say about the environmental friendliness that Europe is so eager for. All this makes the products of the French tire manufacturer simply irreplaceable.
Moreover, you need to understand that many popular brands, such as BFGoodrich, are, in fact, the same Michelin. But at the same time, no one canceled the tire check upon purchase. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the production date, because if the rubber is old, it will soon begin to crack, causing a lot of inconvenience to its owner. In general, the A4 model was a success and will be an excellent choice both for everyday city driving and for rough terrain, despite the fact that there are no longer the usual spikes.