Of the scores of tires considered for the 2011 Buick
Enclave luxury crossover by engineers at General Motors,
only the 19-inch Michelin P255/60R19 and 20-inch
Bridgestone P255/55R20 all-season tires made the cut,
according to the automaker.
At GM’s Tire-Wheel Systems Lab at the Milford Proving
Ground, a team of more than 50 engineers tested numerous
contenders to be the Enclave’s original equipment
fitment.
“Tires are the only contact point you have with the
road,” says tire engineering manager Dave Cowger. “Your
tires influence everything from fuel economy to steering
and handling, road noise, and braking. So we beat the
heck out of these tires in the lab to make sure they
have the right traction, fuel economy, durability and
other characteristics.”
Having tires that reduce road noise is important to the
vehicle’s “library-quiet” interior, which allows
passengers seated in the third row to hear a
conversation between first-row occupants without
interference, says Cowger, noting that it is the only
crossover in its segment equipped with QuietTuning,
Buick’s exclusive engineering process to reduce, block
and absorb unwanted noise from entering the
cabin.
Staff from a range of major tire manufacturers joined in
the tire abuse, Cowger recounts. Each tire vying to be
chosen for the Enclave went through 25 different lab
tests to gauge how well they hold up against simulated
real-world abuse. Some tests mimic hitting a curb at low
speed or smashing into a pothole. Lab dynamometers with
specially grained sandpaper were used to replicate tens
of thousands of miles of road wear.
Tires that survive the lab tests graduate to the test
track where they are put through further
punishment.
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Since the Tire-Wheel Systems team was formed in 1968,
the division has tested more than 20,000 tire
constructions. Buick, as well as Chevrolet, GMC and
Cadillac, use Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) markings,
which serve as a “seal of approval” for tires that meet
or exceed the tire standards. To earn the TPC marking,
tires must deliver exceptional results covering
traction, handling, noise, endurance, tread wear and
other factors.
The Tire Performance Criteria also lets customers know
what tires to look for when shopping for replacements.
“I always tell people when shopping for replacements to
look for the same tire that came with the vehicle, with
the same TPC marking,” Cowger says. “We’ve engineered
those tires to be the best they can possibly be.”
For more information, visit www.michelinman.com, www.bridgestone-firestone.com and www.buick.com.