For my 3rd Sport I'm looking for 80/20 on/offroad capable tire, nothing remotely hardcore. I had 235/75/15 Geo's with my first Sport and they were great for a 60/40 mix.So now I'm buying a new set of tires and looking at choice of 225/70/15 Latitude Cross or 215/75/15 Geos (they dont make a 225 in a 15 inch.

Height is almost the same. The LC looks cool and is well rated for same use as Geo (remember -no snow here) So I'm thinking the narrower Geo will not respond as well on wet pavement as the wider LC. And if I'm mostly on pavement this time around, the LC seems to make more sense. Anyone have opinions based on experience with the newer LC? Or is the simple width difference argument enough in it's favor if all else is more or less equal? TireRack ratings for the two are very similar.

The width differance between a 215 and 225 will hardly be noticable, the Michelin is a premium tire and I'm sure will outperform and outlast the Geo AT-S.

Dennis

I 2nd that! Michelin's are the cream of the crop. They are the best quality tire out there! It's just a matter of finding what michelin is right for you! and in your price range! lol. Check out Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's! They are a crossbreed between Mudtire and All-terrain. They handle GREAT on and off the road. They are pretty quiet. They have gained a little hum to them on hard corners and braking since they have gotten a little chop to them. I just rotated my tires so that should start to go away till I'm due to do another rotation.
About hydroplaning. A wider tire means the water has farther to travel to get out of the way. A wider tire on a light rig can be more prone to hydroplaning. I run the duratracs in a 235/75/15LT C which is I believe the smallest size they come in. You'd have to get the 3" lift and trim fender space a tad in the front but OMG it's worth it, lol. However the common acceleration loss and speedo inaccuracy comes with that. I once ran Continental Truck/SUV 225/70/15's. They are basically stock height (205/75/15) but two sizes wider and the stock rims will support it. That was by far my best on road handling set up. Long life tires too. Cornering with them was like a sporty car with just a weak antisway bar. Bet these rigs would be hella fun to lower 2 inches and run 225/40/17's on a 2wd (lighter) model. A Drift cabable SUV if you had enough power. You'd need at least 230-270 to drive it I think. I drift mine when we get snow here in Idaho. All the time. Ok, that's my rant

I bought the Latitude Cross 225/70/15 because I got a deal and they ended up costing LESS than the Geolanders! No 75's though, which I would have preferred. They have an unusual tread -and aren't available in N Am yet. Look up an image for it and you will see what I mean.

Also bought nice alloy rims and had the front springs lifted a bit with rubber donuts to level it out. The result, although not seriously lifted, makes for a clean look which I will post after we have moved. I also will take off the step rails which are overkill.