I have been told by the Honda Dealer to only use Michelin Tires on my 2006 Honda Odyssey van, but do I really need to do that because they are a little Pricey?
I suspect Michelin Primacy were the OEM tires for the van. That’s what came on our 2012 Odyssey.
The dealer is generally restricted to recommending only OEM parts. Partially because that’s the “safe” response… and also because he’s likely to have a set of marked up tires in the back he wants to sell you. 
Put any set of tires you like on your van. Go to Tire Rack or Discount Tire for recommendations.
Personally I’ve had good luck with Yokohama and Cooper tires on our Odysseys.
What trim level do you have? If you have the Touring (i think that’s that top trim level), you have that Michelin PAX system with the run flats. I think you can replace those with regular tires if you don’t want to deal with the increased expense vs regular tires, but I’m not 100% sure (I’m sure someone will come along shortly and verify if this is the case or not)
Owners manual and sticker in the driver’s door jamb should tell you what Honda has to say.
New tires are your opportunity to bring the vehicle’s performance closer to what you want. Snow and ice traction? Quiet? Wet weather traction and braking? Etc. tirerack.com and Consumer Reports have credible data on tires and their performance characteristics.
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What sticker? The one on the driver’s side crossbeam?
I have the EX-L trim level
Thanks a lot!
Yes. Sorry - I left out the key words “door jamb” but have corrected it above.
The manufacturer will specify the size of the tire, the weight class and speed rating. They will also specify run flats if needed. You will need run flats if your vehicle does not have a spare tire or a tire re-inflator with stop leak in it.
What they do not specify is the manufacturer of the tire. If you look on the sidewall of the tire, you will see the size of the tire and a code like 88T. That may also be on the placard on your door jam. The number is the weight class and the letter is the speed rating.
You OEM tire was probably the Primacy as mentioned above but that tire is no longer available except in the 215-55/17 size. The Michelin replacement is the Premier. But you will find that within the class and size tire you need, each manufacturer will have choices for you. Each choice is a balance of characteristics that fit the needs of different customers.
Determine what is important to you. Do you need high speed tires, do you take corners at maximum G’s, is bad weather a factor, do you want a quiet and smooth ride? Some tires will be better in some of these areas and less so in others. You decide what you need the most and then compare the choices and see which ones excel in what’s important to you.
Don’t go by price alone. The wrong tire can ruin the driving experience of your van and you will have to live with them for a long time. Good tires are a good investment.
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Thank you very much!
Thank you for all of this great information!