Michelin Pilot Sport A/S

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Not a lot has changed. It's still pretty much on par with RE960, according to TR tests...


Yeah, the only change I can discern is a higher treadwear rating on the Plus version; 500 compared to 400 on the original. It gained an extra .05 points on that Tirerack test, but the Bridgestone gained .07 without changing anything.

 

[Audi Junkie]

One of my research methods is to sort reviews by "Most Miles Driven", and a lot of people say they get superb treadwear with the err, old version. I only paid $75 shipped, so I am pretty perked. Normally this is somewhat out of my price range, but I got a deal and am probally not going to drive as much going forward. (pun intended)

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
One of my research methods is to sort reviews by "Most Miles Driven", and a lot of people say they get superb treadwear with the err, old version.


8200 miles on mine so far and the tread still looks new. I wore out the tread on my OEM RSAs in 20,500 miles under similar driving conditions.

My dad just bought a set in a 225/60R16 for his convertible ('92 Olds Cutlass).

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: The Critic
It's a newer design and is vastly superior to the original Pilot Sport A/S.


What changed, and how do you know it's better? As an owner of the vastly inferior version, I'm curious!

According to the TireRack test, the changes described made it sound like the plus version was much better than the old one. But I could've just been reading too much into it.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=115

 

[Volvohead]

The original PS A/S design is now well over 5 years old. That's a very long time in the tire world.

That it still is ranking near the top in competitive testing against much newer designs speaks to the exemplary design of these tires. It is also more predictable in a design sense than some competitors; By comparison, the GY F1 seems to be all over the place in tests over time and some owners report ravenous treadwear rates. The PS A/S has performed fairly consistently over the years - you know exactly what you are getting with them.

Time has caught up with the original PS A/S, but so far just barely. If you can get them at a heavy discount, it's a no-brainer. The Plus version, while a better tire, is not dramatically so and is going to generally sell at full price for a while. When my PS A/S set finally wears out, that's what I'll be getting.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
According to the TireRack test, the changes described made it sound like the plus version was much better than the old one. But I could've just been reading too much into it.


Well, they did say:

Originally Posted By: Tirerack
Conclusion: Plus really does mean better than before.


And the Plus version did win the comparison test, while the old version only came in third against the same competition. I just don't think they've demonstrated much, if any, difference, considering that many of the ratings are subjective and all depend on changing track conditions. The numbers from one test to another are quite different even for identical tires. I think they'd need to do a direct comparison to truly distinguish between the two versions.

 

[Dominic]

Got a set on the subie in PLUS form. They've been great over 5000 miles. Theyre grippier than I need them to be in all conditions and are more than capable in the snow. I just took them through 2" and they worked well for snow acceleration/turning and were ok in braking tests. They're superb in the rain, as good as I've ever had, and a far cry better than the RE92As. Let's see how long they last

205/55R16

 

[Audi Junkie]

Got them on today. Wow. Soft as a feather but solid in the turns like a summer performance tire. I'm glad I got them.

 

[Lorenzo]

Audi, I hope you get some snow there in PA so you can report how they perform. I'm due for new tires soon and am torn between the Bridgestone RE960 and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus.

 

[Audi Junkie]

I've been in the snow and they are working great. A lot of roads here are packed snow all winter. I also do a k-turn in my snowed inclined driveway that is quite difficult with most all-seasons but my wife seems to do it fine with these on.

Handling is like my car is suddenly a race car. Not kidding. These are very much a cut above any tire I've used before. I'm very fond of my Eagle Response Edge, but I think these are worth the extra $15. imo, the RE's are a total skip. A lot of negative reviews on TR when you sort them that way.

 

[Audi Junkie]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=102

 

[Volvohead]

They're quite capable in the snow, but not as grippy as a Contiextreme can be.

You give up a lot elsewhere with the latter, so unless you are seeing plenty of snow days, stick with the Michelin.

 

[Dominic]

I am 100% in love with my Michelin Pilot A/S Plus tires. I had the conti's for 1000 miles and took them back due to their absurd amount of road noise.

The Michelin's do fine in the snow, but they're not a snow tire. They are extremely good for an all-season though and work much better than expected. In the dry and wet it's like having small god's on each corner however I sure hope they last 45000 like advertised.