I have a mismatched set of tires that need replaced (pinch flatted cheap tire made out of chinesium). The previous owner put 215/40R17 on them, but it looks like 215/45R17 is a better match.

I'm looking for an all season performance oriented tire that can handle rain and occasional snow (Cincinnati, OH). There's a slight chance I may do an HPDE event as a novice this fall, but the tire is mostly for spirited daily driving. My needs in order are: All around handling and braking performance in dry, wet & snow, lower noise, comfort, longevity. Right now, I'm torn between the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 and the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. Does anyone have any real world experience with either tire, or both? Any others I should consider?

 

I've got 10k miles on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+'s and have made it through two Reno winters. Is there a way to drive a Mini other than spirited? For what you want there is nothing better.

 

Last November, I ordered a set of Conti DWS06 in 205/45-17 for the R53.

Looking back, maybe should have just gotten the regular DW since this car will never ever see snow living in the SF Bay Area.

Anyhow, this car is a commuter so the ride quality and handling were top priorities. This tire delivers on both. Relatively quiet ride and the cornering is just fine. We were hoping to get my kid out for a beginner auto-x this summer, but doesn’t look like it.

This car is on a refreshed suspension with Bilstein B4 struts and Hotchkis progressive springs, new joints, control arm bushings and endlinks. Alignment is set with minimal toe and -1.0” camber front and -1.5 camber rear.

Really fun car and yes, is there really any other way to drive other than spiritedly?? 😎

 

I bought General G-MAX AS-05 205/45/17 on a friends recommendation.
He owns a Goodyear store and I could get a really good price on anything he had. I was looking at a much more expensive tire and he recommended these as the very best tire for the money. I think they are made by Continental.
I listened and was not disappointed. A guy on the forum has a set for sale that are a really good deal. Seems others have these and are happy with them as well. I have about 1500 miles on mine and still like them. Smooth ride, good grip and a very reasonable price.
robj

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...5-45-17-a.html

 

I've driven both the A/S 3, Conti DWS, and Conti ExtremeContact Sport. For spirited driving you cannot go wrong with the extreme contact sports, but they wear super fast and aren't the cheapest. For daily driving with some spirited and longer tread life the A/S 3 is a great choice. Both provide great steering feedback as well.

The Conti DWS is great as well but I've noticed that as far as grip is concerned it is not as great as the A/S 3 or the extreme contacts.

FWIW I have 2 sets of S-lites. One set has some cheap Sumitomo HTR all seasons on it for daily driving. These are decent enough for dailying but really reduce steering feedback and the side wall flex makes cornering less than ideal. But they are numbing with the lowered suspension I've got for daily driving all over Atlanta. When these wear out I'll likely replace them with the A/S 3.
My other set of S-lites are reserved for mountain runs/future Auto-x or track days and they have the Conti extreme contacts on them. I absolutely love those tires, amazing in the dry and grip about the best that I've ever had. But they are expensive and wear fast, so I keep them for fun times.

I've also heard good things about the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 as a competitor to the Michelin PSS. So do some reading on those options and see what fits your needs best.

 

I have a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, I've put 12,000 miles on them in summer, rain, snow, and 1 track day. They're great road tires; they're quiet, communicative, and have decent grip. They're ok in the snow, but they're not super confidence inspiring. They're pretty atrocious track day tires. I usually run track days on summer high performance tires, and I'm looking at moving to R-comp tires, but I ran these at a track day and they didn't have anywhere near as much grip as a summer tire.

For a first time track day, they probably wouldn't be a bad choice. They're pretty communicative when you're getting close to the limit, and reasonably forgiving when you slide them around. It just bothered me that I knew I could drive faster, but I didn't have the right tires under me.

I guess they're pretty typical all season tires, with perhaps a little bit of bias towards dry performance. They're not nearly as good as summer tires, and they're not nearly as good as snow tires, but they'll get you home most days

 

Thanks for the input. I ended up ordering the Continental DWS as I found a great deal for quite a bit less than the best price I could find on the Michelins.

 

BFG G-FORCE COMP-2 A/S PLUS "Like GLUE!!!! "

 

I had the DWS's on my Jaguar, quiet ride, good in the rain, just a bit soft in the twisties. The BFG G-FORCE COMP-2 A/S PLUS is a whole other animal . I know you already purchased the DWS's but consider the BFG's on your next purchase.

 

I just went through this two weeks ago. I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s on my old MINI. I love them, but they're not supposed to be run much under 40 degrees F. For the new MINI, I wanted something that could withstand colder temperatures since it will be a mountain canyon car. I'll get snows for the really bad stuff, but it still gets plenty cold at night in the spring and fall. Since I loved the PS4s on my first MINI, I was going to go with the A/S 3+ for the new MINI. Alas I couldn't get them through the place I got my wheels, and I didn't feel like the hassle of two orders, and then having to go out and get them mounted and balanced, all in the time of social lockdowns. So I went with the Conti DWS 06. I've only put a hundred or so miles on them so far, but so far I've been impressed. They're quiet, they handled well enough for street duty, and the gas mileage seems to even be a smidge improved.

Hopefully they work as well for you, too.

 

Michelin Super Sport 4S in 215/45/17 size. Been doing the best Michelin Max Summer tire for the last 10 years. 3 sets in that time, and Dedicated Winter setup