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My R53 with 130K miles needs some new shoes! I've been sporting the Michelin Pilot Sport AS 4s for last couple cycles, but I wanted to poll the community to see if there are some other considerations to explore? Thoughts?
Or for convenience you can search tirerack.com...Discount Tire now owns TireRack (so I've been told by DT).
FWIW: I'm running Continental DWS extremes on my 04 R53. Merely for the fact that I now live in an environment where it occasionally snows and people around here don't seem to understand what a brake pedal is for or driving with caution under adverse conditions.
I like the Continental DWS - as far as an All season is concerned and price.
Pilot 4s are the best summer tires I've run. Treadwear isn't going to win an award but it's better than expected, and they work excellently in the rain. Downside is you can't leave them on when the temps go below 40, in fact it can damage the rubber.
I had Pilot Super Sports until last month. They were amazing, but are no longer produced in 205/45R17. As has been discussed elsewhere, PS4S are also no longer available in a suitable 17-inch size. This is so unfortunate.
I had considered Pilot Cup 2 Connect in one of the neighboring sizes, but the trade-offs were unfavorable:
a) a pound heavier than a comparable 205/45R17 (my wheels are already heavy enough!); and
b) would have required a larger spacer.
This combination- a longer lever-arm with a heavier weight on the end- would have been a step backward for handling and comfort.
Therefore the Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 was the best choice for me at 205/45R17. I can perceive some perhaps philosophical differences in design between these and the PSS- it does feel like they come from a different 'family'- but they seem to be excellent performers for my intended purpose- fair weather canyon mornings.
Here is a worthwhile comparison between the PS4S and the ECS02, particularly apropos in this FWD application (16 minutes).
I have NEVER found pilot Sport summer in 205/45/17. That is why I mentioned the size I have run. I did get 4 Pilot 4S from discount tire about 3 months, likely some of the last available. I think the 5S is on the way. For that particular car, I will stick to the best Michelin Summer shoes I can get.
I've got the Continental ECS02 on my car now since February with about 5000 miles on them. They replaced a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3.
They are a HUGE step up in grip on the track compared to the all season tires. On the street, the difference in dry grip is much less obvious. The Conti's feel sort of "plush" as well but that is in comparison to the old, worn out Michelins, so it's probably an irrelevant comparison.
I would happily buy either set of tires again, but since I get a few track days in every year, the summer performance tires are much more suited to what I want in a tire.
To be fair, Michelin Pilot Sports are performance tires. Regular Michelin summer tires would be their Primacy line. Also very good tires.
A couple of months ago I needed new 16" tires and opted for Kumho HS52 because a summer tire test in AutoBild gave them the best grip in dry and wet. Noise and wear wise they are not the best but I'm fine with that. For the price they are unbeatable in my opinion.
Attached a photo of the test for 16" 205/55, in Dutch, for who's interested. The test is highly regarded in Europe as they've tested near 50 tires, on a prepped track and in a lab.
So, here is another summer choice - Sumitomo htrz5. They are behind Dunlop and one other brand as well. I have a Sumitomo on the e46 - all season, not summer. I find them good. the e39 crowd says they ( htrz-5 )are worth looking at. They are available in 215/45/17
