I have Michelin Pilot Super Sports 205/45R17, speed rating 84V on my 2013 Roadster S. I had a puncture and the dealership replaced the tire, but with one rated 84W. I know that one has a higher max speed than the others, but how important is it that it matches? I'm starting to think that the car handles different than before, but I'm not sure how much of that is just the crummy Northern California roads and my imagination. Let me know what you think!

 

W is a higher speed rating than V so in terms of safety it is fine. In terms of handling, it is not ideal, but I really wouldn't expect a lot of difference. If you have three fairly worn tires and one new I would expect a bigger difference than from 3 V's and a W.

Now, the 205/45-17 Michelin Pilot Super Sport is a "Y" rated tire, so I suspect you might have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's?

There are wonderful Northern California roads if you get out of Silicon Valley.

You can get tires delivered to your home in one day from TireRack. Save a lot next time.

I'm in Sacramento and have 4 lightly worn Michelin A/S 3's about to go on the car for winter.

 

I would want tires to match. The dealership should order you an 84V to replace the W rated tire they mounted on your car. The tires are probably pretty much the same, but the corner you put the W tire on is now rated to 168 mph!

The thing that would concern me is how many miles are on the old tires. Slight diameter differences will exist if there is significant tread wear already on the other 3 remaining tires. If that's the case, then I like to replace tires in pairs when possible if a good deal of wear is apparent. Don't forget that a new tire will have a bit of a break-in period before it feels like the rest, even if you had replaced it with an identical 84V.

 

Thank you both! @hsautocrosser, you are correct. They are Pilot Sport A/S 3s. I definitely didn't pay what the dealership wanted for them; got them online. And the roads are absolutely better once we get out of the Bay Area.
@MiniRoadstah, they do have a fair bit of mileage on them, probably 18K since putting them on July 2014 (for MTTS2014). Treadwear is even at least. But I think I'll call the dealership in the morning and have them replace it and the other back one as well.

 

Will balance out nicely with 2 new tires instead of just one. Since you're going in, have the two new ones switched to the front and consider it a tire rotation. Tires in the back have somewhat lighter duty. With the new ones in front, your Mini will feel a lot better!

Let us know.

 

+1 put the two newest matching thread depth tires up front.

 

This is contrary to what Tire Rack recommends ...

Tire Tech - Where to Install New Pairs of Tires?

 

That's interesting, funny they don't talk about the fronts displacing more water faster to the side ( on a FWD car ) , which creates a patch for the tires in the rear that have less water to displace. Also more take off traction with more tread in the front. In reverse the fronts are skipping over the water on FWD cars low tread and then when you go into a turn they seem to not want to turn. Been to many track days and funny never heard of this. I have had low tread fronts on the track before when wet and it was a hard day to stay on the track. That's my experience with 3 MINIs , maybe different with RWD of course.

 

I believe the theory of the rear being better is based on the fact that most people don't have trained nervous systems that automatically correct for oversteer. Or quick reflexes or the ability to pay attention to what they are doing for long spans of time. Etc., etc., etc.

I don't follow it as I prefer to drive the car, but I don't drive on shallow treaded tires through standing water either.

 

Agree.

The TireRack article makes sense if understeer is prefered. I learned to drive on a frozen lake, and the lessons of understeer and oversteer were accentuated. In a front wheel drive car, understeer can be pretty scary. Like driving an old original Beetle on packed snow with less than ideal tires. Turn the steering wheel and you just keep going straight.

If the tires are down close to the wear bars and you're sticking 2 new ones in the front only, then you have a really unbalanced car in the wet or slick. For a quick lesson on what happens, put snow tires on the front of a small front wheel drive car and summers in the back and go out for slow drive on hard pack snow. Guaranteed to be an unpredictable oversteer extravaganza.

Good reason to rotate your tires every 5,000 miles or so to keep those tires wearing evenly. That keeps the grip more even front and rear.