Summer tire coin flip
 

Looking like the winter from hell is finally subsiding up here in NE, so I'm putting some effort into getting the summer set together. I'd like to swap in the next week or so, I'm just having a hell of a time making up my mind.

Took me the better part of the week to decide on Enkei M52s for the wheels, and now I need something to wrap around them.

She's an '09 MCS. Suspension is stock, and I have no current plans to mess with that, but am wanting to step up to 215 from the 205s I'm on now. My understanding, from reading way too many forum posts, is the size upgrade shouldn't be an issue, yes?

Right now I'm going between these two:

Bridgestone - Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Michelin - Pilot Super Sport

I'm really leaning toward the PSS, but tirerack has a good deal going on the Potenzas.

This is my "daily" driver (I commute an average of 400 miles a week) and spends most of its time in Boston traffic, but when I do get to actually move I am fairly speedy and aggressive, and I really like corners.

If anyone has any personal experience with the two, I'd like to hear opinions. I'm also open to alternatives. Price wise I'm not looking to break the bank, but I'll spend if it's worth it.

Thanks!

I've finally switched to summer tires last weekend (RE11's).

Assuming you keep suspension stock, any of the below 16" sizes will fit:
195/55-R16 (stock, very few tire options)
205/55-R16 (lots of options)
225/50-R16 (very popular tire size; more options, cheapest of all of the above for the same tire make/model!)

Following 17" will fit as well:
205/45-17 (stock, very few tire options)
215/45-17 (lots of options)


Micheline PSS is a fantastic daily driver tire.
Very grippy, very quite, great in the rain and dry. About 95% of the grip of top-of-line autoX tire, but way more DD friendly (will start chunk if over-heated at autoX).

Potenza S-04 is a pretty old tire. That's why they are on sale.
If you like Bridgestones, consider RE11's (for DD). Or RE71R's (For autoX).

I run RE11's on the MINI, and PSS's on all my bimmers.
Very similar tires, though PSS's seam to last longer.

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The PSS and the S-04 are both good comfortable max-performance summer tires,
but the PSS is significantly better and also much lighter (by about 3#), but it is more expensive.

I loved my PSS on my R53. No experience with the others.

S04 hit the market 1 month before PSS back in 2011. It's a reasonable gripping tire, which in my opinion has better road manners (quiet and smooth). For dry and wet max grip, PSS is still king.