After reading many great reviews on the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ I went to purchase them and found they were sold out and or back ordered. Just my luck with waiting

I contacted Michelin and they told me about the Pilot Sport All Season 4 and I purchased them (205/45/R17 88Y XL).

They are really good, very quiet and transformed the comfort of the MINI while driving after removing the standard run flats. Before the tires were installed I already had the NM Engineering strut tower brace and CravenSpeed Big Pair installed.

I just wanted to put it out there for everyone.

Rich

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a die-hard fan of the A/S 3+, so I can't wait to try the 4.

 

I switched to these after I discovered that the A/S 3+ was going to be discontinued. So far from what I can gather in the few weeks I've had them is Michelin locked the A/S 3+ and the Super Sport in a room and they had a kid. That kid is the Pilot Sport A/S 4.

 

Same here. I was feeling every single pothole on my back and decided to go with non run flats. The ride is much quieter with these Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires. I just don’t know if the handling changed just a little bit. There’s a certain curve that I take every day on my way to and back from work. Run flats seemed to handle it nicer if I’m a little fast. Otherwise I totally agree with you Rich.

P.S: I should have stated the brand of the run flats. They were not Michelin, they were Bridgestone Driveguards.

 

Hi MiniFunDEBeaches,

You are correct about the change in handling. Run flat tires have a stiffer side wall and they do perform better in curves. Soon I will be looking into some additional NM Engineering suspension upgrades 😁

Have a great weekend,

Rich

 

I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, which is a summer tire; however, it's handling exceeds that of the factory run flat tires. Also, they ride much better and are much quieter.

 

Great tire, we run the PS4S on our widebody challenger hellcat and they are a huge improvement over the stock Pirelli tires.

 

I am on my 5th MINi, a '22 JCW Hardtop. I have 17' wheels, all season tires, and the new DDC suspension. In my first 4 MINIs I replaced the runflats very early and the improvement was pretty incredible. But in 2022, the tires are better and the improvement in the suspension tech is phenomenal. I am just going to put 40,000 miles on these tires and enjoy the ride. Sorry, but I don't need snow,winter tires, but I need to have tires that can handle sub freezing temps.

 

^^^ I vacillated on selection between Michelin PS4S summer tires and their PSAS4 all season. In the end, chose the former with no cold temps or snow driving. We do routinely drop into low teens (rarely into single digits) overnight so tire protection within garage storage was still a concern. With that factored, bought (3) 4'x6' 1/2 thick stall mats, which is dedicated parking for my R53 to isolate those tires from cold concrete below. Very pleased with the PS4S!

 

Thanks Rich. Stay safe.


Dpcompt, thank you for the insightful info. Always thought it was the run flats, had a BMW with run flats as well. Never thought newer suspension could get rid of those unexpected kidney punches! Lol!

 

This is my first car where I ever wondered about summer vs. winter vs. all season tires. I just thought winter tires handled bad in the snow, but then I read you comment about over night protection and isolating them from the cold concrete and realized I know even less than I thought about this subject (and that is saying something). Someone please take a minute to educate me on this.

I live in Mobile, AL about 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, and 99% of the time out weather is hot and very, very humid. We get 12-15 days a year in the 30's, and dip into the teens one or 2 nights a year. I don't have a garage, so I park on a concrete pad outside. Can the cold concrete do something to the rubber, that isn't fixed when they warm back up?

 

^^^ Topic has been discussed on NAM and widespread on the internet as related searches will reveal. The "bottom line" being that cold temps stiffen the summer compound sufficiently to potentially cause cracks if driven (or reportedly, even moved) until ambient rises sufficiently. On your colder mornings when parked outside, I'd avoid driving it if possible. If the tire cracks, tire manufacturer's warranty will be voided. If you get in an accident driving summer tires in near freezing temps, insurance might deny the claim due to reduced stopping distances. Michelin PS4S summer tires are more spendy than their all-season versions and have lower 30k mileage warranty. I chose them since my R53 is strictly a "fair weather" car only driven a few thousand miles per year at most. Parking inside an enclosed garage on thick stall mats might be overkill but cheap enough insurance for no worries.

 

Thanks! That is good to know.

 

Just now watched these vids from 4 years ago with PS4S driven in freezing ambient temps and in rain, which demonstrated just how good those tires perform in winter weather street conditions. Vids are relatively long but worth watching being on topic. The author (automotive engineer) produced a series of interesting stuff which I just bookmarked for future reference.

Edit: Those videos must be protected against embedding links, so just pasting video titles instead:

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Winter Below Freezing Review | Shelby GT350 | Auto Fanatic

Shelby GT350 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Rain Review | Auto Fanatic

 

Hi MiniFunDEBeaches,

Of course and you stay safe too

Rich