Help! Tire information overload!

KM4FFB

KM4FFB

Member
14
31
My insomnia got me effed up last night. Spent hours reading and watching about tires, and tires, and tires. Michelin, BFG, Vredstein, Pirelli, General, maybe Firestone?. GT AS, UHP, HP AS.

Staying stock 205/55R16 for my '14 EX CVT. Probably keeping with H speed rating, unless you all have recommendations otherwise.

Will probably put some coilovers for a 1" drop and handling increase sometime this summer. No plans for a tune or engine/exhaust upgrades on this vehicle.

Im in eastern NC, so wet performance is paramount. Snow is rarely an issue and my other two 4WD vehicles cover that category just fine. Obviously, gas mileage is still very important to keep as a high priority.

I am a serious BFG fanboy for my Jeep, but am less impressed with review results from the Advantage T/A Sport, except that beautiful warranty. I know the high end performance of General when it comes to offroad capability, but nothing about touring tires.

Any help to narrow down to a single category at least, if not down to a manufacturer and even maybe specific tire, would be immensely appreciated!

Thanks,
Alex

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i cant speak on their wet performance as ive lived in southern california my whole life but i had a set of Pilot Sport 3’s AND a set of A/s 3’s (not the plus’)

both sets imo are just about the best damn tires ever lol. Sorry man.
 
KM4FFB said:
Talk me out of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+


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Talk you OUT of the Sport 3? Sorry, i'm not your guy.
 
Have had the opportunity to try Riken, Dunlop, Falken, Pirelli (P Zeros are currently one of the best in the wet, but it's a summer tire) and the Toyos and Yokos. For me, there's only been two brands that truly stand out for consistent build quality:

Bridgestone and Michelin. And in that match-up i'll choose Michelin over Bridgestone most of the time.

There's a reason for Michelin's popularity (and price) ... they make great tires.

When comparing the Sport 3+ to my favorite Pilot Super Sports (now the Sport 4) I clearly favor the PSS due to my life-on-the-edge driving style. Problem is, it's a summer tire and wouldn't be suitable for your environment.

For your driving, I think you'd be thrilled with the Ultra High Performance "all season" A/S 3+. Great warranty too. And unlike so many other brands, you'll enjoy a high level of performance right down to the wear bars.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...+ (W- or Y-Speed Rated)&partnum=445YR9PSAS3PL

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=241
 
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JesseFB6 said:
i cant speak on their wet performance as ive lived in southern california my whole life but i had a set of Pilot Sport 3’s AND a set of A/s 3’s (not the plus’)

both sets imo are just about the best damn tires ever lol. Sorry man.
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SoCal... yes! (Lived in Costa Mesa 13 years) If you liked the Pilot Sport 3's, you'd be a good candidate for the new Michelin Sport 4's. As long as you don't run up to Mammoth or Big Bear in the winter. Those summer tires aren't meant for the snow or temps under 40.

Other than that, you'd be in driving heaven. Rated #1:

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/rating...&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+4S&fromTireDetail=true
 
You told me everything I wanted to know to commit to them. If I remained subjective I knew I'd get the right kind of information.

I love this place! Even if I have to filter through @sunofwolf posts [emoji1787] Love to you too, brother. You sure make this place interesting.

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KM4FFB said:
You told me everything I wanted to know to commit to them. If I remained subjective I knew I'd get the right kind of information.

I love this place! Even if I have to filter through @sunofwolf posts [emoji1787] Love to you too, brother. You sure make this place interesting.

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@KM4FFB Yo. You can instruct the system to "ignore user" if someone requires too much filtering. If you select that option you'll never even see their posts... unless you want to later.
 
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=239&tab=ResultCharts

I had the Michelin pilot SS summer tires that came with my SI they were good tires but expensive so I went to the Bridgestone Potenza So4 and I loved them I felt like they handled well in the heavy rain and when hitting those puddles.

Right now I have the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s but I am thinking of going back to the Potenza line.
 
mySIck said:
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=239&tab=ResultCharts

I had the Michelin pilot SS summer tires that came with my SI they were good tires but expensive so I went to the Bridgestone Potenza So4 and I loved them I felt like they handled well in the heavy rain and when hitting those puddles.

Right now I have the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s but I am thinking of going back to the Potenza line.
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Half my time spent last night was reading through the Motor Oil thread. Learned a lot, and read a lot in the 47something posts. That's what got me started on my search for tires.

Turns out, I actually have close to brand new Michelin Defender M/S on there now. I was too lazy to go out and look, but I could have sworn they slapped some Bridgestones or something on there to sell it.

I'll probably sell the wheels and tires as take-offs and just get a full new set. Although, I do like the stock wheels a little.

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Ha! Michelin? Bridgestone? Toyo? All of those pale in comparison to my $40 Westlake RP18s. Not only do they grip when they feel like it, they also raise suspicion about the authenticity of the wheels they're mounted on. In a sense, you're getting free crime deterrence! When you're ready to step down your tire game, you know who to call!

...my car is a deathtrap. help.

supe-wink.jpg
 
mySIck said:
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=239&tab=ResultCharts

I had the Michelin pilot SS summer tires that came with my SI they were good tires but expensive so I went to the Bridgestone Potenza So4 and I loved them I felt like they handled well in the heavy rain and when hitting those puddles.

Right now I have the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s but I am thinking of going back to the Potenza line.
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Would like to hear more about your Firehawk experiences.... Please and thank you!

Due to an irresistible TireRack sale ($100 each) I'm running my first set of So4's. Until recently my confidence in them continued to grow, and yet even at their best I'd never put them in the same category as PSS, often considered the standard in high performance summer tires. (Now it would be Michelin's new version of the PSS, the Sport 4) I'm probably too warped by my PSS experiences, but after 15,000 miles the So4 "Pole Position" doesn't seem like the same tire. I have nothing seriously bad to say about them, I would only encourage those interested in max handling to upgrade.

If you enjoy the Potenza line, ever thought about the re-71r? I've heard (and seen with my own eyes) that they're super super sticky. But they're also a very focused tire and there's no doubt your wallet will hate you, over and over again. So it might be a better second set, saved for weekends, autocross or whatever. Of course the same could be said for any expensive set of tires... save them for the weekends.

If we're lucky maybe prices of the Sport 4 will come down. They sure should. Yet, for a serious driving enthusiast what could be more important than tires? If our goal is better handling, tires are the most logical place to splurge.
 
Bruce Bartlow said:
_________________________
Would like to hear more about your Firehawk experiences.... Please and thank you!

Due to an irresistible TireRack sale ($100 each) I'm running my first set of So4's. Until recently my confidence in them continued to grow, and yet even at their best I'd never put them in the same category as PSS, often considered the standard in high performance summer tires. (Now it would be Michelin's new version of the PSS, the Sport 4) I'm probably too warped by my PSS experiences, but after 15,000 miles the So4 "Pole Position" doesn't seem like the same tire. I have nothing seriously bad to say about them, I would only encourage those interested in max handling to upgrade.

If you enjoy the Potenza line, ever thought about the re-71r? I've heard (and seen with my own eyes) that they're super super sticky. But they're also a very focused tire and there's no doubt your wallet will hate you, over and over again. So it might be a better second set, saved for weekends, autocross or whatever. Of course the same could be said for any expensive set of tires... save them for the weekends.

If we're lucky maybe prices of the Sport 4 will come down. They sure should. Yet, for a serious driving enthusiast what could be more important than tires? If our goal is better handling, tires are the most logical place to splurge.
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I have been looking at a 2nd set of wheels I can throw a good set of sticky tires on like 71r or the toyo R888r on. That way I am not burning up a set of high performance tires going to the grocery store.

The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s is a really good tire for the price no doubt. As for me being boosted they just don't have enough grip I am able to smoke both tires in 3rd gear from a 30-40 roll as boost rolls in. They are also a harder compound so I get a lot more mileage out of them but it makes you bumpy ride for sure.
 
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