Michelins or Kumhos???

[diitto]

Hi... I need new tires soon for my 2006 G35 6MT. I don't like the OEM Bridgestones so I've been researching other tires... I've read tons of reviews... For a number of reasons I've reduced my list of choices to two (or maybe three if I decide to reconsider Yokohama Advan Sports). The two choices are Kumho Ecsta SPT's that I can buy for $660 (set of four) or Michelin Pilot PS2's that I can buy for $1352 (set of four)... I've read enough to see that the Michelin tires would likely be a better tire but a factor of 2 better???? I almost didn't buy the car because I came to know about the tires before I bought it (terribly expensive, rock hard ride, no tread left after about 20k miles)... But it was still the best car for what I wanted and because I wanted the 6-speed, I had no choice but to come to this place of needing to buy these pricey tires ... So now I'm there... I can afford the more expensive tire but what am I buying??? I've heard the Michelins don't last any longer so why would they be better??? Are they a lot quieter??? I've read as many posts that say no as yes!!!! I'll buy the Michelins if I can determine some compelling reason to do so. Otherwise, I will go with the Kumho's... Or maybe the Yoko's... I do consider lack of road noise and ride comfort to be more important than handling, but again, to justify such a huge price, the Michelins would have to be waaaay quiet and waaaay smooth with respect to the Kumho's... Any help or advice you might be able to offer would be much appreciated... thanks much... bob...

[evildky]

sounds like what you want in a tire is the exact opposite of myself, tirerack.com as lots of ratings and reviews

[captainfalco]

Is there a reason you want a tire like the PS2? The Michelin is a max performance tire. You could go down to maybe a ultra high or high performance tire. The max performance category is pretty much a summer only type of deal. But to answer your question, the PS2 is a top of the line tire, awesome handling, but not great on wear. BFG makes a nice tire called the KDW2, less money, wet and dry traction, and awesome handling.There will be a ton of choices in the ultra high performance segment, just look and read.I have Hankook RS-2's on my one set of wheels. Awesome handling, pretty cheap, but will not last long and I've heard that they are not so good in colder weather (not meaning snow or anything). On another set of wheels I've got some Dunlop Sport Maxx's. I predict that they will last longer, but they do not grip as much as the Hankook.
Modified by captainfalco at 3:23 PM 7/17/2008

[Eddie]

I am assuming you have 19s because of your tire choices. The 19" tires for you vehicle is very limited.

Your tire choices are in two different categories and budget groups. If I could afford a tire like the PS2, the SPT would not be a consideration. The PS2 is the best street performance tire Michelin has to offer. Michelin tires are some of the highest quality tires you can buy.

At the tire shop I work for when a tire rolls really smooth and balances out with very little weight we'll say,"It rolls like a Michelin".

When reading reviews and tire tests you have to take into consideration the tread depth and age of the tires that are being tested. Most tires sound quiet when new, but the ones that maintain the same ride quality through most of their life are usually the ones you pay more for.