Anyone has Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires on their ride?

[menlund19]

Hi,

I just discovered a bubble in the sidewall of one of my tires on my M. I bought the car in November with RSAs on it (wish I would have known these were horrible tires) and have been planning on replacing them this spring with something else. Today when I was putting my laptop in the car before leaving for work, I noticed a bubble in the rear passenger side tire (not good).

I have been doing some research off and on (on this board and tire rack) and have decided on the Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires.

Based on reviews I have read, they seem to be pretty good in dry, wet, snow traction, noise, and treadwear...

Does anyone currently have these on their M? What do you think of the tire?

Thanks!

[daveM45]

I had them on my last sedan. Good dry/wet traction, predictable slide. Good resistance to cupping. Only complaint was a bit more road noise then some others. They are not a winter tire. They can handle a very light snow but definitely not ice or anything heavy. You still need a snow package so at best they let you shorten the snow tire season by a few weeks in spring/fall.

I'm not getting them again. Just go with the PS/2's and snow package and watch the weather carefully in the fall...

[menlund19]

I had them on my last sedan. Good dry/wet traction, predictable slide. Good resistance to cupping. Only complaint was a bit more road noise then some others. They are not a winter tire. They can handle a very light snow but definitely not ice or anything heavy. You still need a snow package so at best they let you shorten the snow tire season by a few weeks in spring/fall.

I'm not getting them again. Just go with the PS/2's and snow package and watch the weather carefully in the fall...

Thanks Dave...couple more questions...have you ever had the Goodyear RSAs? Are the A/S Plus better than the RSA in wet and snow? Worse?

The reason I ask is because I think the RSAs are rated poorly in snow, but I have had no trouble this winter with these tires. Of course the AWD helps.

[AlbuquerqueM45sport]

I have the Pilot sport A/S on my 2006 M-45 sport now, and like them very much. The PS/2 are a great tire, I have used them on my Porsche and was very satisfied. I thought they were quiet, and had fairly good grip at extreme driving. I only switched the Porsche away from these due to the fact that I needed an even more aggressive tire on the track and was finally willing to switch wheels and tires on track days. I now use a less aggressive Pilot sport on the street and a more aggressive Pilot sport cup on the track. I will be going even more aggressive on my next set of track tires.

Now back to the M, I switched from the Goodyear RSA’s right after I purchased the vehicle used. Goodyear makes a crappy tire as far as I’m concerned; they track in every groove in the road, make for a scary ride in any amount of rain and are even worse if the road is close to freezing. I use them on my police car but have no choice. The only good thing I can say about the RSA’s is that they have fairly good turn-in in the dry on the crown vic. Other than that, I hate them.

The Pilot Sport A/S have been much quieter, than the RSA’s, and I find them very good in the rain. My M is a rear wheel drive only so the car basically sucks in any amount of snow. I always wish for a little more grip at extremes but the tires wear well and the tread wear rating of 400 far exceeds the 220 rating of the better performing PS/2.

The PS/2 are very scary in any temperature near freezing and where I live that can be a sudden concern. We often have a 30 to 35 degree swing in the temperature. If I lived in a climate that I could reliable predict never getting near freezing temperatures I would use the PS/2’s. I like driving mountain roads and it can get cold suddenly. Due to this unpredictability the A/S seem to be the best choice for me right now.

Sorry for going on and on, hope that helps!

[daveM45]

Thanks Dave...couple more questions...have you ever had the Goodyear RSAs? Are the A/S Plus better than the RSA in wet and snow? Worse?

The reason I ask is because I think the RSAs are rated poorly in snow, but I have had no trouble this winter with these tires. Of course the AWD helps.

I picked up my M in late February and I thought the RSAs were fine in the snow for the first few thousand miles. You'll find that they wear out most of the tread after several thousand miles and then you hit hard rubber that isn't good on anything. Lots of rants on this forum over the RSA's but I didn't notice any problem until they had 10 to 12K on them.

I should mention that when I bought the Pilot A/S I had an old car that I used for snow. I'd use the old car for snow/ice days and the Pilot A/S if the roads were clear. The Pilot A/S are a good pick for that situation as they handle fine on dry roads, even below zero temps.

I live down the road from you in Rochester MN. For our weather I'd suggest the PS2 and a winter package. Go with the Pilot A/S only if you have another ride for the bad snow days.

[LEXKYM45]

I currently have the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tire on mine. Have been very pleased with them. They have handled great and ride smooth although there is slight noise its not bad at all. I rotate and balance mine every 3k mile and are nitrogen filled which has made a difference in tire pressure fluctuation. In the winter I drive my Maxima mostly due to the road salt and icey conditions. Good luck!

[menlund19]

Thanks guys....very helpful information. I will let you know what I decide to do.

T hanks again.