New Summer Tires needed

[20th875]

I live in SoCal and run them year round. So far I have run the stock Michelin PilotSport, Kuhmo MX, and Falken RT615s.

What I'm looking for:
Sticky
Reasonably Priced
Long Lasting

The SportPilots are the longest lasting but the most expensive. The MXs were OK but noisey and cheap and went 14-15k miles. The RT615s are probably the best, but only last 10,000 miles. I'm hoping to find tires that'll last as long as the PilotSports but are cheaper. Based on my preferences, are there any tires that qualify? If not, what tire should I look at? I'm tired of shelling out $$ every 10-15k miles for tires. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Airy32]

The new Pilot Super Sports are an excellent tire, probably grippier and yet less expensive than the older Pilot Sports, and they have a 30k mile mileage warranty.

The Conti Extreme Contact DW is also a great tire for the money. Very good grip in the dry, well above average in the wet and very good treadwear also, and even less expensive.

I've had both and would recommend both. The Conti isn't as sharp with steering response but gives a much better ride and is also about the lightest weight tire available. The Michelin is more of the ultimate choice for performance/treadlife/competetive price.

[20th875]

The new Pilot Super Sports are an excellent tire, probably grippier and yet less expensive than the older Pilot Sports, and they have a 30k mile mileage warranty.

The Conti Extreme Contact DW is also a great tire for the money. Very good grip in the dry, well above average in the wet and very good treadwear also, and even less expensive.

I've had both and would recommend both. The Conti isn't as sharp with steering response but gives a much better ride and is also about the lightest weight tire available. The Michelin is more of the ultimate choice for performance/treadlife/competetive price.

This is the kind of comments I'm looking for. Very helpful. Thanks Airy.

BTW - How long did the Conti/Michelins last?

[Airy32]

I've only had the Michelins on for maybe 1k miles so far so can't comment on the wear yet. But they do have that mileage warranty which is unheard of with a max perf. summer tire. I didn't run the Contis for their full life before selling them when I downsized wheels, but my best estimate would be 25-30k with proper rotation/inflation/alignment. I had about 8k on mine when the fronts were at 60%, the rears at 90%, but I never rotated them due to being a staggered setup. And that included a weekend of very aggressive driving at Tail of the Dragon, which just tortures front tires.

[20th875]

The Michelin's are just over $200/tire and have a 30,000 mile warranty. The Conti's are $152/tire and have a 50,000! mile warranty. Seems that the Conti's must be harder than the Michelins. But I do like the comments that they are quiter. Decisions, decisions.

edit for clarity: didn't realize there is a Contact DW and DWS. The DWS is $152/tire and warranty and the DW is $173 and NO warranty. Michelins sounding better all the time.

[GLgod]

I can help you with you decision a bit since I was just in the market for a new set of summer tires. The Conti DW is backordered until december from pretty much every major distributor... that prompted me to go with the Michelin's

[Airy32]

Tire Rack shows they are in stock in a 235/40/18. Based on the prices posted by the OP that may be the size he is looking for.

IMO I think the DW was a bit more resistant to hydroplaning than the Michelin, which is contrary to the reviews and test results. And that is based on driving the two back to back with no time to forget what the previous tire was like. And after two months on the Michelins I'm still not totally convinced the level of grip either wet or dry is noticeably superior to the DW. And the DW is definitely superior in ride quality. The steering response and predictability is where the Michelin really stands out.

I'm not dissatisfied with my choice at all so don't misunderstand me. I went from the DW in a 245/35/19 to the Michelin in a 245/40/17. After reading all the tests and reviews I expected to have a bit more compliant ride with the Michelins especially with a good bit more sidewall. The reality is that the ride is virtually identical between the two. If I had to choose I would say the DW was even a bit smoother. And the Michelins are about 4 lbs heavier per tire than the larger DW. But the responsiveness of the Michelin is better even with the taller sidewall.

[CorradoSLC]

Another fan of the Michelins here. I also came down to the Michelins and the Conti DWs - and couldn't pass up the opportunity to have cutting edge technology in the Michelins for only a few bucks more. The Michelins also seemed to hold up better to track days as well, which i liked. I've been thrilled by their wet weather performance so far in daily driving.

[20th875]

I've done a bit of looking and in addition to the two tires talked about above, I'm also thinking about these three others:

Sumitomo HTR ZIII
Hankook Ventus V12
Dunlop Sport Direza 21 Star Spec

In the end, I want as much grip as I can get along with a long-wearing tire, kind of an oxymoron, I know. I've got 50,500 miles on my 20AE and I want my tires to last around 25-30k and by that time the car should be sold on to its new owner. I'm tired of buying tires. I just want one more good set to take me through to my next car, what ever that may be.

Any comments on the tires above? And thanks again for all the help so far.

[Airy32]

I've never owned any of those three myself but I have done a lot of research prior to previous purchases, and I do know people who have run all of them. The Dunlop is by far the best performer of the group but it will also wear the quickest - no where near what you're hoping for. And it is one that runs a good bit wider than others for the same size. The Sumitomo and Hankooks are both good bang for the buck tires since they are priced well below many of the competitors. I doubt they'll last that long either but at least they're cheaper. I think I've read quite a few negative reviews about the wet performance of the Sumitomos.

[20th875]

Looks like the Michelins are floating to the top. I like that the Conti's are the lightest and actually have a higher wear rating of 340 vs. the Super Sports at 300, but they don't have a warranty. So I doubt that they'll last as long. Continental must know this and so decided not to offer a warranty.

Edited for: BTW, I am looking for a 225/40/18 for the stock Aristo wheel. Is there a larger size that'll fit that?

[Airy32]

You probably could fit a 235/40 on an Aristo but most people wouldn't since the sidewall on the 225 is pretty much vertical. I know there are some guys that have but, I think 7.5" may be below most manufacturers' recommended rim size for that width tire. I took the Aristos off so long ago I almost forgot they were narrower . A larger/wider tire will fit on the car just fine, just not much wider on those wheels.

[foundubbedriver]

yokohama s.drives

/end thread.

[20th875]

I decided on the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. After driving with them for a few months, I can easily say they are by far the best tires I’ve had on this car. Quiet and sticky like nobody’s business. I have replaced the stock suspension components with a set of Koni FSDs/H&R OE Sport springs. I also replaced the stock A-arm bushings with the TT spec units and also have a new set of upper strut tower bushings. Very nice ride and as best as I can remember, this setup is better than the car has ever been. I’m exiting my usual corners at a bit higher rate and the car just feels more planted. If you are looking for a new set of tires, get the Michelin Pilot Super Sports, they are an excellent choice for a daily driver, especially with their 30,000 mile warranty.

[dub*man]

Great choice, the Pilot Super Sports really are fantastic tires.