Godwhacker

Been debating the issue of new tires and if I should get snow tires or just a good ultra high performance all season tire. While performance is obviously an issue, I am big on safety as well and I HATE poor traction in wet or snow. I am pretty much a novice on tire issues, so I am all ears to any advice.

If I want to keep the 17 inch wheels (245/50-17), the choices seem very limited, especiall for snow tires, of which TireRack has only one option, the Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport.

As for Ultra High Performance All-Season tires, I have a choice of two in the 17inch
(245/50-17) the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Asymmetrical. The Michelin seems to have better reviews.

Right now, I am leaning towards the Michelin's. I can also get these at Costco and thus get installation, balancing and all included, plus a coupon (whoa!).

A few questions:

1. How much of an improvement would the Michelin Pilot Sport be over my current stock tires? Looking at the reviews/ratings on Tire Rack, looks like a big improvement.

2. Do I really need snow tires? I don't go skiing, but I do live in Pittsburgh, PA, where we do get our share of snow and ice and the terrain is hilly. Would the Pilot Sports be adequate to handle it?

3. Would love to move up to 18 inch wheels, as this would likely increase my choices, but I think the added cost would be prohibitive (my wife is an accountant...lets just say that she likes budgets!!!). Then again, if I can get decent tires on 18 inch wheels for $100 less than my limited 17 inch tire choices , that may be enough to offset the $200 or so for the 18 inch wheels...

Again, remember that I am a novice (read: idiot) when it comes to tire and wheel issues....hell, the wife says Im just a plain idiot period... So if I am missing something obvious or stupid, please state so.

Thanks guys, appreciate any and all feedback on this!

neuronbob

You know my view on snow tires. I've lived 17 years in Cleveland, where it snows lots more than in Pittsburgh, and I've never used snow tires. I just drive cautiously and slowly on well-maintained, regularly rotated tires. Further, because I drive so many miles, I rarely use a set of tires more than two winters in a row (e.g. usually they're new enough for me to get away with this).


I used Dunlop sport 5000s on my 2002 TL. They were quiet, stuck like glue in the wet, and were competent on light snow. I stopped using them after I bought my 2004 TL only because they weren't available in the right size for the car, either in 17" or 18" at the time I was looking. Can't comment on the Pilot Sport A/S as I'm too cheap--I pop a tire a year and inexpensive replacement is a requirement for me.

I got through last winter with heavy snow on my 18" A-Spec wheels (clearcoated, so no issues with salt as long as I wash them regularly) and with my tires, I had very few issues.

This doesn't mean I can't change my mind about snow tires, however....

Godwhacker

Thanks for the input Bob! I am leaning against snow tires, as I agree with you. I also think that if its bad enough snow to need snow tires, one should not be out driving in it (unless one lives in a place where it snows really bad all the time).

They also seem to do a reasonably good job of snow removal around here, so the issue is much more often light snow/wet traction, for which the current stock tires I find are pretty lousy at.

weeeerd

Just stick with the Michellin tires. They are a perfect combo with the SH-AWD. I wouldn't go with Dunlops or any other tire actually. Alot of tire stores will try and sell you the tires they have there spiffs on. Don't let them do it. I would definitely stick with Michellins. Tires are a "get what you pay for" kind of thing. On a Toyota Corolla, by all means put a Cooper tire on there.. but you have an RL. You don't want to make a 500 dollar mistake.

Ride quality shouldn't suffer with an 18" wheel, however you may have quite a thin sidewall and it's possible you may notice a stiffer ride and feel more bumps in the road.

Michellin tires > any other tire out there. Look around and go through sale papers. Alot of places with match/beat any competitor pricing so keep your eyes open on the Sunday ads.

Godwhacker

I think I will go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

Costco has $60 off a set of Michelin's until 11/4. Although its only $15/tire, its still better than a kick to the head. I have have had some positive experiences getting tires at my local Costco in the past.

TampaRLX-SH

Give us a comparo when you get the Pilot Sports, Godwhacker. My OEM Michelins ae a little louder than I like (considering how quiet the RL is otherwise) and ANC does not address the tire roar.

I'd like to replace the OEM by summer and the choices are few on the stock rims. I am OK with the performance of the OEM but if I can find a quieter tire, I'd swap. I've read the Pilot Sport is quieter (as well as sharper performance). Please let us know your side by side opinion.

Rob L

Note you can go with a 225/55/17 tire so that opens up a lot of snow tire choices.

I recommend getting a set of snows and then a set of summer tires for the rest of the year. It is leagues better than a simple all-season jig. If you truly want to see what this AWD system/car can do in the snow then get snow tires.

I have a set of snows on my OEM 17" rims. Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi and they are awesome in the snow. For the rest of the year I got a set of 18" rims (245/45/18) and put on Bridgestone Potenza RE05A pole position tires and they are fantastic. Handling and "feel" is increased while I do not notice any real increase in road harshness or noise over the OEM all seasons which are IMO complete shit.



I have to disagree with the person saying michelins are the best....please. Sounds like a michelin employee.

Godwhacker

Apppreciate all the input, guys!

I went ahead an ordered the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. I think they will do the job, are the least expensive option, and seem like a good tire. Also convenient to get at the local Costco (which is currently running a sale....I had to wait in line half an hour to order my tires...and I got there when the place opened!!!).

Tampa RL, I will give you a full report! (if I forget, bug me). They should be in by next weekend.

weeeerd

Do you not know anything about tires? Find me a better ALL-AROUND tire that tops Michellin tires. You may have more grip using your Bridgestones, however, your tires wear how two to three times as fast, are substantially noiser with some miles on them, and on probably 60% of the tires, you have excessive RFV. I'll keep checking back as I'm sure you'll be wondering what RFV is and how Michellin tires are superior...

Godwhacker

Didn't forget about ya. Got the tires on Saturday, but my 20 month old has been sick with a high fever, so I had to skip work today, so no long commute to test the new tires. Couldn't tell too much from just the drive home from Costco (I only live about 2 miles from Costco).

Hopefully will get a better idea tommorrow or Wednesday after the commute to/from work (I commute about 60 miles per day) and an even better idea when we get rain/snow.

larrynimmo

with my car, up to60 MPH, there is no wind noise what so ever (unless there is turbulance or very high head or cross winds). To me that is why tire noise is so pronounced. I guess we are all waiting for the quietest car where we hear the sound of the second hand of the clock tick!

TampaRLX-SH

I tend to agree larry. The RL quiets many driving sounds. By doing so, it may appear the sounds we do hear are louder than acceptable. I notice more tire / road noise on Honda products in general and I believe Honda uses less sound deadening materials in favor of weight savings. The ANC does seem effective in low end boom, but the frequency of tire noise is not adressed by much, if at all. And I agree, with less wind noise our focus shifts to what we can hear in the RL cabin. Even some of the rattles and ticks reported, while few are more likely to be heard in the RLs cabin which is absent of many other noises likley to drown out the specific sounds we hear.

I am OK with the OEM Michelins performance. I have had good luck with the wear of Michelins on other vehicles. But the coarse and grainy roads we have here in FL transits more tire noise than I would prefer (I have my days listening to classical music ). So I would like to research an alternative tire.

On smooth asphalt, the RL is eerily quiet.

johnnykuz

I just bought my 2005 RL used on eBay earlier this month. Picked it up at a dealer in W Palm Beach FL at 4PM on a friday afternoon and drove it back to Pittsburgh in one session. Got back home at 11:15AM on saturday morning.

Anyway, since it had the original tires, I knew I would need to replace them since they had 38K miles on them. Found a set of the OEM wheels & tires with less than 1,000 miles on them on eBay for $540. Literally brand new. They were takeoffs and were only 2 hours from my house in the Cleveland area. I have a garage jack since I use dedicated winter tires & wheels for my other cars so all I had to do was jack the car up, take off the old, and put on the new!

What a sweet deal.

johnnykuz

Godwhacker

Hey Yinz! Fellower Pittsburgher!

Well, I drove the RL to/from work today. Nice, clear day, so how they handle in the rain or snow has yet to be determined (I am particularly curious to see how they do in the rain and/or snow, as that is where I did not find the OEM tires to be too great). Also, some of this may just be in my mind. I was trying to pay extra attention to how the tires were doing. So here goes:

So far, I find the Pilot A/S's to have much better road grip vs. the stock tires and it seems like I can get the "feel the road" better with them on. Maybe its me, but it feels like the steering is more sensitive with them on. I used to be able to take turns at rediculous speed with the OEMs...now I can take them at ludicrous speed with the A/S Pilots.

That being said, I think that they are a tad more sensitive to road imperfections than the stock OEMs. The ride seems a touch firmer as well, which I actually like.

Noise wise, I think they are a touch quieter. I don't know if its worth one grand worth of tires for just reducing the noise a little bit. Then again, my hearing isn't the best, so I may not be the right person to give a tire noise comparo...

The real payoff for me will be the wet/snow traction. TampaRL I know you don't have to worry much about the snow, but when I lived on the gulf coast, I know that you get torrential rains which can make the roads real nasty real fast. I think that would be a more valid reason for the Pilot A/S's than a road noise reduction. Once we get some rain, I'll give you an update on that aspect.

TampaRLX-SH

Thanks Godwhacker!

Yep, if the Pilot Sports are only a tad quieter, I will likely run the OEMs longer. New tires may appear quieter, and grow louder over time. That said, my OEMs only have 14K on them, so unless they get much louder, they have a lot of tread left on them.

Godwhacker

Without talking about the new tires beforehand, the wife took the RL to work yesterday while I stayed home with our sick kid. Her comments were:

1. "its felt grippier" were her exact words. She drove to work in a rainstorm and said you could not really tell any difference in traction or loss of traction on the wet road.

2. she also thought that there was more road feel, both in the steering wheel and the ride. She said that she preferred this, as she tends to get carsick and finds cars with "floaty" rides make her more carsick.

After we shared our observations (mine pretty much agreed with hers), she did agree with me that it was a touch quieter.

Again, we didn't discuss the tires beforehand, so her viewpoint, except for the noise issue, was independent of my own.

Godwhacker

the Pilots really kicked in the rain this afternoon. We got hit with some heavy rain on the commute home. Tires are much better traction wise than the OEMs in the rain, no question about it.

Godwhacker

Just an update. The new tires are MUCH better in the snow than the stock ones. Had some pretty bad conditions around here with that last storm, and the RL was rock solid on the new tires.

While I did spend alot of money on them, I now feel that it was well spent. Feel much more confident and the car feels more solid in all conditions.

Chas2

Good to hear this info. Too bad they don't make them in PAX!

neuronbob

Thanks for the update, Godwhacker. There's nothing better than knowing that your money was well spent.

Godwhacker

Thanks Bob! I really appreciated your input into my decision to not go with snow tires and instead go with quality all weathers.