drjoe

posted this elsewhere, but no response yet...

i need replacements for my Michelin OEM's at 70K, and have narrowed to Conti Extreme Contact DWS and the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, going with 245's. Conti's are $200 cheaper and seem to rate well, but mostly I'm driving in SoCal sun, where they seem to be less impressive. Michelins are more, but I'm dismayed about the drop in gas mileage folks are talking about.

can someone convince me that the Michelins Pilot Sports are much better in dry handling (e.g. down back canyon roads) compared to the Contis? will the Contis still handle better than the OEM touring Michelins?

HOCKEYMAN23

I have had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S in stock size on my '06 since I bought it in November '08. They have held up extremely well in all weather conditions (Colorado can be crazy sometimes), no complaints. Grip and response have been very good. My avg mpg is 23, and has been that way for a LONG time. I drive a combo of city & highway, so take that for what you will.

They do get noisy once they wear, but every tire does to a point. Nothing bad, but I can notice it at times when doing 65-70 on the highway. I'll be taking them off in about 2 weeks and putting new wheels/tires on the car...getting Bridgestone Potenza RE960's in 235/40/18, we'll see how those feel.

I've heard good things about the Conti's also, but can't speak from experience on those. Just thought I'd share my experience with the Pilots. Hope that helps.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Joe, check out this thread:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-tires-wheels-suspension-97/new-continental-extreme-contact-dws-mich-pilot-s-plus-745576/

drjoe

yup. that was the one i hadn't received a reply too... (until last night)

i still would like to hear from some folks who went from the OEM Michelin Touring tire to the Conti Extreme Contacts. so long as i can expect better handling and no major loss of mileage, i'll probably go with those over the Mich Pilot Sports.

mcmanut

Joe,

I went from the OEM Mich Touring to the Cont DWS. The Cont DWS are the better all round tire. No drop in performace or gas mileage compared to the OEMs. I just improved in the rain and snow performance.

Hope this helps

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

That's good to know mcmanut. Now I just wonder how long m OEM tires will last.

mcmanut

Mind lasted 87K.

drjoe

mine "lasted" 71K. well, they were bald and you could see the belts sticking out, but technically they were still there.

put on the conti's last night, felt great in the rain on the way home. will report back after a week or so...

drjoe

new conti's are great... no complaints. there's been a fair amount of rain here recently, and there were no problems at all. my morning commute on the twisty canyons has been effortless, and strangely enough, there is a marked reduction in torque steer.

yeah, they're not very shiny looking, but a very solid tire that performs well, at $200 less than the michelin pilot sports. now, we'll see if i can go another 70K on them!