dsc888

Hey Boys and Girls,

It's been a while since I have posted. I have been busy with work and family and decided to write up a review on the much beloved Pirelli PZero Neros. Just a bit of background about my ride...It's a 2004 WDP 5AT with the A-Spec suspension and Comptech RSW with about 26.8k on the odo. The OEM EL42s were almost down to the wear indicators in the rear while the fronts look like I could have gone to about 32k. I am a moderately aggressive driver who does about 95% city miles here in Boston, MA.

The Tire...
The Pirelli PZeros that I purchased were the 245/45 17s. They were purchased from Discount Tires for $147 shipped! They updated their price to a little over $150 after I made my purchase. I guess they caught their mistake after I got mine. The free shipping was nice. Anyway, I chose the 245s instead of the 235s based on what I read here on the forum. I have battle scars on all 4 rims due to the lack of any rim protection on the EL42s. Plus the larger diameter of the 245 would help increase fuel mileage slightly while improving both rim protection and ride.

***The tire is non directional but is marked "Outer" and "Inner" to aide with snow traction. It's something that a rushing tire tech may not notice so be sure to say something when you get then put on.

***Note the the 245s are bulged out more towards the tread when mounted on our OEM 8 inch rims. It looks less sexy than the A-Spec Yokohama ES 100s which stick out wider thought the ENTIRE sidewall of the tire. In essense, the Neros look more like 65 series tires than high performace tires. But that's just my observation. This might be important for those who like a good looking tire. But don't get me wrong. The tread pattern looks HOT !

The Ride...
Before I begin, I need to point out that I run my tires at 35 PSI all the way around. I do this for handling reasons. The first thing I notice about the Neros is that they are firm though not uncomfortable. Broken pavement feel about the same although I feel less vibrations transferred into the seat. This may be due to the fact that side wall thickness is increased and there is actually full tread on the tire. When you come to a full stop at a stop light. The rear actually settles more "firmly" which makes the car feel more sporty.

The Handling Improvements...
The biggest reason I chose the PZero Neros was the overall performace improvement they had over the poor EL42s. Here's what I noticed...

***There is definitely less body lean in corners despite going from 235s to 245s with increased sidewall heights.
***Wet handling is DRAMATICALLY better. This fact is enough to convince anyone to switch from the OEM EL42s. I hadn't realize how much my car was slipping and sliding until I got these and noticed how much LESS I had to turn the wheel while cornering! I could take back road Esses about 10 to 15 MPH faster and with more stability compared to what I did with the older shoes.
***The vibrations are gone. I never had flat spotting with the "reformulated" EL42s but the Neros were smooth as silk. I guess I just got used to the vibes over time.
***Dry handling is sure footed and secure. These tires hold the line you intend to take up to about 9/10s. You do get fair warning before they start to slide. And no one in their right mind would or should push their cars to those speeds on public roads. Steer reasponse was better than the worn out EL42s.
***The steering effort is less at low speeds. This is perhaps due to the fact that you have more rubber contacting the road as a tire wears down which causes more friction and there more effort to turn the wheel with the steering.
***There is much less kickback through the steering wheel when I go over uneven/washboard road surfaces.
***Acceleration is slightly affected due to the slightly heavier tire size I chose and increased rotational inertia from increased overall tire diameter. In day to day driving, you would never notice it.

Noise Factor...
The only advantage I think the Bridgestones had was on noise. They were quieter than the Neros even when they were almost completely worn. The Neros are a little louder on the expressway especially at speeds in excess of 80 MPH. In the city, the 2 different tires were virtually the same in terms of the amount of noise generated. It's NOT objectionable however. There is no droning to speak of as reported by some Toyo Proxes 4 owners. The noise is a small price to pay for such handling gains.

The Looks...
Like I mentioned before, the tire has a slightly rounded or convexed bulge to it when mounted and inflated. This may or may not appeal to some people. If you choose the 245 size, it will help fill in the gap in the wheel wells pretty well. From behind, the tires look wider and makes the car look more aggressive. But I think only another TL fanatic would really notice such a thing.

Miscellaneous Items of Interest...
I paid $80 at Firestone Tires to have the tires mounted and balanced. I also paid $130 for their Lifetime Alignment Service. Considering that the dealer charges about $80 for a single alignment, you will make out better if you even bring the car back once more. It's good for as long as you own your vehicle.

***The car no longer pulled to the left on acceleration and to the right on braking now.
***There is less rear end "dancing" when I go over bumps with the rear wheels related to toe angle changes as the suspension compresses.

Final Thoughts...
I think I would definitely buy the PZero Neros if I had to do so again. I used to think the people on this forum were nut when they complained about the EL42s. Now I can see how much I was "compensating" at the wheel, brake and gas as I slipped and slided around. The Pirellis make the car feel much more responsive by virtue of decreased body lean on turns, more crisp turn-in on cornering, better ride and better rim protection. I have no way of checking to see if the higher treadwear rating of 400 is accurate. But based on what I have seen and read here, they should do way better than the OEMs.

The only things I feel I personally didn't like about the Neros is that they tend to be ever so slightly noisier at high freeway speeds and that the tire looks less "sexy" when you combine the 245 size with our 8 inch rims. But that's just my opinion. And I'm being really picky here.

I think that an alignment is absolutely necessary as you do compensate naturally for alot of handling issues over time. My car now turns in better and tracks straighter when I start and stop.

I hope that this long winded review will help convince those on the fence to make up their minds. Of course, YMMV due to your driving style, personal expectations, and experience with other brands of tires. But take my word for it that you will make your car finally feel like a real sports sedan with this upgrade. Take care and Happy Motoring !

dsc888

kennyc

Great write up. I have the same tires and just love them. They are definitely noisier on the highway (especially on concrete) but the handling benefits offset the noise for me.

I don't understand how can someone buy a 30k+ car and will looks for the cheapest tires. I do understand we like to look for good value. But consider those 4 patches are the only things that keep you on the road.

There are some good deals out there for tires, but in general, you get what you paid for.

dsc888

kennyc,

Thanks for the compliment. I am still amazed at how well my car handles now and am surprised everytime I take a corner and feel how I just don't need to gave as much steering input or make as many corrections at the wheel. Of course, this could be due to the alignment of the car being off before but vibrations, sliding in the wet, and poor snow traction is all related to the tire itself. I hope that others will seriously consider these tires when it's time to upgrade.

dsc888

jmbnova

Hell of a write-up... I have the Toyo 4s but I will definitly look into these when it comes time to change. Thanks!

dsc888

No problem! It's just that the OEM EL42s just don't do our cars any justice. I think that the TL can due quite well against other competitors once you install some quality shoes. The A-Spec suspension and Comptech RSB really makes this car come alive. I just can't believe how much better my car feels now. Glad you liked the review.

dsc888

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

I had these tires. I liked them over the EL42s but I think that is because the ELs were SO bad that anything would seem like a huge improvement.

I had them on my car for approximately 20,000 miles. There was ALOT of tramlining with this tire. Especially in mid life. The snow traction was AWESOME. I can not tell you how forgiving they were when doing REALLY stupid things in the snow.

I replaced these with BFG Gforce Sport tires. I wanted pilot sports but I could not justify paying upwards of 1100 dollars on a set of tires just to have "the best."

The guy at the tire shop said the gforce sport is a brand new tire from BFG (owned by michilin - sp?). He got to take these out on a road track during tire training and fell in love.

I like them alot. Very quiet and VERY grippy and NO TRAMLINING! Thank god. Anywho, at about 150 less than what I purchased my pirellis at, I'd definately recommend the BFG over the Pirelli tire.

leedogg

well, I guess I was 'lucky' enough to get the pilots. Basically that means, their just good enough not to warrant a crucial tire upgrade asap, but not great enough that I'm fully satisfied with their performance. I guess they buy me some time to hunt around + save up for my rims plus the corresponding new tires they'll likely need...

Thanks for the review, sounds like a solid tire. Hopefully I'll find some pilot comparisons...

snax

Thanks for the great info.
I just ordered from tirerack.com. Also got the road hazzard for $16.20 / tire (A must have while living in the 'construction zone' formerly know as New Orleans).

whatjones911

I hear that BFG tires are really noisy. I am considering to get the toyo proxes 4, pirelli Pzeros Nero m+s or maybe some BFG. Most people complain that these tires are loud. Anyone agree or disagree?

dsc888

Like kennyc and I said above, these tires get louder on freeway speeds. If you do a lot of highway miles then you may want to look at "touring" tires instead. I believe the EL42s were more that sort of tire. But I was after performance with decent light snow grip so the Neros were my top choice. I couldn't justify $200+ per tire for the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. The noise is not all that bad. You may have to turn up your music a little. But you do notice it though. It's all a compromise. I used to really like the Dunlop SP Sport 5000s on my old 97 Camry V6. They were quiet and grippy but rank lower on Tirerack. Good luck and keep us updated.

dsc888

dsc888

luda,

Thanks for your input. You are right. Anything is better than the EL42s. I will see how the Neros feel after a while. All tires are great when new. I used to have the Yokohama ES 100s on my 97 Camry V6 and they tramlined like mad. And they also made a constant "howling" noise. The grip was great but the tires never let you forget that you need to keep a good grip on the wheel to prevent unintended lane changes. I am glad to hear that you like your newer tires. Please keep us all updated as I don't believe many of us have the BFGs on our cars.

dsc888

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

Yea I had my doubts about the BFGs but they ride smooth as silk. They are NEW though so thats a definate factor. They arent noisey and they grip like mad. Their design is VERY similar to the pilots. Same company thing I guess. I feel like this is a pilot jr so to speak. We shall see in the comming months though.

whatjones911

what kind of BFGs do you have?

legionofdoom

See above...

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

^

HEK

I was going to wait to respond to your topic and see for myself if all your comments were accurate. I have to say that I still experience a form of flat spots/ vibrations that are normally felt after having parked my car overnight. Last night I drove it home and parked it at around 5PM and 12 hours later I was driving to work. I feel a vibration at 50 mph for around 15 minutes and then it goes away. I was almost tempted to stop by the tire store and have them re-check if the tires are actually balanced but since the vibrations dissappear I wont bother....

dsc888

HEK,

I too had flatspotting after parking my car for about 4 hours in about 40 degree weather and heading right back onto the expressway. This was actually worse than the EL42s. I was shocked since it took about 10 minutes to get rid of. But it was on the first day I had them on the car. I normally do city speeds for at least 10 minutes before I get on the highway so I never really get a chance to experience flat spotting.

dsc888

HEK

My car sleeps outside and the temperature has been around the 38 degrees overnight so I'm going to attribute that to the temperature since the car also sits at work 12 hours and I don't notice the flatspots as much....still even with that I like these tires 200% more than the stock Turanzas....

037

Hey guys, just wanted to give you some impressions of Pilot Sport A/S. I had them mounted on my 2000 Maxima replacing Pilot MXM4's. Well...the difference was night and day even though the price difference is very minor. The size was 225/50/17 and the price was very close to 1k with lifetime balancing, rotation, and road hazard warranty from Costco. Never hydroplanned on anything at speeds up to 80mph with everyone else stopping under bridges to wait it out. Drove it into a huge puddle once at 60mph while trying to enter the highway, didn't notice it in the dark, speed went from 60 to 40 in a second but the car never lost traction.

Pretty good on snow for an all season tire, and for some reason felt softer than the touring MXM4s.

Handling in corners was greatly improved, I wouldn't feel bad going 35mph into a 90 degree turn, and that's on the Maxima...

Right now I sold the Maxima and got an 06 TL Navi Black/Ebony and it came stock with MXM4s. Handling seems to be better than the Maxima's, and I can only imagine how it could have been with the Pilots A/S even though I cant justify to pay another thousand for it.

Anyways, car was barely 200 miles on it, I'll be bashing the MXM4s later. My current top pick for tire replacement in the near future is either PZero Nero or maybe Counti Extreme cause the tread looks waayyy sexxier.

037 (all driving is done in the New York City's 5 boroughs)