MrsTL08

I am in dire need of new tires for my '08 TL (base, 65K miles) and I'm having difficulty choosing between the two above-mentioned tire brands.
I'd say I drive about 60/40 interstate to local roads and rarely obey the speed limits on either I live in Alabama, so we have some rain, but very little snow. I want all season tires that will handle well (because no one knows how to drive around here and emergency maneuvering is important!) and be relatively quiet.
I am open to suggestions... Please help me?
Thanks! Mrs. T.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

Two different types of tires...one is an ultra high performance all-season (Pilot A/S), the other a Grand Touring tire. The Grand Touring tire will be quieter and will last longer...the UHP A/S will handle far better but will wear faster and most likely be louder.

Depends on what you want to accomplish....from what you are stating in your post, I would think that a Grand Touring tire would be perfect for you.

avs007

If you get the Pilot Sport A/S, get the Pilot Sport A/S Plus. The latter has a 45,000 mile treadwear warranty, the former does not...

I had the Pilot Sport A/S on my G35... Loved that tire... Only complaint is that it went bald after 20,000 miles, but that's why I say get the "Plus" version... FWIW, I heard on the TL, those tires have much better longevity anyways...

Personally I wouldn't run grand touring tires on the TL, but that's because I like a tire that can handle decently well, and all the GT tires I've ran suck ballz in that category. I can't speak for the serenties, but just becaes you run a Grand Touring Tire, doesn't automatically make it a quieter tire... I've run a few quiet UHP A/S tires, with the most recent being the Conti DWS. and I've run a few noisy ass GT tires, like the Michelin Energy MXV4...

baws6o4

i am currently running the pilot sport plus on my tl-s right now and i love them. they are way better than the hxmxm4 tires that they come with.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

Generally speaking GT tires are quieter. They are built for comfort and less road noise...hence the smaller gaps in between the sipes of the tires. Sure there are exceptions to that rule. And to say that all GT tires "suck ballz" in the handling department, just isn't true. There are a number of GT tires that handle very well but they may not be as hard core as a UHP tire which isn't needed 95% of the time anyways for a daily driver.

avs007

I didn't say ALL GT TIRES suck ballz, I said all the GT tires that I've ran sucked ballz... Slight difference

avs007

I suppose, but what I always tell people, is that even if you are uninterested in a performance tire, they are still beneficial in a daily driver...


My friends/coworkers that say they don't care about extra grip becuase they don't drag race.... I tell them that better dry/wet grip also means you have better traction for panic braking situations. It can mean the difference between stopping and slamming into the car in front of you... I've noticed this on numerous occasions, especially with rental cars, where I own the same car I've rented. First thing I notice is the crappy handling in panic braking situations, which is non-existent on my car, but very apparent on the rental wearing GT tires. I've also noticed this on my own car, when I replaced my tires with Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires, for example, as I needed new tires right away, and it was the only tires available... I was so disgusted in how thye handled, that I dismounted the tires after 500 miles, and eventually threw them away.

I also have coworkers/friends that say they could care less about lateral grip, cornering stability, etc... I tell them, that kind of grip is very helpful in emergency situations where you have to swerve around something. It could mean the difference betweeen swerving around something, and losing control of your car, and slamming into something...

In my book, tires are the #1 safety device on your car, so I'm very adamant with friends/coworkers about choosing tires wisely, especially with regards to priorities of what attributes are important to them...

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

My apologies, I misread.

Sure they are....but for 90% of the DDs out there, GT tires are more than adequate because they are a comprimise between performance, longetivity, comfort and quietness. A UHP tire is not needed in most everyday handling situations. Sure it's nice to have, but for the most part UHP tires are overkill for the street.


Totally agreed...and tire technology has made leaps and bounds in even the last 10 years. A GT tire may not be preferable to the way that you drive, but for most who value long tread life, quiet and comfort, they are more than adequate. You just have to read the empirical data from the tire tests on tirerack.com, not the user reviews as they are soley based on opinion. Most GT tires handle well, brake well and aren't too sticky as to affect mileage greatly....which a lot of drivers are wanting more and more.

craigtl35

i have pilot as sport plus on my stockies, they are great in the rain super quiet

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Get the Michelin. They both carry the same load rating of 94 and as that is representative of the carcass strength, both should exhibit a similar ride quality. The Michelins have a better wear rating 500/400, is lighter 24/27 lbs, and the Bridgestone carries a narrow tread width at only 7.8". I've said this before, the 225 Michelin's on my daughter's Maxima has a wider tread than the BS 235. The best part is that there is a $70 mail in rebate, for a set of 4:
Michelin-$630
Bridgestone-$908

Actually, I would go for the 245/45-17 Michelin's.

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

michelin pilot sport a/s PLUS....best all-season out there

smarty666

As others have pointed out, it depends on what you want in your tire and ride quality. I have the Serenity's and they are going to give you a better riding tire with lower noise and most likely a longer tread life but they are extremely expensive for the TL. If you want to have something that sacrifices a little bit in ride/noise level but handles and grips the road better than the Michelin's are the way to go. They are expensive too but no where near the price of the Serenity's I believe!

BDoggPrelude

I put the Pilot A/S Plus on my wife's TL. Very impressive tire. I wrote a review on them here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-tires-wheels-suspension-97/new-tires-770376/

I got them because of the incredible price I got on them at the time. Once we upgrade the wheels the car will be getting the Turanza Serenity. IMO, you can't go wrong with either tire. They are probably the 2 best tires you can put on the TL and the 2 best tire manufacturers in the biz.

blueridger

I'm about to put new tires on my '07 TL. Not surprisingly, the more I investigate the more confused I get. Several months ago I decided on the Continental Extreme Contact DWS, but they have been backordered for months and the delivery date just slipped for the third time (now August). I'm done waiting for the DWS.

After more research, I am down to the two tires on this thread. I'm sensitive to road noise and comfort, so I have been leaning towards the Turanza Serenity.

Then I found the following review on TireRack.com today... it has me in circles again... Any comments on this? Perhaps this is an isolated situation. Any similar experiences?

-----------------------------------------------------

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

The structure of the Serenity contains nylon, and any tire that has that material will have a tendency to flat spot in cold weather. The TL wheels are not the strongest, and with the 45 series tire they will definitely bend when a severe pothole is encountered, not the tire. Got to remember that the OE Michelin's have the lightest load rating (93), so using any other replacement tire (94 and higher) will more than likely cause an increase in ride discomfort.

Having said that, there are some tires that have a very weak sidewall, one being the DWS as many have complained about the roll when using these tires, but it affords a soft ride. It certainly is difficult to have everything in a tire, OE tires supply a nice ride, but overall are poor performers. I have the Yoko S.4, great tire, good ride, not as soft as the OE Michelins, but they flat spot when cold and that is very annoying. Some summer only tires are very soft, good ride, great traction, but the life expectancy is very poor.

Just got to get the best combination possible that suits your needs, A/S UHP, Touring Tire, Summer tire etc., but go for a 245/45-17 and I’m not a big fan of Bridgestone’s.

smarty666

Turbo's right on almost all counts, especially about the flat spotting of the Yokies. I have had two different tires from that company over the years and that was the only criticism I had of them, they both flat spotted very badly, especially in really cold weather, but once they warmed up, they performed and rode comfortably, wore very very well, and handled pretty well!

In regards to the Serenity's, I'm not sure if Turbo has experience personally with them, I have them on my TL now and I have not seen, nor did I this past winter, notice any kind of flat spotting on them the whole time I had them, like I did on my Yokies, and I should notice that better than the avg person since I had them on my Yokies in the past! My Serenity's have about 20k miles on them and never had flat spotting on them, other problems, but never flat spotting.

I do agree with Turbo though, I'm not a big fan of Bridgestone either, especially on sedan tires. I've had great luck with them on Crossover's and SUVs but never on sedans! I've had problems with them with uneven wear, and crappy tread life, but I can't seem to find out why, even though I'm anal about tire maintenance and care! Acura blames Bridgestone while Bridgestone blames Acura and the TL itself. I'm more inclined to believe Bridgestone, only because I properly rotate and balance them, check the air pressures weekly, and had all-wheel alignments done, yet had very bad wear and tread life issues, while other TL owners with them are not going through what I am so I think it might be a specific issue with my car itself.

Though before I had the wear issues, they were one of the best tires I have had for the first 9-10k miles. Super quiet, excellent ride quality, handled very very well and gripped the road pretty well. Not as good as a UHP tire but still pretty decently!

Turbo is right about the load ratings, problem is, your fairly limited, especially if money is a major factor, on what tires you can get that match as close as possible to the TL's OEM 17inch tire size! The Serenity's a pretty close. Everything is the same, though the load rating is 94 I believe.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

You're correct, no personal experience, but only supplying a hypothetical reason as to how/why the TL owner felt the flat spotting with the Bridgestone's. Nylon is not too forgiving.

smarty666

Oh, well if he was referring to the OEM Bridgetsone EL42s then he is correct. Before I replaced that horrible OEM trash I did notice some flat spotting with them, just another reason why I got the Serenity's.

Keep in mind, that the Serenity's are 100x better than the OEM EL42s in every single way. Thats Bridgestone's top of the line tire and actually was made in order to correct all the problems and lack of quality their EL42s and EL400s have!

The only beef I have with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus are, tirerack lists on 94Y as the option for those tires which is a speed and load rating higher than OEM in the 17inch. Is that the only load/speed rating you can get in the 17inch Michelin's for the TL? Because I would think that higher load and speed rating would result in a harsher ride then the 94W rated Serenity's would they not?

nfnsquared

I would assume ride quality would depend more on height of side wall, tire width and overall tire construction/material.

The difference in load between a 93 and a 94 is only 44 pounds (or a 3% difference) (1433lbs vs 1477lbs). I'm not sure how much if any noticeable difference in ride quality would exist for this difference. The ContiExtremeContact DWS has excellent ride quality reviews but is indeed a 94 load rating.

Generally, higher speed rating comes with improved handling but harsher ride. I don't know, but my assumption is that this has to do with the tire materials used for the higher speed ratings (higher speed rated tires must be constructed to dissipate more heat, among other things).

smarty666

Yeah, Turbo and I had that talk about speed rating and ride quality a couple months back and your correct, typically the higher the speed rating the harsher the ride, though the Pilot Sport A/S Plus seem to be pretty good in that regard. I would expect speed rating would have bigger impact on ride quality then load rating does.

For instance, the Kumho Escta LX Platinum's are very highly rated by tirerack but they are 97W for the TL's tire size. That is the same speed rating but a much higher load rating then OEM yet most of the 3G owners on tirerack and other websites I have visited who put them on, have raved how quiet and great their ride quality is with them, and that is with a much higher load rating.

blueridger

Today I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus put on my TL. Per my prior post in this thread, I was undecided and floundering after the Cont DWS were delayed again. But a discussion with my Acura dealer pushed me over the edge. They recommended the Michelin over the Bridgestone. I had the dealer do the install and a 4 wheel alignment. Obviously it's way too soon to make any conclusions, but I can say my concern about ride quality and road noise are gone. So far I am delighted. Hopefully that feeling will remain! Good luck to those still searching!

Rocketsfan

I had a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE960's which were replaced by my current set of Pilot Sport A/S tires (note, NOT the "Plus" model). I got the Pilots on sale and with a rebate to where they were only like $120/tire or so from what I recall. I love the Pilots and can only guess that the Plus model that replaced it is better. If you're looking for quiet, however, go for a GT type tire. I'm at about 34,000 miles on the Pilots and they are a bit noisy. They've only recently started losing their grip on wet or dry pavement and I'll probably replace them by this winter. I did like the RE960's better, but only slightly. They seemed to grip a bit better than the Pilots. My next tire will probably be another set of 960's or a set of Pilot Plus. Hopefully I can find some on a good sale somewhere.

smarty666

If you can, I think the next time you should go for the Pilot Plus! I've heard they improved upon several areas over the non plus version and people give them great reviews and they don't wear as quickly as the Bridgestones.

Personally, after having two sets of Bridgestone tires on my TL, I do think Michelin is the better, more appropriate brand for the 3G TL. The Bridgestone just wear too quickly for their extremely expensive prices compared to the Michelins.

Even the OEM Michelins are lasting a lot longer and with a lot less problems on avg then the OEM Bridgestones.

blueridger

I'm only up to a few hundred miles on my new Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires, but so far I'm thrilled. Road noise is minimal, handling is very good, and ride is nicely taut but not at all harsh. I hope I'm as happy after 20k or 30k miles! I was starting to hate my car with the prior tires. I cannot believe how it has been transformed.

smarty666

Guys, just wanted to give you an update and let you know what I found out from my Acura dealer. Turns out, all this time, I was blaming the Serenity's for barely giving me 20k miles when they have a 45k mile warranty. Come to find out, that when I had the steering gear box replaced at 10k miles due to power steering fluid leak, the Acura dealership closest to me should have done an all wheel alignment when something that major was replaced. After even asking that dealership to do one, and being told by them it was not needed, I went back to the original dealership I got my TL at and the service adivsor told me this information.

It was b/c the other idiot Acura stealer closest to me did not do the proper all wheel alignment that I went from 9/32nds to 4/32nds in less than 5k miles. Had that Acura stealer do what they would have suppose to, I would have gotten double the miles out of the tires that I should have.

I'm still deciding whether or not to make a big deal case about this with that Acura stealer and Acura corporate or not, since it was that stealer's fault for not doing what they were suppose to, that my Serenity's got eaten, and I had to put four new tires out of pocket onto my car.

As a result, I have to retract my negative statements about the Serenity's in regards to wear and tell you that if you can afford them, I think they are a great tire to match the TL and will give you a super comfortable ride and low noise level.

jsaadein

One time I got some cheap Goodyear tires and it was the worst decision I've ever made. Since then, I've only purchased the Michelin Pilot A/S Plus and you absolutely cannot beat the ride. Normally, these are pretty expensive tires, but Sam's Club has them for $211 with 15/tire installation.

Chad05TL

those pilots are too big and clunky for me. I want a lower profile tire like a rounded off toyo (not too tall). Now you're talkin a modern mean looking aggressive sporty tire.

YeuEmMaiMai

in my experience the michilen pilots wear extremely fast.......