frank69m

Anyone try the Michelin Pilot Sport a/s vs. the Pilot Sport PS2 vs. the stock HX MXM4 on the TL...

I was kinda thinking of going with the Pilot Sport A/S after my stock HX MXM4's wear out...any thoughts or experiences?

I'm not sure why, but the HX MxM4's are more expensive than the PS2s which are the top of the line summer tires....ugghhh...

franko

crxb

I replaced my original EL42s w/ the M Pilot sport a/s - major difference

now I actually feel safe to drive the car in the rain

The Pilot's just hang on - the EL42's never did like that even when new

KJSmitty

Hi Frank,
I had the PS/AS's on my previous vehicle and now PS2's on the TL. I have an 04 thus experienced the "Bridgestone hell" - so I can't really comment/compare to the MXM4's.

- My PS/AS's were on 18 inch rims and definitely were superior to the stock Goodyear Eagles. Ride was very nice with absolutely no flat-spotting. Never had a chance to drive in snow but wet and dry traction was superb. I also cant comment on mileage over 10K but will say that tire pressure was key with the A/S's. I'm not a really aggressive driver and would have probably gotten 30-35K miles out of them.

- My current PS2's (245/45's) are on the stock 17 inch TL rims - huge improvement/feel over the EL-42 Bridgestone's. My TL was two years old when they were installed and that was the first day it didn't vibrate at 65mph etc.. Discount Tire had Road Force balanced as well as regular balanced my EL-42's in excess of 6 times in less than 2 years. Never did the excessive highway vibrations get resolved. The PS2's took 1.5 ounce or less per rim to balance and a dead smooth at 70. I initially thought Flat-spotting was non existent yet after a thousand miles or so they do have just a hint when cold. ALTHOUGH, 95% less than the Bridgestone's and it's completely gone in several blocks etc. Traction/performance as you would expect - like all the reviews state, is phenomenal. The PS2's like the original PS's are very sticky thus grab the road.

-Both the A/S's and PS2's resulted in a better ride over stock tires - less harsh yet more responsive/performance oriented etc.. The one thing I will admit is both tires exhibit more road noise on given surfaces. IE - Surfaces that were very quiet with the stock tires are still very quiet, surfaces that caused noise with the stock tires cause a little more noise with the A/S's and PS2's. This compromise in noise however is quickly resolved by the other benefits.


Cheers

reloaded

I'm glad u found out that the stock ones suck lol... you can't seven push the peddle halfway without getting a squeak on those tires..and then u end up spinning forever.

you guys are baller buying those expensive tires.

but for people who are looking for a "cheaper" tire with really good ratings, try the Yokohama V4s

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....1=yes&place=19

they're $104 each...just wanted to give the heads up. It's nice tires..atleast in my opinion.

KJSmitty

Trust me,
I dislike spending twice as much as other tires but have had very bad luck in the past... Many different brands/less expensive tires get great reviews, just not when I have tried them on my vehicles...

As much as my checking account hates to have me admit, I have never had a bad experience with a set of Michelin's.

richrath

Frank69m

You sound like a Michelin guy! If you're set on Michelins for your TL, either the PS2 or the PS/AS will out perform the HX MXMV4 without losing much ride comfort (the MXMs will be the most comfy). But the difference won't be huge.

Others have put in their impressions about performance, traction & noise, so it's coming down to two factors:

1. Do you need to drive in winter conditions, and
2. Does price matter?

If you need winter driving capability the PS is right out, and the PS/AS will do quite well.
If you don't need all seasons, you can get max performance out of a set of PS2's.

OTOH -- if you're not dead set on michelins, there are other very good options...I can only list other well-reviewed options for all-seasons, as I never researched summer-only tires. These are in no particular order.

1. Pirelli P-Zero Nero ($131 on TireRack for stock size -- I use these and love 'em)
2. Avon Tech M550 ($106 on TR last I checked)
3. Kuhmo Ecsta ASX (<$100 on TR last I checked)
4. Yoko AVS db2 (can't remember price, not that great in snow but otherwise fine tires)
5. Continental Extreme Contact (can't remember price, excellent for winter, not bad otherwise).
6. Toyo Proxes 4 (can be had for about $110 each online)

Have fun! Let us know what you chose!

frank69m

thanks for the info richrath. appreciate it...I'll need to do more research and let everyone know. I'm leaning towards the ps a/s...even though it doesn't rain much in california, but i also want a tire that will last longer than the ps2s

fire1

just got rid of the HxMXM4's on my 05 Tl AT. With only 3500 miles on them, they wouldn't climb my driveway at all. I repaced them with Conti Extreme Contacts which seem to be a major improvement in ride, handling and traction. They do seem to take some warming up.

ChuckDu

Yoko doesn't make the V4S in 45 series. Closest you can get to the stock TL size of 235/45-17 is 225/50-17. This will give you even less rim protection.

They do make the H4S in 235/45-17, but they're only H speed rated.