I am a 55 year old guy who is sick and tired of the Turanzas getting damaged when every other tire doesn't. I replaced one after hitting a pothole. A cord was cut and the sidewall bulged out. Three months later I backed into curb while parking (not a 70 MPH curb slam) and the sidewall tore away from the cords. As luck has it, it is the same new tire I just purchased. Obviously, Turanzas and I do not get along. I have never had this in a tire in 35 years of driving.

I have scoured this forum and I have narrowed my choices down to two options. The Pirelli PNero Zero M&S (I like that name because it's catchy) or the Toyo Proxes 4. Both seem reasonably priced and T*re R*ck rated the Pirelli #2. Both tires have gotten great reviews and very few bad comments on this board. I live in New Jersey (please don't hold that against me) and potholes, flatspotting, snow, rain, etc. are problems. I will make sure I purchase the hazard insurance this time!

My question to the forum members is...what is your personal preference and more important, will these tires perform well on a stock off the shelf 2004 TL? Most posts here relate to TL's that have been modified with different suspension and different rims. I don't know A-Spec from F-Spec, sway bars from candy bars, and I don't know what a darn Murphy pin is what it goesinta! So, how are my choices for a stock TL going to perform?

 

My 2004 is totally stock and my Proxes 4's have made the car incredible. It handles better and is much quieter. Toyo tires are very good tires and the Proxes 4 is quickly gaining popularity. They were putting 2 other sets on cars when I was there, whick may explain why they are hard to find for some people right now. I had narrowed my choice down to the Proxes 4's and Kuhmo ASX. I read a lot of boards and tire rating sites and just couldn't find anyone that didn't like the Toyo's. Hope this helps.

 

I've done a ton of research as well regarding new tire selection for my TL and both tires you have selected are on my list... One other tire on my list is the Falken ZE512's which also get great ratings from people here on the forum.

That being said, I am defiantely leaning towards the Pirelli's after everything I've seen and heard. They are not that much more $$$ than the Falkens but I feel they will be slightly better. I'm looking for quiet and good handling tires, for all seasons, with tread wear being at least moderate. Pretty much all 3 tires I'm thinking of meet those criteria...

All in all, either choice you make of those 2 should be good... You'll be happy with them.

 

funny post - please let us know what you go with and your satisfaction - being I live in same area, I have the same driving conditions - so I am very curious. Thanks. I was considering the Falkens since I had them in the past, but I would like to reduce some of the vibration caused rattles by getting a better tire than stock. Lemme go research the tires you listed as well.

 

I am a 35 year old guy who is also sick and tired of the Turanzas (no damage issues - just flatspotting and hydroplaning). And after driving a '05 loaner with Michelins, I realize now just how bad of a ride that the Turanzas really are. I'm leaning towards the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.


Dont feel bad my comprehension of the finer driving sciences is also quite limited.

 

I replaced my HPT's with Michelin PS-2's. The difference was unbelievable even from the HPT's which were expensive tires. The car rides better, much quieter, and the handling is in a different league than the BS tires. If you have to drive in snow, get the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S instead of the PS-2's. Michelin Pilot Sport series tires seem to be designed just for the TL. You won't believe the way this car can handle with good tires. My car is totally stock except for the tires.

 

I had Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on my TL originally (paid for swap pre-delivery). I was overall very pleased with their performance but their prices keep going up. When it came time to replace, I decided to give the Pirelli P-zero Nero's a try based on their reputation and significantly lower cost. The Pirellis' seem to have a little quicker turn-in and are quieter than the Pilots. Both their wet and dry grip have been excellent. They do have a slight vibration until warmed up but nothing like the EL-42s. The only real downside has been tram lining. On a grooved highway they are terrible- -constantly moving back and forth. I noticed this on a trip through Norfolk, VA where there is a 5 mile stretch of grooved interstate (presumably for rain run-off). If I had to drive this stretch of road everyday, I probably would be taking the Pirelli's back.

 

The stock TL tires are really not that good, that is where Honda saved their money on the car. Once my stocks go to crap I am getting toyo proxes which I had on my prelude. Now you should ask yourself what kind of driving do you do? Are you intending to track it? or just a everyday normal driver......then you can decide how much performance versus the tire lasting with a harder compound......you can't go wrong with toyos, pirelli, bridgestone (so3's), yokohamas, etc depending on your budget.....since you are in east coast I suggest not getting too soft of a compound tire especially with all the bad roads there and yes a different set of tires on a stock tl will make a noticeable improvement. Good luck =)

Any questions about any Acura being performance or non call Jon Martin (Acura and Honda Guru) at South Bay Acura 310-539-3636