runninlow3

Hey guys...I'll be replacing my stock Michelins soon and looking for some feedback/opinions on a few tires I have in mind:

Pirelli P Nero Zero
Continetal ContiExtreme
Falken 512

For those who have these tires on their TL, these are the questions I would apreciate some comments/driver reviews on:

Are the tires comparable to the Michelins?
How are they in dry/wet/snow?
Do they feel as secure (handling, sloppy, stiff, etc.) as the Michelins?
How is the treadwear?
Are they loud?

Thanks in advance for any feedback. It would help me out greatly in selecting new tires.

KevinDGP

My first replacement was the Avons - total crap. They were severely cupped at 16,000 miles.

I replaced the Avons with the Contis and have been very pleased. They are quiet, handle well and ride very smooth. I've had no problems with flat spotting or cupping. They are now at about 15,000 miles.

blazinginder

check tirerack.com regarding reviews, ratings, etc.

Not sure which Michelin's your TL came with, but mine came with the MXV4's and I think they are the best all season tires in the market, they are more money...but can't be beat

I did have falken tires on my last Lexus and they weren't bad for the money ($75 a piece)...but I still prefer the Michelin

billinohio

I was going to get a set of contis but I think they were on some national backorder. ended up getting a set of kumhos for my all season tires

On tire rack people the highest rated performance tire was a bridgestone pole position tire. people really like it

speedbawlinTL

I like the Yokohama Avid V4s... I've had them for a long time and haven't otherwise had anything else besides OEMs on my car, so I don't know what to say about the others... I've kept with them because they're cheap, but they're still high-quality and a huge upgrade in performance from OEMs

leedogg

I love my continental extremecontacts. For snowy conditions, its probably the best all season tire, and it doesnt sacrifice on performance.

runninlow3

For those of you guys with Pirelli P Zero Nero tires:
Do they have rim guard protection?
How is the wet and snow handling compared to the Michelins?

Thanks again

avs007

I have the ContinentalContiExtreme Contacts on my other car... They are by far the best handling A/S tire I've ever used in the snow. The last two winters in a row, my wife got stuck in the snow on the hill by our house... The contis have yet to fail me... In fact last year my wife got mad that I went around her and continued on my merry way when she got stuck... (I didn't realize it was her)

They seem to last a while too. I rotate them regularly, and so far I've put almost 40,000 miles on em'... They are probably nearing the end of their life, but it still got me through the snow, even with 37,000 miles on em', when even my wife got stuck in her stock Michelins, with almost half the tread left.

The Contis handle better than the Michelin A/S tires that come on the TL, (I used to have those on my other car before I got the Contis) but they are a tiny bit mushier in tight handling department than other Z-Rated A/S tires I've tried like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. They have far superior wet traction compared to the stock garbage on the TL, judging merely by their resistance to spin in the rain during acceleration.

I wanted to get the Potenza RE960AS for our TL, but after getting stuck numerous times in the snow, she wants the Contis...

legionofdoom

After reading numerous reviews on here and TR, I ordered the Pirelli's and just had them put on my car yesterday. Too early to really tell but so far, so good... Turns out I have two bent rims that I need to get taken care of so won't really be able to give a good opinion for a while... hope that helps...

leedogg

agreed. I actually JUST bought the pole positions for my summer tire setup. The Conti's on my oem's for my winter set and Pole's on my 19"s for the summer. Drove around a bit for the first time today on the pole's and so far they've been great. No road noise.

runninlow3

Legionofdoom, i'll be looking ofrward to hearing an update on the Pirelli tires.
Also:
Do they have rim guard protection, as the Michelins do?
Do they feel as secure/tight regarding handling?

Thanks for keeping me posted.

legionofdoom

I got the 245/45/17 size for a little better rim protection and they do look like they provide a little bit more than the OEM EL42's. I haven't really pushed it yet but they feel pretty good. Don't notice any more noise than the EL's, they're comfortable, seem to handle pretty good. I'm a pretty aggressive driver so as I get comfortable with them, I'll be pushing them. I'm going to get the rims taken care of soon, too.

runninlow3

Do the Pirelli's have that same 'rim protection' edge/lip as the stock Michelins?
I'm an aggressive driver as well...so that's why I'm asking these questions. I'd like to feel just as secure with the next set of tires.
Keep me posted.

Thanks again.

runninlow3

Legionofdoom & leedogg...could you post a couple pics of your tires?
Thanks

HQTL6SPD

I say ContinentalContiExtreme Contacts also, that is IF you can still find them. When I bought mine in sept 06, the guys at Mavis Discount Tire told me they were being dicontinued. They had to order the last 4 for me from another Mavis near the area. I have 5000mi on them so far, great traction and handling regardless of weather. Never heard the tires screech while take a curve fast. During a snowy morning i took a curve without braking to see how good they are, it slid, it was more like a drift since i was in full controll. Too bad they're being discontinued..