Rafiksao

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of purchasing a set of 4 Michelin Alpine PA2 winter tires for my 04 TL, has anyone tested these tires ? any opinion would be appreciated.

Also I'm thinking of purchasing the 16'' (215-55-16) instead of the 17'' as they should perform better in snow conditions and I guess they're cheaper !!!

Thanks

New2004AcuraTLman

Stay away from them. They are noisy and do not have that good of a review. I just ordered myself a set of goodyear eagle ultragrip GW3's from tires.com and I just received them today. Let me tell you, those are some DAMN nice tires that will outperform any other wintr tire you could think of. They are hard to find and tires.com had to special order them from goodyear of Germany for me ( they are made in germany for the autobahn) They are high speed performance winter tires. I paid $ 163 each INCLUDING free shipping. Can't be beat/ Local tire shop wanted 3 bills for EACH tire. I tod them to fark off. Lol. Good luck.

Rafiksao

This is strange because the reviews I read about them are very good ...

Does anyone else have a similar opinion or feedback

Thanks

lbjgh

I'm getting a set of Blizzak's or Nokian's for both my wife's car and my wheels.

For the past four years my wife's car has had Blizzak's and they are truly amazing!

bigbooboo

What version on Blizzak's or Nokian's will you use? I also am thinkining about the Alpine PA2. I have the 18 A-Spec tires and rims for summer and the dealer gave me the stock 17 rims. I will put these tires on the stock 17. Thanks for any input.

04TLMan

Let me know if you find any 16in Wheels. Do you have Manual or Automatic? The big Brembos on the Manual make it hard to find wheels. I doubt you will find a 16" to clear the calipers. I have been looking. Looking around the 2 tires I see (17in) that I like are the Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3 ($143 at discounttiredirect.com) and Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 ($144 at tirerack.com) .

soljc

If you want Nokian, the new RSi is your best bet, it's their new studless tire that proclaims to be the best snow and ice tire around. Having the Nokian Hakka 1 on my Golf last year, I believe it....Nokian is IMO the standard for winter tires. The only concern with the RSi is it's only rated to 114mph, which means the softer sidewall won't provide very good dry pavement performance compared to say the Dunlop M3 (149mph), and the treadwear probably won't be as good. For these reasons, I chose the M3.

EnJ

These are some reviews of 16" Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2

1994 Ford Mustang GT Conv.
Miles driven on tires: 8,000
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.78
Location: Riverside, IL
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
Good in snow - if I dont stop I can plow through anything Ive tried including some drifts and plow piles that should have stopped me cold. However, if I stop in any significant depth of snow I may have to rock the car to get moving again. But hey - its a Mustang GT, not a 4x4. Overall, its night and day better than driving this car on my old Dunlops in the winter. In all other respects these are incredible tires. Theyre far better summer tires than many Ive driven. Decent steering response - unexpectedly good for a snow tire. Great in the dry - far better than the Conti Extreme Contact tires I had for a week or two. Stable and quiet, only slipping when you really push them, and then theyre smooth and predictable with little squeal. Incredible rain performance - great traction in acceleration and cornering, and I have yet to hydroplane even once. I can see why some reviewers run these all year on BMWs, etc. - If I didnt have a high-performance car and want to drive it at 9/10s so often, Id do the same thing myself. Great tires - highly recommended. -- Review Submitted 2004-06-04


2003 Mazda Miata LS
Miles driven on tires: 2,600
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 9.33
Location: New Holland, PA
Driving Condition:
Mostly Highway
Driving Style: Spirited
These tires are not anymore noisy than my OEM tires. They work well in snow, and even better in slush and ice. Cornering and dry handling is like that of an all-season tire. No noticable treadwear after 2600 miles. -- Review Submitted 2004-02-21


2001 BMW 530i
Miles driven on tires: 400
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.88
Location: Cleveland, OH
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Average
I have been very impressed with these Michelin Arctic-Alpin PA2s. I have been surprised how quiet they are on the highway. The braking and cornering ability in light snow has been outstanding. They have superior wet hydroplaning resistance (most likely because they are new with deep tread). I do detect a slight degradation in the cornering ability compared to the summer high-performance tires (Bridgestone Pole Position S-03) but that is expected and is not a problem. Based upon my limited (~500 miles) experience, I would definitely recommend these tires. -- Review Submitted 2004-01-06


2003 BMW 540i 6-Speed Sedan
Miles driven on tires: 500
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.62
Location: Boston, MA
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
I put these winter tires on and replaced my OME Conti summer performance tires recently after a great struggle. I always remember my dads RWD and the noise his winter tires made. This is not the case here with PA2. The tires are responsive, quite and great handlers. I do feel a different car feel. But my BMW has the sport package and it is hard to match the feel of summer tires. I did notice a slight handling difference. However, the tires handle great. I had the opportunity to drive on snow, ice and slush as well as dry roads recently. During one of my recent night trips I took the car all the way to 130 miles per hour and the car felt solid. I would recommend them to anyone interested in winter driving mixed with performance. It is too early to tell about the tread wear as I have them on for about one month now. -- Review Submitted 2003-12-29


2002 Mazda Protege 5
Miles driven on tires: 1,000
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 7.88
Location: Trenton, NJ
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
We bought these tires because the regular Arctic Alpins (which are mounted on our WRX) were out of stock. In comparison, the PA2s have a MUCH stiffer sidewall, consequently they corner much better than the regular Alpins. Ice and snow traction isnt exceptional like the regular Alpins, but its still very good. My only gripe about these tires is the road noise. Our P5 is no luxury car and the soundproofing isnt very good -- so we hear alot! Anyway, at several spots on the speedo, these tires create quite a drone. Based on a previous review, it sounds like the road noise is a non-isssue on a luxury car (see Audi above). Did I mention the dry handling? Youll forget youre on a winter tire!! -- Review Submitted 2003-12-22


2001 BMW 530i Sport Package
Miles driven on tires: 300
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.88
Location: Cleveland, OH
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Average
Ive had these tires for one and 1/2 months and am extremely happy with them. So far, they seem to handle great in the snow and slush and very rarely slip (a combination of the tire and BMWs traction control system). They ride as well on the dry highway as my other grand touring tires Ive had (Michelin Energy MVX4 Plus) which is a great compliment to a snow tire. I believe they are actually quite quiet at highway speeds. They may lack performance abilities as it compares with the original "summer" low-profile, high-performance Bridgestone Potenzas S-03s but then again this was expected of course. Since they ride softer, they are more comfortable then the low-profile "summer" tires I have (actually a nice change for me during the winter - Im not driving aggressive during the winter anyways). -- Review Submitted 2003-12-19


1994 Ford Mustang GT Conv.
Miles driven on tires: 200
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.86
Location: Riverside, IL
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
Im ecstatic. Still waiting for the first snow, but in every other respect theyre great. I can fully understand why some people report keeping (the original Pilot Alpins) on all year round - theyre that good. Not the ultimate in dry traction, but not far behind my old Dunlops. Add in the fact that theyre great in the wet, great ride, quiet, and (I sure hope) are good snow tires, and Im really pleased. These replaced a set of Continental Extreme Contacts that I had for only 2 weeks. Id hoped those would be a decent compromise and save me from buying snow tires. No way - one block after having them mounted (for $156 - ouch) I knew the Continentals were a bad mistake. Worst steering response Ive ever felt, dry traction so poor my wife complained about doing stoplight burnouts at half throttle, mediocre rain performance similar to the bald Dunlop SP-5000s they replaced. I sent them back under the Continental 30-day test drive - but it still cost me $251 to test them, with mounting, dismounting, and freight. -- Review Submitted 2003-12-08


1990 Saab 9000 Turbo
Miles driven on tires: 800
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 9.00
Location: West Burke, Vt
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
First time with PA2s. Had Pilot Alpins before, very satisfied. These new ones seem better at deep slush. Excellent handling, traction, even on back Vermont roads in slippery conditions. Excellent high speed behavior on interstate and comfortable to boot. Tread surface a little greasy brand new but soon was gone. -- Review Submitted 2003-12-02


2004 Audi Allroad Quattro 2.7T
Miles driven on tires: 700
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.75
Location: Seattle, WA
Driving Condition:
Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited
My numerical ratings are based on how the tires measured up to what the maker promised (i.e. actual experience vs. design hype). The following comments reflect my seat-of-the-pants experience comparing these tires with the OEM tires originally fitted on the car. I’m using four Pilot Alpin PA2 (215/65H16) tires mounted on a set of dedicated 16" wheels (narrower contact patch with higher profile than OEM) for winter use only. Put ‘em on in November, take ‘em off in April. I was looking for a high-performance winter tire that was competent and safe for touring and spirited road/highway use under both dry and wet conditions. I also wanted something that would deliver superior snow traction than my all-season tires without needing studs or chains. These tires were the only high-performance tires available in the size I needed at the time of purchase. They were a new model, untested and without the benefit of consumer reviews - I blindly took a chance on them. I now have over 700 miles on them and just completed two trips up into the mountains where we found lots of rain, slush, packed snow, loose snow, wet snow and dry snow. No ice, though. Summary... In the dry at all speeds and conditions, these tires were quieter and performed much better than the original Pirelli Allroad (all-weather) tires currently fitted on my stock 17" rims. (Since the tires/wheels will be removed at the end of ski season, I’m not concerned with their dry capabilities at the limit – these are winter tires afterall.) In the wet, these tires are also quieter and performed much better than the OEM tires. In moderate to heavy slush at moderate highway speeds, these tires responded just like they were on wet pavement – no wandering, no twitchiness, and no surprises. In 2-4 inches of snow, at slow to moderate speeds, the tires never once broke traction whether starting, stopping, or turning (of course, all-wheel drive with traction control obviously helped). In near white-out conditions -- Review Submitted 2003-12-01

New2004AcuraTLman

I think you should checkout this linka nd THEN make your decision. Notice the 3.2 TL comment! Oh and these tires are MADE IN GERMANY and are the sickest looking high performance speed rated winter tire you will ever see. I picked them up from tires.com fpr $ 155 bones each with free shipping. 245/40/18 is the size bought to go along with my duplicate ste of a-spec wheels for the winter They are Special order from goodyear as they just came out. They are $280 tires each FYI

http://www.1010tires.com/tirereviews...Ultra+Grip+GW3

and
http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?ti...Ultra+Grip+GW3

They are so new that nobody carries them yet, but if you call tires.com and ask for Alex, maybe he can hook you up as he did me ( for the tires that is lol)

lbjgh

WS Blizzaks

birdzboy

In Toronto dealer sells 4 Michelin X ICE 215/55/16 on steel rims $1,150.00

any opinions?

Rafiksao

Get the Michelin Pilot Alpine PA2 they should be better than the X-Ice;

Costco has them (215-55-16) at $175CAN each until Nov 8th

I've also bought the 16" RIM from Acura dealer for $50CAN each.

For a grand Total of $900CAN+tx

lbjgh

I plan on keeping 'er to somewhere under 100mph in the snow so my new Nokian RSi's should be fine in my case. One neat thing on the Nokian RSi's... they have a wear indicator built into the tread (i.e. 8-6-4-) As the tire wear the tread depth indicator 8-6-4 disapears from highest to lowest number.

dlarchev

Hi guys,

Just bought the 205-60 R16 PA2 with 16" rims, from the dealer. It should do the job fine. I have them mounted on the car since tuesday, and they give a quiet ride...ugly look on the car with these black rims, but I'm gonna get the Acura caps when they receive them...they look nice for the price (around 50$ CAN).

soljc

I don't drive over 100 in any conditions, and the only reason I went with a higher speed rated tire is because it means the tire has a stiffer sidewall, which is a key ingredient in handling characteristics. If I were in an area with severe snow, I surely would have opted for the RSi, but my driving is mostly highway, and those roads are cleared pretty quickly.

Good luck with the RSi, I'd love to hear your comments once you've had a chance to drive on them a bit.

Steamer

i was looking at the posts for winter tires....
i too was faced with indecision and decided to go with the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's. wanted to purchase 16 inchers from Costco, but unsure re rims.....called up the dealer who said they tried 16 inch rims and were NOT able to find rims to clear the brakes. Further, they also called up Acura Canada who said there aren't any 16 inch steel rims recommended for 04 tl's...is this true?
...so the deal was the OEM 17 inch alum alloy's WITH 235/45R17 Mich PA2's mounted and balanced....etc for ~ $1800 total (plus taxes). What do u all think?
thx!

Rafiksao

The 16" RIM are OK for the 04TL AT ... most of the Acura dealers in the Montreal area are recommending the 16" RIM except a few of them that want to sell you the 17" package.

Yes Acura Canada will say they don't recommend the 16" ... but this is their way of forcing you to buy the 17" package.

The only issue is if you have the dynamic TL due to the Brembo brakes then you have to go with the 17".

lbjgh

... just a note on the sidewalls, the tire's tread is more likely to loose contact with the surface with a stiffer sidewalk when driving over irregular (read snow and ice) than the softer sidewall tires. The softer sidewall would let the tire tread remain flat while the sidewall deflects.

I imagine you'd get as much show in NY State as we do here (North of Toronto). I went for the best snows as they will only be on the car for 3, possibly 4 months top.

I'm waiting for a good winter storm to go for a drive. I'll post back with my Nokian experiences.

synoil

I just put on Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3's on my 17" OEM rims. While I haven't had them in the snow or heavy rain these tires are quiet, good handling tires. Can't wait to see how they do when winter arrives.

Craig

birdzboy

Thanks for all your opinions, like others I thought about this a long time and decided to go Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 on my 17" factory rims. I will mount my summer tires on after market wheels in the spring. Snow is not usually a major problem in Toronto.

birdzboy

birdzboy

sorry typo, that was M3

Thanks for all your opinions, like others I thought about this a long time and decided to go Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 on my 17" factory rims. I will mount my summer tires on after market wheels in the spring. Snow is not usually a major problem in Toronto.

birdzboy

birdzboy

Thanks for all your opinions, like others I thought about this a long time and decided to go Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 on my 17" factory rims. I will mount my summer tires on after market wheels in the spring. Snow is not usually a major problem in Toronto.

birdzboy

zax123

Rafiksao, first of all, hello fellow Montrealer! I was wondering... while you were at Costco if you noticed whether or not they had the Michelins in 17"? I have the Dynamic (6MT) and another set of stock 17" rims so I need 17" tires... If they did have 17s, did you happen to notice the price? Any info would be appreciated, cuz right now, I'm quite confused as to which tires to put on... Thanks!

Rafiksao

The 17" Michelin PA2 at Costco were at $297 with $15 discount (however the discount was until Nov. 7th) for each tire.

Don't forget that at Costco the tire price include installation, balancing and road hazard program.

Finally at Costco you also get free Tire rotation and balancing for the life of the tires !!!

spytter

Isn't that expensive ($297).

I bought the alpins PA2 in Hamilton for $147.00. They were for a 16" tire (205/60/16).

I got a $50 gas voucher with no other warranties.