JasonK

I work as a service coordinator I have a girl who deals with Michelin probably going to pick these up for my Acura TL 09 I just got. Tires will probably be at cost.

docboy

Your experience with the A/S 3s mirrors mine. Wet and dry, awesome. Snow, not so good.

I'll try to contact Discount Tires tomorrow if I have time and see what they have to say about the poor snow performance, since that's where I bought my A/S 3s from.

docboy

Ok, I called and complained to Discount Tire about the poor snow traction on the A/S 3s. At first they tried to push it off and say I should get a winter tire, and said the A/S 3s are not meant for now.

But when I told them I had no problems in "light snow" with my prior A/S+ or even my friends with Continental Extreme Contact DWS, and when I mentioned verbatim Michelin's claimed A/S 3s snow performance on its website, they offered to swap out my A/S 3s for the new Continental Control Contact Sport AS for $70 labor.

Guy claims the Control Contact Sport AS solves the DWS' issues with the soft sidewalls, and preserves the DWS' wet/snow/ice traction.

Should I take the deal?

Edit: I've had my A/S 3s for about 4 months now, and probably put on est 3,000 miles.

docboy

A brief internet search brings up nothing on the Conti Control Contact Sport AS. I guess it's too new or only Discount Tire has them.

Complains of the Conti DWS appear rampant. Blown side walls/blown tires while driving, etc. Kind of scary.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

The DWS is cheap in price in comparison to most other branded equivalent-performance tires. I guess it is once again you get what you paid for.

gdcwatt

If you also need snow performance in an all season tire you should take this offer to dump those Michelin PS AS3, and consider yourself lucky. I have a new set of these michelins and a new set of DWS (my third, but I hate them), but my TSX also needs new tires in the spring, so this is a good find. I'd jump at that Continental offer for their Control Contact Sport AS tires, and if they're half as good in snow as the DWS you'll be fine.

docboy

Have you heard anything about the Control Contact Sport? I can't find any reviews of them on Tirerack.com; they are either too new or for some reason only Discount Tires have them.

gdcwatt

Continental seem to be on a roll, as far as AS tire snow performance goes, with the DWS and the newer Pure Contact (look at the snow numbers in this tirerack.com test: ahttp://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=166)

I first learned about the even newer Conti Control Contact Sport in this thread, but I'm NEVER intending to risk my family in the snow with my Michelin PS AS3 tires, and I'd jump at an offer to try anything else, for $70! Michelin Canada wasn't interested in exchanging mine (on a Ford Focus), and I didn't push it with the small tire retailer I use.

mynameisjacob

Just bought a full set of the A/S 3 yesterday from Costco. $837 balanced and installed! So far I can't comment on performance but ride feel seems better than the stock OEM Michelins.

I'll try to post a review once I put the SH-AWDy through some corners/offramps.

On another note... first time having tires filled with nitrogen. Its awesome! PSIs are super stable... does wonders for my OCD.

vucelick

I also got the pilot sports from costco. I returned them and got the primacy mxm's. The pilots were a little louder than I wanted, the gas mileage took a noticeable hit, the snow traction was poorer than I expected and any amount of standing water caused hydroplaning. The on center feel was too sharp for my taste. I put 2k miles on them in 3 weeks and took advantage of costco's 30 day return policy. I have tried out the primacy's in 7.5" of snow and found them surprisingly good. Haven't checked the mileage yet, but the ride is quieter than the pilots by quite a bit.

mynameisjacob

Well I did some more 'dynamic' driving with the A/S 3 + SH-AWD on dry/wet NYC roads today. The big realization that came to me was how terrible the OEM Michelin MXM4s were. Good riddance. The A/S 3s are quieter and handle potholes alot better. Grip was absolutely tenacious and I experienced greater road feel.

My favorite 360 degree loop onramp that I always use to 'calibrate' my SH-AWD system used to squeal my tires with the OEM MXM4s. I heard absolutely no squealing this time with the A/S 3s and it felt way more grippy-er. Traction is a beautiful thing!

I'm still wary of snow performance as many people are reporting less than advertised grip in even light snow conditions. I'll be sure to test out the tires if it snows in NYC again. My only complaint tho is that little rocks and pebbles keep sticking onto tires and rattles in my wheel wells. Is this temporary because they're brand new? Hope so.

JeffSMS6

Hello,
I'm new to this forum and don't post to forums much but felt the need as these are GREAT tires. I don't have an Acura I have a 2004 Mazda 6 S.
It can definately be a struggle to find a true performance AS that works in all 4 seasons. To give you a background back in May I had DT install Bridgestone 970 AS Pole Positions. Great tire if you can keep them away from snow & ice. Now this winter in the Chicago area has seen the worst winter in decades. Snow, ice, cold, wind, you name it. The Bridgestones really struggled for traction so in early January I had DT (for a good deal) swap the 970's for the Conti Control Contact Sport AS's. They have been great in snow & ice. The ride is as smooth as the 970's and (it's winter still) but cornering and handling have been very close to 970's. The only small negitive is a slight increase in tread noise at highway speeds (not bad). I'd highly recommend these if the A/S 3's are not working for you. And I'm as picky as anybody when it comes to tires!

sonnyboyacura

Did you get some snow in NY last week? If so, how'd the tires perform?

mynameisjacob

It was a dusting and no I didn't drive out sorry.

vucelick

See my post above #90 I found the pilots unsatisfactory in the snow and returned them for the primacys which I found surprisingly good in the snow.

silver01cltypes

just wanted to double check I was looking on tire rack.You said you put on primacys the mxm4 not mxv4 right?Do you have a shawd tl?How would you compare the primacys to the original pilot's?I was also wonder by the pics do the primacy's have the o.e look of the pilots with the slight curb rash lip on the tire?thanks in advance

vucelick

Correct, I exchanged the pilots for the primacy mxm4's after using the pilots for several weeks in various conditions. My car is SH-AWD. I bought the car as a CPO car and it did not have the original pilots on it so I cannot comment on them. The tread on the primacys looks very similar to the pilots.

Camaro194

Just purchased a set of these a few weeks ago. A pothole took out one of my front tires so I decided to replace both fronts and left the originals on the back alone (19k miles on the OEM Goodyears - 7/32" of tread left). I have about 1k miles on them so far and havent had any complaints. If they hold up fine, I'll be using them on both axles once the other two Goodyears wear out.

mynameisjacob

^ I don't think 4G TLs use Goodyears as OEM... fyi

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

Yes, it does. Most 19" OEM wheels, for the 4G TL, are mounted with GoodYear RS-A all-season tires, straight out from the factory.

Camaro194

^ Yep. They arent the WORST tire I've driven on, but definitely not the best.

schill38

So after a month of driving on the Pilot Sport A/S 3's I thought I would chime in, so far so good, actually I love them! I have driven in some pretty decent rain storms and the grip and feel is fantastic! So much better than the OEM's I was rolling on. MPG is down about 1 on average, so nothing to worry about really for the better performance, I am amazed at the new found cornering ability! I have no idea how these will perform in the snow but my stock OEM's were decent enough and so I'm not overly concerned, but will report back in December.

Hogan9166

iTrader: (1)

Just had a set of A/S 3's put on at lunch today. First reaction is they're feel great, but I had 67K on my A/S + and they were worn out, cupping, etc.

They don't feel as stiff in the corners as the pluses did, but I haven't really tested them yet. As soon as I have a better sense of it, I will comment more.

I will say, getting 67k out of a 45k tire was pretty good. 90% highway miles, but still, I'll take it.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

Brand new tires will feel slippery right out of the tire shop.

Wait till the molding sips (and rubber spikes if also exist), on the tire tread face, to completely wear down, then the tires will achieve maximum adhesion to the roads.

ryder1650

I currently have Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S on my 04 TL and noticed some tread separation today. Will I notice any major performance improvements with the Sport A/S 3?

ressling

I just put the A/S 3's on my TL yesterday, and I absolutely love them. Granted, that's coming from the stock tires and I've driven maybe 20 miles on them .

Not too worried about snow out here in the South!

Hogan9166

iTrader: (1)

As an update, I have liked the A/S 3's so far, but my other tires were really past due to be replaced.

That being said, these are quieter than the A/S+ and seem to have a bit more grip. Rain performance is awesome.

I haven't been able to truly test them in hard cornering because I need to replace my struts. I have some Tein Street Basis in my garage that I'm hoping to find someone to install soon. I work out of town and didn't plan for installation this weekend, so it may be at least a week before I can do that.

slick316

I replaced the Goodyear Run Flats on my 550i with the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3. Absolutely love these tires. I had the AS+ on my TL and those were good tires, but these are better.

Quiet and have great grip. I heard they're not good for snow, but really, how often are non winter tires good in the snow?

jterp7

dws seems to be the only enthusiast approved tire that works good in snow. Though comparing to my TL michelins (they're on my accord), I would agree they seem to be very noisy and a bit stiff riding

WolfieRules

Significant improvement of the stock Pilot HXMs, in ride, noise and above all handling (no comparison in that dept).


With 45K mileage warranty hard to beat. No way in TX I'll get that (25k is my norm) but as long as prorated on next set, unless something better comes along I'll be sticking with these.


I also replace GY Eagle GT A/S on my son's 05 TSX with AS3 and even he notices a huge difference.


When I lived in Chicago, I went with winter Blizzaks on all 4 corners, as there is no UHP All Season that works in the deep stuff and ice.


Conti DWS might be decent in snow/ice, but can't hold a candle to the performance in wet/dry to the AS3. As a former SCCA soloist I do push cars to near the limit on the street.

rockky872

i have them on my sh-awd and they feel great no matter what speed no matter what turn. i will definitely be staying with these for a while.

350

iTrader: (4)

Just put them on my TL and they rock, I figure if the snow is bad enough I should stay home anyways. Car just hugs the road, the steering feel is completely different over the Dunlops I had on the car.

MardiGras

FWIW, after much research, I recently had a set of Pilot Sport A/S 3's installed for my 2008 Civic sedan. Vast improvement in handling, steering response, and less body roll. Only minor negative is that they are a tad noisy, but by no means extreme.
My only regret is that I waited 6 years (41k miles) for the OEM Goodyear Eagle RS-A garbage to wear out before purchasing these babies!!

350

iTrader: (4)

Weird, mine are whisper quiet, my old tires howled, if I'm rolling down a hill with no throttle the car is silent.

MardiGras

Noise is probably not much more than OEM's. I probably notice it more because I'm deliberately listening for tire noise. Then again, the Civics are infamous for their road noise.

doberlander

just thought i'd share my experience on the pilot sport AS/3s on my 09 SH-AWD. I've had them for about 10,000 miles and after my latest rotation noticed that they were extremely loud - took them back to tire shop and they discovered that they were badly cupped. the shop was surprised by this and said they expected it with Goodyear eagles and F1s but not the michelins. I loved them when they were first put on. the good news is michelin stands be hid their products and replaced them - they recommended the new Premier A/S. they were just put on so i don't have any real feedback as of yet.

Tonyware

^ thanks for the info. I just got these AS 3's two weeks ago. In the beginning they were noisy and felt every single imperfection on the asphalt. Now, after ~400 miles they are more quiet and smooth. I guess they take a while to settle in. One thing I noticed is the wide difference between cold and hot (TPMS showed me 220psi at cold and 250psi on the highway). The OEM mxv4's psi difference wasn't that wide.

I'll keep an eye for any symptoms that indicate they got badly cupped like yours. However I do recall reading that badly cupped tires may be the result of shocks going bad. Yet another thing to keep an eye on.

Tonyware

Quick follow up:

A little under a year and 40k km, and going through one Canadian winter... these tires are done! Hot/Cold in the winter did a job on them. Noisy now. Plus, two of them are damaged from potholes. Very sensitive to potholes. Unlike the OEM mxv4 that were way more robust, these AS3s are cheap. Sad, because I had high expectations in the first few thousand km. They use to be quite and smooth, now anything but that!

I am looking at Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring as a possible replacement. Any thoughts on these?

MardiGras

Anyone with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires notice their mpg drop by 5-10%?

BDoggPrelude

You are almost always going to notice an initial reduction in gas mileage with a new set of tires regardless. Deeper tread creates more rolling resistance and more rotational weight.