t3hhcaptain

Hi, All.

Looking for some grand touring tires for daily street use. I currently have the cooper RS3-a which are comparable to the continental extremecontact DWS. They handle excellent in all conditions, but are a bit stiff for daily street use especially around city roads where the pavement is less than acceptable. I'd like to put some tires on that have a softer sidewall, are quieter, and overall more comfortable but still have good all-weather handling.

I've been looking between the Continental PureContact and Michelin Premier A/S. Anyone have personal experience or a general tire nerd and can steer me in the right direction?

Cost is my last focus. A blend of comfort and performance are my priorities. The tire living up to it's rated wear would also be nice.

Thanks!

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

For my wife's last car it came down to the Conti's, the Premier A/S, and the Pirelli Cinturanto P7 All Season Plus; I chose the latter and was extremely happy with them.

t3hhcaptain

I did read about the Pirelli's. They were on the list up until Tire Rack said:

• What We Liked: The most luxurious ride and sound quality of the test.
• What We'd Improve: A big increase in wet grip is a must.
• Conclusion: A refined option for when rain is not in the forecast.

Ohio tends to get a decent amount of rain and I tend to drive like its dry when its wet... so I'm hesitant to consider these on my car.

I saw a couple complaints that the Michelin Premiers wore down quickly but I have no way to verify details of folk's cars (like toe). I've also heard the PureContacts are a little choppy (rough) in comparison to other GT tires.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I guess it's all relative; the Pirelli's dealt with rain way better than many tires I've driven, and were virtually unstoppable in the snow (here in New Hampshire we tend to get even more rain and snow than Ohio).

t3hhcaptain

Interesting... I wonder why they said that?

Here they said "needs a big increase": https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=220

Here they say "moderate increase": https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=188

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

because tires are subjective....
what one person likes, another will not

the reason for this is because tire manufactures use different compounds of rubber.

t3hhcaptain

This is true.

Based on this info graphic (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=188), I'm leaning towards the Michelins right now. The Pirellis is my second choice due to the lower wet track ratings. The Continentals seem to be a great handler but the lower comfort ratings is exactly why I want to get something less sporty for daily use. Some of this information is splitting hairs too.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

that's why All seasons are sometimes called "No seasons"

ipatella

I had Pirelli P7's on my tsx and I hated them in the wet. I had no confidence driving them in the rain and realized this is probably a safety issue. I've replaced them with Michelin Premier A/S and these things are godly in the rain. I feel like the P7 had a little better dry traction (not much) than the Premiers but the Premiers are really good in the wet. I've never had traction control step in. No matter hot hard I go off the line in the rain. With the p7 TC came in often off the line even in not the most spirited drives.

t3hhcaptain

Good to know. Tire Rack did say that if they were going to change anything with the Premiers it would be to give them a slight increase in dry traction.

How do you think they compare in terms of noise and comfort?

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I liked the Michelin Premiers that were on my TL when I purchased it. They were surprisingly good in the snow this last winter, even being worn down to about 4/32nd. They have some sort of siping that opens up as it contacts the road. I had to get some Blizzaks when I started driving up in Park City and encountered some deeper unpacked snow. But down in the SL valley the Michelins did just fine.

I didn't end up purchasing new ones when they wore out due to the price and the fact that they aren't very sporty. They're definitely geared toward treadwear and comfort, not so much on performance. If that's what you're looking for though, they're a good choice.

t3hhcaptain

The way they designed the tread to enlarge rather than narrow as the tire wears is definitely a cool feature.

I am looking for something geared toward comfort but with still a reasonable level of performance, which it sounds like these tires will offer. I currently have the Cooper RS3-As (compare to Continental ExtremeContact DWS) and they have an amazing level of performance for an all season tire, but they also bust your balls over every bump, joint expansion, dip, etc.

I'll likely get a second set of wheels and some summer tires for when I need the added performance.

ipatella

They're so close in dry traction. I'm not a racecar driver or anything close. But if the p7 was my baseline, I'd say the Premiers drive 95% as well in dry conditions. They're both incredibly comfortable too. I remember noticing instantly when I got my p7's how comfortable they were. The transition from the p7 to the premier was identical in terms of comfort, they are both very comfortable in my opinion.