San Diego driver that doesn't see much snow unless I want to drive to find it. My OEM RS-A tires are worn out. Saw the discussions of the Pilot Sport A/S 3 (Michelins) where others rave as best (think they are a solid tire) but I believe they are over-priced at $800 installed.

Other alternatives are Hankook Ventus s1 Noble 2 and Goodyear eagle F1 All-season.

No one mentioned the P Zero Nero All Season W rated (Ultra High Performance All-Season), but it got some good reviews from Pros and are priced to compete. I saw that most here had not commented on using any Pirelli brand but wonder if anyone had. Looking to buy a set in the next week, and think I have a deal for 4 with TPMS installed at $600.

Anyone have strong feelings for or against of these?

 

Hankook v12 are very good tires! Since you live in Calif and dont see snow v12 would be good.
I have hankook ventus v2 concept on my 05 G35X.They are great! Quietest tire lve used! Hankook are very good tires! And they dont cost alot.I have no experience with the other tires you spoke of.lm sure somebody will give you insight on them

 

800 is not expensive for tires, it's the reality we have owning these cars!

Pirellis are a nice set of tires. I would just avoid china brands, these create unbelievable road noise after the first couple of hundred miles.

 

I would get a better summer tire since you live in SoCal. Pirelli tires wear out quick, and the Michelin Pilot Sport AS+ is a junk tire (i had it. Yuck)

Is your car on the 17s? Do you want a sporty tire or a comfortable tire?

 

probably the best of both where possible, but if forced to choose, prefer the sport over comfort.

 

Check out the Nokian Z-Line tire. You can buy them from this website (tiresbyweb) in your size which is 225/55/17.

The Z-Line is an ultra high performance summer tire that can be used in cold temps due to the material that is is made out of. It is also an incredible water tire for stopping and turning due to the way it is designed with its water channels. The channels are actually polished so that they are slick when the water eats them, ejecting the water quickly. The tire is going to offer a low noise level as well as a very 'luxurious' ride while also being extremely capable when flogging the car through corners. The craftsmanship as a whole on these tires can be seen... my friend has them on his A4 and they really are an incredible tire that would work well for an application such as yours. The tire is also a low rolling resistance tire and will generally increase your fuel efficiency by 1-3mpg.

http://www.tiresbyweb.com/p-10776-no...ine-tires.aspx



You can actually see the polished rain gutters.


Check out consumer reports rating of them as well compared to other UHP tires like the Michelin Super Sport (another incredible tire). They actually fair really well but are significantly cheaper than the super sport and offer a little bit better ride, wet performance, and efficiency.

Just something to look into. This tire will blow away the two you have listed above.

 

I've owned a plethora of tires since I've owned the G. If you not doing any track driving or spirited canyon runs, the tires you've listed will do just fine. Save money if you can.

I will say that Michelin's have been proven with it's responsive tires and high treadwear compared to it's competitors. It seemed like everyone at the Nurburgring had Michelin PSS and A/S 3's when I was there.

 

The tire I listed will provide better wet performance than any all-season tire period.. they are also cheaper than buying an all-season tire. As you can tell, I am not a fan of all-season tires. I think they are junk and provide very little in bad conditions over a summer tire and perform worse in everything else. If you were going into the mountains or something, I'd recommend the Nokian WRG3 which is an 'all weather' tire not an all season. Basically it is a winter rated tire (has the mountain with the snowflake in it on the side walls stating that it is winter rated) that can be driven in the summer. But as you don't sound like you are doing any snow driving and living in San Diego, so i would stick with a summer tire. They just flat out perform better and cost less.


I had the A/S 3 on my 08 G and it was probably the most horrific tire I'v had on a car. It was loud, it understeered, it rode like crap, I can go on but needless to say I wasn't a fan. They also tend to defect more than any other tire i'v noticed...



I replaced them with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport which is an incredible tire. They perform very well albeit are on the expensive side and Im not sure if they will come in your 17" size. They also ride great and perform well in the rain. I would recommend getting some 18s for your G. More summer tires become available for it. I drive a G37xS with the 18s on it and I have Michelin Pilot Super Sports on it.

 

^Another plus for Michelin PSS. Yes, expensive, but it worked great for me on the 'ring. Worth the price if you do track driving as they saved me in a few turns.

Sucks you didn't like the A/S 3. They are definitely track proven in Italy and Germany though with the locals. The tread looks more like the A/S Plus and not the newer A/S 3.

 

^Another plus for Michelin PSS. Yes, expensive, but it worked great for me on the 'ring. Worth the price if you do track driving as they saved me in a few turns.

Sucks you didn't like the A/S 3. They are definitely track proven in Italy and Germany though with the locals. The tread looks more like the old A/S Plus and not the newer A/S 3.

 

Im a fan of all season high petformance tires! I have driven with my hankook ventus v2 concept tires in 6 in of snow no problem.with the directional tread they are great on wet and dry roads! They are very good on braking too! I have 25,000 miles on them and are still very quiet.A set of four only cost $525 and still have alot of tread left for another yr.I just dont see the need for summer and winter tires.All season get the job done very well.Next set of tires will be the new hankook tires noble s1 v2 tires.Tire rack gave them very high rating saying they compare with summer tires in handling and braking! Also very good in snow!Summer vs all season tires is all about driver confidence. Do l feel that l need a snow tire no.lve been driving long enough to know when not to drive in snow! I also have awd which in snow is like driving my 4x4 truck.l guess if you have rwd you would need snow tires.

 

You didn't confirm what size wheels you have. The 17" & 18" are going to be fairly affordable regardless of what name brand you chose. You don't really want to waste your $$ on cheaply made Chinese tires, remember your life may depend on what's between you and the road! I've used/run every name brand tire made, the only one that never let me down are Michelin's. The Pilot Super Sports have a UTQG (wear rating) of 300 which should get you very close to 30K miles. Check with www.tirerack.com they sell tires at wholesale, most tire stores can't come close to their prices. Good Luck and enjoy the ride!
Gary

 

There is so much false information in this post that I wouldn't know where to start. I will first hand say though, that your statements on winter driving are extremely unsafe and outdated and it is also the reason that so many SUVs and other 4X4s end up in the ditch. I will say though, with 100% confidence, that you cannot convince an all season tire owner that winter tires are safer until they try them first hand and see the differences. There is a reason the tires are mandated in Quebec Canada and certain countries in Europe. It is because they work, much more effectively, and are proven to offer substantially better responce and sure footedness in slippery conditions.

Do All seasons provide better snow traction that a summer tire? Yes. Better than a winter tire? No. Better on ice than a summer tire? No. They are nearly identical. It is because their tread blocks are made of hard rubber that freezes and do not channel snow. Winter tires are made of a soft pliable rubber compound that doesn't freeze and with the siping in the tire they provide they are able to provide grip on ice.

This video from tirerack (a site that is non biased on tires and gives straight facts, an excellent source, Gary.) shows the differences.

And a video from Michelin:


Unfortunately, a majority of Americans have fallen to marketers which present these 'all season' tires as a way out of needing to change for the season. Because at the end of the day, that is all 'all season' tires are, a marketing ploy.. They are glorified summer tires (and usually classified as a summer tire in other countries) and thus perform as such in inclement conditions.

i drive a G37xS, and I run proper tires on it. As far as im concerned, all winter is is just the pavement changing colors.




But this thread isn't about winter tires, it is about summer tires.

 

I'd be afraid to run anything less than snows in the winter in Canada.

 

On your RWD coupe you wouldn't move lol. I have been there done that with all season tires on RWD cars and I had some good all seasons back in the day (use to think it is all I needed). Absolutely terrifying.

AWD gives a false sense of security and masks how bad all season tires really are in the snow.. to get a true sense of a tires 'winter worthiness' it needs to be sampled on RWD or FWD. You put it on AWD and you get the best of everything haha.

I will say though, that after this G37x, i want RWD again. I miss the feeling of it in wet conditions. The AWD is fine, but I prefer RWD in everything else (go figure. lol).