I must say that I find it amusing that some of the posters have spent more than 30K US on a sports coupe, are obviously finding the floor with their right foot (approx 75% of braking force is thru the front wheels so no, braking can't explain it), and are expressing dissatisfaction concerning wear on an ULTRA performance tire.
Context, please, folks.
Despite the fact that I am a diehard Michelin fan, with relatives that work for the company (and thus I see a heavy discount on tires to boot), I must concede that the S-03 Pole Position not only costs less, but is also known to be the better tire.
I too have some serious wear on my rear tires, I've spoken to several mechanics and reps- here's what they said:
If, like me, your fronts are still in pretty good shape (double the tread depth in my case, and I do not stomp it from a stand still), it's ok to replace the backs without getting new fronts. My guess is that I will be replacing them 3 rear sets for 2 front, or possibly 2 to 1 (we'll see), but don't mix types/brands. One suggestion- I felt that the tires were too skatey at 35 psi, so I moved lower with some advice from a mechanic/alignment specialist/racer. We have measured wear across all 4 tires every 3K miles. 33-34 front and 32-33 rear not only rides better and handles better, but also wears better. I've settled on 34 front, 33 rear. Handling is closer to neutral and performance improvement is noticeable in all four directions.
As for lesser tires, I think you'll wind up very disappointed, and wondering where your wonderful car went. Perhaps an Accord coupe or a Toyota Solara would have been a better choice. Remember, the things between the car and the ashphalt are your tires.

DB

 

got 26k out of my rear and I am not easy on them - taken to the track a couple of times...front tires have about 4k left...something has to be wrong if someone is getting less than 15k out of them...

 

Are the Pilot Sport A/S more expensive then the normal Pilot Sports?

Twilight Blue G35 Coupe 6MT
Premium - Nav - Aero - Trunk Mat
Injen CAI

 

How about the new Michelin PS-2's? They are supposed to be the new "best" tire out there (outhandling the SO-3's, etc.) That's what I am getting for my new 19" Gram Lights.

'03.5 Silver AT Sedan, Premium, Aero Kit/Package, Sport, Winter, Stillen Air Box, Z pipe, Polk Tweeters, Clifford RSX 3.5, Gram Light 57F Pro's (on the way), Hotchkis sways

 

i seriously doubt i will ever buy another Michelin tire.

At 8k miles mine had noticeable uneven wear. Michelin's response is "there is no treadlife warranty on the tires, only a warranty for defects in manufacturing."

Pretty crappy for a tire that costs over $200 each.

The 20k miles they are supposed to last is BS. Seems like only a fraction of people with these tires are getting that mileage from them.

03 6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero, splash guards, alum pedals, clear corners, double 15% tint

 

I imagine that it's not Michelin that's your problem. It's your expectactions of a max-performance summer tire. They were designed first to offer maximum grip, and to hell with comfort, noise, or treadlife. If that's not the kind of tire you want, you should go with a different tire category (which is not the same thing as a different tire brand).

You may want something in the Grand Touring category. These are designed with comfort and treadlife in mind, and fit in-between performance tires and standard passenger tires in grip. You can find them with treadlife warranties from 50k to 80k miles, and if they don't make it that far, they'll prorate some of the cost towards the purchase of another set.

 

What's the best slick tires you can get for our stock 18's?

Thanks - Joey Avino

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

It's your expectactions of a max-performance summer tire.

<hr></blockquote>
I don't think that to expect over 8k miles of use on tire that came with a near $40k car is unreasonable.


<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

you should go with a different tire category (which is not the same thing as a different tire brand).
You may want something in the Grand Touring category.


<hr></blockquote>
You may not be totally familiar with the tires available for direct replacement of the stock 18" tires. I am only seeing a couple other options, in terms of replacement. To my knowledge, there is no "grand touring" available in stock 18" coupe sizes. If you know of a specific "grand touring" tire in these sizes, let me know.



03 6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero, splash guards, alum pedals, clear corners, double 15% tint

 

WOW! "got 26k out of my rear and I am not easy on them - taken to the track a couple of times" and you own a 6M/T coupe. My Pilots lasted 14K. Replaced them with Goodyear Eagle GS-D3, cheaper, longer lasting and perform better.

Check for yourselves;

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/max.jsp

 

thats a very interesting chart....but i just checked goodyear and they say that they do not offer a tire in the stock 18" size.

So what size goodyear tires did you get?....and how much were they?

03 6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero, splash guards, alum pedals, clear corners, double 15% tint

 

Call or e-mail Tirerack and they will set you up. The sizes are a little different but work with the VDC. You could also try to post Lowrider, he knows the exact sizes and would be happy to help you.

 

redwillow, sorry. I have a sedan, I didn't check availability of coupe tires. Even us sedan owners have to shift tire sizes to get a decent selection, though. Take that piece of advice and research what is available in alternative sizes.

You can also use the Tire Size Calculator if you want to play with figuring out alternate sizes for yourself.

 

I've gotten about 24K out of the stock Pilots and I'm due for some new tires. I'm gonna try out the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, if they ever get in at the shop I'm going through. The Pilot A/S would be my next choice.

 

I'm gonna put wider tires for my 6MT coupe. Who says you need to stick to the stock sizes? I was thinking Bridgestone SO-3's, or the Toyo ones. How do the Toyo ones compare in terms of performance, life?

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.