Tires? PS2 vs. A/S vs F1's????
 

Last saturday I purchased an 05 Coupe with the sport suspension and the performance package. The car has 19 inch rims and is in need of new tires. If there's one thing i've learned about this car it's that it eats through tires. I think i've narrowed down my choices to these three and was looking for additional thoughts. Also I am aware this car will need alignments often to prolong the life of the tire. Do I need one more then once a year?

Background - I live in Chico, summer time gets in the low 100's. Some winter mornings can get in the low 30's but it's not snowy or icy here. I'm not a race car driver. I go to work and around town. Yes I like to take turns hard but it's not a daily occurance.

My concerns are road noise and life of tires.

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season (which i'm told i'd have to buy 245/35 for the front and 245/40 for the back)
Eagle F1 All Season (honestly i don't even know if I can get these for my tire size yet)

Any advise is appreciated! I tried to talk to my dad about this but he's only owned trucks his entire life so he just says "buy what ever is cheap and will last"

Oh..one more thing I also hear that *clicking* noise when I am at a stop. I understand that this is coming from a rear axel and is a known issue. I can take it to a dealership because it is under warrenty but the closest one is an hour and a half away. Is this just something I can throw some lube on and call it a day? Basically can any mechanic here fix it easily?

Thanks in advance for replying, sorry this was so long!!

Lori

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2... Falken 452's are very good too

i was also looking for a good tire with long life and that wasnt loud for my 05 with stock 19's... i was going to go with the PS2's but came across the 452's... bought them because they were cheaper then the PS2's and so far have been very happy... if you have the money go with the PS2's tho... Michelin are great tires...

I will give you my two best options in your case.

Michelin PS2s are probably one of the best summer performance tires out there, they come standard on a lot of pretty amazing vehicles out of the factory (911 GT2, GT3, Merc SLR, Bugatti Veyron, etc.)
You will love these tires in terms of every performance aspect. They grip like fly paper and really inspire confidence more so than most tires. Everyone that I have talked to with these has absolutely loved them for their capabilities.
That being said, two down sides. THESE DO NOT FUNCTION much in cold/snow/ice. You will slide all over the place and really reduce their life span.
Secondly the life span isn't that great to begin with. They are sticky for tires and tend to wear out more quickly than most tires, but again, you would expect that.
Thus you would probably have to get some snow tires for the winter. It is a bit more expensive to get a specific summer tire and then a winter one, but each used in their respective times will mean they wont wear out as fast and allow for the best tire for each situation so you pony up early for 2 sets of tires, but they will still last as long as they would if not longer thanks to good use so in the long run, same money spent, and more fun in summer and safer in winter. I forgot to mention the PS2s are pretty damn expensive, so if you want a bit more budget, keep reading.

My second option is the setup I gave to my mom for her G35 sedan. I hated the Goodyear RS-As in every way that came as OEM tires. I got her the Michelin PS A/S tires and they are seriously a wonderful tire. Plenty of performance, great grip and allows for some spirited driving. The PS2s are obviously much more suited for track/frequent spirited driving, but for you and what you say about wanting a good tire but not something crazy these are great. You can have a compromise tire that gives pretty good summer performance but at the same time, in rain/snow it will cut right through it. I have driven her car since I got her these tires and they really changed the car more so than I would have expected. This IMO is the best option for you considering cost and what you want in a tire.

Hope this helps. I can try to answer any other questions you might have.

Goodyear Eagle F1-GSD3's have beaten the Michelin Pilot Sports in every tire test I've read so far.

Same lack of cold weather traction and performance (although stunning in the rain!), low to medium mileage expectations (18,000 - 22,000 or so).

My $ 0.02

I forked out the money for a set of PS2 on my stock 19" rims, went with the plus 1 sizing. The tires were pretty damn expensive at over $1K mounted/balanced etc... In all honestly, if you're worried about performance, the Potenza RE050s that come on the stock car had more grip (they are softer anyways). I loved the way the PS2 perform. But, I just had to replace my rear tires after 15K miles. Now I know this is pretty typical for this tire, but I thought that was TERRIBLE tread life. Went with the Falken 452s since they are a bit harder and were cheaper. IF you don't mind having to buy new rear tires after 15K miles, then by all means spring for the PS2s.... otherwise, if you're doing a lot of driving like I do commuting, get something cheaper.

THe PS2s are awesome tires, they perform great until you get in freezing temperatures and they will tend to lose their grip. Because of that I went with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season tires and love them, I think they would be an ideal tire for you if you were going to run them year round. I still run dedicated winters during the winter months because of the snow my area gets.

I'm not a cheerleader for Michelin or Goodyear, just evaluate everything based upon performance (walkin' the talk).

If you talk to someone who's tried them both (like me), you'll go with the Eagles. Cheaper, better performance in all categories, superior tire. Check the tire tests - case closed.

But, please note, you stated the Goodyears you tested were also poor traction in the cold like the PS2s.
Here is your quote:
That is why I suggested the Michelin Pilot Sport AS tires. Excellent all around tire although not cheap.
My $0.02 :)

I went through similar comparisons when I was looking for summer tires last year. I was dead set between the Goodyear's and PS2. While I had the Falken FK451 as my last set of summer tires.

In comparison to the Falken, the PS2 beat it in every single aspect, especially in the rain, controlability at limit, and road noise. However, the PS2 is quite a bit more expensive than the Falken. Furthermore, it is some very very sticky street tires, which means that its tread life sucks.

However, in comparison between the Goodyear and PS2, I would have chosen the Goodyears if they have the sizes that I was looking for... since the Goodyears was rated higher in terms of tread life and are cheaper than the PS2.

Hope this helps

Unfortunately new tire test are just that with new tires! Try doing the same testing with 10-15,000 miles on each set of tires...............this is where Michelin shines in durability and how the tires perform with age.

On the downside it is also when you find out which replacement tires are the noisiest, etc.

I don't know if this is true with the Goodyear tires, but I do know you can rotate the PS2 tires side to side. My coupe came originally with the Pilot Sports that were directional tires so they could not be rotated without remounting the tires. The original Pilots were also louder as they wore. I am much happier with the PS2 tires and plan on buying them again. I have not experienced the Goodyear tires but I know I am happy with the Michelins.

It's all about teh Bridgestone RE-01R's .... nothing comes close (ecet the PS2's... but it's still better than those).