So a friend of mine has a set of Blizzak LM-22s on his '03 coupe G for winter driving. He let me drive it to get a feel for the handling characteristics of the tires. I didn't think they were too bad. But, I have a choice to make now. I was going to get the a set of Avon Tech 550 A/S as a year round tire for my '04 coupe but now I am wondering if I should replace my Pilots with Pilots again (even though I hate the road noise / comfort - but love handling) and dish out more money for the Blizzaks / wheels. My only regret would be if the Avons didn't handle well (I know they won't handle as well as the Pilot Sports, but if they handle as well as the Blizzaks or better, that would be just fine for my style of driving). Any opinions??

Thanks folks.

 

if you're looking for A/S, have you considered Pilot Sport A/S? Its alot of money, but less than PS for summer plus dedicated winter setup.

 

I have the Avon A/S Mtechs. Their traction is 10 times better than the Pilot's in wet weather ans slush. But there is a considerate reduction in cornering due to their soft side well.

It's a pros and cons decision. You need to know if you are willing to compromise on your cornering for traction in ****ty weather.

If you are planning on doing some auto-xing, forget about the Avons. If you just need something reliable, quieter, with much longer thread life, cheaper, and an overall solution year round, Avon is the way to go.

 

I have around 1,000 miles on a new set of Avon A/S. If you are overly concerned with handling, forget the Avons. Even my RSAs handled better with hard cornering and precise steering. However, if safety in rain is a concern, or longevity of tread or overall ride comfort, the Avons for the bucks are the way to go. It will be a trade off.

 

I hear good things about the S03 Bridgestones. Can anyone who has the 18s elaborate if they have switched over?

 

If it were me I would go with the Dunlop Sport Maxx, or Goodyear GSD3, and a set of winter tires, probably the Dunlop Winter Sport M3, but I live in northern Ohio, think lots of lake effect snow. But if I were going to buy an all season tire and I was concerned with handling, I would buy the Pilot Sport AS, as long as treadwear wasnt a big concern.

 

I agree with Bocatrip; have 5,000+ miles on my Avon A/S 18"'s, noise is WAY less than summer Pilots, light snow and heavy rain here in the midwest is no problem with these A/S tires. Good tread wear so far, look good and handling is fine. I do not autocross but they are fine for the way I drive. I think a very good choice if you only can have one set of tires.