New Michelin tires available on tirerack for MS 19"

[yobigd20]

Michelin X-Ice Xi3
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...13&autoModel=Model+S+Performance&autoModClar=

Michelin Pilot Sport 3
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...13&autoModel=Model S Performance&autoModClar=

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 (W- or Y-Speed Rated)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...13&autoModel=Model+S+Performance&autoModClar=

Whenever I'm due for new tires, I was looking to switch to Michelins (always had good experience with them on other cars).

I had planned on going to MXM4s, but now some new tires have shown up on tirerack which sparked my interested.

While I understand the SCs won't mount anything other than OEM (aka MXM4s), (meaning I'll have to find a shop to mount them) the tire that has caught my eye are these "Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3" 19s.

Size: 245/45ZR19
5-Rib Tread Design
Sidewall Style: Blackwall
Serv. Desc: 98Y
UTQG: 500 AA A

There are a few reviews on there, all very positive.

Description:

The Pilot Sport A/S 3 includes a W- and Y-speed rated Ultra High Performance All-Season option that's part of Michelin’s Pilot family of low profile, high-speed tires developed for the drivers of high-end sports cars, sporty coupes and sedans looking for total performance regardless of the season. The Pilot Sport A/S 3 tire is designed to provide Michelin's highest level of all-season performance by combining dry road handling, wet road grip and year-round traction, even in light snow.


Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires feature Michelin’s Helio compound made with sunflower oil combined with their Extreme Silica Technology to increase traction at low temperatures and on wet roads. Molded into an aggressive asymmetric tread pattern inspired by the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, its 4-, 5- or 6-rib designs* are tuned to complement tire width and feature more rubber and rigid blocks on their outboard shoulders to provide high levels of lateral grip that offer as much dry cornering capability as some competitive summer performance tires. Wide circumferential grooves help resist hydroplaning, enhance wet traction and help generate some of the shortest wet braking distances in the Ultra High Performance All-Season category. 3-D Variable Thickness Sipe Technology and unique biting edges in the tread grooves enhance cold weather snow mobility for all-season performance.


Variable Contact Patch 2.0 technology derived from Michelin’s experience in endurance racing, focuses on evenly spreading contact patch pressures and temperatures. The tire’s internal structure includes two high-tensile, lightweight steel cord belts reinforced with spirally wrapped polyamide cord to combine predictable handling and high-speed durability with treadwear and ride comfort.


*Tread design rib counts are identified on the tire's SPEC tab.

The most important things to me are (1) grip in wet weather (2) treadwear life and (3) grip in dry weather

grip in wet weather is most important (my P85 is technically my "family" car, and I do not risk safety). I also dont want to be replacing tires every 15k miles (eliminates summer tires with low treads). but the 3rd thing that is important is MORE GRIP THAN MY OEM STOCK GOODYEARS. yes the goodyears slip under heavy acceleration from a stop. So if these new Pilot Sports are as good as their specs and reviews, these might well be a good candidate for an upgrade...

any opinions on these?

 

[mnx]

There's a guy on here with A/S 3's. They seems like an excellent tire in the wet. (and a very good tire on dry pavement as well).

I thought you're not due for a tire replacement for a very long time though?

 

[yobigd20]

I thought you're not due for a tire replacement for a very long time though?

correct. I'm just planning ahead. I have 30k+ miles to go before needing replacement lol

 

[mnx]

correct. I'm just planning ahead. I have 30k+ miles to go before needing replacement lol

It's good to plan ahead.

I think the Michelin A/S 3's would be an excellent fit for you. They'd probably be my 2nd choice after Pilot Super Sports. If I were driving a lot I'd definitely go with the A/S 3's.

 

[artsci]

You might also consider the Bridgestone 245/45R-19 Turanza Serenity Plus which are higher rated than the Michelin on almost every category.

 

[TI Sailor]

Consumer Reports just published their ratings of 21 ultra-high-performance all-season tires, ranking the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 at the top, a significant 6 points above #2. They rated Michelin Pilot Super Sport's #2 in the ultra-high-performance summer tire category (also with 21 products tested).

 

[yobigd20]

You might also consider the Bridgestone 245/45R-19 Turanza Serenity Plus which are higher rated than the Michelin on almost every category.

Wow ... people are getting 70-80k miles on these ones! Awesome!

 

[Discoducky]

Wow ... people are getting 70-80k miles on these ones! Awesome!

S people? If so, who has driven that far already? If not, then what car? I hope this translates to the S but not sure as the S will most likely be heavier and have more power to wear tires out more quickly.

 

[gaswalla]

Decent prices for a great tire. How do you guys get these installed?

 

[jerry33]

Decent prices for a great tire. How do you guys get these installed?

It's really not rocket science. Any tire shop that is comfortable with high end wheels and tires will do. Just make sure the next morning you check the tire pressures and wheel nut torque.

 

[gtimbers]

I got wheels and tires from America's Tire without any issues. Tesla service has seen them and doesn't seem concerned at all. I bought the Michelin Pilot A/S-3. They totally trounce the Goodyears in every way except for noise. The Michelins do have a whine at most speeds. Not bad, but definitely noisier than the Goodyears. The steering feel is amazing. The car behaves like I had the steering ratio changed. They are fast but very stable. All of the wander I experienced with the Goodyears is gone. Cornering and braking are significantly improved. Everything about the car's performance is improved. So far I have about 2000 miles on the tires. The bad news, besides the noise is that they use a little more energy than the Goodyears. My energy usage since I got them is about 320 vs. 313 for the Good years. Another concern is that they are wearing at an incredibly fast rate. My projections after 2000 miles predict 8k - 10k miles. The Goodyears, when I replaced them at about 5000 miles projected to wear for about 25,000 miles.

 

[SFOTurtle]

I got wheels and tires from America's Tire without any issues. Tesla service has seen them and doesn't seem concerned at all. I bought the Michelin Pilot A/S-3. They totally trounce the Goodyears in every way except for noise. The Michelins do have a whine at most speeds. Not bad, but definitely noisier than the Goodyears. The steering feel is amazing. The car behaves like I had the steering ratio changed. They are fast but very stable. All of the wander I experienced with the Goodyears is gone. Cornering and braking are significantly improved. Everything about the car's performance is improved. So far I have about 2000 miles on the tires. The bad news, besides the noise is that they use a little more energy than the Goodyears. My energy usage since I got them is about 320 vs. 313 for the Good years. Another concern is that they are wearing at an incredibly fast rate. My projections after 2000 miles predict 8k - 10k miles. The Goodyears, when I replaced them at about 5000 miles projected to wear for about 25,000 miles.

Any update on the wear on the Pilots? Are you still looking at getting only 8k-10k miles on your set?

 

[yobigd20]

Any update on the wear on the Pilots? Are you still looking at getting only 8k-10k miles on your set?

yea I am curious about this too. I actually sent a message to customer care @ Michelin requesting they make the Michelin Pilot Sport A/3 3 in 245/40/20, 255/40/20 & 265/35/20 but my concern is the wear rate that gtimbers is experiencing.

That being said, that wear rate for the Goodyear's is extremely bad to begin with too. I highly suspect an alignment problem. Did you have alignment checked? Tires definitely should not be wearing at the rate that. If you had bad wear with the Goodyears and you are also having bad wear with the Michelins they probably didn't adjust the alignment at all. So until that is fixed, you'll continue to just burn through any new tires you mount. I now have 38.5k miles on my original set of 19" goodyears and they still have about 6/32" left on them. This is also assuming that you check tire pressure frequently. If they are low it'll wear faster, even with good alignment.

Also, the other tire I am now considering is the Hankook Ventus S1 noble2. They make the sizes I want and they actually seem to have better ratings and beat the Michelin Pilot Sport A/3 3 in several categories. And they are even cheaper....I might just go with these instead of Michelins even though I've had no experience with Hankook before.

 

[doc@tirerack]

Also, the other tire I am now considering is the Hankook Ventus S1 noble2. They make the sizes I want and they actually seem to have better ratings and beat the Michelin Pilot Sport A/3 3 in several categories. And they are even cheaper....I might just go with these instead of Michelins even though I've had no experience with Hankook before.

Don't confuse our Customer Survey results with actual "head to head" test data. The surveys are based on customer's opinions of the tire as compared to what ever was on the car before. While we have not tested the Michelin and the Hankook against one another, I can say that the two are pretty evenly matched when it comes to "everyday" driving. If pushed near the limit (like in a track environment), the Michelin has a noticeably better level of dry and wet traction. If the car is not driven very "aggressively", the Hankook is a great tire (and one that would wear and handle better than the Eagle RS-A2 in our opinion). Our most recent test of the Ventus S1 noble2 is here !