DSL_PWR

I am getting ready to purchase a new set of tires for my car.

I was going to get the Michelin Pilot Super Sport A/S Plus but they are on closeout and Michelin will not make them anymore. I had a set on my A5 and they were great but decided against them.

So now I am looking at the following tires and wanted opinions.

1. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season
2. Hankook Ventus S1 noble2
3. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 replaces the SS A/S Plus so I would assume that it is a similar tire in its performance. The Hankook and Goodyear get great ratings as well but just wanted to make sure I am getting the best tire for my car.

Just wanted to know if anyone has run any of these tires and what you thought about them.

I am leaning toward the Michelin's but not sure.

Thanks.

keithl

My signature says it, I love these tires. They stick like glue and handle water very well. I have them 1800 miles and they handle great, one of the most precise tires I have ever owned. The stock tires were vague, these are like laser precision. Not the cheapest tires out there, but well worth it. There are not as quiet as the stock tires, but very acceptable.

DSL_PWR

Great, thanks for the info. I figured they would be a little noisier because of the pattern on the tires.

keithl

They are actually very quiet on smooth asphalt, but on some roads you can hear them. I had General G-MAX AS-03 and those were nosier since they were directional pattern. I had those in 20 inch on my M37, they handled well and were great in water, but had soft sidewalls, which was good when I had the tires pumped up to 40psi, but at normal 33psi they were too soft and thus rolled in the corners. The Michelin is stiffer, but still good. I do not have sport package on my A6, and have 20 inch tires and run the Michelin tires at 42psi and while there are firm on bumps they are still a great riding tire. The General's were 40K tires and were about half the cost of the Michelin.

apercele79

I also have the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and absolutely love them. I agree, they are not the cheapest tires out there, but they certainly are a quality product.

qqq1970

My OEM tires are noisy. I have winter tires so I'll probably replace with Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires.

How do you tell tire noise from the pattern?

keithl

Unidirectional tires in general tend to be nosier. Tire design is extremely complex with opposing forces at work, trying to balance tread patterns with grip, handling noise and water evacuation. Form my reading varying block tread patterns are used inform block size and patterns tend to lead to more noise as the front edge of all the blocks hit the pavement equally and and produce noise. Unidirectional tires also tend to have more uniform block sizes and patterns, and while they tend to improve handling and water displacement, they tend to add to the noise. There was a good article somewhere on the forces at work that Michelin had to contend with in designing the AS 3, from compound material to tread/block pattern design, etc. The take away is that as Michelin say "a lot rides on your tires" and they are an extremely complicated element of the car, probably one of the most complex designed parts.