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Dry and wet weather performance tires

14K views 87 replies 23 participants last post by  NYC_Sol 
#1 ·
I know tires have been addressed many times in the forum, to the point of being confusing. So, here is what I need. It is time to replace the original tires on my GXP. Only 22000 miles, but hard and not very grippy. Also very bad in the wet.
I drive the Solstice only in dry or wet conditions, never in snow. I want tires that maximize grip dry and wet. I will be retaining the stock chrome wheels. The car has the GMPP tune and a free flo CAT, so about 300 hp. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks...
 
#3 ·
I bought Continental DWS All season
 
#21 ·
I bought these tires because I wanted to be safe in the rain.
The OEM tires are poor in the rain.
Even the best planners, despite all efforts, get caught in the rain in NJ.
 
#5 ·
Best thing out there if you don't need all season are the Michelin Pilot Super Sports.
 
#8 ·
#11 ·
They are NOT a cold weather tire. They are a summer tire. If you want a tire that does all that you say, you won't find one particularly good at any, but ok at most... I have the PSS on in the summer, and put on Blizzaks in the winter even though it doesn't see snow. I want grip at all times, and all seasons just won't have great grip in ANY of those conditions.
 
#12 ·
I've had the Michelon Pilot Sport A/S+ for over a year now and drive in all weather conditions, except snow (no snow in our part of Georgia) and had no issues with traction.
 
#15 ·
Just don't buy new tires from Tire Rack.....that's all!!!! I can give you a story if you wish...
 
#17 · (Edited)
Continental Extreme:

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5

WET Hydroplaning Resistance 8.8
Wet Traction 8.8
Cornering Stability 8.59
Dry Traction 9.0
Treadwear 7.8

Michelin PSS:

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5

WET Hydroplaning Resistance 9.0
Wet Traction 9.1
Cornering Stability 9.5
Dry Traction 9.6
Treadwear 8.3

Michelins are better in all categories except cost - $235 each as opposed to the Contis at $165. Not often you get a compound that sticks better AND also wears better.

The Contis are the bargain winner. The PSS are the best regardless of cost. Having the best will cost you $14 per tire per year over a 5 year tire life.
 
#70 ·
How is the tire noise compared to the OEM tires?



Seems like these are two preferred tires in this thread. Can anyone comment on the tire noise levels versus the stock OEM tires. The stock tires are still on my car, they are so crappy, wet weather grip is awful. I know these are old now but were they ever any good, even when new?
 
#20 ·
There is no summer performance tire that is good in freezing temperatures, although many are at least adequate. You are going to have to choose your priorities. If you want both, one or the other, cold or warm, will be compromised.

My Michelins were still better than the OEM tires were down near freezing (though many would opine that that wasn't saying much).

Sounds like you should look at some all season tires and forget about top notch summer performance, or invest in an extra winter-only set of tires.
 
#27 ·
HERE are some performance ratings for "Max Performance Summer Tires" at Tire Rack based on customer feedback.

Conti makes the DW and the DWS. If you will not be driving in snow, get the DW's. The "Snow" rating of the DWS's really hurts performance in non-snowy conditions.

Yogi
 
#29 ·
NO. People really don't get that Summer tires shouldn't be used in the cold, snow or not. The rubber compound used in a high performance summer tire become essentially rocks below about 40F. This is why they refer to them as "Winter tires", not "snow tires" these days

If you want a tire that can be used year round in Colorado (snow or not), then the Conti DWS is a decent choice. It won't give you optimum performance in any condition though.

If you want that, you really need 2 sets of tires. I have that and live in WA where we RARELY get snow (and heck, the last couple years we don't even get below freezing that much). I have the Michelin Pilot super Sports for above 45F weather, and Blizzaks for below.
 
#31 ·
I have experience with PSS's in cold(ish) temps. This experience was in Nor-Cal, so I'm guessing that those in the great white north will laugh... :lol:

In my experience, the PSS's were fine down to the mid 30's. Any lower than that and they were a bit slippery until I could get them warmed up. Any temp of 30 or less was a bit scary (especially if I wasn't thinking and went to drive as normal :eek:) and made it much harder to get the tires warmed enough to grip.

Something else that I didn't see covered in this thread...

The PSS's will not last as long as other tire options. 30K is the best I've heard. So not only will you pay more for the set, you'll need to replace them earlier than most all season options. :cuss:

Because of those factors (cold performance, and poor tread life) and being in the Puget Sound area now... I'm considering either of these for my next set:

CONTINENTAL - PURECONTACT WITH ECOPLUS TECHNOLOGY
PIRELLI - CINTURATO P7 ALL SEASON PLUS

We have the Conti' Purecontact on my wife's E350. They've done very well considering the weight of the car and the rain and snow I've driven them in. In general, I ALWAYS take the twistier route. They also did very well on a hill climb routes near Virginia City, NV.

The only down side I have for the conti's is they are loud. It's pretty easy to hear the tread noise in the 20-40mph range (before wind noise takes over) whenever the windows are down.

The Pirelli's have better noise ratings from the surveys, so I'll probably try them out.

--

And then if I feel the need for more spirited driving, I will be right back to the PSS'd! :driving:

--

I have tire rack stories too. But they're good/happy ending stories. (shrugs)
 
#88 ·
PIRELLI - CINTURATO P7 ALL SEASON PLUS

The Pirelli's have better noise ratings from the surveys, so I'll probably try them out.
I'm curious if you got the Pirellis. I'm considering these too. Thanks!
 
#32 ·
I've found the Tire Rack tread wear indexes to be pretty reliable. The higher the number the longer they last.

Michelin PSS - 8.3

Continental - 8.7

Pirelli - 9.1

You can have a tire compound that is hard as Hell and that usually goes with significantly less grip. The Contis look like a nice compromise.

Always factor in how long you plan to use the tires and what mileage you will put on the car. For many people, the 30K that the PSS lasts will exceed the total mileage they are likely to put on in 5 years and they'll be sitting there with tires with lots of tread and hardening rubber wondering whether to replace them.

For me, the 5 years should be about right and I'll likely replace them at around that point anyway.

It does annoy me mildly that on some of my other cars that I don't drive much (Jensen, Lamborghini) I have basically new tires (under 5,000 miles) on 12-14 year old rubber. And you can't even buy the right size any more in the Z rating for the latter car - Pirelli P Zero, which, BTW, have a wear rating of only 53!.
 
#33 ·
Your best move is to get two sets of wheels with winter tires and summer tires. I got a set of rims for about $600 and now I run with Michelin Pilot Sports in the summer and Yokohama ICEGuard tires in the winter. The PSS are pricey for sure but they stick like glue in wet and dry.

Bob
 
#35 ·
I just had the extrerme continentals dws put on today.seems to be a smoother ride so far.
went with 32 psi instead of 29 psi the rated tire info on the inside of the door. since im in the valley i went with the dws as i hardly get any snow fall here & intend driving the car all year round.
 
#36 ·
Thanks to all for your great advice. I decided to go with the Michelin PSS's. They will be installed today or tomorrow. Can't wait to try them out. Also, I guess it's time to start looking for a set of stock GXP chrome wheels for winter tires. Again, thanks for all the advice.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I use 32 psi in mine.

Chrome rims get eaten if there is salt on the road - you'd be better off with the straight alloy wheels or after market that you don't care much about.

Glad you got some good ones. Beware your first 5 miles - the mould release they have on them can make them a bit slippery, especially if you hit a little water.

Let us know how you like them after you've used them a bit.
 
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