Does this price include jet propulsion?
Written: Jan 04 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 1 of 3 tires that fit my car, all season traction, above z-rating
Cons: no wear and tear warrantee, cost a small fortune
The Bottom Line: If you have a car with 225/50 R17 tires, these are some of the best.
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| daperlman's Full Review: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Passenger/Performance Tir... |
Recently I have purchased a used Nissan Maxima 00 SE. When I purchased the vehicle I was aware that I would have to replace the tires. The SE model of Nissan Maxima has tires that are the following size: 225 50/R17. If you have this tire size, you have a few choices for new tires. The Bridgestone Potenza RE92, Bridgestone Blizzak MZ-01, Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport, Michelin Pilot HX MXM4, or this tire. These choices will range from $120-$250/per tire in price.
When you are paying this much for tires, here are some of the considerations that make them this expensive. Performance rated tires are rated to withstand different speeds. For example V-Rated tires are rated to handle speeds up to 150. Usually, the higher the rating, the higher the price. All weather traction is a plus, but it will cost you. The kind of wet or dry traction is determined by the tread on the tire. The best tread patterns and materials are a result of a lot of research and development, resulting in higher prices. Load capacity (will range from 70-110 Usually) will indicate what kind of weight the tires are intended to support.
What Makes the Pilot Sport A/S Special
This tire has one of the highest speed ratings around. When you compare it to the Goodyear Eagle they are a steal at $200 a pop. Michelin's approach in creating an all season ultra-high performance was very innovative. Michelin’s C3M tire manufacturing process features three different tread patterns on each tire. When you look at them it is apparent that the tire has a pattern in the center that is similar to Goodyear Aquatreads (contains silica), a flexible rubber compound tested all weather conditions, carbon black compound on the sides for cornering. The ride is incredibly smooth. I just drove them in the snow yesterday and what a difference these tires make. Before these I had Bridgestone Tires (Original Equipment) and I
thought my brakes were worn. With these tires the braking has improved by leaps and bounds.
Of course the Bridgestones were worn by the time I purchased the vehicle.
Compared to its peers
The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is W (better than Z - rated) this rating is for Ultra-High performance cars that go 170 MPH and above). The advantage of this is a long lasting tire, if properly maintained. Compared to the above tires, it has a higher rating than any of them. The A/S stands for All Season. The Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport and Bridgestone Potenza RE92 are also intended for all weather. The Bridgestone uses interlocking triangulated tread blocks to avoid hydroplaning. This is a tried and true method of wet handling tire tread, which has proven to detract from ride comfort and stability. Aside from this aspect I have never had any confidence in Bridgestone/ Firestone Brand of tire...even before all of the recent controversy. The Pirelli tires have "asymmetric tread design with broad, rounded outer shoulder blocks to enhance dry road handling performance and independent, intermediate tread blocks separated by wide circumferential grooves to enhance wet road traction and hydroplaning resistance" from Tire-rack description. According to reviews these handle extremely well in the snow, but fail to deliver the cornering of a high performance tire.
The Drawbacks of the Pilot A/S Sport
I found these at $202 after shopping around. That means that four tires cost you $800, almost $1000 after tax, mounting, and balancing...etc. That is not cheap! Here is the real kick in the pants -- since they are ultra-high performance tires, they are not warranted for wear and tear. So while they should last 35,000 miles (Phenomenal for Z-Rated Tires), no one is making any promises. They need to be rotated every 5,000 miles.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $202/Tire
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daperlman
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