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[ska///235i]

I see that most ppl generally talk about sport tires. I'm sure alot of ppl use A/S tires for many reasons so I would like to know what A/S tires you have used and what's your exp with them..

I have used Continental ContiExtremeContact (ultra high performance A/S) on a C230. Very good tires, good traction in rain...ok in snow, quiet and soft ride.

Right now I'm using the Avon Tech M550 A/S (ultra high performance A/S). Too early to comment on these but so far is a good bang for the buck. Excellent in the rain (been raining cats & dogs here). A little tire noise, soft ride, traction holds pretty well. Also; looks are ugly..IMO. These tires are not well known but I have seen very good reviews by other car forums (Z350, G35...etc). Not as good as what TireRack reviews said (They're rank #1 on tirerack at its category), 1-10 overall...I'll give it a 7.5

Please post your Exp

[bavarian19]

Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S All Season High Performance tires!!! I Have had them on for the better part of my E90's life so far... They have been an amazing tire. Awesome performance abilities (unlike some other all season performance tires), and they have great snow traction. They are not as good as dedicated winters (obviously), but they do a damn good job in that too...

This is funny because I am currently having the summer performance tires mounted on right now. The lack of a spare and non-RF tires worried me some, so for now, Im back to summer tires...

If your looking for a great all season performance, go with the Pirelli's... They have been great for me

[noflash]

Here's a PM I sent earlier today:

Originally Posted by DerekS
Noflash,
I'm curious about your opinions on the Pirelli tires that you have.
Do you find a big difference in ride and handling compared to the OEM runflats ?
I have a 335i on order and I am considering swapping the RFTs for the same tires that you put on your car. Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks.
Derek


Hey Derek,

I have nothing but the highest opinion of these tires. The ride quality is Lexus-like and I have never been at a loss handling-wise. I have taken these tires on the track and they performed wonderfully.

They prob have 9/10th the handling of dedicated summer tires, but you would be hard-pressed to notice. I had Kumho MXs and the tramlining was so bad my wrists hurt! I replaced them with the PZNeroM+S and there is NO tramlining -- even with the 235 width.

Be forwarned that the break-in for these tires is about 1000 miles. I was disappointed with the handling of the tires until after that milestone.

I highly recommend them.


Good luck, Ian (noflash)

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by noflash

Here's a PM I sent earlier today:

Originally Posted by DerekS
Noflash,
I'm curious about your opinions on the Pirelli tires that you have.
Do you find a big difference in ride and handling compared to the OEM runflats ?
I have a 335i on order and I am considering swapping the RFTs for the same tires that you put on your car. Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks.
Derek


Hey Derek,

I have nothing but the highest opinion of these tires. The ride quality is Lexus-like and I have never been at a loss handling-wise. I have taken these tires on the track and they performed wonderfully.

They prob have 9/10th the handling of dedicated summer tires, but you would be hard-pressed to notice. I had Kumho MXs and the tramlining was so bad my wrists hurt! I replaced them with the PZNeroM+S and there is NO tramlining -- even with the 235 width.

Be forwarned that the break-in for these tires is about 1000 miles. I was disappointed with the handling of the tires until after that milestone.

I highly recommend them.


Good luck, Ian (noflash)

Glad to see someone else had the same experience I did with my Pirelli's

[BMerDRMer]

Originally Posted by noflash

Here's a PM I sent earlier today:

Originally Posted by DerekS
Noflash,
I'm curious about your opinions on the Pirelli tires that you have.
Do you find a big difference in ride and handling compared to the OEM runflats ?
I have a 335i on order and I am considering swapping the RFTs for the same tires that you put on your car. Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks.
Derek


Hey Derek,

I have nothing but the highest opinion of these tires. The ride quality is Lexus-like and I have never been at a loss handling-wise. I have taken these tires on the track and they performed wonderfully.

They prob have 9/10th the handling of dedicated summer tires, but you would be hard-pressed to notice. I had Kumho MXs and the tramlining was so bad my wrists hurt! I replaced them with the PZNeroM+S and there is NO tramlining -- even with the 235 width.

Be forwarned that the break-in for these tires is about 1000 miles. I was disappointed with the handling of the tires until after that milestone.

I highly recommend them.


Good luck, Ian (noflash)

So they are not available in RFT correct?

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by BMerDRMer

So they are not available in RFT correct?

That is correct... If they would be available in RFT, I would have those tires on my car all year round...

[JackMac]

Thanks for the info on Pirelli's PZero Nero M+S, this is my off-season choice for next winter too, and glad to hear the positive feedback.

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by JackMac

Thanks for the info on Pirelli's PZero Nero M+S, this is my off-season choice for next winter too, and glad to hear the positive feedback.

If I dont find a good winter setup (looking to buy OEM wheels for it), I will probably have the Pirelli's remounted... Right now they are just sitting in my basement...

[kevE90]

I've been stuck between the AVON Tech M550 A-S and Pirelli PZero Nero M&S. Just to be clear I have no experience with either of these tires. The reviews have been nothing but positive. I probably would choose the Pirellis only because owners have complained about flat spots in the AVON when their cars are parked for extended time. For those who experienced this, the ride returned to normal after a few miles or so. I think both these tires are priced very reasonably the Pirellis being more.

Can any AVON owners tell us if they experienced flat spots?

[CALIF65GM]

I was reading about the Pirelli PZeros too and was interested in them, too bad no RFTs.

Anyone recommend A/S RFT to replace the lousy B-stones on backorder?

[aapriadi]

General Exclaim UHP A/S tires...got them since feb...value for money i guess, good grip in both dry and wet weathers (have yet to test it on the snow) and i'm satisfied with the thread life
2 things i dislike bout these tires: road noise and the tires are not soft either
if you're on a budget these tires are worth it...so as the avon i guess
but i'm switching to contis once i move out..unless there's other tires out there thats more quiet and softer than those contis, guys feel free to give any suggestions

[ska///235i]

found this on tirerack & they used a 325I
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...960as_pole.jsp

Detail Graphs:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...0as_pole_c.jsp

April 14, 2006

Tires tested:
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position Ultra High Performance All-Season 225/45R17
Continental ContiExtremeContact Ultra High Performance All-Season 225/45R17
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Ultra High Performance All-Season 225/45R17
Yokohama ADVAN S.4. Ultra High Performance All-Season 225/45R17

Vehicles used:
2006 BMW 325i Sedan

Drivers who only encounter occasional light snow when they drive their high performance cars through winter have a hard time justifying the cost of using a set of dedicated winter tires. However there was a time when Ultra High Performance tires and winter traction just wouldn't go together at all.

Fortunately for today's drivers, new tire designs and tread compounds have been combined to offer the Ultra High Performance All-Season tire alternative that offers predictable dry and wet road handling with light snow traction. Tires in the Ultra High Performance All-Season category are constantly evolving and today’s Ultra High Performance All-Season tires are able to provide a level of handling approaching that of summer performance tires of a few years ago.

Bridgestone and Yokohama have both released their next generation of Ultra High Performance All-Season tires for North American driving enthusiasts. The Potenza RE960AS Pole Position tires utilize Bridgestone's dual-layer tread compound technology that is designed to keep poor weather traction up even as the tread wears down. Yokohama’s ADVAN S.4. is designed to provide high levels of performance along with civilized ride and noise comfort.

In order to find out how these two new products perform, The Tire Rack team conducted a Real World Road Ride and Performance Track Drive in Northern Indiana's cool springtime conditions. We included two other popular tires from the Ultra High Performance All-Season category for comparison, the Continental ContiExtremeContact and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

Our evaluation used four identically-equipped 2006 BMW 325i sedans, with new, full tread depth 225/45R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0” wheels.

What We Learned on the Road

Our 5.6-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.

As a group, ride quality was firm but not harsh, and there was also some level of tread noise heard at all speeds across the variety of road surfaces along our road ride route, both of which are normal for tires in this category. Overall ratings for ride comfort were very close, with our team scoring the Yokohama ADVAN S.4. just slightly ahead of the other three.

Each tire seemed to produce its own unique blend of tread noise as it rolled across the various surfaces along our route. The Michelin Pilot Sport AS scored well, and was relatively quiet at higher speeds, but did produce a subtle growl at speeds below 45 mph. The Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position did a good job avoiding any annoying constant tones, while the ADVAN S.4. did produce a few distinct low volume pitches at various speeds. The aggressive tread pattern of the Continental ContiExtremeContact was found to be the loudest of the group.

All four tires delivered responsive handling appropriate for the category with some subtle differences felt when we compared them side-by-side. The Pilot Sport AS was praised for its solid feel, responding with authority to steering inputs. The Potenza RE960AS Pole Position responded smoothly feeling well connected to the road. The ADVAN S.4. delivered very crisp response with the initial input to the steering wheel, but became less precise as additional input was put into the wheel to negotiate a tighter turn. The Continental ContiExtremeContact handled appropriately for the category, but felt less precise on initial steering input, and somewhat less stable around the sweeping corners and on-ramps of our route.

What We Learned on the Test Track

Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, lane changes and simulated expressway ramps. The test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.

The Ultra High Performance side of this group showed itself on our test track with all four tires displaying solid handling and producing quick average lap times, with less than 0.5 second separating the group.

The quick steering response combined with good dry traction allowed the Yokohama ADVAN S.4. to produce the fastest average lap time of this test. This tire also showed the least wear after the harsh conditions of our track test. The balanced feel and overall performance of the Michelin Pilot Sport AS allowed it to finish a close second behind the Yokohama. To our surprise, the ContiExtremeContact was able to produce an average lap time just 0.1 second behind the Michelin, despite having subjectively softer handling and slower responsiveness. In the severe wear conditions of our dry track test, the ContiExtremeContact showed the most wear as the tire sacrificed itself to produce traction. Bridgestone’s Potenza RE960AS Pole Position rounded out the group.

The differences between the tires were more noticeable in the wet, where the Potenza RE960AS Pole Position showed a clear traction advantage that helped it post the fastest average lap time and the highest average cornering g’s. The Pilot Sport AS was second quickest, averaging 0.6 second behind while still feeling responsive and predictable. The ContiExtremeContact and ADVAN S.4. rounded out the group third- and fourth-fastest, respectively.

Product Details

Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The Potenza RE960AS Pole Position with UNI-T AQ II Technology is the Ultra High Performance All-Season member of Bridgestone’s Potenza family of performance tires for the drivers of sports cars, sports coupes and performance sedans. The Potenza RE960AS Pole Position is designed to provide year-round driving flexibility by offering predictable handling, traction and control on dry and wet roads, as well as in light snow. Read more.

Continental ContiExtremeContact (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The Continental ContiExtremeContact is an Ultra High Performance All-Season radial that was developed to satisfy the year-round driving needs of sports car, coupe, sedan and light truck drivers by blending dry and wet road performance with light snow and slush traction. Read more.

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The Pilot Sport A/S is an Ultra High Performance All-Season tire member of the Michelin Pilot family of low profile, high-speed tires. The Pilot Sport A/S was developed for the drivers of sports cars, coupes and sedans who desire year-round traction, including in light snow. The Pilot Sport A/S is designed to minimize dry and wet driving compromises while maximizing all-weather traction. Read more.

Yokohama ADVAN S.4. (Ultra High Performance All-Season): The ADVAN S.4. is the Ultra High Performance All-Season tire member of the Yokohama Tire ADVAN family of Ultra High Performance tires. While available in large wheel diameter, low profile sizes with V-, W-, or Z-speed ratings, the ADVAN S.4. was purposely designed to provide a more civilized ride and improved noise characteristics compared to any other ADVAN products. The ADVAN S.4. was developed for the drivers of premium performance coupes and sedans who desire year-round traction, including light snow. Read more.

[norwesterman]

Had the P-Zero Nero M&S's on my E46 330i Sport year round, and also on a SAAB 9000 year round. Love the tires. Wish I could have them on my E90 330i Sport, but the RTF issue prevents. If there was a wheel well for spare, I'd go back to these in a flash. Just got a nail in one of the Potenza 18's; forget the sticker shock; I was first told 4-6 weeks for rear size replacement...after screaming to Bridgestone customer service, they found one, shipped it and now we're down only to a week. Great to have a car that only dealer has replacement tires for, and they are charging new record ridiculous prices (over $500 for the tire mounted!).