Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

[Astro14]

Well...factory size is 245/45R18.

Staggered puts 275/40R18s on the back with the 245s up front. The issue (aside from new wheels) is that there is a significant price bump in the 275/40s. About $80 - $100/tire in the Michelins, for example. So, I could spend $1,500 - $2,000 for a nice set of wheels in order to get a staggered set-up, and then spend an extra $200 on tires, and lose the ability to rotate them...all to gain 30mm in section width?

It doesn't seem to be worth it...

If I'm wearing out the AS3s faster, then perhaps I should switch to the Pilot Sports?

I lose the ability to drive in the winter, but I gain in wear?

I've driven the car on pure summer tires in an unexpected snow/ice storm in Vermont. It was unbelievably bad. Downright dangerous.

 

[mightymousetech]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Well...factory size is 245/45R18.

Staggered puts 275/40R18s on the back with the 245s up front. The issue (aside from new wheels) is that there is a significant price bump in the 275/40s. About $80 - $100/tire in the Michelins, for example. So, I could spend $1,500 - $2,000 for a nice set of wheels in order to get a staggered set-up, and then spend an extra $200 on tires, and lose the ability to rotate them...all to gain 30mm in section width?

It doesn't seem to be worth it...

If I'm wearing out the AS3s faster, then perhaps I should switch to the Pilot Sports?

I lose the ability to drive in the winter, but I gain in wear?

I've driven the car on pure summer tires in an unexpected snow/ice storm in Vermont. It was unbelievably bad. Downright dangerous.


Can do what I do. I run A/S3 on the stock wheels in stock sizes (215/245) for spring fall, then have a second set of wheels with MPSS in better sizing (245/265) for the summer. I don't really worry about being able to rotate them, but I do rotate left-right every oil change (6000 km). Go through two sets of rears for every set of fronts.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
If I'm wearing out the AS3s faster, then perhaps I should switch to the Pilot Sports?

I lose the ability to drive in the winter, but I gain in wear?

Assuming you meant Pilot Super Sports (the A/S 3 is also part of the Pilot Sport range).

Tough call, honestly. You might get better wear out of the Super Sport, and you'd definitely get much better performance on warm days. On the flip side, you'd end up wanting to park the car from late fall through early spring (barring the occasional random warm day). Would you be happy with that tradeoff?

Of course, if you're willing to grab a cheap second set of wheels and throw some winter tires on them, that solves everything. That'd be a good idea even if you feel like sticking with the A/S 3 or A/S 3+, honestly.

As an aside: if you can hold out a few more months, the Pilot Sport 4S might come out in your size. That doesn't solve the late-fall-through-early-spring problem, but the increase in performance (especially in the wet) changes the calculus significantly. It's even supposed to last a hair longer than the Super Sport, too.