How bad are all season tires?

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by Muaddib

A/S 3+ have 8/10 of the grip but with improved performance in the rain...

What made the A/S 3+ better in the rain? I had the PSS for a few years, and they were utterly fantastic in the wet.

[weederr33]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Uhh... unless he is one of the few who got Bridgestones from the factory, his OEM tires are SUMMER tires, and should not be used in winter weather.

Whats with the capitalizing of the word summer?

[86TOYO2k17]

Originally Posted by Johnny Horsepower

Virginia, so it definitely gets below 50 degrees at times (rarely, below 20, which I've heard is the cracking point of a summer tire). I've been driving my backup car when it was below 40. I don't have space to store another set of tires.

Now I'm thinking about getting good all seasons. This isn't the advice I expected to get, so I'm glad I asked.

Yes, a summer tire can crack around 20 degrees, however around 50 and below it starts to become harder and drastically loses performance, the top michellin all season will have more grip around 50 degrees vs the top michellin summer tire, and the difference will become greater and greater as it gets colder and colder, although as it gets warmer and warmer the opposite will be true and the summer will obviously be better.

Now you mention you have another vehicle, if you didn't mind garaging your car for roughly 2-3 months when it routinely gets below 40, you could get away with the summers, they would still be adequate for the other 2 months in the 40-50 degree weather just not ideal. but then you would have optimal performance for roughly 6 months a year when its 50+.

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by weederr33

Whats with the capitalizing of the word summer?

To emphasize that they aren't all-seasons, which is what you implied when you suggested he use them in the winter...

[weederr33]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

To emphasize that they aren't all-seasons, which is what you implied when you suggested he use them in the winter...

I feel you were trying to be demeaning. But whatever.

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by weederr33

I feel you were trying to be demeaning. But whatever.

I think you're being way too sensitive about the way in which I converted what would have been an emphasized word when speaking, into an emphasized word via text. It's much more of a PITA to use the formatting tools when you're replying on a mobile device. Allow me try again:

Uhh... unless he is one of the few who got Bridgestones from the factory, his OEM tires are summer tires, and should not be used in winter weather.

Is that less offensive?

[weederr33]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

I think you're being way too sensitive about the way in which I converted what would have been an emphasized word when speaking, into an emphasized word via text. Let me try again.

Uhh... unless he is one of the few who got Bridgestones from the factory, his OEM tires are summer tires, and should not be used in winter weather.

Is that less offensive?

Most adequate.

[Dake]

Get good all-seasons for DD, go on Craigslist and buy a spare set of OEM wheels and put a set of RE-71s or Pilot SSes for track/AutoX. (this is basically what I did).

Here's a set of wheels with "almost new" tires on them that could take over for your DD - all in for less than a set of tires alone.

Or there are other options.

[86TOYO2k17]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

What made the A/S 3+ better in the rain? I had the PSS for a few years, and they were utterly fantastic in the wet.

A common misconception people have is summer tires are worse in the rain, i used to believe this as well. but actually summer tires often out perform all season in the rain, or any scenario really. The only draw back compared to all season is generally, noise, ride comfort, wear, and they are completely horrible below 40 degrees, and about equal in 50 degree weather, they really shine about 55+ degrees.

Obviously each specific tire (like the two mentioned) can/could be different, but generally speaking this is true.

[86TOYO2k17]

Originally Posted by Dake

Get good all-seasons for DD, go on Craigslist and buy a spare set of OEM wheels and put a set of RE-71s or Pilot SSes for track/AutoX.

was already mentioned and recommended. OP says he doesn't have space to store a set of extra tires.

[Leonardo]

I have a 45 degree or warmer rule for driving my car on summer tires.

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by 86TOYO2k17

A common misconception people have is summer tires are worse in the rain.

Exactly why I was asking. They are summer tires; they aren't dry tires. Wet handling is just as important of a benchmark for summer tires as it is for all-seasons.

[Dake]

Originally Posted by 86TOYO2k17

was already mentioned and recommended. OP says he doesn't have space to store a set of extra tires.

D'oh... I read I promise!

[Johnny Horsepower]

Originally Posted by 86TOYO2k17

Now you mention you have another vehicle, if you didn't mind garaging your car for roughly 2-3 months when it routinely gets below 40, you could get away with the summers, they would still be adequate for the other 2 months in the 40-50 degree weather just not ideal. but then you would have optimal performance for roughly 6 months a year when its 50+.

That's definitely something I considered. But my other car is 16 years old, it won't last forever, and I don't really like driving it. If good all seasons can make my FR-S close to a year round car without hurting summer performance all that much, I think that's my answer.