Thoughts on tires? A great all-season or a great summer tire?
 

Ok guys, I know for maximum grip you'd go with a great summer tire, but hear me out on this...

Right now my car has the stocker prius tires. I like the character of the car, I like being able to slide it around and have fun with it...I know ultimately when I can do a track day or two later this year that I'll want a bit more grip...

But I'm giving serious consideration to throwing on Michelin Pilot Sport AS3's as opposed to a dedicated summer. The AS3 would be a massive step up but likely still allow the car to slide a bit with its lower overall limits compared with a dedicated summer tire.

I would really like to hear thoughts and experiences on this.

As far as I know - summer tyres will perform better in the dry and wet.

You only really need all season if you go to the extreme wet/snow/mud type scenario (not ideal conditions for our cars anyway).

Better off sticking with stock than an all season in my opinion.

Chuck on some RS3s and have a blast :D

I would not dream of an all season here. Summer for summer and snow for winter. I can play when it is warm and stay alive when it is cold.
The AS tires are probably fine for you there. Just keep in mind that the stock tires were picked by the designers for a reason (and no not because they are "cheap" so there will be compromises in going to something different.
The Pilot Sports are a nice choice for an AS though.

Pilot Sport AS3s are a great all-around tire suitable for daily use. They'll last much longer than a "hot" street tire like an RE71R, Rival S, etc. while still being more fun than a generic all-season.

We get so little weather here in Tulsa/OK I'd put on a sticky tire and go, especially if you plan on visiting Hallett this year.

My BRZ has had Star Specs on it since last February, non-stop.

For something less aggressive with great wet traction and ride quality, I'd go with the Continental DW..........if you must have an all-season, I'd go with the DWS.

I don't have to have an all-season, my daily driver is my 335i which has the AS3 on it.

I just want something that is FUN! If that's an all-season I'm ok with less grip for more at the limit handling fun...

If I need a sticky summer for that I'm ok with that too. I don't drive the car enough to worry about wear. The car will see 4-5k miles per year. Maybe less...my BMW sees 10-12k/yr.

Slap a 200TW tire, pads/fluid and bring it out to Hallett!

I have no problem getting the rear loose and my car is on Ground Controls and 255/35/18 Star Specs.

If you aren't going to go with something sticky, I don't see the point of ditching the stockers.

I do plan to bring it to hallett.

Then put a sticky tire on it and enjoy.

If you think you will attend Hallett regularly, I'd go ahead and pick up an oil cooler or the new Jackson Racing radiator/oil cooler combo.

I have the AS3+ and they are leaps and bounds better than the summer prius tires. You will lose the easy to slide nature of the car however... I'll write a review eventually on the AS3+. LOL

I'm on 245/40 R17 hankook ventus V12s (max performance summer) & I can still easily slide the car, it does have a lot more grip but it still retains the sliding characteristics at least for my aggressive driving style.

Good to know, I'm probably not going to get a wider tire, just stick with the 225s and get a better tire :)

Should make it a little bit easier then, from my research (because I didn't want MAXIMUM grip like you), V12s are a good option as well as Yokohama S Drives & they don't cost you an arm and a leg.

Can also speak from experience with the S Drives on my Integra & you could lose grip fairly easy.

Forget thinking they're cheap they are one of the most expensive tires on the market. Funny enough they are rated at a 240tw even! But somehow they last over 40k miles

None of these tires are expensive compared with what they cost for my Z06 or my BMW :)

So for someone that lives in Vegas, its better to get a Summer Tire than All Season?

Obligatory Toyo T1 Sport recommendation.

Do you mean "all season"?

You are correct lol.

haha

Well, I'm no tire expert but I would say go full summer tires down there in Vegas.

Summer tires in vegas for sure

all-seasons = no seasons

get excellent summer tires and a set of steelies with blizzaks if you need them

I went from the OEM Primacy HP to 245/40ZR17 AS/3 and while the tires were much stickier it did lose that fun to slide nature that we all love.

Then I put on the Edelbrock S/C and the AS/3 slide easier than I remember the OEM Primacy HP with stock power.

That's precisely why I'm wrestling with this decision...

Get V12's if you want cheap summers to play with, slide about, and roast. If you want nice driving characteristics, get PSS/S-04, if you want sticky for autox/track, Get ZII, Rival, RS3, or my new favorite, the RE71R.

Don't fool around with all seasons, they are a silly compromise.

For OK weather (rarely has snow actually collect on roads) I would go with an All-Season tire and be comfortable.


My favorite AS tire is the Goodyear Assurance Triple-tread.
I just put a set on my daughters car a couple months ago and yesterday mounted 4 to my Wife's Passat.

I was going through this same thought myself... getting new wheels in the next month or so.

Right now I'm pretty set on all-seasons since I only drive my car on the weekends. 5500 miles after 1.5 years so far.

Planning to get Continental Extreme Contact DWS, but now I'm worried that no ones mentioned them in this thread D: Any opinions?

I'm in NYC so I've driven the car in some snow before, but always plowed roads (except once... 3" unplowed... that was scary). But again, I never need to drive the car so if its snowing badly I just dont go out. I want all-seasons mainly so I don't need to keep swapping, and theyre better for the lower temps I experience even without snow (right?).

The DWS is one of the better all season tires out there.

Don't run summer tires in the winter, they aren't meant for that. Also, in the area that you are, you will benefit hugely from proper winters.

If you're getting new wheels and tires anyway, buy some cheap, summers with your wheels like V12's, and buy some winter tires for your stock wheels this fall. General Altimax Arctics are amazing tires, and very cost effective.

So I know its not the safest route to use all-seasons year round, but right now my reasons are:

1. I dont have a driveway/garage where I can easily swap my tires
2. Temps in NYC are annoying. Just this week we've approached the 40s and summer tires lose traction at <40-45F
3. I would never choose to drive in a blizzard, snow storm, or unplowed roads anyway.
4. I don't drive much in general. (5500 miles in 1.5yrs)

Hence I want to stick with all-seasons. If I were to seriously track my car, then I'd reconsider having summers for sure. But for the random fun drive, I dont think having all-seasons in the summer would bother me.

From Vegas here sir, I am running the BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S (UHP). It has been great so far.

Then my honest suggestion is to trade your car in for a basic commuter car. The most important part of the car is the tires. It's what allows you to be in contact with the road. If you lose that, you're losing the vast majority of the feel that a good summer will provide you with. If your 86 is a fashion piece then I suppose that's fine.

I run RE71R's in the summer on my Forester XT, if they are exposed to near freezing temps they are ruined, simple as that. I just run my winters a bit longer, problem solved.

If storage of the wheels and tires isn't a major problem, I still think that having two sets is the better choice. (I will always advocate for winters and summers for anyone who drives up North.)

The city slush is terrible, and honestly where a winter tire will make a massive difference as well.

I agree with how important tires are, but I feel like you're over exaggerating the difference between a summer and all-season tire for just spirited/fun daily driving. I mean, I've driven the stock summers in temps as low as 10-20F before and I still enjoyed the car. I just had to be more cautions about turns at speed and aware of my longer braking distance.

Getting a commuter car would be pointless for me, I own a car because I like cars, not because I need one to get around.

EDIT: Of course if the difference really is that huge, I'd reconsider. Really wish I just had my own garage or driveway -.-

My experience has shown me that the best all seasons, (DWS,) are bested by basic summers like V12's substantially, and stepping into the next rung or two up like S-04's/PSS is as big of a jump from all seasons.

If they work for you then more power to you, but I don't want you to miss out on a proper tire. It seems as though the decision has already been made, but if you look at any of the online independent testing it mimics my experience with tires.

feel like summer tire would always do the trick. if you're in sever weather just drive safely, when the suns out you can do more spirited driving.

I mean even with all weather or summer tire I wouldn't drive crazy in bad weather

Oh yea I have no doubt that summers are better than all seasons in the right conditions. I know grip will suffer (and thus I'll have slightly worse acceleration and longer braking distance as well) but as long as the car still feels fun to me, thats what matters. Fun and relatively safe lol.

Yea I'm tempted to just do that again since I've been through two winters with summer tires only. Just had to drive real carefully but its just too risky IMO to not have at least all-seasons. Plus my new wheels will be wider than stock, making them even worse in snow.

HPDE with all season tires, I had fun, do what works best for you (except for using all seasons in snow).

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoDn0jiNK3s"]AudiFest at Mid-Ohio 2015 - YouTube[/ame]

OK weather isn't much of a factor because I have a different DD. Driving in sub freezing temps though is common here. Which can play havoc on summer tire compounds...

The DWS is a great all season, I owned it for awhile on a mazdaspeed3, the tire sidewall is way too soft. The DWS06 or whatever the new version is, supposedly has a much stiffer sidewall. In NY it may be worth checking those out.

I know about the weather, I am also a Sooner, class of 93.
That is why I suggested that you could survive on good all seasons.

Well i hope this sooner joins you soon in CO ;)

After 60,000 miles on the Primacy tires I changed out for Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus all-seasons which now have about 20,000 miles on them and have been very happy with the change. They are a bit "grippier" and do not squeal as much in non-aggressive corners but are still willing to break loose with a little pressure. What I have not had happen with them that happened with the Primacy is the slippery when wet syndrome I saw previously.

The best part is my gas mileage has actually gone up with them (marginally). I really expected it to go down.