XXR 535 17x8.25" tire dilemma!

[PantsDants]

I've got some 535's sitting here waiting for the winter months to go away, and I'm looking at what tires I want. The strongest contender I was considering was the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, the unicorn all-season tire. However, the problem is the only size they seem to offer that would A) fit the rim without stretching and B) stay close to stock tire circumference is 225/45R17. What I was really hoping for was something like a 245/40R17.

225 series pros:
- I can get the tire I was originally planning on
- Cheaper for the same model of tire versus going wider

245 series pros:
- Closer to stock tire circumference
- Moar grip?
- Wide tires look cool amirite?

So the dilemma I face is do I just go with the skinnier tires with the model I want, or is there a tire you guys would recommend in the size I want? I'm in Seattle and it's pretty wet and fairly cold here a lot of the time, which is why I'm looking at the aforementioned tire for spring/summer/fall. Any opinions or reasonable alternatives would be appreciated, thanks!

[headlikeahole]

In the 225 series pros you forgot, "less grip"


I have a set of 527 in 8.25 waiting for spring, and Im planning to go 225.

[Suberman]

I'm using Michelin Pilot A/S Plus on my SAAB Aero as a summer tire and they are pretty amazing. I drove in one winter storm, not a lot of snow but very slippery, and was very impressed with their winter capabilities. The A/S 3 is indeed supposed to be the unicorn of tires (or holy grail if you prefer).

After decades of turning my nose up at all season tires for summer use I think Michelin may finally have cracked the code. I also fit a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S to our Alfa Romeo 164 (the A/S plus didn't come in a 15 inch size, yes I said 15 inch, the Alfa is a 91). They are better than summer tires of a decade ago.

Trouble with high performance summer tires in a cool summer climate is you rarely get them up to temperature to deliver the ultimate grip you paid for, unless you push them hard routinely. Trouble with all season tires is they never deliver the grip you want, until maybe now. No other manufacturer has yet pulled off this neat trick although I'm sure they're not far behind. They all probably rushed out and bought a set of these new "magic" tires and are tearing them apart as we write.

You won't notice any difference from the two widths you are considering. 20 mm is less than one inch width.

Contact patches are always the same size for a given vehicle weight and tire pressure. Only the shape of the contact patches changes.

The dynamics of wider tires differs a little from the narrower taller tire but the ultimate grip is almost the same.

The 225 will be slightly lighter and deliver a slightly stiffer ride and sharper turn in. You'll run the 245/40 a little under spec pressure for the 225 to get your contact patch flat. Remember that the 225 will "fill the rim" better in that it is close to the upper recommended rim width ( which is 8.5 inches) and that the 245 will roll over a bit more easily in hard corners due to the wider tread on an 8.25 in rim, closer to 9 would fit the 245 better. This extra sidewall bulge actually dulls the handling.

The two tires are within 1% of each other in rolling circumference:

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

And both are within 1-2% of stock rolling circumference so no issues there.

[FunCon5]

I'd go with 245/40 MPSS

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by FunCon5

I'd go with 245/40 MPSS

Except no grip in cold weather.

[PantsDants]

Originally Posted by Suberman

I'm using Michelin Pilot A/S Plus on my SAAB Aero as a summer tire and they are pretty amazing. I drove in one winter storm, not a lot of snow but very slippery, and was very impressed with their winter capabilities. The A/S 3 is indeed supposed to be the unicorn of tires (or holy grail if you prefer).

After decades of turning my nose up at all season tires for summer use I think Michelin may finally have cracked the code. I also fit a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S to our Alfa Romeo 164 (the A/S plus didn't come in a 15 inch size, yes I said 15 inch, the Alfa is a 91). They are better than summer tires of a decade ago.

Trouble with high performance summer tires in a cool summer climate is you rarely get them up to temperature to deliver the ultimate grip you paid for, unless you push them hard routinely. Trouble with all season tires is they never deliver the grip you want, until maybe now. No other manufacturer has yet pulled off this neat trick although I'm sure they're not far behind. They all probably rushed out and bought a set of these new "magic" tires and are tearing them apart as we write.

You won't notice any difference from the two widths you are considering. 20 mm is less than one inch width.

Contact patches are always the same size for a given vehicle weight and tire pressure. Only the shape of the contact patches changes.

The dynamics of wider tires differs a little from the narrower taller tire but the ultimate grip is almost the same.

The 225 will be slightly lighter and deliver a slightly stiffer ride and sharper turn in. You'll run the 245/40 a little under spec pressure for the 225 to get your contact patch flat. Remember that the 225 will "fill the rim" better in that it is close to the upper recommended rim width ( which is 8.5 inches) and that the 245 will roll over a bit more easily in hard corners due to the wider tread on an 8.25 in rim, closer to 9 would fit the 245 better. This extra sidewall bulge actually dulls the handling.

The two tires are within 1% of each other in rolling circumference:

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

And both are within 1-2% of stock rolling circumference so no issues there.

Thanks! Based on that, I think I'm sold on the 225 series A/S 3's. Now spring just needs to hurry up and get here.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by PantsDants

Thanks! Based on that, I think I'm sold on the 225 series A/S 3's. Now spring just needs to hurry up and get here.

Just as for the Michelin Supersports summer tire nobody seems to quite believe Michelin's claims until they drive on them.

I'm thinking of buying the Pilot A/S 3 for my summer tire because I live at 3,000 ft elevation and the roads are frequently cold even in summer.

I use dedicated winter tires from October to May. With these high performance all seasons I expect to shorten that period to late November to April for my Subie.