Michelin Pilot Sport vs A/S - Roundel Article Circa 2014

[bmwstephen]

My 3 year old son enjoys going through my old car magazines, especially Roundel which I receive since I am a CCA member. Back in November 2014, someone did an article on Michelin Pilot Sport Super Sports vs the All Season 3 with an e36 m3 of all cars.

This should still apply to the PS4S vs 4 A/S tire today but it just goes to show the impressive design Michelin's tire technology and how they narrowed the gap between summer vs A/S tires.

Summer tires still hold a competitive advantage in the right conditions, I was astound that it yielded a 0.2 sec difference in launch times compared to the A/S in most conditions above 50 degrees. Goes to show that in climate zones like California, A/S is overkill.

[Braymond141]

A/S are trash on these cars. Sorry.

I don’t care if they match performance. They are loud, harsh and do not give the same confidence a strictly summer tire does. They are also 2lbs heavier per tire A/S compared to PS4S.

[bmwstephen]

Interesting on the harsh part. I figured AS tend to have softer compound than the summer tire which would aid in noise and noise levels

[MParallel]

I guess tire tech has come some way since 2014.

I personally am a big fan of PS4's. Definitely in the dry, but also superb in the wet.

[Braymond141]

I guess tire tech has come some way since 2014.

I personally am a big fan of PS4's. Definitely in the dry, but also superb in the wet.

Agreed. They do very well in the wet and even ok-ish when snow starts to come down but isn't quite sticking yet. Anything more extreme than that and the X5 is going to be used (which I run A/S on lol)

[bmwstephen]

Agreed. They do very well in the wet and even ok-ish when snow starts to come down but isn't quite sticking yet. Anything more extreme than that and the X5 is going to be used (which I run A/S on lol)

If I recall Brett, you are in oakhurst, how have the ps4s been holding up in your area when it gets down to 20F and light snow? Or do you not risk it at all

[BLCKSTRM]

I've been super impressed by their behavior in the wet. I'd go so far as to say they do better below 40 if it's wet. I always thought they got very plasticky below about 45, but they are just so so good in the wet that I didn't feel the same if there was water on the ground.

I didn't find them to be any better than PSSs when the snow starts sticking. VERY sketchy even when there's hardly anything sticking. I have AS3s on my e32, but I've only had that a few years (all down here in Austin) and have never had a chance to try that in the snow.

The last time I needed new tires PS4Ss were backordered, so I found the very last set of 245/40 RE71Rs in the country and ordered those (not RE71RSs - they weren't quite out yet. Yeah, I guess I have bad timing but good luck).

I love these things, but they're much less tire when it's wet out. Luckily it's mostly sun down here. I do have snow tires... that are 13 years old at this point. But still probably better than autocross tires in the snow. But definitely worse than just driving the Escalade, or better yet, just staying home...