I think many have extolled the virtues of the new Michelin PSS tire on the street, the track, and (mostly) in the dry. It costs less and lasts longer, yet is stickier.
Well I have just returned (alive) from a 140 mile (roundtrip) drive to DFW Airport in 22 degree weather with freezing drizzle, sleet, and yes, ICE on the ground and roads. I am (here) pleased to say that these new SUMMER, extreme performance tires are "adequate" in the conditions listed above, in that I survived. I had a slide or two, but did NOT go off road, into anything, and (mostly) maintained control. I can say that they are significantly better than (say) the Michelin PS2 and Bridgestone RE050A Pole Polition tire in "inclement" conditions. Yes, I realize that I was using this "tool" outside of it's performance envelope, but I post this "test" because occasionally we all get caught out in weather and have do with what we have at that time. Disclaimer: Your results may differ. Kids, don't try this at home...etc.

 

Nice post, good for those that only have to deal w/ freezing weather rarely. As long as you know going in that your driving in survival mode

 

I had a less favorable ice experience with my PSSs and they're at 3.5/32ths after 11K miles...

 

Yikes! Mine are all right around 5/32 after 20K miles. Anyway, I am a huge fan of these tires when it's warm, but not so much when the temp drops near or below freezing. Here in TX, we don't get a lot of winter weather, but it's been unusually cold this year and my PSS tires don't like it. I still haven't had any sliding issues (knocking wood) at speed in the wet/cold weather, but the tires spin more upon straight line takeoff from a stop, and much more during acceleration around turns at an intersection - even at mild throttle.

 

The Michelin PSS are rated for ~30K miles (50k km in Canada). They come with 10/32" tread depth, and are legal til about 2/32". You're about 2/3 (66%) of the way into the expected life of the tire and have worn away 5/8 (62.5%) of the usable tread.

I'd say you're on par with the expected performance of the tire . They're softer tires overall.

 

I had these on my coupe before I sold it and it was my daily and these tires are decent in inclement weather. If there's more than 3in of snow, you're in trouble. Other than that, you just really need to know how to drive and be able to catch your car if it slides. Brilliant summer tires too!

 

The wear is not entirely linear. Keep in mind as the tire wears, its circumference decreases. To achieve the same distance traveled, the tire has to rotate more, thus more wear.

Tl;dl - wear accelerates as the tire wears.

Either way, 20K is pretty good for a summer only high perf tire. Staggered or square setup? Rotated?

 

Still the top of the food chain in their class. However, being a summer only tire, highly recommend against driving them in winter conditions. Loss of control can be a problem and the tire is more prone to damage. The colder temps make them brittle and its easier to chip them.

 

Neal,

Is there a tire you would recommend over the PSS for someone living in TX while still keeping the same (or similiar) level of performance as the PSS? We dont get much snow and usually isn't too cold, but it does happen.

 

There is nothing on the market better than the super sport. They're the best summer performance tire you can get. Your comment is also a tad confusing, you want something better than the PSS, but with the same performance?

 

There isn't a better tire out there now in that class. Combination of its warranty, dry/wet traction, wear, and ride makes it king of the max summer tires.

 

Sorry for being confusing.

I was trying to ask if there is a tire that works decent in cold and snow but has similar performance to the PSS. It can be cold in TX for a few months of the year and occasionally we get snow but I dont want to have 2 different sets of tires (1 for summer and 1 for winter) and I dont really want an all season tire since it is mostly warm in TX. It appears that OP says the PSS is workable in the cold/snow with careful driving, but was just seeing if there is any other recommendations.

 

I still wouldn't recommend the PSS in temps below 40 for many reasons. Given that, depending on what size(s) you're using the Pilot Sport AS3 would be a great choice. I run those and really really like them. Okay for a light snow like you'd get there but not the best all season for northern snow belts.

 

I run PSS year round but it doesnt get too cold here in Vegas and when it is cold my car doesn't come out of the garage. When the temps drop so does the preformance thats for sure. Still love the tires but I am hearing good things about the new Bridgestones. I may try those out next time.

 

Thanks Neal! Appreciate the help!