lektrix

2012 G37x Sedan, upgraded to 225-50-18s
4.5 months of good Ontario snow from Dec-April ish.

Pardon the crappy Canadian Prices..... (I have no idea how US Citizens can get these for ~$400 all-in)

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS 95W $670.00
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring 95T $700.00
Pirelli P-Zero AS + 95Y $730.00
Continental Extreme DWS06 95W $790.00
Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ 95V $810.00

Which tires provide the best value / bang for buck?? I prefer comfort, noise, longevity over performance but I'd still like to be able to move around in winter. Pirelli P-Zero AS + appears to be my choice but I did a search on the forums and the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 / Continental Extreme DWS06 seem to be the fan favourites. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is cheapest of them all but appear to have no reviews anywhere because they just came out. What do you guys think for 2018???

Sbrudder23

I had the pilot sport as3's and they didn't last long even after my warranty replacement. I went with the bf Goodrich comp 2's now and they seem to be just as good as the Michelin's so far. My next option would be the continental's.

lektrix

45,000 miles is the general tread life on most of these "Ultra High Performance" AS tires right?? I'd be happy to get 45,000...... I plan to 8000 miles a year so I would want something that can last me 5 years!!!!!

Sbrudder23

Noooo.. at least not for me. The first time I had the ps3's they lasted 25k miles and then I warranty replaced them. After the warranty replacement,3 of them were at 4/32 and one at 3/32 after 15k miles.

lektrix

Depends how much you drive too, and how many highway KMs vs city KMs..... I have been warned by my mechanic that the G37s will destroy a lot of brakes and tires..... and to get ready to change them more often than other vehicles

Sbrudder23

Yeah tires have been very expensive for me so far. I would say I was 65 percent city and 35 highway. NTB expaliened that because they were low profile tires. It was okay to expect 30k miles on them(the Michelin's). The BF Goodrich is part of Michelin but Is much cheaper. I think they are the best bang for your buck.

lektrix

How do I get tires that last me 45000 miles then?? It doesn't sound like paying more helps my cause

Rollo

I have the Bridgestone 980AS and posted my initial review in the reviews section of the forum. I have had 3 of the tires on your list.

980AS - excellent wet traction and dry performance overall. Just slightly behind the Michelin in dry performance, slightly ahead in wet traction and a little better in hydroplane resistance.

DWS06 - excellent wet traction, good dry performance, tire is softer so ride is more forgiving. Noticeable step down in handling from both of the other tires. Best hydroplane resistance when new.

AS/3 - Excellent wet traction, best dry performance. This tire makes a noticeable improvement in overall handling performance in dry weather. Good hydroplane resistance when new but below both the other tires in that respect.

So far it looks like the 980AS is going to have the best wear performance but I am less than 10k miles in to them so I won't know for sure until next year. DWS06 is the better than the Michelin in the snow but I haven't had the 980 in light snow yet.

lektrix

That's a really awesome post...... thanks for all the information. I'm weary with all the lack of reviews for the 980AS but I should just jump on it due to price. No brand is perfect and there are bad reviews for the Pirelli and Michelin.

Another question - anyone here use Costco? Would you say it's worth every penny (and in some cases worth paying an extra $50-$100) for their generous warranty and lifetime balancing/rotation services????

Jamuller

thezinfan

I also just did the Costco deal on the RE980's for my15Q40AWD. They are really nice tires but i don't have enough miles to have any idea on how they wear. Much better than the OEM tires for wet handling. They also included free installation plus the $70 off.