Got all-season tires on my IS350: what a difference!
12-23-05, 11:11 PM
#1
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Got all-season tires on my IS350: what a difference!
A lot of people have been asking about all-season or winter tires for the winter months in the Northeast and Midwest. Well, I had mine installed yesterday, and I've noticed the difference already - both good and bad.
I went with the Continental ContiExtremeContact. One of two all-season performance tires available on Tire Rack. The others were the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, also a fine tire, but the Tire Rack guy said they are not quite as good in the snow, and they are also $350 more for the set ($580 vs. $930 before shipping).
I ordered from Brandon, our Club Lexus salesman at Tire Rack, and had the tires delivered to a local shop in NYC. Everything about the experience was great. The tires came in two days, the shop put them on in one day, and I was good to go. I still have the old tires, which I am trying to sell, if you are interested: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=192882. Only 1315 miles.
The first difference I noticed was on the highway, where 290 merges into 495 west of Boston. On the ramp, I was going about 60, and the tires definitely felt like they were at the edge of their gripping ability. I didn't slow down, but if I had been going any faster, I think I would have lost grip. VDIM didn't kick in at all though, which tells you how much it will let you get away with. But, doing the same ramp at the same speed last month with the stock Dunlop SP SportMaxx, I didn't feel near the limit at all. So, the performance in good weather is noticably worse, but only at the extreme. Overall I would say the tires ride a little smoother than the Dunlops - you get less vibration from cracks and bumps in the road. But traction in sharp corners at high speeds is worse - but that's to be expected.
Then when I got to my destination, there was some ice in the driveway, which I was able to drive over without any problems, going maybe 15 mph or so. Traction control did not kick in and it was basically just like driving on pavement. Last month there had been some ice in the same spot, and at the same speed, the old tires had lost grip and traction control had beeped and kicked in. That got me pretty worried, and got me to buy the new tires.
I'll post pictures tomorrow. The look is not that different - actually the tread on the Conti's is a bit more aggressive, and I like how it looks. If you have any other questions about the setup, please feel free to ask. So far I recommend the tires, the salesman, and the company (Tire Rack). Happy holidays!
I went with the Continental ContiExtremeContact. One of two all-season performance tires available on Tire Rack. The others were the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, also a fine tire, but the Tire Rack guy said they are not quite as good in the snow, and they are also $350 more for the set ($580 vs. $930 before shipping).
I ordered from Brandon, our Club Lexus salesman at Tire Rack, and had the tires delivered to a local shop in NYC. Everything about the experience was great. The tires came in two days, the shop put them on in one day, and I was good to go. I still have the old tires, which I am trying to sell, if you are interested: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=192882. Only 1315 miles.
The first difference I noticed was on the highway, where 290 merges into 495 west of Boston. On the ramp, I was going about 60, and the tires definitely felt like they were at the edge of their gripping ability. I didn't slow down, but if I had been going any faster, I think I would have lost grip. VDIM didn't kick in at all though, which tells you how much it will let you get away with. But, doing the same ramp at the same speed last month with the stock Dunlop SP SportMaxx, I didn't feel near the limit at all. So, the performance in good weather is noticably worse, but only at the extreme. Overall I would say the tires ride a little smoother than the Dunlops - you get less vibration from cracks and bumps in the road. But traction in sharp corners at high speeds is worse - but that's to be expected.
Then when I got to my destination, there was some ice in the driveway, which I was able to drive over without any problems, going maybe 15 mph or so. Traction control did not kick in and it was basically just like driving on pavement. Last month there had been some ice in the same spot, and at the same speed, the old tires had lost grip and traction control had beeped and kicked in. That got me pretty worried, and got me to buy the new tires.
I'll post pictures tomorrow. The look is not that different - actually the tread on the Conti's is a bit more aggressive, and I like how it looks. If you have any other questions about the setup, please feel free to ask. So far I recommend the tires, the salesman, and the company (Tire Rack). Happy holidays!
12-23-05, 11:18 PM
#2
I dont think you can blame the poor grip charactoristics on the fact that the tire is all season. The Continental Tires are not the best tires, and you compared them to tires which cost 250 each.
On my 3000GT, I have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, and those tires are the best tires I have ever owned, and I have owned many summer tires(includin the Michelin Pilot Sport Summer tires). They are probably not as good in the snow, due to the aggressive tread patterns. But they are awesome in the dry and wet.
On my 3000GT, I have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, and those tires are the best tires I have ever owned, and I have owned many summer tires(includin the Michelin Pilot Sport Summer tires). They are probably not as good in the snow, due to the aggressive tread patterns. But they are awesome in the dry and wet.
Last edited by tqlla3k; 12-23-05 at 11:23 PM.
12-24-05, 08:11 AM
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Please keep us posted on your impressions. I too will be buying the 350 but I'm lucky that I have until next winter to figure out whether to go with all season as I have now on my S60R or get dedicated winter wheels/tires.
12-24-05, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by tqlla3k
I dont think you can blame the poor grip charactoristics on the fact that the tire is all season. The Continental Tires are not the best tires, and you compared them to tires which cost 250 each.
On my 3000GT, I have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, and those tires are the best tires I have ever owned, and I have owned many summer tires(includin the Michelin Pilot Sport Summer tires). They are probably not as good in the snow, due to the aggressive tread patterns. But they are awesome in the dry and wet.
On my 3000GT, I have the Michelin Pilot Sport AS, and those tires are the best tires I have ever owned, and I have owned many summer tires(includin the Michelin Pilot Sport Summer tires). They are probably not as good in the snow, due to the aggressive tread patterns. But they are awesome in the dry and wet.
Handling: Conti: 8.1, Michelin: 8.8
Dry Traction: 8.6 vs 9
Wet Traction: 8.6 vs 8.7
Numbers on the right are "best tires you ever owned" but numbers on the left are "not the best tires"? Looks like a pretty small difference in quality to me.
12-24-05, 11:57 AM
#6
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Originally Posted by diablo1
A lot of people have been asking about all-season or winter tires for the winter months in the Northeast and Midwest. Well, I had mine installed yesterday, and I've noticed the difference already - both good and bad.
I ordered from Brandon, our Club Lexus salesman at Tire Rack, and had the tires delivered to a local shop in NYC. Everything about the experience was great. The tires came in two days, the shop put them on in one day, and I was good to go. I still have the old tires, which I am trying to sell, if you are interested: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=192882. Only 1315 miles.
I'll post pictures tomorrow. The look is not that different - actually the tread on the Conti's is a bit more aggressive, and I like how it looks. If you have any other questions about the setup, please feel free to ask. So far I recommend the tires, the salesman, and the company (Tire Rack). Happy holidays!
I ordered from Brandon, our Club Lexus salesman at Tire Rack, and had the tires delivered to a local shop in NYC. Everything about the experience was great. The tires came in two days, the shop put them on in one day, and I was good to go. I still have the old tires, which I am trying to sell, if you are interested: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=192882. Only 1315 miles.
I'll post pictures tomorrow. The look is not that different - actually the tread on the Conti's is a bit more aggressive, and I like how it looks. If you have any other questions about the setup, please feel free to ask. So far I recommend the tires, the salesman, and the company (Tire Rack). Happy holidays!
12-24-05, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by tqlla3k
Handling: Conti: 8.1, Michelin: 8.8. Thats a big difference, considering most tires are in the 7.5-9.0 area.
Who knows if it was the best thing to do. All I know is I'm pretty happy with these tires so far, and saved myself half a lease payment by getting these instead of the Michelins.
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12-24-05, 05:56 PM
#8
Originally Posted by Tony1
Tires still for sale?
If his are not, mine might be. So far they have 70 miles on them! I'm just trying to decide if I can dodge the mild winter with them or if I need to go for all-seasons myself.
12-26-05, 07:10 PM
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Keep in mind that new tires still have some of the manufacturing release coating on them. It takes a little bit to get the tires "cleaned" off. I think the Tire Rack website talks about this. I seem to remember about 150 miles.
Bradman
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12-27-05, 01:10 AM
#10
Originally Posted by diablo1
Hm, well maybe I should have gone with the Michelins then. The Tire Rack guy said the Michelins were better but either tire would get the job done. I figured for $350 less and better snow traction, I'd go with the Contis. Also the Michelin website said those tires were ok for "light snow", but sometimes I might be driving through heavier snow and ice.
Who knows if it was the best thing to do. All I know is I'm pretty happy with these tires so far, and saved myself half a lease payment by getting these instead of the Michelins.
Who knows if it was the best thing to do. All I know is I'm pretty happy with these tires so far, and saved myself half a lease payment by getting these instead of the Michelins.
Enjoy your Conti's they're a great tire and that aggressive tread is more than just looks, I'm told it does quite well in the snow! Keep us posted, as I'm SERIOUSLY considering these Conti's!
12-27-05, 10:13 AM
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I'm picking up my car in beginning of January and I'll be selling the stock tires (replacing them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S).
IM me your offer and I'll consider it.
IM me your offer and I'll consider it.
12-29-05, 09:40 PM
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My tires are sold and shipped, but it sounds like some other people are also selling their stock Dunlops. Thanks to CL Classifieds for hooking me up with a buyer.
After putting around 700 miles on the new tires last weekend, my recommendation is, get the Conti's if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, or frequently travel to such places, like for skiing or visiting family. Otherwise, if you have the money, and don't really need medium to heavy snow traction, go with the Michelins. Everyone loves those tires, and pretty much everyone agrees that they have better dry/summer handling than the Conti's. The two reasons to get the Conti's over those are 1. budget constraint (about $350 difference for the set of 4), and 2. serious winter driving.
Bear in mind that I haven't driven the Michelins, but I have driven the Conti's, and my impression is that they are great in snow/ice and still good (but could be better) in dry.
After putting around 700 miles on the new tires last weekend, my recommendation is, get the Conti's if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, or frequently travel to such places, like for skiing or visiting family. Otherwise, if you have the money, and don't really need medium to heavy snow traction, go with the Michelins. Everyone loves those tires, and pretty much everyone agrees that they have better dry/summer handling than the Conti's. The two reasons to get the Conti's over those are 1. budget constraint (about $350 difference for the set of 4), and 2. serious winter driving.
Bear in mind that I haven't driven the Michelins, but I have driven the Conti's, and my impression is that they are great in snow/ice and still good (but could be better) in dry.
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