bbatts

I am in process of replacing original Dunlop run-flats on 05 SC430. I'm torn between Michelin Pilot A/S Plus and Goodyear F1 All Season or Bridgestone 960 on original stock sizes. I am normally a Michelin man but Goodyears and Bridgestones cost less and seem to have great reviews from Tire Rack. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Anyone with out there with experience on either tire set.

After looking at post-it regarding wheel fitments, I would also like to consider going to slightly larger 19" wheel/tire sizing only for better looks. I do not want to sacrifice ANY ride quality in southern location with some rain and no snow.

Any advice would be most welcome.

BB, Nashville, TN

joeyb

At 160k miles, I've been through quite a few sets of tires. The Pilot Sport A/S was, by far, the best riding. Only the Michelin MXM came close.

The Goodyear F1 was not one of the tires I've used.

PHXSC

If you want a tire made by Michelin, and don't want to pay a premium, take a look at the BF Goodrich Super Sports. It's a relatively new tire, but most stores can get it in a day. Made by Michelin with a BFG label.

golfxx

I know you asked for advise on the Pilot sport vs the F1 however I had the same decision just a few months ago. Look at the reviews on the Bridgestone RE 960AS from the tire rack. Ranked no. 1 in the ratings. I chose them. There smooth, quite, handle great and last 40K miles. Good luck

bbatts

The Bridgestone 960 was another high on my list. I'll place them back at the top since you recommend highly. Not being a high performance driver, a comfortable, quiet ride is what I desire the most.

Many Thanks,

BB

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

TireRack would be an excellent choice with all of the reviews listed. i find they are generally spot on.

swooopeno

I went with the F1 A/S based on tirerack reviews. Had them installed at Discount Tire. While getting them installed, two of the guys working there said I made the right choice. They said the Michelin's were a great tire, comparable to the F1, but much more expensive. The tires are quiet and they track well. The grip is amazing and they have a very aggressive tread design (that looks great too).

bbatts

Thanks for endorsement on Goodyears. I believe I am now down to the Goodyears and the Bridgestones. Bridgestones 960s are rated so high with Tirerack although I have not cared for Bridgestones in the past.

Decisions, Decisions. I don't think I can go too wrong with either choice.

Thanks,

BB

coach1

I maybe late to join-in on this discussion.....however....I just went through the same process. All the reviews, performance, on every website I could find, including TireRack.com. In the end I sucked-up and installed Pilot Sport A/S. Extremely happy with my choice.

My second choice was the BF Goodrich, who is actually owned by Michelin, and ranked first by a fine margin on the decision chart. Good Year's F1 was highly recommended as well. It came down to reviewers that commented about their experience over the life of the tire and what they would buy next time. The F1's were good up to about 7K miles and started getting noisy and loosing tread. Some of the other comments about how the side walls looked after a few months.........Of all that commented on Michelin, there were no aging or tread life, noise or performance issues, and Discount Tire offered me about the best bottom line deal. Trouble with places like the TireRack, you are walking into a tire shop and requesting a quality installation when you purchased the tire some where else. One other additional comment about Michelin, on all four wheels, less than 1/2 oz was required to balance. I was also warned about air sensors by the Lexus dealership....well this Discount Tire shop knew exactly how to deal/protect my sensors. Road tested the tires on the way home, at 120 I think I could have set a wine glass on the dash and not seen a ripple.

Good Luck with your decision and hope my comments help.

bbatts

Thanks for the Michelin comments. I have been a Michelin man for years but wouldn't mind even better quality at a less price if/when it can be found. I don't believe I can go to far wrong with any of the 3. Still have not purchased any of them yet since I still have 80% remaining on my original Dunflops. Will do something in a few weeks.

Many thanks,

BB

tsc430

hi, i know what you're going through. to me it seems like bridgestone is the best all around with the 40k miles warranty. Michelin will most likely not last past 30k and good year seems to have a few bad reviews. i got my set a couple days ago from discount tire through eBay. if you use ms live search you can save 20%.

mteele

iTrader: (5)

I just had my parents install the Michelin Pilot A/S yesterday, to replace their runflats and they were VERY satisfied with the ride quality improvement. They said it was a night and day difference.

Bubba

I have had the Michelin tires on my car for about three years now and agree with the comments on the quality and ride. I live in Wisconsin and drive my car in the snow as long as it's under six inches, and they are not bad. I would say they are almost as good in the snow as the Pirelli's snow tires that I had on my SC300 and I don't have to swap them out every fall and spring.

I also looked on Tire Rack since I'll have to replace the Michelin's in less than a year, and was curious about the Kumho Ecsta since they are also an all-season tire and which came highly rated. They are about a $100 cheaper, but I know you get what you pay for ultimately and can hear people saying "Why would you put cheap tires on an expensive car." I would spend the additional money on Michelin's since I like them so much, but I did entertain the idea for a few seconds.

bbatts

I have gone with the Bridgestone 960 mostly due to a few positive user comments here and their number one rating from tire rack. My deal with discount tire is that if i do not like them, i'll be back and exchange for the more expensive michelin's. Everyone is happy!!!!

howdybob22

Good choice with the Bridgestone 960. As for me, I went summer tire route with the Sumitomo HTR Z III on my SC. Once my IS350 is up for new tires (approximately 3,000 miles more), I will also go with the Sumi. In the mean time, happy driving!