GSquicksilver

I know a lot of you have been wondering how good these tires are and how they perform. Well, I just got a new set of these last weekend and have been loving them since. They replaced my old Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Here is my take on these Pirelli's. Keep in mind that I also just replaced my struts on my car with Bilstein HD's (yes, I'm planning to write a review on these Bilstein's as well for the drivers who prefer not to lower their car). Yes, I'm running on OEM springs, not lowered. I know a lot of you will think 4x4, but ride comfort with improved handling was the main priority for me. Plus I don't like to worry every time I'm parking my car and there is a brick in the parking space that I will scrape the bottom of my bumper.

Ok, enough rambling, here's the review:

TIRE RATING: 400 A A

NOISE: I had these installed by America's Tire Center and they inflated them to factory psi of 32. These tires are very quiet. Previously on my Michelin's, the tire noises were what caught my attention first. Now I can actually hear the sound of wind hitting my windshield instead of focussing on tire noise. Basically like night and day comparison for being quiet compared to my old Michelin's.

RIDE/COMFORT: Very smooth. These tires don't ride hard at all. They feel softer compared to my old Pilot Sport A/S. Driving on rough roads no longer felt like driving over rough roads. The MIchelin's felt like they sometimes were "slapping" the road when driven on bumpy roads. These Pirelli's maintain comfort while providing good control.

CONSTRUCTION: The Pirelli's weigh 27 pounds compared to the Michelin weight of 24 pounds. The Pirelli's have a more rounded edge look while the Michelin's have a more aggressive side wall that is more flat. The tread of the Pirelli's is non-directional while the Michelin's are one direction.

HANDLING: From what I have driven so far, the Pirelli's seem to grip the road quite well. I've went on some banked roads at around 85mph and the car hold firm to the ground. Braking has also been benefited as well. I haven't driven them too hard yet cuz I'm still breaking them in. But so far so good in the handling field. It's comparable to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

OVERALL: This is one of the best tires for the buck. Priced at about $135 compared to $200 for Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, I think these are a bargain. The tire ratings on Tirerack.com are higher than the Michelin's. Also the treadwear raiting of 400 is the same as the Michelin's. I was able to get about 55k miles with the Michelin's. Hope it is the same with these Pirelli's. Don't get me wrong, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is an excellent tire, but you save about $65 bucks per tire. With 4 tires, you save around 260 bucks which you could use for a TRD LCB and STB.

cyclemax

Thanks for the writeup. What size tire are you using?

JJG2005

Wow, you must have some small rims or thin tires... I couldn't find them for under $200 each on my TSi. I had 4 on there but got a flat, now I'm trying to find another Pzero Nero to fit at a reasonable price. I had the same results as you... AMAZING tire, great handling and very smooth, all the way up to 160.

GSquicksilver

i'm running on stock 17's. 235/45/17. like my thread said earlier, i'm running oem setup, but with upgraded bilstein struts.

xravexboix

Tirerack (I think they are a CL sponsor) has the tires for about $130 each (225 40 R18, great price)... I've seen them elsewhere for close to $200 each.

I have these tires also... it's ridiculously awesome! The only problem is when you're on the freeway (more frequently in California, from my understanding), the tires will follow the rain grooves on the road. It's not a MAJOR problem... just an annoyance. But in the end, still a GREAT tire.

flipside909

Agreed, definitely a best bang for the buck tire in terms of High Performance All Season tire category. My first choice would still be Michelin Pilot Sport A/S...but these P-Zero Nero A&S on my 225/40R18 tires for my IS work just as fine. I drive 30k a year.