IS350: Sumitomo HTR Z III vs Michelin Super Sports
05-22-12, 02:10 PM
#1
IS350: Sumitomo HTR Z III vs Michelin Super Sports
This will be the shortest review ever. Michelins are 2X the price. Michelins are 2x the performance. The end.
Longer story... I live in Texas and only use summer tires. I have a 2007 IS350, purchased new, and after the OEM tires wore out, I replaced with Sumitomo HTR Z III's, which I thought were a nice improvement over OEMs in pretty much every dimension, until the tires are about 2/3 worn out, in which case the rear traction was complete crap. I've gone through 2 sets of these tires over the years.
Sumitomo > stock.
Then a few weeks ago I put on a set of new Michelin Super Sports. It's a new car. Really. The difference in grip is startling. The fun factor is 2x better. I have BC Racing after market coilovers with 12/10 setup, and F sport sway bars.
The way I look at it is all I have to do is skip Costco for a month and I make up for the extra expense, and now I have a much better driver car.
Michelin > Sumitomo
Longer story... I live in Texas and only use summer tires. I have a 2007 IS350, purchased new, and after the OEM tires wore out, I replaced with Sumitomo HTR Z III's, which I thought were a nice improvement over OEMs in pretty much every dimension, until the tires are about 2/3 worn out, in which case the rear traction was complete crap. I've gone through 2 sets of these tires over the years.
Sumitomo > stock.
Then a few weeks ago I put on a set of new Michelin Super Sports. It's a new car. Really. The difference in grip is startling. The fun factor is 2x better. I have BC Racing after market coilovers with 12/10 setup, and F sport sway bars.
The way I look at it is all I have to do is skip Costco for a month and I make up for the extra expense, and now I have a much better driver car.
Michelin > Sumitomo
05-22-12, 04:31 PM
#2
This will be the shortest review ever. Michelins are 2X the price. Michelins are 2x the performance. The end.
Longer story... I live in Texas and only use summer tires. I have a 2007 IS350, purchased new, and after the OEM tires wore out, I replaced with Sumitomo HTR Z III's, which I thought were a nice improvement over OEMs in pretty much every dimension, until the tires are about 2/3 worn out, in which case the rear traction was complete crap. I've gone through 2 sets of these tires over the years.
Sumitomo > stock.
Then a few weeks ago I put on a set of new Michelin Super Sports. It's a new car. Really. The difference in grip is startling. The fun factor is 2x better. I have BC Racing after market coilovers with 12/10 setup, and F sport sway bars.
The way I look at it is all I have to do is skip Costco for a month and I make up for the extra expense, and now I have a much better driver car.
Michelin > Sumitomo
Longer story... I live in Texas and only use summer tires. I have a 2007 IS350, purchased new, and after the OEM tires wore out, I replaced with Sumitomo HTR Z III's, which I thought were a nice improvement over OEMs in pretty much every dimension, until the tires are about 2/3 worn out, in which case the rear traction was complete crap. I've gone through 2 sets of these tires over the years.
Sumitomo > stock.
Then a few weeks ago I put on a set of new Michelin Super Sports. It's a new car. Really. The difference in grip is startling. The fun factor is 2x better. I have BC Racing after market coilovers with 12/10 setup, and F sport sway bars.
The way I look at it is all I have to do is skip Costco for a month and I make up for the extra expense, and now I have a much better driver car.
Michelin > Sumitomo
Thanks for the review... I try to tell people on here all day every day about the benefits of better tires and all I seem to get is "these generic tires are amazing"
lol...
glad to see you like your new shoes!
05-23-12, 08:47 AM
#3
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The difference a great tire can make is unbelievable. All summer long we drive different tires back to back on our fleet of Porsche Cayenne's and BMW 3 series and there are times when getting out of one car and into another is a night and day difference when nothing has changed but the tire. The Michelin Super Sport you are in now is one of the very best I have ever driven on.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - Test Results
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - Test Video
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - Test Results
Michelin Pilot Super Sport - Test Video
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Last edited by zig@tr; 05-23-12 at 08:59 AM.
05-29-12, 09:02 AM
#4
Thanks guys for the affirmation. I will say that if road noise is a bigger factor for some than grip and handling, these may not be the best tires for that individual. Road noise for me is more intrusive than it was on the Sumi's. But I rather have the grip, and very happy with my "new shoes" ! :-)
08-23-12, 09:34 PM
#6
I read an autoblog post today about Hyundai making these Mich SS an option for the Veloster, and the money quote :
"The higher-performance rubber – Michelin Pilot Super Sport 215/40ZR18 tires – offers substantial performance increases compared to the current car's Kumho Solus KH25 all-seasons. In skid pad lateral acceleration, Krafcik told us that the Michelins are good for 0.94 gs compared to 0.82 with the Kumhos. What's more, stopping distance from 60 miles per hour is now reduced to 121 feet (compared to 135) and wet braking from 60 mph happens in 136 feet (compared to 158)."
Those are amazing performance increases IMO. Wet braking with the SS equals the old tire dry braking.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/23/h...r-tire-option/
Of course, the price is a complete rip off... $1,200 option for $1,100 worth of tires (at retail) isn't going to win over any friends.
"The higher-performance rubber – Michelin Pilot Super Sport 215/40ZR18 tires – offers substantial performance increases compared to the current car's Kumho Solus KH25 all-seasons. In skid pad lateral acceleration, Krafcik told us that the Michelins are good for 0.94 gs compared to 0.82 with the Kumhos. What's more, stopping distance from 60 miles per hour is now reduced to 121 feet (compared to 135) and wet braking from 60 mph happens in 136 feet (compared to 158)."
Those are amazing performance increases IMO. Wet braking with the SS equals the old tire dry braking.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/23/h...r-tire-option/
Of course, the price is a complete rip off... $1,200 option for $1,100 worth of tires (at retail) isn't going to win over any friends.
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