Tire Comparison Between SS & PS A/S3
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From: nj
Tire Comparison Between SS & PS A/S3
Now that I've had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on the car for a few days in both cold and moderate temps, I wanted to write a quick review for those thinking about making the switch to all-seasons like I did.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
I have A/S3 on my S4... in Houston. Cold weather here means a cold front came through and dropped a lot of rain, so when it's cold it's nearly always wet, which is not an ideal situation for summer tires and my 45 mile morning commute.
I find these tires to be phenomenal. They outperform the Pirelli summer tires I had on prior. I got them for the treadwear (I drive ~20,000 miles/year), with nearly no sacrifice in performance. I think the only tire that's truly better performing is the Pilot Super Sport, but of course you have the trade off of less tire life.
I find these tires to be phenomenal. They outperform the Pirelli summer tires I had on prior. I got them for the treadwear (I drive ~20,000 miles/year), with nearly no sacrifice in performance. I think the only tire that's truly better performing is the Pilot Super Sport, but of course you have the trade off of less tire life.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2014
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From: NY / LI
Now that I've had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on the car for a few days in both cold and moderate temps, I wanted to write a quick review for those thinking about making the switch to all-seasons like I did.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
The car doesn't see wet weather of any kind but in the cold below 40 it was scary, below 32 they were too dangerous. The slightest bit of throttle would cause the rear to kick out, and believe me with 556HP I was very careful
With only 2,800 miles on them and after a few close calls I put on a set of A/S 3's last winter and what a difference. They grab so much better and IMO the ride is smoother and quieter than my OEM Super Sports were.
Thank you for taking your time and posting it! I recently purchased PS A/S 3 but have not yet installed them. Here in CA the weather still allows us to have summer tires on. As far as the noise, you are not the only person who noticed it. I heard that for A/S tires PS A/S 3 has a noise level is that is a bit excessive. But other attributes (wet and dry transaction, braking, precision) far exceed of those the competition has. Thanks again jeffw12!
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Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 399
Likes: 9
From: CT
Im surprised that Lexus does not have an all weather tire also for this car, maybe none of the all seasons available can take what this car can give it in warm weather driving. I will guarantee you someone in cold weather driving will forget about the summer tires and pile the car up in an accident somewhere. Hopefully not but I can see it happening. I don't know if the TC will help enough to prevent it from happening. Shame to buy a car for $70,000 to $85,000 and the first thing you need to do is spend many 100s for tires.
Now that I've had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on the car for a few days in both cold and moderate temps, I wanted to write a quick review for those thinking about making the switch to all-seasons like I did.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 93
Likes: 2
From: MI
Thanks for your detailed review, I took your advise and got the tires switched to A/S 3 all season yesterday. I also liked the A/S 3, it rides better.
Now that I've had the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s on the car for a few days in both cold and moderate temps, I wanted to write a quick review for those thinking about making the switch to all-seasons like I did.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
Super Sports (Stock)- obviously, in the warm weather these tires are some of the best handling tires in the world, as street tires go. They are relatively quiet, the ride is firm but not harsh, noise is fairly low, and they are very precise. If I lived in the south or out west these tires would be the standard and there would be no reason to replace them.
But I don't live in either of those regions, and the reality is winter and cold temps. As a reference point, the other morning it was 26 degrees and I pulled out go my garage and warmed up the car. When I got into the car and drove away, the rear end slipped 3 times before the end of my street and the traction control was getting its legs stretched. I can tell you from past experience, the stock Super Sports are downright dangerous when the temp is below 40 degrees and they are suicidal below freezing. It doesn't matter how skilled of a driver you think you are, the tires get NO traction below 40 degrees. Michelin will tell you that, Lexus will tell you that, in fact every sports car manufacturer that puts "Summer" tires on the cars standard will tell you that. I'm actually surprised Lexus didn't offer an all-season option with the car.
Pilot Sport A/S3 - from an aesthetic standpoint, these tires look just as aggressive and "OEM" as the stock tires. The tread pattern is really aggressive.
From a ride comfort standpoint, the A/S3 is a little noisier than the SuperSports, the ride is not quite as supple, but the level of grip, traction, feedback, feel, and steering response are on par with the Super Sports (In fact, they exceed the PZero Pirelli's I had on my RS5). Supposedly, treadwear will be substantially better than the stock tires as well. The only negative is that they do ride slightly stiffer and are a bit more noisy, but nothing severe or deal breaker level of difference.
I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who owns a tire shop and handles all sorts of exotics and sports cars. He was very clear, if you will be driving in snow, get Blizzaks or Ice-X. If you will be driving in light wintery precip and consistently cold temps, but not deep snow, get all-seasons. If you don't change out your summer tires you are endangering yourself, passengers, and other cars because you will have limited traction, handling, and braking on the stock Super Sports.
I chose the All-Seasons because I will never drive this car in deep snow. I am going to just keep them on year round because I will not be tracking this car anyway and the level of performance with the A/S3s far exceeds my abilities anyway.
For those in areas where winter is a reality, please change tires if you plan on driving the car in the winter.
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