Michelin PSS.....how many miles?

TXSpeedDemon

I've put about 15 miles on my continental DWSs. Initial thoughts:

Spirit street driving. Comparable to the Pilot Super Sports. I haven't tried pushing them very hard yet, but for everyday quick, legal street driving I don't notice much of a difference. Some, but not bad. I'd say prob 90% as good as the PSS when driving at 80% - but that would probably rate lower if I got closer to the limit.

Comfort: Night and Day difference. It should be noted that I went from a 245/35 to a 245/40 in front and from a 275/30 to a 285/35 in back. But there is a huge difference here. I'm on H&R springs with Hotchkis sways (rear at stiffest setting). With the PSS tires the rear would jump anytime I changed lanes and went over the reflectors. Or anytime I hit any bump over 1/2" tall. I also felt every single bump in the road. With the DWSs I can change lanes without the car shifting, can go over small bumps and the tires eat up everything. These are very comfortable. Cruising on the highway at speeds up to 95mph they held true and tracked perfectly. No grooves where I was so not sure on tramlining yet but so far so good.

Sound: nice drop in road noise. Not an "oh my god" difference, but noticeable. Much of this could be because they are new vs my old rears being worn to the cords on the inner edge.

All in all really happy with the purchase. Since I don't track the car I think these will give me as much performance as I need for the street with an elevated level of comfort that will make the car more enjoyable 90% of the time I drive it.

kenchan

PSS sucks that bad?

DWS are all season tires i use on my honda fit. they are great tires for that car to use as my winter set, but i SERIOUSLY doubt it would be comparable to even its own DW summer tires...let a lone PSS?

that's like saying DW's are better than PSS. really?

TXSpeedDemon

Yes they are comparable when driving the car at about 85% - like I said, every day spirited driving. I've been able to take turns just as fast on the DWS as I was able to on the PSS on the street. As I said, only pushed the car to about 85%. I did get some tire squeal with the DWSs, but they didn't lose any grip. The PSS never had any squeal, even at 100% my driving ability (past the point of traction loss and drifting occurring). So I imagine then pushing the car really hard the DWS would start to understeer/plow in the front where the PSS would still hold on, but I haven't come across this limit yet.

But seriously, I love these tires. The car feels so much better now going over small bumps and is quieter too. It's a much more refined ride than the PSS gave me and in my opinion befitting of a street car of this caliber.

Also the PSS ALWAYS had flat spotting for me. Every morning I'd get these random shakes like an unbalanced tire somewhere between 65mph and 85mph. Sucks when our highway speed limit is 70mph. I had them rebalanced twice but it never went away. Haven't had that issue a single time with the DWSs.

With the Michelins I was really second guessing if the car was right for me and starting to search for a used CTS-V to replace it with. The tire noise was too much and the ride was stiff every time I drove it. To the point that I left it at home when I could and took my SRX. Now with the DWSs I really like my car again and look forward to driving it whenever I can. For me it's perfect. I'm not looking to replace the Z now, and have started buying parts to rebuild my Mazda so I can have another 4 seater.

Again, I don't track my car. I'm not looking for 100% performance. I'm 36 with a wife and kid and my street racing days are in the past. I want a nice balance of performance and comfort in this car. I've spent a lot of money on sound deadener and stereo equipment and want to enjoy the car when I drive, without getting out with ringing ears from road noise and a sore ***. For me, these tires are perfect. They let me out-handle most other cars on the road when I want to push it, but when I'm just cruising I don't feel like I'm in a go-cart sitting on a 1/2" piece of styrofoam.

Maybe they aren't right for everyone, but I love them and do not regret the purchase decision at all.