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Tire choices?

67K views 275 replies 90 participants last post by  Randy_Sbar 
#1 ·
OK, given a choice, what would you rather have:

a) the OEM Summer tires, with no option
b) the choice of an Ultra High Performance all season tire or the Summer tires when ordering / selecting the Vsport.

I ordered a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS Pole Position RFT from Tire Rack for $1200 (including shipping) for the following reasons:

1) The ability to confidently drive the car at temps under 40 degrees without having to swap out for winter tires (I won't drive this car in the snow, but will drive it on cold dry days)
2) The fact that the OEM tires have a zero treadlife warranty and a treadwear rating of 220. The Bridgestones have a 40,000 mile treadwear warranty and a treadwear rating of 400
3) The fact that the Summer tires seem to pick up every speck of road grit and fling it against the car. I drove about 100 miles on the Summer tires before my Bridgestones came in, and I cringed hearing that happen.
4) I would say that the most agressive that I get with the car is 8/10 or 9/10. I don't intend to track it. Yes, I know that I'm giving away just a bit of handling, but "not much". That's my assessment after comparing the handling for a few days on the Summers and a few days on the Bridgestones.

I got a few hundred bucks from the dealer for the OEM tires, not great, but OK. They just don't sell many Vsports and he could get stuck with the tires.

I respect the capabilities of the Summer tires and those that choose to run them. I went to all season tires on my C5 Vette a couple years ago for the same reasons. This was the best decision for me, but is certainly a matter of preference.
 
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#233 ·
Re: Tires

The car is transformed..the new tires now make the car a quiet and composed cruiser- a real Q ship. The CTS Vsport should never have been released with run flats
nothing wrong with choosing run flats...it's the run flats GM chooses to use that i see as more of an issue...the Bridgestone Potenza Summer runflats on my ATS and the Pirelli P-Zero Summer runflats on my V-Sport suck....pilot supersport runflats, actually get decent marks for ride quality and noise, and I've read in a couple reviews of them that if those tires were spec'd a fair amount of complaints about runflats would go away...i'm sure they don't ride like like their non runflat versions but it looks like they might have been tolerable, these were available when i changed my bridgestones over to michelin, but i opted to go all the way and get non runflats...unfortunately only the previous gen Pilot Sport/2 are available sizes for our V-Sports, as opposed to the Pilot Super Sports Zero Pressure...if the PSS ZP were available i might put them o the consideration list
 
#238 ·
Tires

My Michelin AS3+ tires are doing good. But, I'd give them a 7 or 8 on a 10 scale with the Pilot Super Sports being a 10. The harder compound spins a little easier the PSS did.

On a side note, after having the car pull to the right since new on 3 sets of tires and 50,000 miles, I finally got an alignment, and it's cured! Looks like the left rear tire pointing straight ahead and the right rear being towed in was the reason.
 
#239 ·
Re: Tires

On a side note, after having the car pull to the right since new on 3 sets of tires and 50,000 miles, I finally got an alignment, and it's cured! Looks like the left rear tire pointing straight ahead and the right rear being towed in was the reason.
Well, yes... that and the excessive toe-in at the front, which IMO would exacerbate the problem at the rear.
 
#240 ·
Re: Tires

I bought my 2014 CTS V sport two days ago. I love it, but I live in Michigan and was planning to buy snow tires in a few months. But now reading through a lot of these posts, it seems there could be a good all weather solution? Do any of you have experience with an AW tire through a winter on a v sport? I would much rather have one set of good tires than run winter tires. Run flats are not critical to me.

J
 
#242 ·
Re: Tires

I bought my 2014 CTS V sport two days ago. I love it, but I live in Michigan and was planning to buy snow tires in a few months. But now reading through a lot of these posts, it seems there could be a good all weather solution? Do any of you have experience with an AW tire through a winter on a v sport? I would much rather have one set of good tires than run winter tires. Run flats are not critical to me.

J
Please read POW's post as I couldn't agree more.

One set of "good tires" is not a good set at all, IMO. Suck-in-all seasons are a compromise at all times, in every situation, not ideal!

Maximize the best attributes of one of GM's best sport sedans of all time by optimizing traction in winter AND summer with dedicated winter & summer tires. You won't regret the investment.
 
#241 ·
Re: Tires

If you're going to convert the tires (which means buying a new set) it's not too much of a stretch to buy winter tires and wheels....your driving will be the best performing and safest year round this way

If you're replacing worn tires then yes all seasons can and should be a consideration....keep in mind, that these tires won't be the best in winter and they won't be the best in summer, if you are ok with the year round compromise then that is your choice....

Keep in mind that our tires are staggered so no rotation to extend tire life.....and having a set of winters helps here because you will be extending tire life by alternating sets of tires
 
#245 ·
for borderland places not too north and snowy, yet not too south and summery all seasons make sense...in which case the best all seasons are for sure a great solution and the best compromise between performance/convenience/money...nothing wrong with that

when i lived in the twin cities...Blizzaks and synthetic oil were by far my best two car maintenance decisions.....now that i live in San Diego, i'm loving summer tires
 
#248 ·
Re: Tires

Yep, Michigan. Lots of the white stuff and very cold temps for months on end.
Im in MI also. I run a set of PSS's in the summer and a set of Blizzak's in the winter with no troubles. After driving this car with snow tires I cannot believe just how much difference the tires make. I got a set of Verde rims and Blizzaks off of tire rack last year for $1800 OTD. Considering how fast the summer tires wear out the cost of winter tires is negligible.
 
#251 ·
Mud And Snow Tires

I lived many years just West of Chicago and I put some seriously aggressive Mud + Snow tires on my my 1991 Hot Rod Lincoln MK VII. [Don't laugh. That car was NEVER passed going up Blood Mountain but thats another story]. I wish I could recall the manufacture. And they were wide and low and behaved just like Summer tires as far as handling dynamics are concerned. Perhaps a bit more forgiving. The were directional, did not look at all like Blizzaks.

Lately I have run through a series of tires here in the North Geoargia mountains where I got about 5,000 miles out of a set of P-Zero all season on my old 1986 Ferrari 3.2 Mondial. They had stiff sidewalls and were very aggressive in corners but a bit harsh. Switched to Continental XtremeContact DW Summer. They are actually a bit less aggressive but are very civilized and track better then any other tire I have owned. More like a good GT tire.

I have only had my 2014 CTS V-sport a month. It has Sumitomos fairly new. I have used Sumitomos in the past and they are sticky tires, predictable, but you need to keep the tire pressures up or they can get a bit flabby at the limit sometimes. The most impressive thing about my CTS Vsport is it is the first car I can not out drive! The only way I will ever get serious practice will at a track day or some such.

I took a two day Skip Barber course down at Road Atlanta and was given an M-3 among other such cars. That M-3 was simply terrifying! This Caddy would eat that M-3 for breakfast. Not with brute power but by the uncanny tight control at all times. I sense the active differential really makes a difference powering out of a tight curve. And the magnetic ride thing feels a bit weird to me. But it certainly plants rubber on the road. I find the most comfortable drive setting is Track. Thats because the car seems more co-ordinated in its ride motions. And stopping power? Wow.

CARS

1965 Corvair Monza Convertible

1986 Ferrari 3.2 Mondial

1988 Linconl Mark VII [Trickflow heads blown at 7pss and seriously prepped with bars, competition steering rack, cryo dipped slotted rotor and custom brake pads specified to my own 'co-efficient of friction calculations.

1991 Mark VII [Retired after 190,000 miles]
Kenne Bell TS-1000
Big stabilizer bars front and rear.
Subfame connectors
Transgo Shift kit
Truck Torque converter 1800 stall v 2200
2.73 gears [could still smoke tires or the starting pad]
130 mph at 3,000 rpms

2007 Malibu Maxx. One hell of a good car!. Its a bit prepped and I took it to Skip Barber and just ate up everything on the little autocross course they have down there. The 911 and Caymen were sluggs!

2014 CTS V-sport base.
 
#252 ·
I just couldn't take the horrible tramlining, twitchiness, loudness and harshness of the OEM RFT Pzeros. Have a set of Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on order. Based on what I've read in this thread, my expectation are fairly high. Will get the new rubber installed in a few days. I will report back here on my opinion of the new tires soon.
 
#256 ·
I'll bet there's a BMW Z3 driver in Colorado that will tell you that A/S3's on a V-Sport work really, really well, particularly in the wet. :) I had the pleasure of carving his Z3 into little pieces a week or so ago, without getting over 50 mph at any time, on old US Hiway 40 climbing to Berthoud Pass west of Denver. I would let him catch up on the straight bits, then leave him waaay back there in the next turn(s). You're going to like the tires.
 
#257 ·
My first post. I have a 2015 VSport with 13,500 miles and close to needing to replace the OEM tires. Not an aggressive driver, 60 miles round trip to/from work daily, mostly highway type roads in central Florida (Daytona Beach area). Info in this thread has been very helpful, I'm still researching going with Continental Extremecontact DWS 06's and Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

I need to do more shopping, but after reading all 18 pages herein I didn't quite see a clear indication if it's possible to put the same size tires (non-RunFlats) all the way around? Any help with details would be appreciated.
 
#258 ·
You can, technically, but remember, the rear wheels are an inch wider. So the stretch will pull for a thinner profile. Not sure I see the point of trying to put the same sized rubber all the way around with stock rims. You're still not going to be able to rotate. I'd recommend just buying the correct size, choose the tire you like, and rotate laterally. For the record, I'm happy with my A/S 3+ tires.
 
#259 ·
I agree - given the fact you will still be unable to rotate front-rear, there is no real advantage to putting the same size tires on the rear as on the front. You'll save a few bucks on the initial purchase price, but you'll probably pay a good portion of that back via faster wearout of the rear tires. More importantly though (and yes, I heard your "Not an aggressive driver...." statement), the car will not handle or brake (think panic stop) as well with those 245's back there vs the original 275's.
 
#261 ·
Like was mentioned earlier, if you're going with two sets, get the PSS and ice and snow tires, as opposed to all-seasons. There is a WORLD of difference between AS's and Winters. You can get a bunch of new wheels from Tire Rack for under $120 each. I will go with 245s Fr and Rr so I can rotate them each winter.
 
#263 ·
Here’s a rundown of the tires that I’ve had on the V Sport.

Original Pirelli’s: excellent grip, noisy after 7,000 miles, worn out at 19,000, fronts feathered bad, will NEVER have run flats again after switching to non run flats and seeing how much smoother they ride. 1 out of 10

Michelin Pilot Super Sports: best Tire I’ve run, f/r worn out at 25,000, wore evenly, 10 out of 10.

Michelin A/S 3+: great Tire, rear worn out at 32,000, fronts will go to 37,000 or so, probably 30% less grip then the PSS, I bought them because I was tired of changing tires every year (wife’s car and she drives 25,000/yr), 7 out of 10

Sumitomo HTR Z III: just put these on the rear, the A/S 3+ didn’t last as long as I was hoping so I’m trying these out. Cost was $295 delivered plus $40 to mount and balance. I read the reviews on The Tire Rack and they sound like they’re about 90% as good as the PSS, at half the price. They grip as good as the PSS did.

The PSS and Sumitomo have a tread wear of 300, the A/S 3+ are 500
 
#264 ·
Michelin Pilot Super Sports: best Tire I’ve run, f/r worn out at 25,000, wore evenly, 10 out of 10.

Michelin A/S 3+: great Tire, rear worn out at 32,000, fronts will go to 37,000 or so....
Yikes! I have a set of PSS that I'm going to mount come spring, but given the fact that I've worn out the last two pair of A/S 3's in about 18k on the rears, I guess I'm going to get about 10 or 12k out of the rear PSS's!!!???
 
#272 ·
Glad to hear that the Sumitomo HTR Z III are doing well, I have a new set in the garage that I ordered from Tire Rack but haven't put them on yet. The price got my attention, so I checked out their reviews and was pleasantly surprised, so I bought those.

I think that the Continental DWS is a good choice as well, a friend has that on his BMW and has used other brands in the past including Michelin and he loves his Continentals.

I have Continental DW on my old CTS, and on my wife's BMW. They are great tires. I was going to buy them for my Vsport but decided to give Sumitomo a try. If they dont work well I will definitly go back to the DW. The DW is a summer tire, so living in Florida I chose the DW instea of the DWS. I like the look of the tread pattern on the DW as well. Both are excellent tires, quiet, good life for a performance tire, good stickiness.
 
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