Tire opinion sought....
 

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 it is.

What a great tire!!!!! Super smooth, quiet, grips.

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb57fa3c8.jpg
http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/a...psaa9bf0e2.jpg

any track time planned?

I have had Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires on my 2001 Box base for a month now. I just love them and they to handle well in the ice and snow(not much of the latter yet). I am not in a hurry to put the old Blizzaks on as I believe they are old as in hockey pucks. I have no PSM but love the feel of them. Will use the a/s tires in the summer. I don't track so these are good enough for me. I have no experience with Goodyear tires though.

Once significant snow comes then I will switch to Blizzaks.

And thanks to all the other members who recommended Michelin A/S tires....

I have the Goodyear Eagles on my Acura daily driver and I think they are great for 3.5 seasons, but I still swap them out for snows when MN Winter kicks in (and the Boxster takes a nap).

Same here - had those same Michelins on the car for five seasons now, but I'll be replacing them next spring as they really went over the cliff in the latter part of this season. I thought they lasted well, (40k km) and I was happy with the performance, but next year I'm going with a summer performance tire, most likely the Hankook V12's.

I don't drive my car in the winter (not like those crazy Albertans. eh?), in fact, I just put it away this last weekend.

Yes Mark I have no problem driving the Box in winter . I am retired so I need some excitement....

If you are depending on your Boxster to get you around in snow and ice, I would highly recommend getting actual snow tires. It makes a huge difference. I am using Continetial ContiWinterContacts, which are Mud & Snow rated. And then you can have dedicated summer tires.

Summer tires below 40° (especially ultra, max performance) can be very dangerous, because the rubber hardens, so it is like ice skating. All seasons are not really good at anything. They are not good in snow, they are not very fun in the summer. However, if you are not a spirited driver and have access to another car for blizzard situations, all seasons could be an acceptable option.

-Rick :cheers:

Cheap out on tires on a Porsche is like wearing an Armani suit with sandals.

Continental DWS
 

I put 225/45/ZR17 on front and 255/40/ZR17 on rear then a full alignment. I don't track my car but drive it daily. Excellent tires. I have Michelin A/S on my MB wagon 4-matic and they are very good, as well. I went with the DWS for the Boxster because of several rec's and their known premium quality for a a/s tire. I paid $675 (including tax) for 4 new DWS tires mounted and balanced.

Exactly. That's why it's either the Mich or Good and not Sumi's again. These are the two most expensive options. I went with a set of Sumi ZR II or some such a year and 10k ago to get me home from L.A. because that's what was right there on the shelf. Lots of noise now and inside edge bald.

For comparison to help decide, I do not track it but do step on it and keep my RPMs up. Last winter I went all winter with the Sumi's and really had no problem as I do drive sensibly in wet and freezing weather and on the worst days I just bring my Ranger 4x4 home and leave the PB at the shop. It's just 15 minutes away.

Sorry, what are DWS? Which brand is that?

I don't agree with that. Inexpensive tires are not necessarily crappy tires. There are some excellent low cost options out there, and the biggest sticker price is no guarantee of the best tire.

There are a few tire threads on the forum where members have posted their experiences with various tires ( Yeah, I know, shocking, but do a search if you don't believe me!) Less expensive tires like the Hankooks and Coopers have been given some very high praise.

Continental DWS (Dry, Wet Snow). I am a Michelin guy but these DWS's series seem to have their niche in this market. Again, for the daily driving 12 months a year. You can't go wrong with either brand but from a value and quality standpoint Continental has Michelin beat in this area in my opinion.

Coming up on 12K miles on my Cooper RS-3s. Great performance, low noise level, and wear is excellent.

TO

So what class are the HTZR II or whatever Sumi's I bought? 'Performance' only? At $600/set they couldn't be very highly rated...

1 year, 10k on rears? Fronts look new.

Timco,

I've been using Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs and I am very happy with them.

I get 30k to 32k out of the fronts and 15k to 16k out of the rears.

I purchase them via TireRack and never came close to spending $600 for a set of four including shipping.

I started out with HTR Z IIs, but saw a track ready/prep'ed Cayman in the dealer showroom with HTR Z IIIs and decided to try them.

Just my two cents

MNC-I

These and Kumos were also suggested but I thought the GY or Mich sounded like a step up. The Sumi III's were suggested a couple times but I figured due to lowest cost.

What makes the III's better than the II's? Not impressed with the II.

How's the snow down there?

Bump with OP results.

FWIW, I've been running Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs on my Boxster for daily driving in California, and they are just fine. In dry and wet they handle well and don't have the same road noise of the P-Zero Rosso that came stock on my car. I cannot speak for how they might handle in colder weather/conditions, but they aren't A/S tires so I wouldn't recommend using them in places where there is 'real' winter.

I just swapped out the rear tires, but I'm still on my first set of fronts. I'll have to dig back through the records on what my mileage was, but I got about 2-years of steady use out of the rears and the fronts are still going.

Just took Sumi HTRZ II off and got 1 year and 10k out of the rears. Can't believe how smooth and quiet my ride is. It's like a luxury sports car now. The ride is perfect and silent.