Car Springs

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
December 27, 2012

This is the first all-season tire I've ever purchased for my BMW, and to say I'm pleased would be an understatement. While admittedly not an ultra high performance summer tire, they are at least a three-season tire with 80-85% of the performance of a dedicated summer tire, and I'm still using them in December, amidst ice and snow in Colorado! These tires have broken my age-old resistance to all-season tires once and for all, since they handle light snow and ice admirably, far better than I would have expected (and that's saying a lot with an older BMW without benefit of traction control or other traction aids). My confidence in them is so good that I have so far resisted changing them out in favor of my Michelin X-Ice set. Further, Michelins' quality control is superb: unlike other competitors tires, such as D***** and B**********, these tires seat well and never require the weekly pressure check/inflation so common on other brands (and this is true of all Michelin tires, in my opinion). Furthermore, they are QUIET, and extremely comfortable, with good road manners and suppleness, while generating almost all of the grip of my previous set of maximum performance summer tires (which were uncomfortable, noisy, and harsh, with limited tread life). These tires can easily be driven well into the late autumn and early spring, in light snow and inclement weather, in great confidence. I can't yet comment on their tread life, but given the fact that I have had them on the car for more than 6 months and can't see any appreciable wear, I'd say they are head-and-shoulders above any other tire I've used on this car in my twenty years of ownership. In summary, I can't say enough nice things about this tire. Will certainly buy again!

Initial Review, 800 Miles on Tires
December 27, 2012

Bought these tires back in October as kind of a fluke, I wanted a set of winter tires and with wheels and everything it came out to 600ish for the 4. So why not..I got them and wouldn't you know it, no snow till now (Euclid). I put them on Chirstmas morning when I had to travel to Rochester, and before putting them on I took the car around the block with my normal all season tires, and struggled getting back up a hill with maybe 7 degree incline. I didn't want to put them on just because I knew once I got out of the mountains it was going to be nothing but dry pavement, regardless I put them on. Was I AMAZED. I was comfortably doing 65mph on back roads, 40mph around foothill type roads with turns. Traction was amazing, the back end was a little loose, but I fixed that problem by putting 3 of my all seasons tires and wheels in the trunk. (Hey at least they were good for something.)

So here we are now, Euclid just came through and dropped about a foot, and I had to be out the door and on the roads at 6 am this morning, before anything but the major roads were plowed, and nothing stopped me. I was passing full weight pick up trucks because they weren't going fast enough.

What I have found with these tires is that the steering is kind of sloppy, (Feels very soft.) and that trying to get traction in slush that the plow trucks clean up is also a P.I.T.A, but in fresh unplowed, or minimally plowed snow, these tires are amazing. The only regret I have is not getting them studded when I had the chance.

Gas mileage has decreased about 4-5 MPG's, but for the sense and security that I have with these tires, and knowing that almost no winter weather will stop me, there are worth every penny.

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
December 06, 2012

After extensive research I purchased a set of these tires to replace noisy tires from previous owner (Mazda 3has more than average road noise). Immediately road noise was silenced through he life of these tires. Ended up replacing with a new set of the same tire due to a gouge in one tire around 50,000 miles, which is a shame as the tires still had "DW" and close to "DWS" left. I have driven more than 65,000 miles on this tire and it has handled everything - from high speeds to MN winters. Most impressive was a time in spring where I was forced off the road onto the shoulder by a semi, going 80mph and the car somehow never missed a beat on wet gravel. Highly recommend these tires.

Initial Review, 80,000 Miles on Tires
December 08, 2012

Bought a set of these tires for my Neon 5 years agoand they have performed flawlessly. I drive 80 miles a day mostly highway and they cut through water without Hydroplaning at all up to that is when I got down to the wear-bars. Even so before I could switch over to my Snow tires we got hit with a freak snowstorm and I was able to drive home on the snow and slush covered road where others were slipping and sliding around I couldn't believe how good they were still performing even being worn out. The tires were also much quieter than the previous tires on it. Car has 185,000 on it and going strong I will get another set for the spring time and enjoy another 5 or 6 years with them.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
December 04, 2012

Replaced the OEM Pirelli PZeros with these. At first I was weary of all-season tires (some call them no-seasons), but now I am definitely sold! When new, the Pirellis had better traction at ambient temperatures over 60 degrees, but not by much. However, at cooler temperatures the Pirellis are useless compared with this tire. My Mustang is now drivable, even spiritedly, at cool or even sub-freezing temperatures. Note that I do NOT intend to drive my Mustang in snowy conditions. I have an alternative vehicle for that. However, it is nice to be able to enjoy my Mustang on dry winter days, or even on most spring/fall mornings.
Here in Iowa, for a daily driven car, these all-seasons will outperform summer tires 9 out of 12 months in a year. Another point in favor of these Good Year all-seasons is that I expect a lot longer tread life from them. The Pirellis only lasted me 10K miles.
I have driven quieter tires than these Good Years. However, compared to the noise the Pirellis were making near the end of their life, they were a much welcome relief. Traction is a lot better than I expected. Another thing I like is that the loss of traction is more gradual and more predictable. The Pirellis’ were the opposite. As a result, there is less axle-hop upon launch. Steering feedback is good, and the car feels well planted. I haven’t driven these long enough yet to comment about their tread wear, and I won’t be driving them on snow.
I would definitely recommend these tires for a daily driven high-performance vehicle in higher latitudes where you won’t get the most from summer tires’ temperature-sensitive compounds throughout most of the year.

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
November 13, 2012

I would prefer the Michelin Pilot Sport A/s Plus ....ran those for the 1st 50K of miles on car through heavy snowfall in winter of 2010. Replaced in Winter of 2011 with the Continentals and have around 50K and they should be replaced prior to winter. There was no heavy snow in 2011 so really don't kow how well they could have performed Continentals are a liitle louder IMO but the difference in price is significant so will most likely purchase the Continentals again. Didn't notice a difference in wet / dry performance .

Initial Review, 70,000 Miles on Tires
November 11, 2012

I drive 35K+ per year, 365/24/7. I have had these for just over 2 years, shy of 3 full winters and they are by far the best tire I have ever had on the car (RWD, 1 1/2-ton roadster). They are so good in wintry conditions that I am half-tempted to de-sandbag the rear axle in snow/ice, were I only not so totally petrified of death/dismemberment...

Here's a thing:
These tires actually track better in wet conditions than they do in dry. On dry roads -- specifically, when doing a 'moderate' takeoff from a left/right signal light -- they tend to break loose the tiniest little bit; not enough to be dangerous, but enough to make your heart skip a beat. A lot of that has to do with the car, too; you can find a lot of video of Skys pulling an unintentional doughnut on a right or left turning takeoff; the center of gravity is right below the driver's seat. But, when you get this tire into wet conditions, it seems to get tackier and the grip is very nearly unbreakable, within the confines of any *reasonable* driving technique.

I highly recommend this tire for its longevity, price, and superior winter- and wet-handling (which is when you really need the best performance, imho). I bought these from Tire Rack and was very pleased with the prompt service and best pricing I received. It's just a shame I won't be able to buy from them this time, as they are out of stock (and listed as 'New' item?) and I am in fairly immediate need. Thank you, Winter Storm Brutus.

When I do find some of these in stock somewhere, I intend to mount the four new ones on my stock rims and keep the outgoing pair on their current non-OEM rims, and then ride the old ones for another spring-autumn season. If you can find these, buy them!

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
October 22, 2012

The first thing I should mention is that about 99% of my driving is on highways, and about 1% occasionally off-road.

I really wanted to like this tire. However it has sorely disappointed me.

There must be horrible quality control and consistency with the manufacture of this tire because some reviewers are reporting good wear, but I have been closely monitoring mine and at the current wear rate they will be bald at about 28,000 miles. Remember, Kuhmo claims a 60,000 mile warranty on these. This rapid wear rate is occurring despite the fact that my vehicle gets regular alignments to the preferred specs. and is kept at the preferred tired pressures. And it is not the very few off road miles that have caused the wear. The vehicle had only 17k miles on it when the tires were first put on and all suspension components are tight, so that is not the problem either.

Initially they balanced as smooth as glass, however upon the first rotation, an intolerable imbalance appeared that can't be cured despite repeated road force balancing on calibrated equipment. The rims are true. I simply can't wait for these to wear out, which looks like sooner than later, so I can get something different.

I have driven in various mountain snow conditions all my life and how these got the mountain snowflake symbol (thus implying something special) is a mystery to me. They are nothing special in the snow and perform about the same as the basic all-season tire they replaced.

Here is a warning to those with 4 cyl. cars. These tires have very high rolling resistance. Mine is a 4 cyl. and once I switched from the stock tires to these it felt as though 10 horse power suddenly disappeared.

I've got over $900 tied up in these, but they are behaving like 30K tires that cost a fraction of this. Frankly, IMHO these tires are either way overrated, or Kuhmo must get their act together and focus on consistancy and quality control of their product.

Initial Review, 1,200 Miles on Tires
October 23, 2012

'13 GT (brembo / track pack) Car came with PZero summer only, which worked tremendously as long as temp is above 50F. No plans to drive car in any snow however in NH we have quite a few days in the fall and spring that are obviously below 50. Wasn't ready to "park it" for the winter so ordered these with a set of ford track pack wheels.

Steering and handling - no noticeable change. Progressive break-away, recover nicely as well. Steering response / turn in just as immediate as the PZeros. Does provide a bit more feedback information through wheel (mostly because of stiffer sidewalls)

Braking - Under hard braking tire does induce more ABS action however still can generate similar braking #s. Wet road braking is probably better than PZeros

Ride / Comfort - Do ride stiffer than the PZeros. Road noise is lower. No change in tracking for car

Wet traction is great; equal to PZero. Zero issue with hydro-planning.

Dry traction is more than adequate but not nearly the bite that PZeros have (provided it was 50 degrees out). My best 0-60 time on Pzero was 4.2 with these it's 4.5 (according to onboard track app)

Overall = Good looking tire, tremendous in wet conditions, rides very quiet. Ride is stiffer and dry-road traction is 90% as good as summer only tires.

Tire-Rack Service : Ordered tires at 3:00pm on monday afternoon. Had them on my car by 10AM tuesday (next day). Wheel balance is spot-on.. no shakes or vibrations on speeds fast enough for a few week stint in the pokey ;)

Initial Review, 100 Miles on Tires
September 25, 2012

So far 100 miles on these Michelin Pilot ss barley broken in and they feel like champain quality in every performance area.They are almost too good for my RX-8 like a class up on it. Might be because I have 100,000 miles on it. I put 4 of these tires on with new Mazdaspeed shocks, Mazdaspeed lowering springs and a cold air induction K&N intake system all at once. The car runs and handles like new.I highly recommend doing this even a little at a time. These are better than the PS2 tire 235/40/18 do fit all around. Still havent put these through some real hard driving yet, will report back with some feedback in time. Did shift across two lanes hard with just two fingers on the steering wheel and it was amazing! steering response that is. It felt like my internal abdominal organs suddenly shifted!I was there in a second! Total control is outstanding! 6-speed 2005 RX-8

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
September 20, 2012

Just about to start my 3rd winter on these tires. Can't say enough about them, excellent in just about any winter driving. Even in conditions where I see other cars around me slipping and wobbling these ones keep me solid. Only downside is you definetly have to take theme off quickly in the spring. Very soft ride on dry pavement and they seem to wear quickly too.

Initial Review, 16,500 Miles on Tires
September 22, 2012

This is my 3rd set of 18" tires on my CTS I was able to get 35K on the OEM Bridgestone Potenzas which I was happy with but I wanted to try the Michelin Pilot Super Sports after reading some possitive reviews. I had them put on at 72K miles on the car right before I took a driving vacation from S. Florida to Western N. Carolina. These tires were awesome on those tight steep mountain roads. Back home here in Florida we have had a very rainy year and it rains very hard here. I do not have to slow down on the expressway during a heavy rain these tires are that good. I now have close to 89K on the car (16K on the tires) and the tread looks like new. I can easily imagine getting 50,000 miles on these tires. I don't think they look as nice as the Potenzas but they certainly make up for that in other areas.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
September 20, 2012

I had the original tires on this Shelby and they were 4 years old when i bought the car. I hated this tire with a passion, I thought it was just absolutely horrible. THEN, I got a brand new set, night and day folks. I went from a car where I could come around a cloverleaf onramp and roll on the throttle and immediately get the car in a drift to a car that can ---- near have the pedal to the floor and still just plants to the ground around the corner. Launching used to be horrendous because the old set just spun and you'd hit second gear and the ------- end would be going side to side until you were doing 70. With this new set, you can get a solid launch from higher RPM in 1st, when you dip second it'll leave maybe 6ft of rubber but she hooks and you're GONE. I had the tires installed and immediately left on a 5,000 mile trip up into Canada and down to South Carolina back up to Maine and ending back in upstate New York. The tires had some road noise to them but that is to be expected of performance tires. I used to run Pirelli Pzero Assymetricos and Michelin Pilot Sport 2's and they both were as noisy. It was nowhere near unbearable and the ride comfort was A ok. The only time you notice a rough ride is when you're on bad asphalt or cobblestones. In my opinion, I'd definitely buy them again, especially considering tire rack sold me them for around $660 for the set and Ford quoted me $1940 not even installed. Final note, the last set went 26,000 miles before I replaced them and that was because I burnt up the rears, the fronts still had a good bit of tread on them. Thank you tire rack!

Initial Review, 9,852 Miles on Tires
September 08, 2012

Live near Grand Rapids, Michigan and last year was a VERY mild winter. Bought the CR-V Ex-L from Brad at Rivertown Honda April 2012 and have yet to need a rotation, but will be in for service very soon. Great car tire combo for all conditions we have seen to date, but no snow of any real kind yet...Yikes!! May opt for a winter set after reading the above post. CR-V is AWD, but that means nothing when trying to stop. Love the Honda, the dealership, and the tires. If there is a better all around tire I would like to know. All ears.

Initial Review, 6,213 Miles on Tires
April 22, 2012

This is my second set of tires on a car with a problematic (but manufacturer denied) problem for front tire cupping/feathering due to front end geometry/suspension alignment. Orig. bridgestone tires I was able to get 15500 miles before replacing and they were highly overdue with heavy front end rumble due to cupping, backs were also worm although true and required replacement. Differences I have found with these tires vs. the bridgestones... given I live in Ontario... these are useless under 45°F or cooler temps with wet roads. Maybe on a different car in temps that consistantly range 60°-??? you might get better wear... just haven't seen it on my Z, trying to milk late autumn / early spring rides which may have done more hard than good. Rear tires I should be able to get another year? or 6000 miles from, but am considering a whole new set of something else given my disappointment in how fast fronts have worn (with front end set to Man. specs)