Performance Shocks

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
August 13, 2012

This set of tires came on my Mazda dealer-installed set of 18" RX-8 wheels (they are a Pirelli dealer). Ride quality is acceptable on these low-profile tires; I would have preferred the stock 16" RX-7 wheels, but this rolling stock does give the car a more modern appearance. Driving on broken pavement is harsh with my suspension setup, but that is mainly because the car's previous owner installed performance springs and adjustable shocks for road racing.

On new, smooth roads, the Pirellis ride quietly and smoothly. They steer responsively and stop quickly on hard braking. Dry grip is plentiful and the breakaway characteristics are progressive and easily controllable. Wet grip is adequate, but you can get better rain tires for the money. Fuel economy is also surprisingly good on long freeway stretches – I am getting close to 30 mpg in my RX-7, which is near its theoretical ideal. I'm expecting to get about 15 - 20,000 miles on these tires.

Initial Review, 300 Miles on Tires
June 27, 2012

2001 Camaro SS
Performance Springs, Koni Shocks & Struts, Performance Tubular Lower Control Arms, Performance Tubular Panhard bar, 35mm Front Sway Bars/22mm Rear sway bar, Subframe connectors.

My suspension is tuned for corner carving performance and these tires are TERRIBLE! It felt as I was driving an old land boat! My stock truck felt safer than my car. These tires felt dangerous to drive on in corners and any speed on the highway. Enroute to work I take a curve at 85mph safely with good tires and I could barely drive 60mph with these on the same curve.

The size is 275/40 17 on my car. Different size tires might have a better performance.

Road noise is virtually not there. Didn't drive in snow or rain.

These do have a 30 day return policy which I took advantage of.

Good luck in choosing the correct tire.

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
July 05, 2012

I replaced a NEW set of Continental DWS tires as I had the feeling that they were just a bit to soft for the suspension set-up on the Mazda3 GT which for anybody out there that dosent know Mazda -this suspension is very very firm .in 2010 it was revised to be more ameniable to regular driving yet still has its roots in a performance setup .
Given that the DWS are great tires but fro the right car/ and proabably Truck/ Minivan even better . They were all-around dry-wet-snow hence DWS so I saw that Bridgestone had a new tire the S-04 and the metamorphisis was immediatly noticeable and I cringed while waiting to hit my first road imperfection or pothole because the car is unforgiving with performance tires , alas --I hit road damage and it ate it up without a jarring hit as if I had rolled over a small grenade . My pervious experience with some Yokos that were very hard gave me to blowouts from pothole hits while relatively new ......but these S-04s have been prerforming far beyond my expectations ---gripping like a cat in panic mode and forgiving enough to let you drive in urban enviroments without constant fear of that imminent pothole from -------- that leaves you wondering how much damage that did to the bushings , alignment or tires? These hold like glue and make me pine to get out and just drive even to work ---It makes the car handle like I believe it was engineered to by the Mazda techs . Many may laugh that have thier "bmws" or audis or other cars that people just assume are the best handling cars out there , but those that know Mazda know what I talking about .
I had a chase thru a nasty set of chacanes near the ocean with a Lambo G and the guy could not shake me as he clearly forced me to yield and let him pass as I did --but he never got away from me til we hit the straights where the extra 450hp made the diffirence ,,,but in the twistys he was sweating bullets in amazment or shock ? great tires.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
May 13, 2012

I decided this past winter it was time to buy some dedicated summer tires. Since i have owned my car, i have only had all seasons on it and i was itching for a more higher performance tire. Since my eclipse was my daily driver, i needed a tire that would perform well, but yet keep the essentials still there(noise level, ride comfort, treadwear). After doing lots of research on multiple different summer tires, i ended up with two options, Continental's DW and Michelin pilot super sports. I have heard alot of things about both of them, and despite hearing people raving about the michelins, i went with the conti's. Im glad i chose the conti's. I came from all season tires so the ride quality was somewhat decent, so when i put on the conti's i wasnt really sure what to expect. They actually rode better if not the same as my all seasons. I was shocked in that aspect. As for performance, they can for sure hold their own. They have plenty of dry grip as they kept my car planted the whole through on a twisty road. Since these do have a weaker sidewall, i would not recommend this tire for dedicated autocross but more for a DD and occasional autocross. My brakeing improved as well. Since i don't have abs i found it easy to lock up all 4 at times. With these, not a problem. The wet grip is very nice and the hydroplane resistance is amazing as well. I have driven in downpours and i still feel confident that these tires will get me to my destination.

Pros:
Nice ride comfort for a high performace summer tire
Excellent hydroplane resistance
Excellent grip in both dry and wet situations
Cheap! Versus other summer tires

Cons:
Weaker sidewall

Initial Review, 35,000 Miles on Tires
May 24, 2012

Purchased these tires from Tire Rack about 5 years ago since my vendor (I have a shop) does not carry this brand & I wanted to try them out. Very easy to balance & have not had any problems with tires going out of balance. Fantastic performance on rain, snow & ice, drove in 2 large snow storm 19” & 32” & never got stuck or felt any slipping in fact they push so hard in the snow that even in 2wd I managed to rip off my fog lights from all the snow my bumper was pushing. On a trip to Canada I got caught in freezing rain & kept seeing cars sliding off the highway, it wasn’t until I pulled over to help a driver and fell on my backside that I realized how bad the road was. Hit a very large puddle on the highway at speed & I was shocked at how well they dissipated the water. Loved them so much I put them on 3 other trucks. Very quiet on the pavement for an A/T tire. Used them only once on mud, sand & dirt but so far very happy although they do grab small pebbles and fling them out when back on the pavement. 35k miles on them and still 80%+ tread remaining. Best A/T tire I have owned so far.

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
May 20, 2012

This is my 2nd set of Revo 2's......I also had 2 sets of original Revo's.......I am shocked that somehow this tire's ratings places it 7th in category...when the last few years it's been 1 or 2? .....As to my experience, simply put these are the best all around tires I have ever experienced. Awesome grip, quiet....yes quiet...of yours aren't have your suspension checked.....great looks.....they have handled everything I have thrown at them. On a Ford Expedition, these tires can take this vehicle almost anywhere. Deep snows in Chicago and Boston, off road through rough mountains passes in Colorado (all rocks), thousands of highway miles in high heat of summer, and cold of winter, Ice in Michigan and Arkansas, rain and storms Midwest....all, no problem......Regular rotation at 5k miles, kept at 35 psi, there just isn't a tire that can perform better than these. For the record, I have very high expectations of most things.....and these have exceeded them over the last few years.

Initial Review, 42,000 Miles on Tires
May 20, 2012

I purchased my TL Type S new and have 66,000 miles on it. The OEM were awful. Too stiff, slippery and just plain bad.I only got 22,000 miles out of them. I couldn't wait to replace them with better set of tires. I purchase the Michelins Pilot Sport A/S for their overall better performance abilities. They are far superior than the OEM. They have a softer ride which I love due to my car already stiff suspension. I felt everything on the road before and a long distance ride was uncomfortable. These Michelins are great in the rain/ dry and light snow with a better softer ride without losing any performance capabilities.I drive very fast and aggressive, really punishing the tires and got 42,000 miles before the tires needed to be changed. I recently tried out the Bridgestone Potenzas for the Michelin replacements. They lasted 6 days before I switched back to a new set of Pilot A/S. The Potenza's were too hard, sending any bump or road roughness through my lower back. They are good, but not comfortable for my car's already tight suspension. I love the Micheline's ride , incredible handling, durability and how their aggressive look on my black TL. They look like something the Batmobile would have on it. They are more expensive than the Bridgestones, but their ride and their durability even out their cost. I was shocked they lasted almost 42,000 miles and already have 2,000 miles on the new set.
The Michelins are worth their price. I couldn't be any happier and I believe you won't either.

Initial Review, 8,500 Miles on Tires
January 07, 2011

My car is a 1999 Porsche Boxster that has been lowered via H&R progressive springs, Bilstein shocks and some minor suspension tweaks. I live in Central Florida so I don't encounter snow or ice conditions.



These General high performance tires were a very pleasant surprise. Don't let the moderate pricing on these tires fool you; they are comparable to tires with much higher prices. The dry handling is excellent and so is the wet handling! These General tires really perform with excellent handling and an acceptable ride that is comfortable and quiet. I will definitely consider General tires for any high performance vehicle I own in the future.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
April 28, 2012

This is the perfect tire if you want a comfortable ride but still want to pull some G's on the on-ramp.
The ride of this tire is very civilized considering it's grip. I was very impressed with it's wet performance also. Tire noise?? what noise?? Nuff said.

I would recommend running these on wider rim to improve responsiveness, that seems to be the only concession for the sweet ride. Am running the 245/40-18" on a 9" wheel, it gives the tire a little "stretch" which improves response. Granted, the response in not terrible... but it is noticeable slower than the 245/35-19 wheel/tire combination that it replaced. All talk about "response" goes out the door the first time you traverse a large crack across the road and it doesn't feel like shocks are about to be launched through the hood: )

I have been running these for approx. 4000 miles and they actually feel more responsive now, like they needed to be broken in a bit.
As far as wear, I can't detect any at this point.

Initial Review, 52,000 Miles on Tires
April 22, 2012

I am nearing the time to replace my OEM tires of this type and am shocked at the reviews I am seeing. Because I was so pleased with the performance of these tires, I was comparing them against others available. For the price I don't think they can be beat, however I may pay a bit more and upgrade to the Continental LX20. I will probably have 65000 miles on them when I change and up to this date without so much as a flat. Since the car was new I have averaged about 26 MPG which is at the high end of mileage but then again 90% of my driving is highway.

Initial Review, 24,000 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2012

Vehicle: Scion xD, lower springs (about 1.5 in), after market shocks and struts, heavy duty rear torsion bar, under drive pulley, cat back TRD exhaust, 17" aftermarket wheels with 225/45 shoes.

These tires started out great. The noise wasn't bad, but the grip both wet and dry was excellent. I felt really good about these tires for about the first 12,000 miles. But things have tapered off significantly. Dry traction is falling off significantly as the tires wear; wet traction is still OK, but now I have to think about how I drive when it is wet where as I didn't used to give it a second thought.

My major gripes with these tires are road noise and ride comfort. The road noise just continues to grow as the tires wear and it wasn't great to begin with. Living in CA, we have pretty bad roads (not because of weather but because the roads are never fixed) and you both hear and feel everything with these tires.

I can't comment on the snow performance of these tires. I keep all season tires on all my cars as I do on occasion drive in snow, but my travels and weather have not brought this car into the snow just yet.

I know I drive hard and ask a lot from my tires, but I was really hoping to get a little more out of these. I'm at two years and here I am back at Tire Rack looking for some new tires. For the price, if you need a short term tire you will enjoy, these are fine. If you're going to have the car for a while and you can afford it, I would recommend spending a bit more on a higher rated tire.

Initial Review, 200 Miles on Tires
March 25, 2012

I just purchased these tires and have about 200 miles on them. I put them on my stock Toyota Fj Cruiser and I must say they are a lot different than the stock tires, obviously. Selecting the correct air pressure is essential to the performance, which I'm still tweaking.
The vehicle dives when you hit the brakes hard, therefore I will have to purchase much stiffer shocks all the way around. Remember that under-par shocks will determine the overall performance and safety of the vehicle. If you are willing to spend $300 per tire don't half-------- it and just get some better than stock shocks to match the tire. I have not put many miles on the tires but I can tell that these things are the real deal and are super heavy duty. I had the guys at UPS and the Toyota dealer cursing me because these tires are so heavy and this is without the wheels!! I have spent many years in the middle east driving off road in the most extreme conditions in Afghanistan. These are the tires that are on the HUMMERS!! When you hear other people bad mouthing any tire not just these, it is because the cannot drive! You have to know how to drive on all surfaces and adapt accordingly. These are mud tires not Z rated intended for a Porsche.... Slow down.. Be responsible and upgrade to better shocks for everyone's safety! I love them.. so if you are debating about spending this much.. don't hesitate and get these kick-------- tires!!

Initial Review, 2,200 Miles on Tires
March 23, 2012

- Winter Tires -
Please forgive me... 2200 miles is not a lot of miles.

However, these tire have performed just as the other reviews and articles suggested. Snow traction has been very, very good. Ride has been impressive and I will be purchasing another set for my daughters Subaru Forster XT. Could they be better, yes. Maybe a higher speed rating but out side of that I would recommend them in a heart beat. Get tire warranty as I did hit a pot hole at low speed and blow a side wall. My fault. The soft rubber provides that great cold weather traction and ride comfort. With a 225/45/17 tire there is not a lot of side wall to take the shock, punishment, and pinch.

Turn in and turn out are accurate in the cold, snow, and icy conditions. Stopping was sure and consistent in all conditions. Ride improved with these tires which made for a happy wife.

Overall my personal rating is an 8/10 nothing is a 10/10. Buy! Speed rating of Q.

Initial Review, 80,000 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2012

Gmc Canyon 4x4, S-10 4x4, Honda Ridgeline, Toyota 4Runner, All 4 wear LTX M/S. My Canyon just got 3rd set of LTX's, second set got 80,000 miles. S-10 is on its 4th set, it's pushing 200,000. 4Runner is still on 2nd set at 55,000 miles, truck has 130,000. Michelin was very acommoidating to warranty replace all 4 on my Ridgeline at 35,000 miles 7/32 tread left for cracking tread and sidewall. I worked in the tire industry several years back and found through experience that Michelin makes a superior product in most of their product lines. My BMW has stock 18" PS2's and My 09 V6 Accord has 18" stock Michelins. The Max performance Michelin's I have used are unprecedented for traction & handling, 25,000 for wear is common for me. Over 30 years of personal tire buying my advice is to pay a small amount more up front and in the end you will be better served for the life of your tires. I have used Goodrich, Uniroyal, Firestone, Yokohama, Goodyear,& Bridgestone, all fall short in long range performance. Only the Yokahama and Bridgestone were close in long life ride comfort, as well as tread wear. Please take my comments seriously, I have had literally hundreds of personal and business tires and Michelin as a company has serviced me better than the other manufactures. If you regularly maintain the alignment and shocks on a vehicle & check your air pressure, The Michelin will in general wear more evenly and maintain a better ride longer, not to mention service you more mileage on most of their product line.