Tire time.

[Montana]

So. I recently threw up a topic on several mechanical issues, that I got a little bit of help but basically got redirected towards a shop. Understandable seeing as it's hard to say what something is from a distant. However, this question can surely be answered with much more ease.


I currently live in Montana, however, I am moving back to Seattle within several months, right after I fix my car basically.

And one thing on my list is new tires; I am no gearhead, I just drive.

I did a little bit of research and figured that I will be wanted three season over all season any day living in Seattle, as there is no snow. [I'll handle the few months here very carefully with the snow, although, there is no snow outside now.. weird.]



Any solid recommendations on tires that preform well in the rain?
05 LS


Kudos to anyone to has input, let's hear the recommendations.

Thank you all again.

 

[stugots]

Summer tires are the best in dry and wet conditions only when its warm enough. Since Seattle can still get below freezing, all seasons are probably your best option.

Look on tire rack, it really depends on how much you want to spend. They have some pretty good comparison videos too, I don't feel like looking them up at the moment.

 

[mastan]

A couple of months ago I put on a set of Goodyear Eagle GTs. So far I've been very happy with them. I needed an all season tire that wouldn't break the bank. The tread is very aggressive looking and it took a while to get used to, but I've learned to like the look. The ride is very similar to the Michelins that they replaced. The Goodyear dealer threw in a cool poster too! So far I've had them in heavy rain and snow and they've performed very well.

 

[rsimmons1]

I have Cooper Zeon Sport AS and have no complaints... but they're discontinued. The newer version is the Cooper Zeon rs3-a and only ~$140 each. I'll probably need new tires next year and plan on getting those.

 

[rallyusa]

Just put on Michelin Pilot Sport+ A/S within the past 2 months, best tires I've ever had in the rain or dry pavement hands down. A little pricey (about 850$ installed) but worth every penny.

 

[gcwimmer]

Just put on Michelin Pilot Sport+ A/S within the past 2 months, best tires I've ever had in the rain or dry pavement hands down. A little pricey (about 850$ installed) but worth every penny.

+1 and good in light snow(4 inches), I'm on my second set.

 

[joegr]

Just put on Michelin Pilot Sport+ A/S within the past 2 months, best tires I've ever had in the rain or dry pavement hands down. A little pricey (about 850$ installed) but worth every penny.

I've been very happy with them as well.

 

[LS4me]

Just put on Michelin Pilot Sport+ A/S within the past 2 months, best tires I've ever had in the rain or dry pavement hands down. A little pricey (about 850$ installed) but worth every penny.

I've been very happy with them as well.

Had a set that lasted all of 12K miles. I have had Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Positions and like them very much! I can't speak for snow, but in the rain they are excellent. They are pricey, but Costco had a coupon.

 

[joegr]

Had a set that lasted all of 12K miles. ...

They have great traction, so the rubber is kind of soft and sticky. If you spin the tires much at all, you'll get down to the wear indicators pretty fast. I go though back tires much more quickly than front ones.

 

[LS4me]

They have great traction, so the rubber is kind of soft and sticky. If you spin the tires much at all, you'll get down to the wear indicators pretty fast. I go though back tires much more quickly than front ones.

It was actually pretty weird. With the pressure set at ~31psi the centers were completely worn but the outer tread had loads of tread.

 

[gcwimmer]

It was actually pretty weird. With the pressure set at ~31psi the centers were completely worn but the outer tread had loads of tread.

Sounds more like the original Pilot Sport A/S not the new Pilot Sport A/S PLUS.

 

[StarPower]

Had a set that lasted all of 12K miles. I have had Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Positions and like them very much! I can't speak for snow, but in the rain they are excellent. They are pricey, but Costco had a coupon.

I had those on my last car (CL55 AMG) and I loved them. They had better dry traction than the Potenza RE050 (Summer performance tire) that came on the car and excellent wet traction.

I only had them in snow a couple of times. They seemed pretty good in light snow, but I wouldn't recommend them for heavy snow/blizzard conditions (once the front bumper turns into a plow it's time to stop anyway).

 

[joegr]

Sounds more like the original Pilot Sport A/S not the new Pilot Sport A/S PLUS.

Maybe so. My A/S + tires wore evenly all the way across. I run about 32 to 35 PSI.

 

[Talbotway]

I have the Cooper RS-3's and I love them. Handle very good with a 500 tread rateing and still affordable

 

[msgtusmc]

I put the Goodyear Assurance tires on wife's LS last year. Rated up to 51psi. I run @ 38 psi. Good wet & dry traction. Tie-rods wore out 2 months after installation ruined front tires. Had to replace again! Good price! No noise!

 

[LSV8FAN]

My 2005 LS Ultima came equipped with Michelin MXM4 tires. When it came time to replace them, I opted for the little more aggressive tread (since I live in the Chicago area) of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus; these are of a directional tread design with better traction rating (AA), 235/50 ZR17 (for more details, you can look up the differences between the 2 tires on the web). In winter I noticed more of a rumble noise when driving, most likely due to the colder/stiffer rubber in combination with the more aggressive tread; don’t have that rumble noise in the summer. Also, the fuel mileage was affected; I am getting 1.5-2 mpg less with the Pilot Sport. In my normal route to work the mileage was 18.5-19 mpg with the MXM4; with the Pilot Sport it is 16.5-17 mpg. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus look to be a bit better in snow than the MXM4, but, when the time comes to replace the Pilots, I think I'll go back to a non-directional thread design equivalent to the MXM4's.

 

[blwnbyu]

I am extremely pleased with my new Nitto Motivo's. They are all season, do great in the rain and snow, and have a 60,000 mile treadware warranty!