pilot super sports - Still the tyre to go for?

[Nanogy98]

I'm ready to replace the Pirelli run craps on my F30 328i.

Are the pilots still the best tyres to go for or has something better came along? I noticed they were a bit cheaper than they were before.

Cheers

[nickfrog]

I don't know of a better all round road tyre. It even takes a few Ring laps in its stride.

[Nanogy98]

The contisport contact 5 seems to get rave reviews. However not sure if it's suited to the 328i?

The sizes are

225/40R19 Y 89 255/35R19 Y 92

Am I OK to just get the same size of tyre although I'm replacing with non run flats? I seen a few people saying something about that in another thread.

Cheers

[jamieduff1981]

If there is something better, I haven't found them yet.

I just recently replaced the latest model of Pirelli P-Zeros with Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the back of my XFR-S. The treads were well down on the back but loads left up front, and I lost my temper one morning when I couldn't accelerate with a Nissan Joke from a damp roundabout up to 70mph. I've used PSS before on another Jag and loved them.

The XFR-S now accelerates well in the wet (it wasn't as bad when the Pirellis were new) but now it's noticeably understeery when pushes hard which it wasn't when new. My conclusion is that the PSS on the rears are considerably stickier than the 16 month old Pirellis on the front even in the dry.

They're great tyres

[Sump]

Yeah they're great. Much better than the Pzeros they replaced on the Db9.

Waits for the poor people to come striving in with the Falken 452s that beats any tyre on a Toyota Prius 2012 Vin starting with A4544 on a dry road at 28.6 degrees with a 6 degree incline.

[cib24]

Michelin PSS are very good on the road but are not really up to the task on the track, but I guess that's ok because it's labeled as a street tire anyway. On the track they take about 2 laps to warm up and then only last for about 3-4 laps before overheating. Plus, the sidewalls are WAY too soft for circuit driving and cause a lot of understeer. Having said that, on the road they grip in all conditions at the more normal speeds you will be traveling compared to driving on a circuit.

[zygalski]

nickfrog said:

I don't know of a better all round road tyre. It even takes a few Ring laps in its stride.

Equating a good everyday road tyre with lapping the Nurburgring? Interesting.....

[delta0]

Sport contact 5 and soon 6 are the king at the moment as far as I am aware. I've only seen the sport contact 6 on the new Civic Type R.

[EricE]

Michelin Pilot Super Sport is still the best UHP tire in the dry.
According to various reviews Continental Sport Contact 5 has slightly worse overall performance (comfort/harshness, noise, longevity, dry handling) but better wet performance. MPSS can be a handful in standing water so most reviews I've read place the Sport Contact 5 as the #1 choice for daily use.

Allegedly there's also a Sport Contact 5P (for performance) out now that's better than the MPSS in all aspects but I haven't found much information on that tyre other than that it's an OEM fitment on the new BMW M3/M4 and owners like it a lot.

Edited by EricE on Monday 31st August 18:26

[snoopy25]

whats wrong with linglongs these days?

[nickfrog]

zygalski said:

nickfrog said:

I don't know of a better all round road tyre. It even takes a few Ring laps in its stride.

Equating a good everyday road tyre with lapping the Nurburgring? Interesting.....

Yes quite interesting. Except I haven't equated it to anything. Still, many of us use the PSS as a great Ring tyre (to get there, lap and drive back). I am well aware of its limitations and I am always careful no to overheat it, which is not difficult as the long straights massively help to cool it down, not to mention that I rarely venture over 8/10ths there. A Cup 2 would be a different compromise.

What's your experience of the PSS at the Ring ?

Edited by nickfrog on Monday 31st August 20:12

[Leins]

EricE said:

Michelin Pilot Super Sport is still the best UHP tire in the dry.
According to various reviews Continental Sport Contact 5 has slightly worse overall performance (comfort/harshness, noise, longevity, dry handling) but better wet performance. MPSS can be a handful in standing water so most reviews I've read place the Sport Contact 5 as the #1 choice for daily use.

Allegedly there's also a Sport Contact 5P (for performance) out now that's better than the MPSS in all aspects but I haven't found much information on that tyre other than that it's an OEM fitment on the new BMW M3/M4 and owners like it a lot.

Edited by EricE on Monday 31st August 18:26

Never had an issue with PSS in the wet, and have them on two of my cars. They are a massive improvement in dry conditions over the PS2 they replaced, but also significantly better in the rain

[kambites]

They're a decent compromise of dry grip and wet-weather ability; I'd put them about joint with the Eagle F1 Asymmetric overall, depending on how stiff you like your side-walls; the PSS feel significantly "sportier", the flip-side being that they're less comfortable.

Obviously for any specific circumstances there will be better tyres out there.

[nickfrog]

F1s are great but a significant step down from the PSS in most areas in my experience of both.

EricE said:

Allegedly there's also a Sport Contact 5P (for performance) out now that's better than the MPSS in all aspects but I haven't found much information on that tyre other than that it's an OEM fitment on the new BMW M3/M4 and owners like it a lot.

M3/M4 OE tyre is the PSS AFAIK - in quite a different league to the SC 5 or 5P.

Edited by nickfrog on Monday 31st August 20:15

[JonV8V]

Had them on my 6 for the last 25k miles and had more punctures than I've had in the last 250k miles of motoring. I've also had more vibration and wheel issues.

Great tyre but I'm finding them hard to live with for other reasons even if it might just be bad luck

[Leins]

kambites said:

They're a decent compromise of dry grip and wet-weather ability; I'd put them about joint with the Eagle F1 Asymmetric overall, depending on how stiff you like your side-walls; the PSS feel significantly "sportier", the flip-side being that they're less comfortable.

Obviously for any specific circumstances there will be better tyres out there.

They still feel like floating on a bed of particularly bubbly bubble-wrap compared to the evil that is an RFT

[carl_w]

Yoko AD08R? I've had several wet winters and they've never disappointed me. Bit like rocks in the cold though.

[Ali_T]

Had the PSS on my Evo and couldn't see what the fuss was about.

[EricE]

[quote=nickfrog]

M3/M4 OE tyre is the PSS AFAIK - in quite a different league to the SC 5 or 5P.


18" is PSS only. 19" can be PSS or SC 5P.

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=...

[roystinho]

I would have always put supersports on my cars after using them. My current car is only running 16'' though so not available. Ended up putting AD08Rs on. Now I think that depending on what your using the car for would make me choose between these. More regular driving with weekend hooning and occasional track day I'd go for the Michelins. However, the more hooning and track days I think I'd go with the Yokohamas. They seem ok in the wet too which is not what I expected