Continental vs Michelin Tires

P

pz303

New member
 Illinois
Hey Everyone,

First time caller, long time listener :)

My 04 Z4 is coming due for new tires. It's not on stock rims but they are the stock sports size. (225/40-18 Fronts and 255/35-18 Rears). Currently, it has BFG G-Force RFT's on it. They were brand new when I bought the car. They are also VERY loud on the road.

I'm looking to change to non-RFT's and so far, i've narrowed it down to:
Michelin Pilot Super Sport http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...&autoYear=2004&autoModel=Z4 3.0I&autoModClar=

or Continental ExtremeContact DWhttp://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...&autoYear=2004&autoModel=Z4 3.0I&autoModClar=

Right now I'm leaning towards the Continental because of price and I've had good luck with them in the past. I've heard a lot about the Michelin's but are they $238 better? My car is a daily driver and though I'm in Illinois, a good snow gets my SUV out of the garage so I'm not too concerned with snow.

Anyone have any thoughts or preferences between these two? Perhaps any other suggestions?

Thanks!

-Jeff
 
Hi Jeff ..
I was in your situation last Fall.
Contact Rudy at Tire Rack.
He was a great resource. I'd explain to him what you plan to do with your Z.
He can advise what would work for your application.
Also you can compare and print the tech on both tires.
Also ..Rudy reviewed a previous snow tire order and noticed I had purchased tire pressure monitors that were not necessary on Canadian cars. He arranged a refund !

I don't expect to track my car. Im looking to use it as a light touring car for runs down to New England
I ended up with the Michelins.
I have had them on for a couple of weeks and that's not enough to discover any shortcomings. They look alot wider than the stock Bridgestone Runflats.
So up til now Im thrilled with the tires.

One more thing ..Tire rack shipped to Canada with absolutely no issues or additional charges..right to my door.

Cheers
John in Whitby Ontario
 
pz303, welcome to the forum.... :thumbsup:
I consider the Michelin Pilot Super Sport to be the best tire out there for the Zed.

That said, I have been using the Continental ExtremeContact DW now for the past 2 years. When you read the reviews it comes down to very little difference between the top rated tires with the Michelin SS usually coming out on top. There is a pretty good cost difference and my local dealer stocks the Continental ExtremeContact DW in most sizes. This become important should I need a replacement tire quickly since we don't carry a spare. I'm sure you would be pleased with either tire as they are both quite good. Wednesday of this week I will be getting my 2 rear Continental ExtremeContact DW's replaced. They lasted 20,000 miles. My front tires have about 1/2 their thread left. Let us know what you decide and how you like your choice.
 
Thanks guys for the reply. I'll reach out to Rudy and see what he suggests as well.

I find it very interesting that from this post, to reading these forums and others, to a bunch of friends replying to a Facebook post where I asked the same question, I have gotten about 99% of the votes for Michelin. Yet, like WLH, so many still do not use them.

I suppose the big question for me is this: Michelin's are apparently the better tire, but why? Better ride? Better performance? Quieter? Longer tread life? All of the above?

Thanks!

-Jeff
 
The PSS is not available in a huge number of sizes, so if you have anything less than 18" wheels you'll be lucky to find them.

They're also not available in some of the OEM 18" sizes, and the ///M owners have to fit 265/40 or 275/35 rears - rather than 255/40.
 
mmm-five said:
The PSS is not available in a huge number of sizes, so if you have anything less than 18" wheels you'll be lucky to find them.

They're also not available in some of the OEM 18" sizes, and the ///M owners have to fit 265/40 or 275/35 rears - rather than 255/40.
Click to expand...

They have the OEM sizes in the US at Tirerack.com
 
Another member of this board (Shipkiller) who is not that active here wrote a review of the DW tire. I have copied in his review which would be my review save for his comment concerning use on the track which I have not done.
After four track days with the stock ContSportContact tires I knew I had to get rid of those tires. Sorry Continental.
So I went looking for a better tire for my Z4M Coupe.
I had to lean heavily on TireRack's scoring of the types of tires I researched.
I drive my car every day along with 10 or so track days a year.
My prerequisites were as follows:

1. Excellent Dry Grip
2. Good Turn in response
3. Good tire communication to the driver
4. Good Wet grip.

Turn in response and communication are subjective and must be look at in that respect.
Dry grip is a measurable quantity and these DW tires are only very slightly below only a few other tires on the market.
Wet grip puts these tire ahead of the same tires I used for dry grip comparisons plus they have a better tread wear rating.
Looking at those factors and knowing I needed good wet grip for my day to day driving put these tires at the top of my list. What put them at the top was that they were slightly cheaper than the others in the same performance group. Wow, it's a win...

Dry grip. On the street these tires are quiet, seem to be softer and ride better than the stock tires.
On the track these tires are major steps up from the stock tires with respect to dry grip and response. These tire also communicate well to the driver. On long, fast constant radius turns the tires scream at you and then they start to drop in pitch when they are getting to their threshold of grip. This is a big plus. When they DO let loose, they do so in predictable manner and it is very easy to correct.

Wet Grip. On the street, these tires are sure footed and are very hard to lose grip. It takes a determined person to accomplish this. Even in free standing water. They just work. This is an extreme confidence builder on a high performance car where your normal extremely grippy dry tire has some wet weather issues.
I have no track time in the wet but had a day at the skidpad. These tires were very hard to break way into a slide and keep the drift going. They would just find the grip again and keep you pointed in the direction you wanted to go.

One more point. These are Extreme Summer tires and are not specifically designed for operation below 40', but here in Virginia where the current temperatures at the time I write this are in the high 20's to low 30's I find that there are no real issues at all with respect to the performance of the tires. Just don't get stupid.

Wear. Mounted the tires in August of 2010. Being daily driven and after six track days it's now Dec and I have 5000 miles on these tires. I expect to get a minimum of 15000 miles on these tires before I have to start to think about a new set. This in my opinion is great....
Would I recommend these tires to another driver? Yes. I already have.
Click to expand...
 
JasonLHall said:
They have the OEM sizes in the US at Tirerack.com
Click to expand...
That's excellent news :thumbsup:

Hopefully this bodes well for them to start offering that size in Europe :headbang:
 
Hey Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I spoke with Rudy at TireRack (Thanks John) and he recommended the Conti's. That, as well as WLH's and ShipKillers review. I have actually used almost every Tutorial that ShipKiller has done when working on my Zed, so I trust his opinion.

Also, with the little extra i save with the Conti's, i can invest in a nice can of fix-a-flat if i ever get a flat. :D

I'll check back in a few weeks and let you know how I like them as well as some photos.

-Jeff
 
Purchased my Michelin PS2 ZP's from Tire Rack and found these tires amazing. Sorry, just not into fix-a-flat or carrying a compressor. If I get a flat, I like the idea that I can still drive to my destination.

Good luck in your purchase pz303. :driving:
 
Hey guys,

Got the new tires installed today. The local installer Tire Rack recommends happens to be the same place everyone i know in town recommends. They did a great job and were really nice.

I got the Conti DWs and all i can say is WOW, what a difference! She is riding much smoother and quieter. Have not driven very long but i can already tell it is going to be like getting an entirely new car. Coming from BFG G-force is a huge difference in looks as well, but i'll get used to it.

The only issue I had was the flat tire light came on during the drive home. Any recommendations to get it to turn off? I know new tires can have a tendency to do that.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Z4-1.jpg

new%20tires.jpg
 
BSVA said:
Purchased my Michelin PS2 ZP's from Tire Rack and found these tires amazing. Sorry, just not into fix-a-flat or carrying a compressor. If I get a flat, I like the idea that I can still drive to my destination.

Good luck in your purchase pz303. :driving:
Click to expand...
+1
Makes like a different car compared to the OEM Potenzas

Even the Mrs notices the significant improvement in ride and noise and the handling ,transformed .
 
pz303, let me suggest that you check the tire pressures then reset the low pressure light and all should be fine.
 
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