New tires always feel better than worn out tires. It's a lot harder to judge when they're both new.

 

I've got nearly 18K on my PS2s, mostly on a stock suspension.
My treadwear in the wide grooves shows 2mm more to the inside than the outside. New is 8.5/32 and mine are now at 4.5 inner, 6.5 outer.
I don't drive like Ayrton Senna all the time, just some of the time, but I'm pretty pleased with the wear.
When I bought these tires, I was hoping for 25K, and I may actually get there, but since lowering with the JICs and adding the F-Sport sways, wear would be expected to increase a bit, from driving style if nothing else.

My suspension mods are in pursuit of better handling, not purely for looks, and the changes I've made with the help of this forum have resulted in a dramatically better handling IS.

When I had a modified VR6 GTI on BBS LMs & PS2s, lowered with KW VIII coilovers, everybody said lower it some more, but they didn't understand it had been up, down, all in pursuit of handling. Where it ended up was a result of what was best for cornering, not looks. And it was an exceptionally good handling car, even as the miles piled on and the coilovers softened up a bit, all I had to do was dial a few more clicks into them. Plus, all you had to do was pop the hood/trunk (I added remote rear adjusters), and you could dial up-down your rebound settings, up for spririted mountain driving, down for a drone on the interstate.




With the IS I have ended up at a "tight" 1 finger gap, this seems best for cornering and, fortunately, gives sufficient clearance/articulation for regular use. And it's low enough that it is visually appealing. If I can get 20K out of a set of PS2s with this setup I'll be pleased. What I am very pleased with is the performance of the Michelins even at the 18K mark, they grip fantastically, are still superb in the wet, and really have me looking forward to my next set.

 

If tire life was your first concern, and ride comfort, performance and sound were secondary considerations, what tire would you recommend?

 

Nope....my Bridgestones felt like crap since the first day I drove my car off of the lot brand new. So therefore, I can notice the difference.