As a few others mentioned I went with the Pirelli P Zero A/S Plus and have been very happy, we have had a decent amount of snow recently and they have handled it with ease. I tend to be a slightly more spirited driver so I wanted the higher speed rating (W) for better cornering performance, however the ride is very good and noise is low also. Out of the tires you mentioned I would probably go with the premier as it is the latest and greatest, I saw a few people mention the lower tread life and I wouldn't worry about life expectancy especially with a company like Michelin they will take care of you if they wear out prematurely. I personally look for the best performance to cost ratio and mileage is a secondary concern, too many put way to much emphasis on how long they will last I worry about how safe they will be.

 

the speed rating is for heat, not handling....and the other thing about UTQG is they are self-reported and cannot be used across brands.

Agreed Michelins are also notorious for dry rot. Michelin's official stance is that doesn't affect performance lol and that tires only last 6 yrs. regardless of mileage.

 

Occupational reference

 

I think it's all inclusive of the tire's characteristics, in respect to speed.

From NTB's website..."The speed rating tells you the speed the tire can safely maintain over time. A higher speed rating usually means you will have better control and handling at higher speeds — and that the tire can take the extra heat. As a general rule, tires with higher speed ratings also handle better at slower speeds."

 

0317 Marine Corps scout-sniper!? Semper Fidelis brother! ONE SHOT, ONE KILL.

 

OP, you probably seen this. Michelin has this new Cross Climate + which seems to have good performance from test results. I been looking at different tires since I probably need a set here soon. Let us know what you decide.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...RatingsReviews

 

In 2015, I bought a set of Michelin Premier A/S for my 2001 LS430. 245/45/18. Have been very satisfied. So much so, when I bought my 2005 LS430, I swapped the wheels on my old car to the new one.

Still driving these tires. Probably have 25K miles total. Zero complaints. They handle well. ride smooth and quiet. No problems in the rain.

I am in San Diego, so minimal feedback on snow and ice.

 

i currently have the defender t plus h and can’t stand how much you feel the road with these tires in the steering wheel. Every little bump and vibration is transmitted. Do the premiers offer a softer, smoother ride??

 

Absolute quietest tires according to testing:
2020 ADAC 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test: 3-way tie Rotalla RU01 S Pace; Maxxis Victra Sport 5; Nokian PowerProof
2020 ADAC UHP Summer Tire Test 225/40 R18: Continental Premium Contact 6
2020 Auto Motor und Sport 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test: Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test: Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
TheTireLab: Vredestein Quatrac 5

However, noise isn't everything for most people. You should care about how well the tire grips the ground in both wet and dry. When considering grip, longevity, and comfort, I think the best summer tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (6yr/30,000km warranty), which ranked:
1st of 16 tires in the 2020 ADAC 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test
2nd of 11 tires in the 2020 AMS 18 Inch Summer Tyre Test
3rd of 20 tires in the 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test.

I just installed them in Sep/2020 and they are ~85-90% as quiet as my Primacy MXV4, and the grip and handling is exceptional - much, much better than the MXV4, which had rather poor grip on wet roads.

My spare tire is a Premier A/S, factory spare from 2002, as the Premier A/S has a 6yr/100,000km warranty, which is 70K more than the Pilot Sport 4, which indicates the rubber is designed to last a bit longer.

In my research, no other brand's tires in the same category as the Pilot Sport 4 (Ultra High Performance Summer) offer ANY warranty, so the fact that Michelin offers a 6yr/30,000km warranty on an Ultra High Performance Summer tire signals pretty high quality.

 

I have the Premier A/S 17" they are quiet and give a soft ride in my opinion. Been riding on them for 6 months. I switched from 18" wheels with Pilot summer tires. The tires were quiet but due to wheel size i could feel all the bumps.

 

Just picked up the LTX version last Thursday, warranty replacement, shot at 43k. imho the Premier are excellent tires with a FATAL FLAW. Premature treadwear.

To save their reputation, Michelin increased the tread depth from 8.5/32 to 10/32 on the LTX version, but my understanding is that they did not on the sedan version. So to have garages telling you that they recommend new tires in the mid 20';s is not uncommon with these.

I would not get them for a sedan based on the 8.5/32. On our car this worked out to 43k and shot, but we got around $260 warranty credit and a new set was $460 out the door. On our SUV.

I scoured the web and could not find any info. So how do you know your Premier LTX is the DT model i.e. 2nd gen i.e. 10/32? (DT=Different Tread) It says "DT" on the sidewall (below).

I'm going to get the Pilot Sport AS/3+ unless it's 4+ next year. I'm not driving so no need to replace my all seasons this year, winters will be going on in < 45 days.

And I won't mention any names but a friend bought from that online etailer with shops and they refused to give him more than $30 each, when his same tires were worn at 39k. I don't even want to know the details but his tires were same as ours and he was $900+ out the door after warranty, when Costco was $460. So I'm going to stick with Costco who honors the warranty and no hard time given.

 

At first I was concerned when I saw pieces of the tire falling off. It's so soft rocks stick to the tread. But there is actually nothing to worry about. Michelin calls them emerging grooves. We drove through a tornado warning / rain at 2/32" and maybe it's me, but the tires actually seemed fine. Michelin claims they are safe when new, safe when worn. Again, I like the tires other than how fast they wear, and so I only use the LTX for the SUV, not sedan, version...

 

As a follow-up to my post, I still have the Michelin Premier A/S tires on my 2005 LS430. Tire mileage is now at 31K miles. I have been driving these tires for almost 5 years now, on two different cars. A mix of highway and city driving, mostly in Southern California. While there might be a bit more noise than before, they still handle well. I have zero complaints.

 

We had the Michelin Premiers replaced under mileage wear warranty. We drove through a tornado warning type of rainstorm at 2/32". I tend to believe Michelin's claim that they are still good when worn. It does defy what we were always taught about how tires should look, I mean how many here eyeball tires and when they look worn, get new ones. That spawned an entire secondary industry of tires with 2/32"-4/32" used tires for sale for folks who don't have that kind of disposable income. I just wouldn't get them since the sedan version starts at 8.5/32", it's missing 1.5/32". The warranty will cover it, but why not get what one pays for....though even high performance tires like the PSS also got shaved to 9/32" down from 10.

 

As a follow-up to my follow-up, mileage on my Premier A/S is now about 34K miles. They still handle well, but are noisier. And they seem to be wearing faster. I stopped by Discount Tire this past week (the dealer I have used) to have them take a look. Tread is now at 3/32 - in spots a little worse. The technician said the 60K pro-rated warranty won't kick in until they get to 2/32. He also said these tires don't wear well in SoCal, and are better suited to an Oregon / Washington kind of climate. A little cooler, where there is more rain and snow.

I looked back through my receipts, and I bought these exactly 5 years ago, $1140 out the door. A little bummed about the wear issue, but $230 per year for tires is pretty good. Started thinking about replacements, been looking at tire reviews, evaluating what's next. Earlier today I pulled the trigger on a Black Friday ebay sale on a set of Ohtsu FP8000 tires. These are the Chinese version of the Falken FK452, a high performance summer tire, now discontinued. With tax, shipping, and installation at a local Firestone store, total came to $497.84. Yeah, I know they are going to wear a lot faster, but even if get 20K miles out of them I will be coming out ahead.