Mbbarron

Looking to purchase 4 new tires (19") for my 2013 LS460 SWB AWD. I typically like to go to Costco for what I believe to be the best deals when they have a promotion of $150 off 4 Michelin tires as they are running currently through the end of Jan. However, open to suggestions if you believe there is a better tire with a comparable deal out there.

Important to me: Quiet, Smooth, long lasting. Good traction is of course necessary but doesn't have to be the absolute best in this area in terms of performance in winter conditions. Performance in rain needs to be decent though.

Costco options:
Michelin Primacy Tour A/S $1,037 OTR
Michelin Primacy MXM4 $1,025 OTR
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 $987 OTR
Michelin Cross Climate2 Not sure on price because it's currently Out of Stock but leaning toward this one and hoping availability will be there before the promotion expires at the end of the month.

In my past reading on this forum, I know that Pirelli P Zero and Continental have come up as recommendations. These are brands not available at Costco in my tire size so I would need to look elsewhere. I currently have stock OEM Michelins I believe.

TIA!

Anfanger

If you get snow where you live, Cross Climate2 is a good choice.

fwhomeboy

I think you got confused on the Pirelli model. Most of us went with the "P7" model and not the "Zero". BTW, I'm in that camp that will only buy these tires for my LS460L 19 inch Touring model.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

Choosing a tire based upon a store's offerings is your choice. But you rule out some other potentially better options when you make this choice. Consider that tires can support or ruin the quiet, smooth ride of this vehicle for the next 30,000 miles and 2-3 years or so, saving $150 sounds insignificant to me. I love my Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus 2 as do several other members here as a suggested great tire.

Striker223

CC2s would be my reflexive recommendation. They are quiet, wear very well, perform quite respectably at the limit and have great response and grip for the most part. They also do great in snow

I use PSAS4s on my RWD since I greatly prefer the feel vs something like the MXMs and I don't plan to drive it in snow. They are quiet expect under stronger impacts they "ring" like a dodgeball so to speak. The MXMs do not do that but that is the main knock against the pilot sports of any type.

SW17LS

My choice there would be the old Primacy MXM4. I got the new Tour on my S560 and I returned them and got the old MXM4 and like them better. They're a little quieter and a little softer. As was said before though, niether tire is as impressive as the Cinturato P7 Plus I or IIs, but they don't come in my car's sizes.

I have 16,000 miles on my set and I drove home from WV last night in a lot of rain and I was surprised by how much hydroplaning I had, so I likely will replace them in a few months. I however have staggered tires and the rears are really wide, so I can't rotate.

Striker223

Im not surprised you had that issue, the MXMs on even my 460 were so bad in the rain I couldn't use more than 1/3 throttle to launch.

Your car is far more powerful, with my PSAS4s I can literally floor it TC off and it doesn't spin in the wet now. Used them yesterday to great effect against a K5 GT who attempted to get in front of me in the rain, he spun 1st so badly it was an easy win. I couldn't imagine getting aggressive in a German 4.0 type car with MXMs!

SW17LS

I'm kind of at a loss as to what to replace them with, there aren't many options out there in these sizes. You put the PSA4s on your 460? What do you think of them ride and quietness vs the MXM4s? The MXM4s ride nice and they're quiet...

Striker223

I was quite shocked by them actually.

I went into it expecting a lot worse noise and harshness, my main goal was a better subjective driving experience so I was willing to tolerate some increase NVH. My candidates were the Goodyear Exhilarate, PS4s, and PSAS4s, the Goodyears got the best reviews for handling directness and quietness while they lacked in the snow vs the PSAS4s.

The PS4s were hopeless in snow so I decided to buy two extra 18 inch rims and equip them with 285 section width tires for summer only. Since I didn't want to have an issue if I got caught in snow I decided the PSAS4s in 245/45r18 all around would be a wise option and they could be rotated more throughly than a CC2, plus they performed better with the exception of snow. I actually used your input that the 460 is better in snow vs the 430 to make my decision since I figure the difference will be made up by the car itself.

The reviews I read made it seem like the PSAS4s would be very loud and bang over surfaces vs the Goodyears.....well I'm happy to say that's not true. The only thing they really do that is unruly is if you hit a pothole or really bad expansion joint they "ping" like a kickball being kicked. It's a faint noise but that's the only thing I noted vs the MXM4s, they are within 1 db at all times on my drive there and back with the different sets. I was not expecting this.

As far as the drive goes the pilots have a very on rails feeling and have a more controlled and solid feeling "glide". Even at 36psi cold and about 40 hot it's exceptionally smooth, even, and doesn't have any of the float of the MXMs. To me they feel smoother since the car feels like it's in greased rails and not having small but noticeable tire induced body motions. They also are very direct, you move the wheel the car moves and that's something I like. Stability at 130 is excellent and road imperfections just are not an issue. The MXMs bounce around at those speeds.

Obviously treadwear is inferior but I won't have them on the car for the full 45k anyway. If I get 30k out of them I'll be exceptionally pleased. Oddly enough my biggest takeaway was braking, these things are insane. I can stop neck in neck with the A8 from 100, it has radically changed how I mentally setup for braking in a bad way for my other cars.

I find myself having actual issues now with my other cars and my braking point if I drive the 460 for a week or two and need to drive one of the others to go pickup something. It's that different.

SW17LS

I typically run grand touring tires, but there are very few available in the sizes that fit my car. The two I am considering are those you have and the Continental ContiExtremeContact DWS 06+

Striker223

Those are a good tire but are not in the same tier of performance, particularly in the wet in general and dry at the limit. The plus version closes the gap a good bit however. Both are decent in snow with a nod to the DWS from what I have seen, the DWS with its softer sidewall is going to be more comfortable/quiet but again.....I'm not sure it will matter as much on your car. The PSAS is extremely close to a full on PS4s in all metrics but has ability to work in snow, the steering feel is also superior if that matters a lot to you. At the limit the AS4 also is better IMO but if you are not maxing out Gs through turns or getting the whole car rotating it won't be a factor.

I'll stop here and say both are exceptionally good options and very much top of their class, I'm just going over the differences. Testing outfits have them trading blows in each article but forum and IRL conversation seems to lean pilot sport most of the time. Reason being is if you are looking for that performance "edge" they have it over the DWS line.

From everything I've gathered about you I would personally suggest the DWS. It will almost certainly be quieter and more pleasant from everything I have seen. You are AWD so again the differences will be minimized expect for a ultra hard, full spool launch with TC VCS full off.

Same story with road noise, both our cars are very quiet so again relatively speaking a bit more noise won't really show up. The tone of the noise becomes more important IMO. My A8 is a bit loud with the AS4s if that's provides any worthwhile info....however it's just not as quiet or refined in general.

fwhomeboy

My goodness people, Let it go before it gets personal. Just buy a set of tires and report back here, please. Be a grown *** man and buy what you feel comfortable with. Goodnight. SMH

SW17LS

Very good thoughts, thank you!

I measured the tread on the MXM4s and I’m at 6/32nds so plenty of life left but they were very squirrelly last night, so I’m tempted to replace them

SW17LS

Who’s arguing in this thread?!

Striker223

Mine were at 7/32 and I felt like I had a 100hp engine in the rain lol! I feel it 100%

Are we arguing? I thought we are just talking about options?