Advice needed: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S vs. Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S
05-18-06, 02:50 AM
#17
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I have my Michelin Pilot A/S for about a year....then mounted sponsored tires by Dunlop (Direzza).
Bar none...I loved the Michelins...great in wet weather...very sticky.
Pete
Bar none...I loved the Michelins...great in wet weather...very sticky.
Pete
05-18-06, 08:41 AM
#18
Originally Posted by RA40
I'd say that if you like the Michelin, stick with it. If curosity and the willingness to gamble, then the Pirelli at $100 savings per tire is enticing. 
You are doing the same drill as I am.
You are doing the same drill as I am.
05-18-06, 01:58 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by RA40
I'd say that if you like the Michelin, stick with it. If curosity and the willingness to gamble, then the Pirelli at $100 savings per tire is enticing.
You are doing the same drill as I am.
You are doing the same drill as I am.
i normally would have just gone with the michelins without thinking twice, but yeah the price difference after everything makes it a lot harder, especially since the michelins and pirellis get almost identical ratings in every category.
the so-so good news is that i can get the michelins now for $259 installed vs. $202 for the pirellis, so the difference after tax now is only $250... both costco and discount tire are offering $50 off on top of that. so total after tax for michelins = $1066, and total for pirellis = $820. it's still like a 30% premium for the michelins...
i don't mind spending more money on a quality tire. the yokohamas that come on the GS are about $275 and they suck. i am tempted to give the pirellis a shot, but i just don't want to make a mistake. i mean $820 is a lot of money and if i hate them after a few thousand miles, i will be kicking myself.
05-29-06, 09:24 PM
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Hello all,
I have owned or am currently running the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S on my 98 GS400. I put between 25-30K highway miles per year on my car and run dedicated snow tires in the winter (my car now has over 194K miles). I run a staggered set up on a set of 18" Volk wheels (9" on the front and 10" on the rear). I have been driving the same drive for the past several years, so no significant conditions changed during my experience with both tires. The Pirelli is currently on my car and they have close to 40K miles on them. By a large margin, I prefer the Pirelli over the Michelin for the following reasons:
1. Over the life of the tire, the Pirelli is much quieter
2. The mileage I have gotten out of the Pirelli vs the Michelin is close to 2 times (the Michelin got just about 25K). My current front tires still have a good amount of tread left on them while my rear tires will need to be replaced in the next 5,000-7,500 miles.
3. I wore the centers out of the Michelin very fast due to the 3 tread compounds that the tire is comprised of (the center being the softest). I do check my pressures on a consistent basis, so this was not due to over/under inflation.
4. The ride comfort is significantly better with the Pirelli, while at the same time providing good handling given the heft of the GS400 (within the limits of my Bilstein/Eibach setup)
5. I have experienced no significant tramlining at all with either tire.
6. In my opinion, the Michelin is slightly better in the rain, but not by a significant margin.
7. I had trouble in aligning the front of my car with the Michelins (the car would pull to the right even when within specs). I ultimately had to have the right front placed outside of Lexus specs while running the Michelins. Per a conversation I had with a large region tire dealer that was performing the alignment as well as who roadforce balances my tires on occasion, Mercedes-Benz even went as far as issuing a technical bulletin highlighting this issue on M-Bs. I did not confirm this statement.
8. Value - The Pirelli is a better deal. That being said, if I felt the Michelin was the better tire, I would be switching back as the cost differential would not influence me to purchase an inferior tire. In addition, I am not a loyal Pirelli tire fan who would purchase any tires they make. For instance, I run Dunlops as my snow tires. Also as a point of reference, I have tried Dunlop's SP9000, Bridgestone's S-03 and Nitto's 555 in the past. The Pirellis are the first of all these tires I intend on buying another set.
I wish you well in your buying decision and I hope my experiences help you in some small way.
I have owned or am currently running the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S on my 98 GS400. I put between 25-30K highway miles per year on my car and run dedicated snow tires in the winter (my car now has over 194K miles). I run a staggered set up on a set of 18" Volk wheels (9" on the front and 10" on the rear). I have been driving the same drive for the past several years, so no significant conditions changed during my experience with both tires. The Pirelli is currently on my car and they have close to 40K miles on them. By a large margin, I prefer the Pirelli over the Michelin for the following reasons:
1. Over the life of the tire, the Pirelli is much quieter
2. The mileage I have gotten out of the Pirelli vs the Michelin is close to 2 times (the Michelin got just about 25K). My current front tires still have a good amount of tread left on them while my rear tires will need to be replaced in the next 5,000-7,500 miles.
3. I wore the centers out of the Michelin very fast due to the 3 tread compounds that the tire is comprised of (the center being the softest). I do check my pressures on a consistent basis, so this was not due to over/under inflation.
4. The ride comfort is significantly better with the Pirelli, while at the same time providing good handling given the heft of the GS400 (within the limits of my Bilstein/Eibach setup)
5. I have experienced no significant tramlining at all with either tire.
6. In my opinion, the Michelin is slightly better in the rain, but not by a significant margin.
7. I had trouble in aligning the front of my car with the Michelins (the car would pull to the right even when within specs). I ultimately had to have the right front placed outside of Lexus specs while running the Michelins. Per a conversation I had with a large region tire dealer that was performing the alignment as well as who roadforce balances my tires on occasion, Mercedes-Benz even went as far as issuing a technical bulletin highlighting this issue on M-Bs. I did not confirm this statement.
8. Value - The Pirelli is a better deal. That being said, if I felt the Michelin was the better tire, I would be switching back as the cost differential would not influence me to purchase an inferior tire. In addition, I am not a loyal Pirelli tire fan who would purchase any tires they make. For instance, I run Dunlops as my snow tires. Also as a point of reference, I have tried Dunlop's SP9000, Bridgestone's S-03 and Nitto's 555 in the past. The Pirellis are the first of all these tires I intend on buying another set.
I wish you well in your buying decision and I hope my experiences help you in some small way.
05-30-06, 07:19 PM
#22
Originally Posted by HawksBAC
Hello all,
I have owned or am currently running the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S on my 98 GS400. I put between 25-30K highway miles per year on my car and run dedicated snow tires in the winter (my car now has over 194K miles). I run a staggered set up on a set of 18" Volk wheels (9" on the front and 10" on the rear). I have been driving the same drive for the past several years, so no significant conditions changed during my experience with both tires. The Pirelli is currently on my car and they have close to 40K miles on them. By a large margin, I prefer the Pirelli over the Michelin for the following reasons:
1. Over the life of the tire, the Pirelli is much quieter
2. The mileage I have gotten out of the Pirelli vs the Michelin is close to 2 times (the Michelin got just about 25K). My current front tires still have a good amount of tread left on them while my rear tires will need to be replaced in the next 5,000-7,500 miles.
3. I wore the centers out of the Michelin very fast due to the 3 tread compounds that the tire is comprised of (the center being the softest). I do check my pressures on a consistent basis, so this was not due to over/under inflation.
4. The ride comfort is significantly better with the Pirelli, while at the same time providing good handling given the heft of the GS400 (within the limits of my Bilstein/Eibach setup)
5. I have experienced no significant tramlining at all with either tire.
6. In my opinion, the Michelin is slightly better in the rain, but not by a significant margin.
7. I had trouble in aligning the front of my car with the Michelins (the car would pull to the right even when within specs). I ultimately had to have the right front placed outside of Lexus specs while running the Michelins. Per a conversation I had with a large region tire dealer that was performing the alignment as well as who roadforce balances my tires on occasion, Mercedes-Benz even went as far as issuing a technical bulletin highlighting this issue on M-Bs. I did not confirm this statement.
8. Value - The Pirelli is a better deal. That being said, if I felt the Michelin was the better tire, I would be switching back as the cost differential would not influence me to purchase an inferior tire. In addition, I am not a loyal Pirelli tire fan who would purchase any tires they make. For instance, I run Dunlops as my snow tires. Also as a point of reference, I have tried Dunlop's SP9000, Bridgestone's S-03 and Nitto's 555 in the past. The Pirellis are the first of all these tires I intend on buying another set.
I wish you well in your buying decision and I hope my experiences help you in some small way.
I have owned or am currently running the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S on my 98 GS400. I put between 25-30K highway miles per year on my car and run dedicated snow tires in the winter (my car now has over 194K miles). I run a staggered set up on a set of 18" Volk wheels (9" on the front and 10" on the rear). I have been driving the same drive for the past several years, so no significant conditions changed during my experience with both tires. The Pirelli is currently on my car and they have close to 40K miles on them. By a large margin, I prefer the Pirelli over the Michelin for the following reasons:
1. Over the life of the tire, the Pirelli is much quieter
2. The mileage I have gotten out of the Pirelli vs the Michelin is close to 2 times (the Michelin got just about 25K). My current front tires still have a good amount of tread left on them while my rear tires will need to be replaced in the next 5,000-7,500 miles.
3. I wore the centers out of the Michelin very fast due to the 3 tread compounds that the tire is comprised of (the center being the softest). I do check my pressures on a consistent basis, so this was not due to over/under inflation.
4. The ride comfort is significantly better with the Pirelli, while at the same time providing good handling given the heft of the GS400 (within the limits of my Bilstein/Eibach setup)
5. I have experienced no significant tramlining at all with either tire.
6. In my opinion, the Michelin is slightly better in the rain, but not by a significant margin.
7. I had trouble in aligning the front of my car with the Michelins (the car would pull to the right even when within specs). I ultimately had to have the right front placed outside of Lexus specs while running the Michelins. Per a conversation I had with a large region tire dealer that was performing the alignment as well as who roadforce balances my tires on occasion, Mercedes-Benz even went as far as issuing a technical bulletin highlighting this issue on M-Bs. I did not confirm this statement.
8. Value - The Pirelli is a better deal. That being said, if I felt the Michelin was the better tire, I would be switching back as the cost differential would not influence me to purchase an inferior tire. In addition, I am not a loyal Pirelli tire fan who would purchase any tires they make. For instance, I run Dunlops as my snow tires. Also as a point of reference, I have tried Dunlop's SP9000, Bridgestone's S-03 and Nitto's 555 in the past. The Pirellis are the first of all these tires I intend on buying another set.
I wish you well in your buying decision and I hope my experiences help you in some small way.
06-01-06, 01:42 PM
#23
I'm on my second set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and I can confirm that the last set ( bought last June ) does not exhibit the 'pull to the right' that my first set did. I'm very happy with the A/S's, but I can only compare them to Nitto 555's and there is no comparison, A/S's win by a long shot.
06-01-06, 10:04 PM
#24
Originally Posted by TeeLex
I'm on my second set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and I can confirm that the last set ( bought last June ) does not exhibit the 'pull to the right' that my first set did. I'm very happy with the A/S's, but I can only compare them to Nitto 555's and there is no comparison, A/S's win by a long shot.
03-21-08, 10:52 AM
#25
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i don't mind spending more money on a quality tire. the yokohamas that come on the GS are about $275 and they suck. i am tempted to give the pirellis a shot, but i just don't want to make a mistake. i mean $820 is a lot of money and if i hate them after a few thousand miles, i will be kicking myself.
Do you have an update on this? I am in the same question - what to choose for 2001 GS430 stock 17"?
I have Michelin PS2 for summer and very happy with them. But for spring/autumn I'd like Pirelli more - they are non-directional and Pilot A/S is directional.
What about balance/vibration and tramlining? My car is _very_ sensitive (or picky
) and tends to shake a wheel on some tires/wheels which she doesn't like. 
04-19-08, 07:19 PM
#26
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I just sold a 98 GS 400. I had all kinds of problems with balancing issues due to after market wheels. I had to return to the stock 16" wheels and put on p zero nero's, The Lexus dealer could not get the zero nero's road forced ballanced. Bad steering wheel vibration. The dealer recommended putting on Michelin PS MXM4's (touring tire). I thought he was nuts. Brand new P zero nero's would not balance and Michelin MXM4's would. He was right. My 98 GS 400 would not accept 18" after market wheels nor would it accept P Zero Nero's. Runs great on stock 16's and MXM4's.
05-07-08, 05:00 AM
#27
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Are you speaking of Pirelli PZero Nero M&S PINNA RFT vs Michelin? I own a 06 GS-300 and need tires. I specifically want runflats, but am not sure which to buy. I do not like the Dunlaps (noisy) and am not finding all season Michelin runflats. I, too, am trying to read reviews on TireRack and agree, it is hard to compare with different cars. Any help would be appreciated.
05-07-08, 12:16 PM
#28
I've had Continental ContiExtremeContact in 18" - not on SC430 but it's same tires - and it's been great. No complaints. I've had Michelin before but no personal experience with Pirelli and I would say Michelin and Continental are on par but Continental's price is just too attractive compared to Michelin.
05-09-08, 01:19 PM
#29
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I have Michelin PS2 for summer and very happy with them. But for spring/autumn I'd like Pirelli more - they are non-directional and Pilot A/S is directional.
What about balance/vibration and tramlining? My car is _very_ sensitive (or picky ) and tends to shake a wheel on some tires/wheels which she doesn't like.
What about balance/vibration and tramlining? My car is _very_ sensitive (or picky
) and tends to shake a wheel on some tires/wheels which she doesn't like. 
Here is my review - just left it on the tirerack:
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S, 2001 Lexus GS430, 235/45/17. OEM wheels, Billstein HD shocks.
These tires are definitely not for this car and my driving style (+30-40 km/h
).My car is very sensitive to disbalance, and these tires are giving a lot of shaking, especially at colder weather (less then +15C). Once warmed up (and weather is warmer then +20C too) - then it's quite OK.
Overnight's flat spot is significant. Sidewall is _very_ soft (sometimes I even forgot that I have new shocks!).
Traction - acceptable. Could be better (comparing to my summer Michelin Sport PS2), but good enough. (keep in mind that PS2 - is a completely different category).
Winter ice/snow traction is not tested, but I think it would be rather bad then good (judging by thread pattern and compound). Anyway, these tires are not for day-to-day snow driving (especially on a 300hp RWD car).
Comfort (except steering wheel shaking) very good. Tramlining is non existent, no noise, riding is _very_ smooth. Also good feature - tires a non-directional, so they can be rotated left-right.
Verdict: IMHO these tires would be good for comfort riding on a car which doesn't prone to experience wheel shaking (e.g. on my Buick I would notice 30gr misbalance!
), but still want to have enough performance to control the car (e.g. for the emergency brake/stop) - not compared to "plastic tires" - "lifetime" 100K+ miles thread warranty.For my Lexus - I would not buy again. Stick with the Michelin - PS2 for summer and (I think) Pilot A/S for spring/autumn.
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