Michelin Pilot Supersport vs. Extremecontact DW

[zhpnsnv]

I've had the unfortunate opportunity to have both of these tires on my car in the last two months and thought I'd post some impressions for anyone looking for new high performance SUMMER tires.

Extremecontact DW:
- reasonably priced
- excellent tread wear rating for a tire in this category
- VERY comfortable, quiet ride
- once broken in, sticky when pushed, but a little bit "numb"
- great in rain, standing water
- backordered all over the place right now except for tirebuyer.com (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=SX71HVGMNEk&offerid=227517.11&subid=0&type=4)

Pilot Supersport:
- successor to PS2
- couple hundred $ more
- less impressive wear rating (300 vs. 330)
- just as quiet and comfortable
- completely mind boggling initial and sustained grip
- incredible turn-in
- wider section-width (like the beefier look)

The Pilots are CLEARLY on another level of performance compared to the DW. The DW will leave people wanting for nothing, really, unless they're going to the track. The Supersports are definitely overkill for normal, daily driving, but this passion is all about overkill, isn't it?

In the end, I'm happy to end up with the Supersports since I'm pissed at continental for not making their freaking tire. I'm also happy to have them because they are really incredible tires that seem to be a "do-everything" type of product. They're not only seconds faster than PS2s on the track, but they're comfy and durable - win/win! So this gives me an excuse to take a wrong turn and arrive at a track with my ZHP one day. Oh well...

[danewilson77]

Thanks for the review Marc.

I would also like to add that TireBuyer.com (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=SX71HVGMNEk&offerid=227517.11&subid=0&type=4) is one of our affiliate advertisers. (See all affiliate advertisers here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?229-List-of-Affiliate-Advertisers-at-ZHP-Mafia).)

[kayger12]

Great info. Thanks for the write up. Leaning towards the Supersports when the time comes.

[zhpnsnv]

Had them in EXTREMELY heavy rain, standing water today and they were awesome. Definitely took a lot more to break them loose around corners than the DW, but that's all down to compound since I wasn't cornering quickly in standing water.

[JohnnyGraphic]

Thanks for the real world input! I've had several different tires on my ZHP and always come back to the PS2's. Glad to hear that the PSS's are even better!

Johnny

[cakM3]

nice writeup Marc. I too went with the PSS for the ZHP and couldn't be happier :thumbsup

[zhpnsnv]

No problem. You know, if you wanted to buy a Ferrari 458 Italia, it would come to you with Pilot Supersports on it! haha

[nike001]

As stated in my own thread... I'm probably going to be getting the Michelin Pilot SS's. Thanks for the reinforcement

[zhpnsnv]

Glad to help. I have a bit of a tire fetish. Between my past cars (e30, e46) and current (r53, e46), I've owned more sets of tires than I'd care to share or even attempt to count. These are shaping up to be well beyond the best of the bunch.

[billschusteriv]

Good stuff to consider when I go to wrap my Style 73's in summers.

BlackBerry. Tapatalk. Fixed.

[cakM3]

Also love the tread pattern of the super sports :thumbsup Awesome traction in the rain :biggrin

[Len013091]

DWs here, not much bad to say about them, but I've had a set of PS2's and they left nothing to be desired.

[zhpnsnv]

Yep, I'd have been happy running the DW for the life of them, but something jumped up at me on the turnpike at 80 mph and shredded the sidewall. Couldn't find a replacement.

[Rovert]

Cool review. I just mounted some DW's on my car. I wanted decent treadwear with decent handling. I have come from Toyo T1S, T1R, and Falken FK452's. I'm guessing the DW's are very similar to those tires? I only have a few days on the tires so far and they are super quiet and the grip seems more than enough for street....I've already gotten in trouble with the officials for exploiting the road gripping BMWness of my car.

[danewilson77]

Cool review. I just mounted some DW's on my car. I wanted decent treadwear with decent handling. I have come from Toyo T1S, T1R, and Falken FK452's. I'm guessing the DW's are very similar to those tires? I only have a few days on the tires so far and they are super quiet and the grip seems more than enough for street....I've already gotten in trouble with the officials for exploiting the road gripping BMWness of my car.

Hi Trevor :hi

[Cadeez]

Michelin PSS FTW... I need new tires badly, and that's what I'd like to go with. I have the PS2's and they rock! Now hopefully My worldwide sex-slave ring becomes profitable soon so I can afford them.

[spencers]

Yeah I've been looking at the Pilot Super Sports or the Z1 Star Specs myself. Leaning towards the latter

[nike001]

I'll bump this thread up a little. When i posted in here, I was pretty much set on the Michelin PSS's but I figured that since I dont really do any tracking or extremely agressive driving, I should just dumb it down and get the Conti DW's. I figured this because 1. they're cheaper. Also because from what I've read, the conti's are harder and will give me a longer tread life (which would be good)

Terra also told me that he hasn't had good luck with conti's. Whether it be bubbling sidewall or blowing them out. The warranty on the PSS's help too.

Now, I can make the stretch to the PSS's but I'm unsure if it'd be worth the extra ~$140 (tirebuyer.com) I AM 19 so I'm a pretty spirited driver and there are plenty country roads around here that I buzz around on more than frequently. So I'm not only driving on city + highway roads. But would the PSS's STILL be too agressive?

I don't really know. Anyone care to shed some light on this situation?

[M0nk3y]

I'll bump this thread up a little. When i posted in here, I was pretty much set on the Michelin PSS's but I figured that since I dont really do any tracking or extremely agressive driving, I should just dumb it down and get the Conti DW's. I figured this because 1. they're cheaper. Also because from what I've read, the conti's are harder and will give me a longer tread life (which would be good)

Terra also told me that he hasn't had good luck with conti's. Whether it be bubbling sidewall or blowing them out. The warranty on the PSS's help too.

Now, I can make the stretch to the PSS's but I'm unsure if it'd be worth the extra ~$140 (tirebuyer.com) I AM 19 so I'm a pretty spirited driver and there are plenty country roads around here that I buzz around on more than frequently. So I'm not only driving on city + highway roads. But would the PSS's STILL be too agressive?

I don't really know. Anyone care to shed some light on this situation?

It sounds like you need Hankooks ;)

Look up Hankook V12s. Cheap and just what you need

[nike001]

The whole time I was writing that, I was wondering who it would be that was going to recommend me the Hankooks lmao

EDIT: just read all sorts of reviews on TireRack for them. To be honest, I thought about these...but I just looked them over. I just figured they can't live up to the other tires like the Pirelli/Michelin/Bridgestone big boys.

I think im getting these now :|
Thanks M0nk3y, without you...I'd probably still be spending double the amount of $$

[Rovert]

I've been driving easy and hard with my new DW's. They seem to be predictable enough to feel and know when you are asking them of something they don't want. I haven't gone into a full on understeer or oversteer yet as I'm still learning it's attributes. But hammering the throttle in the rain in 1st and 2nd gear through a turn is yielding nothing but tenacious enough grip for the DSC system to not intervene. This is something you would never do in normal driving. A PSS is for someone who has the standards of wanting THE BEST out of their tire even if they are driving 60% of it's capacity. The DW is for someone who is slightly more budget conscious but still wants to have decent feedback and fun while still having no problem getting in trouble...LOL.

[nike001]

Haha thanks Rovert. Now since monkey told me to get the V12's, I'm deciding between them and the DW's. Probably going with the v12's since the DW's are on backorder via tirerack. And about $100 more on tirebuyer than tirerack.

[Rovert]

The V12's were on the top charts! So if their is a great deal to have of them then go ahead. The reason I made this choice and waited 4 MONTHS for them was because noone else had them and I wanted to feel them for myself to help guys like you make a decision. The V12's been out for a while and has really made a good impression with price/performance. The DW stepped it up a notch so I had to try it.

I just had a run in with an E28 M5 just 15 minutes ago. We got into some corners at full limit of each our cars. While he has more power and got me in the straight, I felt totally comfortable going right to the limit for the 1st time with ASC off (quick single DSC press). The tires bit good...there was a bit of softness that I felt compared to my bald Toyo T1R tires with no rubber travel but the chassis held in the S bend with no sign of tire squeal. As I pushed a little harder than normal with an M5 tight on my rear, I felt a tad of understeer. It was a soft slightly mushy sliding feeling, not a hard stutter which was easy to bring back with some extra throttle to initial a slight oversteer as I came out of the corner with the DW's progressively bitting to gained traction for full acceleration up the straight away as the M5 slowly passed me. What a rush! These tires really give good feedback. I think I would like a tad stiffer sidewall, even being on a 235/35/19 and 265/30/19, but it's easy to become accustomed to and you can adjust your driving technique from there. I need my wheels on PSS' with the same road to feel the difference now! These DW's did great and I get it a stamp of approval!
:thumbsup

http://farmwars.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Approved.png

[M0nk3y]

The whole time I was writing that, I was wondering who it would be that was going to recommend me the Hankooks lmao

EDIT: just read all sorts of reviews on TireRack for them. To be honest, I thought about these...but I just looked them over. I just figured they can't live up to the other tires like the Pirelli/Michelin/Bridgestone big boys.

I think im getting these now :|
Thanks M0nk3y, without you...I'd probably still be spending double the amount of $$

Alot of people do overlook them.

3 Years ago when I got into these tires people asked me. Hankook, what tire is that?

I ran them on my E46 and they were wonderful, no complaints and they performed as I expected. Now I'm saving up to buy the Hankook RS3s. I just wish they made cheap R-Comps now ;)

[danewilson77]

I had the V12's. Loved em.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[ZSP-Mafia]

I had the V12's. Loved em.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

+1

Very happy with my V12's as well.

[webster]

bump cause i need new tires. probably gonna go with the hankook v12s with the standard 225/255 f/r setup. so much performance for the money. should be able to get them shipped and installed for ~750. will be doing this in about a month.