[Drivaar]

I'm so happy with the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires that I wanted to share this short write-up I did on the general forums...

I think it may help some of you make the same jump I did to a quieter, more comfy, but still very performance-oriented tire!

---

After having the Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my stock 335i for two years or so, I recently downgraded to the new Pilot Sport A/S 3. Here are some comments after the experience:

Pilot Super Sport

• If you're interested in a max performance summer tire, there really is no other choice than the PSS... It's much better than the old category leader (the Pilot Sport 2) -- much longer treadlife, much more grip, and lower price. You have to be a complete idiot not to buy it if you were a big fan/user of the PS2 (unless you want to give up perf and save some $).
• The only real downsides to the PSS are cost and slightly rougher ride compared to its peers. But the grip level is about 5-10% higher, which is astounding.

Pilot Sport A/S 3

• I downgraded to the A/S 3 because it basically performance the same as the old PS2, Pole Position S-04, etc... so it's really the equivalent of a "pre-PSS" Max Performance tire in many ways...
• But it's also quieter, less harsh on bumps, has much longer treadlife, and can handle heavy rain and even light snow (though NOT heavy snow)
• The snow issue is the trick with this tire... basically is a little bit sketchily advertised as an all-season. In the A/S 3 reviews on the web, you'll notice that Michelin didn't show any results on snow.
• This seems like the no-brainer tire for anyone who wants great (but not peak) performance while balancing other qualities, as long as snow performance is not really needed.
• I was initially worried whether the A/S 3 could handle the torque of 1st gear (stock) -- it can, with no slip.
• The other benefit I noticed with the A/S 3 is that you get less feedback from lousy road surfaces... feedback is great on perfect roads, but if you live in a city with broken/bumpy/uneven roads, it's really nice not to get all that info back, IMHO!

I hope this info is helpful... Time for the other tire manufacturers to step up their game!