I've owned Potenzas, Conti DW, and Michelin PSS all from new on various Astons. The Potenzas were "ok" at first but hard as rocks once they started to wear. The Contis felt a bit floaty on some highway surfaces and made me feel a bit uneasy driving them. The PSS felt good in all driving conditions and were very quiet. I can't wait for the Potenzas on my 2015 to wear out so I can replace them with a "proper" set of PSS.

 

Karl-Franz, thanks for the insight on your experience. Since the PSS are quite a bit more costly than the Conti ExtremeContact, do you think it's worth the difference in perceived quality? I'm aware the PSS are generally rated tops. Are they much quieter to ride than the Contis?

 

007 Vantage, thanks for your insights, much appreciated! I've been riding Jags XKR for past 10 yrs and have a hard time getting used to the much firmer suspension on the AM, hence wanting to switch from the hard rubber BS Potenzas (front's wearing very thin) to a slightly softer tired. With the Sport Pack, the steering's already very precise, so trade-off a bit against a softer, more balanced ride would be more desirable. The price difference for full set is over $300. So, Contis EC DW are they way to go, I think, though realizing the Mich PSS is a superb tire.

 

The conti (I have them on mine) are a bit wallowy and soft, but by no means a bad tire! They are just a bit too wallowy for me since I had a lotus exige before hand, and I even felt my semi slick was a bit soft haha. But they suit the car great, comfortable, good grip, very smooth on transition, and quiet

 

Thanks, mkszhang for your input! Interesting, most people perceive the tire quality based on what they're used, i.e. type of cars they been riding. Same here, the AM with sport pack is far firmer (if not harsh) compared to what i'm used to. Hence, seeking a softer tire than the Potenza.

 

IMO Tires the most important safety items you replace on a routine basis on your car and not a place to save a few bucks. I bought the Contis, even though the were rated in second place, because the PSS were not made in the sizes I needed at the time. What I noticed was that they were softer, more comfortable and quieter than the Potenzas. However, there was a patch of highway that I drove over that had concrete expansion joints and it made the rear of the car wag back and forth slowly to the point that I thought something was wrong with the car. Maybe the sidewalls were too soft. I eventually got used to it and built up my confidence, but it still felt a bit weird.

I replaced them about a year later with a full set of Michelins on the same Aston. The PSS felt just as comfortable and quiet, but without the tail-wagging sensation. All those reviews on Tirerack can't be wrong.

 

For a $300 difference definitely get the Conti DW, you will definitely love them. Paying $300 for 5% more dry grip is not really worth it (especially if you don't plan on tracking the car at all).

I have not experienced any negative characteristics of the DW mentioned and in fact I think the steering response is actually better than the PSS. I feel as if the PSS has even softer sidewalls. Remmeber you can always play with tire pressure to firm up a sidewall or not so that's something that can be dialed in if needed. In the wet the DW are insanely good (def more confidence inspiring than PSS in the wet). And for a daily driver in Houston (rain capital)... Wet weather traction is hugely important.

 

Thanks to both 007 "Vantage and Karl-Franz for your valuable input!

 

Dashcams and Social Media for the win!

http://news.met.police.uk/news/man-a...tin-car-125946

Make's me want to research Dashcams now...

 

Yes, saw this also earlier. Sadly, the destructive with seemingly little purpose in life are everywhere these days, even grocery store parking lots, as in this London ,UK case. Gladly, police caught this hoodlum! I'll be checking for dashcams, maybe ProGo?

 

Oops, I screwed that up - was supposed to go in the other thread.

But, I was researching tires at the same time. So, on topic, where are people buying their PSS tires from? Tire Rack has been back ordered for months.

I'm looking to buy Michelin PSS 245/40R19 & 285/35R19 and looking for pointers. I'm in SoCal if that makes any difference.

 

The Lagonda Taraf also comes with Bridgestone tires.....

I love that car, but would change the tires as soon as I got it!

 

Tirerack on the East Coast has next day shipping on those tires. BTW, I don't know why anyone buys from TireRack. I've yet to find a case where purchasing from TR + shipping is less money than buying locally. My Aston dealer quoted me less for the same tires mounted & balanced and last time I replaced my Vette tires I got mounting + front end alignment + loaner car at a Chevy dealer for less than TR!

 

My local indie tire place that I use orders from TR.

I've been on the waiting list for 285/35R19 MPSS tires for weeks. They're not available next-day unless they just became available extremely recently.

 

Try living in Canada for the last 10 years. Strong $CAN and gouging locally meant Tire Rack was a no brainer, even with duty factored in. Alas, now the $ has taken a dive and Tire Rack is no longer looking so good.