Hi Guys!!

I hope you're having a great day.

My '93 LS will need tires soon. VERY SOON!! And of the two tires I"m most interested in - I'd like to get your feedback. I'm thinking of either the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 'plus' [225/60ZR16] or Michelin Primacy MXV4. [225/60VR16] The difference in price at the TireRack site is only $2. [The Primacy being more expensive] I think the Primacy tires MIGHT be a little quieter and smoother riding [which appeals to me] but probably not as good in the rain or on light snow as the A/S 'plus' tires. Hmmm.........

Or would you suggest something else?!

Thanks,
Craig!!

There's no way your LS even remotely needs Z-rated tires. In fact, it doesn't even need V-rated tires. It is not a sports car - it is essentially a highway cruiser. Z treadwear will be short-lived, and V treadwear probably won't be a whole lot better. If long treadwear life is important to you, find a good set of H-rated tires that also delivers a great ride and is highly rated in the rain as well....

are you using these for three seasons? If so, then go with the quieter one. Keep in mind that many sizes of the Primacy in the V rating are being discontinued (at least here in the states).

steviej

Hi RX in NC,

I wish it was as easy at that. You can't assume anything with tires. For example..... the V-rated Primacy MXV4's have a tread wear rating of 620 and the Z-rated Pilot Sport A/S 'plus' tires have a tread wear rating of 500. The H-rated Michelin HX MXM4 tires have a tread wear rating of 300. And the H-rated Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge tires have a tread wear rating of 440. So as far as tread wear ratings go - you can't - like I said - assume anything. And there's a LOT MORE to it - like how much noise they make and if they are any good in the rain AND light snow. Besides - all LS models [At least the 1st generation LS models] came with V-rated tires. The speed rating isn't ONLY about how fast the tire can safely go. when I bought my LS it had T-rated Michelins on it. I quickly replaced them with V-rated tires and the car felt far more secure. The T-rated tires were very sloppy.

Craig!!

Hi Steve!!

Thanks for the heads-up. And for the advice. I just want to buy one set of new tires and hope they get me through whatever little snow we end up getting next year. No matter what I end up buying - it's going to be a bit of a lottery. If you read the comments on tirerack.com - one guy LOVES his new tires - and right below him is a guy who thinks they're the worst tires ever made. And they're both driving the same car and bought the exact same tires.

Craig!!

I ask about the intended seasons because I have not heard great reviews about either Michelins in snow. Given you are in Canada and I am sure you get your fair share of snow as do I in New England, I would consider a dedicated set of performance winter tires for the snow months. The Primacy would probably be the quieter smoother of the two. I have the Pilot Sport and will not use them in snow even with AWD but that is my choice. Something to consider, on my 02 ES I put on a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S (215/60VR16) and they were pretty decent in snow, great in rain and on dry pavement and very quiet to boot.

steviej

Treadwear tire ratings on Z and to a lesser extent V-rated tires are crapshoots at best. If you think that Z-rated or V-rated tires with a 500 treadwear rating will outlast a good quality H-rated tire (with proper tire care, of course) that carries, say, a 420 treadwear rating, you will be very, very disappointed in the real world. Tire care by the owner is always critical, but I have found that good H-rated tires will always outlast Z and V-rated tires even though the higher-speed tires carry inflated treadwear ratings. There really needs to be more regulation in the tire industry on treadwear ratings for higher speed tires. Those ratings are usually very artificial in real-world applications....

The vast majority of folks driving luxo-barges would do best from an all-around driving perspective with a good set of H-rated tires. Notice that I said H-rated. I never mentioned T-rated - you did. I wouldn't put T-rated tires on anything except a riding mower....