OEM Contis v. Michelin PSS tires

[BzzzBom]

I have a 2013 S4 with 19 inch peelers and the original Conti Contact Sport 3 tires. I am not crazy about these tires - they seem to tram line, are very not very forgiving over road bumps and make a lot of road noise. I am considering changing to Michelin PSS but am not sure if it will make a huge difference. For those of you that have made the switch from the OEM Contis to the PSS tires what changes did you notice? Were they significant? Please be specific.
Thanks and Happy Holidays

[2.0T_A3]

PSS tires have thicker sidewall and absorb bumps better. Very good in the rain. If you looking to lower the car these may have higher chance of rubbing.

[kap09]

Night and day. This is my second S4 so I've made the switch twice - once to S04's and last week to PSS. The car really is a different beast on these tires. You can see my mods in my sig and this honestly might be the best choice I've made in terms of drivability. The Contis are terrible and the Michelins are best in class.

Tramlining is gone, road noice is way better. The car sticks like crazy. In a few canyon runs since switching I was finding myself needing to push MORE at speeds that previously would have been beyond the limit on the Contis.

Short version - do it.

[kap09]

PSS tires have thicker sidewall and absorb bumps better. Very good in the rain. If you looking to lower the car these may have higher chance of rubbing.

This is true. I'm running a lower overall ET with the new wheels I mounted these on and have more clearance issues than I did with the contis. The upside is more curb protection.

[trinim3]

HUGE difference. HUGE. To give you a reference on the Contis there was a sweeper I would take at 130mph and the tires would start to screech and understeer. Then I put on the PSS and a set of TSW nurburgrings and I kid you not I was taking the same turn at 155mph and super planted without any noise from the tires. I literally screamed in amazement for a good 10 minutes after experiencing it

[VenturiRS]

I switched from OEM Contis to PAS3s.
I know you asked for PSS, I figured I'd contribute.

Tramlining immediately went away.
Rides a bit softer (but it was cold when I switched, so it could be weather/compound related)
Drives straighter
Dry performance is just as good in my opinion, but I wasn't autocrossing, just having fun with Sport Diff

HTH

[bombdiggity]

Pss are really nice. Mine tram line on severe sloped roads though. Have about 4k miles on mine. Definitely straighter, quieter, and grippier than the toyos it replaced. Wet traction is phenomenal. It takes about 100-200 miles before you really feel how grippy they are, so exercise caution at first if you get them.


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[mcoomer]

Someone already said it, but I'll say it again. The difference is night and day. Quieter and smoother than the Conti's. Much nicer feel in the seat. Get them...you won't be disappointed.

Mike

[roadkillrob]

PSS's are my favorite tires these days, but they do wear out pretty quick - performance is much better, traction and ride are awesome. Like someone else mentioned, they are a bit wider typically than other tires of the same size. I put a set on my other car and I had to replace my spacers with 3mm narrower ones as the rubbed when my previous tires did not. The actual width sidewall to sidewall is the same but the transition to the tread is more square and less rounded which makes them a little more rub prone if lowered.

[2.0T_A3]

Keep in mind PSS replaced Pilot Powers I believe and are even more superior with better tread wear than before.

[JWreck]

How's the longevity on PSS? I'm at 11k miles on my OEM contis and needing to replace them already. I drive spirited sometimes but most days is me sitting in traffic in comfort mode. Very disappointed.

[2.0T_A3]

Depends how hard you drive. I would swear you could get 20k out of PSS. They were known to get an improved compound when they came out in around 2009? Keep in mind long lasting tire is normally harder compound and less traction as a result. Sport tire better performance-less longevity. I have contis on my bike. Great bike tire, very sticky. Doesn't need a lot to worm up. As far as car tire PSS takes the cake.

[rs4dreams]

How's the longevity on PSS? I'm at 11k miles on my OEM contis and needing to replace them already. I drive spirited sometimes but most days is me sitting in traffic in comfort mode. Very disappointed.

Probably 10-20k miles depending on how you drive. Tires of this category will not have great longevity. That said, the PSS are quite durable for how much grip they offer. They come with a 30k mile warranty so if yours run out before then you can get the next set pro-rated. Our cars are heavy and go through tires fast.

[hilld]

PSS's have a 30 k mileage rating/warranty. I probably got close to 25k out of my set on a FWD, not sure if a quattro wears them out any faster.

[drob23]

How's the longevity on PSS? I'm at 11k miles on my OEM contis and needing to replace them already. I drive spirited sometimes but most days is me sitting in traffic in comfort mode. Very disappointed.
The conti tires that come with the car from the factory aren't the same as off the shelf conti's. They wear out quicker.

[05blacks4]

How are the PSS vs the pirelli p zero my S5 came with? never had pirellis but loved my PSS's on my S4

[Shimmy]

PSS are great tires. They will still tramline due to the width 255. Any tire this wide will tramline.

[TRZ06]

Just like on my TTRS, I say skip the PSS and go straight to the Bridgestone RE-11's.

Michelins are known for softer sidewalls and you lose a little of the crispness on initial turn-in.

[05blacks4]

But re11's don't last very long and are pricey

[trinim3]

The Pzeros are also shii compared to the PSSs. I found the PSSs to also last much longer than the Contis even with more aggressive driving and even a full track day. 25k no problem on the PSSs

[05blacks4]

well hopefully the pirellis are at least better than the contis

[TRZ06]

But re11's don't last very long and are pricey

Correct, but I will take that trade-off because once you go to Extreme performance tires, its hard to go with anything less.

The RE-11's do just as good a job as the PSS (san mileage) with less sidewall flex and with sharper turn-in, and higher lateral g loads.

I will concede though, that if you value practicality over performance, then the PSS's are better.

[drob23]

Correct, but I will take that trade-off because once you go to Extreme performance tires, its hard to go with anything less.

The RE-11's do just as good a job as the PSS (san mileage) with less sidewall flex and with sharper turn-in, and higher lateral g loads.

I will concede though, that if you value practicality over performance, then the PSS's are better.

RE11's and R-S3's are considered much better track tires than PSS (especially after a few laps getting up to temp), but on the street will wear very quickly relative to the PSS.

[kap09]

Just like on my TTRS, I say skip the PSS and go straight to the Bridgestone RE-11's.

Michelins are known for softer sidewalls and you lose a little of the crispness on initial turn-in.

S-04s are another good option if you want something with a little sharper turn in. I had a set a little while ago and while not as grippy as the PSS, the turn in was fantastic.

[phanker]

Any rubbing issue with your PSS & TSW Nurburgrings? 19"?


HUGE difference. HUGE. To give you a reference on the Contis there was a sweeper I would take at 130mph and the tires would start to screech and understeer. Then I put on the PSS and a set of TSW nurburgrings and I kid you not I was taking the same turn at 155mph and super planted without any noise from the tires. I literally screamed in amazement for a good 10 minutes after experiencing it

[trinim3]

Any rubbing issue with your PSS & TSW Nurburgrings? 19"?

Nope. Just make sure to get the right offest (can't remember what it is)

[SeaBassHWD]

I'm at 14k miles non my original Contis and there's still 7/32 left in them. I mostly drive like a granny but on weekends I hit the canyons. Maybe I'm not pushing it too hard on the canyons.

[Intrepid One]

On my '01 M5 which is a different animal, the Conti's wore very quickly and when I replaced them with the PSS's there was a noticeable difference in ride (softer)..traction was better (both wet and dry) and road noise (much lower)..It is a heavier car of course, but there is no doubt in my mind it was a superior tire..My S4 has Michelin AS3's and when they go south, they will be replaced with PSS's…they just handle better, stay quieter for a longer period of time than and Continental product I have used over the years

[Acejam]

I find it funny how all the Audi and BMW owners praise the PSS so much. It's a great tire, but there are many better tires out there. The STI/EVO crowd has been running extreme performance tires for years - RS3's, Z2's, Star Specs, RE-11's, etc.

[Intrepid One]

I find it funny how all the Audi and BMW owners praise the PSS so much. It's a great tire, but there are many better tires out there. The STI/EVO crowd has been running extreme performance tires for years - RS3's, Z2's, Star Specs, RE-11's, etc.

You are absolutely correct on your point about other, possibly better tires being available..The PSS's are popular, true enough, but to be fair, it does depend so much on personal preference, driving habits and experience with a certain tire. Tires are not like socks that you can just throw away, generally unless you have a big tire budget, once you purchase a set, you have committed to run on them for quite a few miles. I think this makes a lot of people, myself included, stick with what you know and are comfortable with..S

[hilld]

I find it funny how all the Audi and BMW owners praise the PSS so much. It's a great tire, but there are many better tires out there. The STI/EVO crowd has been running extreme performance tires for years - RS3's, Z2's, Star Specs, RE-11's, etc.

I agree with you to a point. For example, the best tire for one purpose is not necessarily the best overall tire. It is all about compromise. For example the RE-11 is a great performance tire, however, it is lacking in longevity. At over $1000 a set for decent tires, that is a hard pill to swallow. As far as I know, the PSS is the only decent "performance" tire with a mileage warranty of 30k. This does make a difference to my checkbook, it leaves more money around for other goodies such as exhaust, suspension, gas, etc.

Oh, since it is Christmas, Merry Christmas everyone, hope you are enjoying time with your family.