V12's to PSS's - WOW

[MrFunk]

I put my new summer wheels on today with new Michelin PSS's. 255/30-20's...
This is actually my first set of PSS's. Last few summers I've been running Hankook V12's and was never all that impressed... They just felt imprecise to me and the limits were low...

All I can say is WOW. This should be the 1st mod for anyone before anything... the precise steering response and ultimate grip is outstanding - yes yes yes, I just went from snows to summer tires so there is a bit of that at play here, but still, the difference between the V12's and PSS's is quite remarkable. I have not yet even broken them in, but those are my initial impressions... I am a believer now!

[GTItoS4]

I'm struggling with this decision. I can get a set of V12's installed for $680 OTD. PSS is going to be closer to $1200. I've run PSS before on another car and they're good, but I felt like they lost a lot of their performance after 10k miles.

[brice540i]

PSS are the best! Had them on my BMW's ...never went bck!

Sent from my SM-G850W using Tapatalk

[AKPS4]

PSS are great. Just be prepared to replace them more often than others.

[SDV325]

Yea when in doubt always PSS, they are the best tire on the market when it comes down to grip in any conditions and the treadwear rating that makes it possible to run a couple of seasons on.

Sure there are most aggressive tires out there from Bridgestone or Yoko but with the power and weight of a S4 it will be one season and another $1200+ after another.

[jran76]

PSS are great. Just be prepared to replace them more often than others.

They have a 30k mile pro-rated milage warranty, so if they need to be replaced sooner, you should get a discount on the next set. I had mine replaced at about 14k miles (probably could have gotten 16-18k out of them, but I need to replace one tire due to a puncture), and the next set only cost me about half the price because of the warranty.

[TMurt]

From what I see on tirerack, aren't the Michelins warrantied for 30,000 miles? If the go before that, wouldn't it just be prorated for your next set?

EDIT: ^What he said

[doug97gxe]

I put my new summer wheels on today with new Michelin PSS's. 255/30-20's...
This is actually my first set of PSS's. Last few summers I've been running Hankook V12's and was never all that impressed... They just felt imprecise to me and the limits were low...

All I can say is WOW. This should be the 1st mod for anyone before anything... the precise steering response and ultimate grip is outstanding - yes yes yes, I just went from snows to summer tires so there is a bit of that at play here, but still, the difference between the V12's and PSS's is quite remarkable. I have not yet even broken them in, but those are my initial impressions... I am a believer now!

this is interesting .. i have PSS and i've seen in the 5 forum they said the v12's were just as good.. i was actually considering them next

[bizzy]

They have a 30k mile pro-rated milage warranty, so if they need to be replaced sooner, you should get a discount on the next set. I had mine replaced at about 14k miles (probably could have gotten 16-18k out of them, but I need to replace one tire due to a puncture), and the next set only cost me about half the price because of the warranty.

Interesting, the price made me shy away from the PSS when I was upgrading my wheels. How did you get compensated for the warranty?

this is interesting .. i have PSS and i've seen in the 5 forum they said the v12's were just as good.. i was actually considering them next

I have the V12's right now but have never tried the PSS tires. I would rather go with these than the PSS just based on price lol.

[torinalth]

I have the PSS now and while they are nice, I don't think i'll be buying them again. just too expensive since I dont get the chance to really push them like they deserve. I'm going to either S04 or DW next go around (or whatever is new since it'll be a while now)

[MrFunk]

this is interesting .. i have PSS and i've seen in the 5 forum they said the v12's were just as good.. i was actually considering them next

I bought the V12's a couple years ago for this reason - people stating they were as good as PSS's. The V12's are good but they are not great... For the money the v12's are a good buy... but no - they are not on the same level as PSS's.

[jran76]

Interesting, the price made me shy away from the PSS when I was upgrading my wheels. How did you get compensated for the warranty?



I have the V12's right now but have never tried the PSS tires. I would rather go with these than the PSS just based on price lol.

I'm not sure how it works everywhere, but at Discount Tire, they just discount your next set by whatever the pro-rated amount was. In my case, it was almost exactly half the price of the tire. I did still have to pay for mount/balance, and their warranty (certificates). Other than that, there were no hassles. They had to fill out some stickers on the tires to send them back to Michelin or whatever, but that was it. Mine had not been rotated at all (I run different F/R wheels), but did have pretty even wear. All-in-all, it was a seamless process for me.

[administerturbo]

I just put the first 500 miles on my PSS's, too. I was coming from full tread depth Conti DWS. Obviously no comparison in handling or response. I can't give a good review on handling yet as my car was loaded with an extra 3-400 lbs of stuff including a bike on the back with hitch mount rack. What I can't get over with the PSS is how well they ride. They feel as good if not better than the DWS over rough pavement. Michelin seems to have cracked the code. With free shipping from discount tire, a $100 visa gift card, and the tread ware warranty, the difference from the S04's was moot to me. And 4 lbs lighter than the S04 was motivation for me to give them a try.

[LaCross]

FWIW, V12s have better straight line traction. In the past I had V12s on my 135, my buddy had PSS on his 335i, both brand new tires, both cars had the same mods. V12s hooked in first (5mph roll) , PSS did not hook.

[bizzy]

I'm not sure how it works everywhere, but at Discount Tire, they just discount your next set by whatever the pro-rated amount was. In my case, it was almost exactly half the price of the tire. I did still have to pay for mount/balance, and their warranty (certificates). Other than that, there were no hassles. They had to fill out some stickers on the tires to send them back to Michelin or whatever, but that was it. Mine had not been rotated at all (I run different F/R wheels), but did have pretty even wear. All-in-all, it was a seamless process for me.

Good to know, thanks. Guess I'll pick up a set next time and see what all the hype is about.

[administerturbo]

FWIW, V12s have better straight line traction. In the past I had V12s on my 135, my buddy had PSS on his 335i, both brand new tires, both cars had the same mods. V12s hooked in first (5mph roll) , PSS did not hook.

Brand new is not an asset to straight line performance. New tires are sketch until they break in... good thing we have AWD .

[The Fat Kid]

I'm not sure how it works everywhere, but at Discount Tire, they just discount your next set by whatever the pro-rated amount was. In my case, it was almost exactly half the price of the tire. I did still have to pay for mount/balance, and their warranty (certificates). Other than that, there were no hassles. They had to fill out some stickers on the tires to send them back to Michelin or whatever, but that was it. Mine had not been rotated at all (I run different F/R wheels), but did have pretty even wear. All-in-all, it was a seamless process for me.

That makes sense if you buy them and have them mounted at the same shop, and run them year round.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with this type of situation? Buying PSSs from Tire Rack, having them mounted at local shop, and then running a dedicated winter setup. I swap out my own wheels, so it is not like I would even have a shop to note the odometer readings, which makes it difficult to prove how many miles are on the tires.

[chaos2984]

I Know the PSS are awesome. Im going with BFgoodrich Sport Comp 2's. They have been good in the past for me. And they don't break the bank.

[administerturbo]

That makes sense if you buy them and have them mounted at the same shop, and run them year round.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with this type of situation? Buying PSSs from Tire Rack, having them mounted at local shop, and then running a dedicated winter setup. I swap out my own wheels, so it is not like I would even have a shop to note the odometer readings, which makes it difficult to prove how many miles are on the tires.

I'm just going to keep track of my mileage and rotations on excel. Same as I do for my own oil changes with VAG spec oil outside of the dealer.

[jimrobbington]

I'm struggling with this decision. I can get a set of V12's installed for $680 OTD. PSS is going to be closer to $1200. I've run PSS before on another car and they're good, but I felt like they lost a lot of their performance after 10k miles.

That's crazy cheap, I understand the conflict. Lol

They have a 30k mile pro-rated milage warranty, so if they need to be replaced sooner, you should get a discount on the next set. I had mine replaced at about 14k miles (probably could have gotten 16-18k out of them, but I need to replace one tire due to a puncture), and the next set only cost me about half the price because of the warranty.

How do you account for warranty when you rotate winter tire seasons? Will they even bother believing you or just go by the odometer?

[b8audis4]

PSS is the best street summer tire out there.

[MrFunk]

I just emailed my guy at Tire Rack asking him how they handle warranty claims... especially given I swap out tires in the winter. I'll report back...

FWIW, V12s have better straight line traction. In the past I had V12s on my 135, my buddy had PSS on his 335i, both brand new tires, both cars had the same mods. V12s hooked in first (5mph roll) , PSS did not hook.

Hmmm, not sure I'm buying this... sorry...

[The Fat Kid]

I just emailed my guy at Tire Rack asking him how they handle warranty claims... especially given I swap out tires in the winter. I'll report back...

Thanks

[GTItoS4]

That's crazy cheap, I understand the conflict. Lol

Yeah, I can get tires and an ECS intake for the same price as just PSS...

[Usa]

One of my favorite mods as well.

[jran76]

How do you account for warranty when you rotate winter tire seasons? Will they even bother believing you or just go by the odometer?

I run the PSS's year round, so I honestly have no idea. It would probably be best to ask whoever you would be buying the tires from. I'm sure there is some way to account for that, but I have no first hand experience with running anything other than summer tires year round.

[LINDW4LL]

this is interesting .. i have PSS and i've seen in the 5 forum they said the v12's were just as good.. i was actually considering them next

5 forum has a boner for the V12 for some reason- I don't get it. It's a mediocre tire. Fine for the price. But that isn't saying much.

All I can say is WOW. This should be the 1st mod for anyone before anything... the precise steering response and ultimate grip is outstanding - yes yes yes, I just went from snows to summer tires so there is a bit of that at play here, but still, the difference between the V12's and PSS's is quite remarkable. I have not yet even broken them in, but those are my initial impressions... I am a believer now!

Agreed! They are fantastic.

I'm struggling with this decision. I can get a set of V12's installed for $680 OTD. PSS is going to be closer to $1200. I've run PSS before on another car and they're good, but I felt like they lost a lot of their performance after 10k miles.

If you can't swing the PSS, compromise with the Potenza S04. Far better than the V12 and cheaper than PSS.

[SportVier]

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with this type of situation? Buying PSSs from Tire Rack, having them mounted at local shop, and then running a dedicated winter setup.

I do.

[SportVier]

I went from PSS to V12s on my B7 RS4. You do lose a little lateral response and ultimate grip with the V12 that you might notice at first, but they literally lasted twice as long and cost half as much. Zero regrets.

[roadawg]

The only tire you'll find on my car. For a street tire they are tough to beat. Awesome grip, and they ride/absorb bumps really well.

And they look cool too. It's a pet peeve of mine, I appreciate how a tire looks.

The cons are mileage which is helped with the mileage warranty, and price which well you get what you pay for.

[mungie]

Protip: if you can wait until end of April, discount tire direct (via eBay) is going to have 100$ off 500$+ orders. PSS (for my size 255/35zr19) end up being 800 or so for the set..assuming you're quick enough to snag a set.

[Johnnycash]

LOL if people are claiming the hankooks to be >= to the pss.

and for people arguing about the cost. at this price point for the total value of the car you are driving we are talking about a drop in the bucket, so if you cannot or will not afford the michelin tires, then you are driving the wrong car...

[4RingRook]

I went from PSS to V12s on my B7 RS4. You do lose a little lateral response and ultimate grip with the V12 that you might notice at first, but they literally lasted twice as long and cost half as much. Zero regrets.

Agreed on the lateral response. The effect probably looms larger on the track, but for primarily highway driving on a daily, I'm happy.

Also this 30k Michelin warranty - to qualify you must have a dead even wear, and if your car is lowered it's a flat denial of warranty. At least this was my experience with roughly 24k on them.

[LaCross]

At the moment 255/35/19 tire sizes (with rebates)
Hankook V12s are only $580 for all 4
PSS are $1033

Now while I have no doubts that the PSS are better laterally, are they worth nearly double the price? nah. The Bridgestones come in at around 800 for a set, but these tires weigh a meaty 4lbs more per tire than the V12s

[xpoweruk]

Hankook make Audi approved tyres in for the UK.
Does this not occur State side ?

245/40R18 93Y HANKOOK VENTUS S1 EVO 2 K117 AO

https://www.event-tyres.co.uk/result...93Y#?view=grid

[MrFunk]

Thanks

I got my response:

"I would make a note on the invoice just so you have a record. Normally the shops will record somewhere on the invoice but it isn't a bad idea to mark it down. It definitely helps to keep a log especially when you are swapping snows back and forth. I'd also jot down the rotation times etc. The main thing Michelin looks at is the mileage and that all four are worn evenly."

So keep your own log if you must...

Protip: if you can wait until end of April, discount tire direct (via eBay) is going to have 100$ off 500$+ orders. PSS (for my size 255/35zr19) end up being 800 or so for the set..assuming you're quick enough to snag a set.

Michelin also runs $70 visa gift card promos often. I think they have one running right now...

[mcoomer]

That makes sense if you buy them and have them mounted at the same shop, and run them year round.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with this type of situation? Buying PSSs from Tire Rack, having them mounted at local shop, and then running a dedicated winter setup. I swap out my own wheels, so it is not like I would even have a shop to note the odometer readings, which makes it difficult to prove how many miles are on the tires.

I did that exact thing. I bought a set of RS4 reps, put the PSS's on them, and kept the peelers for winter. The shop rotates and balances both sets free. They'd also swap them out but I do that at home. I was so impressed with Tire Rack that I ordered my next set of truck tires through them. Shipping to my installer was $68...that's four 275/60R20 tires and they arrived the day after I ordered them! If there's a better way to do it, I don't know what it is.

Mike

[administerturbo]

At the moment 255/35/19 tire sizes (with rebates)
Hankook V12s are only $580 for all 4
PSS are $1033

Now while I have no doubts that the PSS are better laterally, are they worth nearly double the price? nah. The Bridgestones come in at around 800 for a set, but these tires weigh a meaty 4lbs more per tire than the V12s

You bought an S4 instead of an A4, didn't you ?

[The Fat Kid]

I got my response:

"I would make a note on the invoice just so you have a record. Normally the shops will record somewhere on the invoice but it isn't a bad idea to mark it down. It definitely helps to keep a log especially when you are swapping snows back and forth. I'd also jot down the rotation times etc. The main thing Michelin looks at is the mileage and that all four are worn evenly."

Thanks.

I did that exact thing. I bought a set of RS4 reps, put the PSS's on them, and kept the peelers for winter. The shop rotates and balances both sets free. They'd also swap them out but I do that at home. I was so impressed with Tire Rack that I ordered my next set of truck tires through them. Shipping to my installer was $68...that's four 275/60R20 tires and they arrived the day after I ordered them! If there's a better way to do it, I don't know what it is.

Mike

Sorry, my question was not regarding the ordering process with Tire Rack (that is where I buy tires), but the PSS warranty if swapping out your own winter/summer setups.

[jran76]

Also this 30k Michelin warranty - to qualify you must have a dead even wear, and if your car is lowered it's a flat denial of warranty. At least this was my experience with roughly 24k on them.

That was not my experience at Discount Tire. My car was lowered the entire time I had the PSS's on, and as I mentioned, I did not rotate them once. Wear was pretty even, but I wouldn't classify it as perfect. A lot probably depends on who you are dealing with, but again, it was an easy process for me.