The Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 Tires Get Sticky When it’s Warm
When shopping for tires, it’s important to get the right fit and the right tire type for your local climate, especially if you drive a sports car. For example, Californians are lucky to be able to run summer tires all year as they only need one type of tire for the warmer climate that they’re in. But for Coloradans, like myself, we have to find two different sets of tires – summer and winter – in order to make it adequately through the year. That is unless we all outfit our cars with a set of good all-season tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4s.
The Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 tires handle well in the wet
RELATED: Best Wet-Weather Tires According to Consumer Reports
In my last installment of reviewing the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 tires, I put them through their paces as much as possible in the snow. I have the tires installed on my 2008 Honda S2000 and I figured it would be a great opportunity to see what these tires can do in the cold and wet. To my surprise, they handled really well, despite the fact that they weren’t broken in yet.
I drove through the streets of Denver in order to see how they gripped when I stopped suddenly, accelerated quickly, and turned sharply. While I’ll admit that the Pilot Sport All Seasons didn’t grip as well as genuine winter tires, they did do really well for a set of all-seasons. Especially considering the fact that the S2000 is rear-wheel-drive.
Unlike other all-season tires that I have had on the car in the past, these Michelins put the car to a halt quickly and I didn’t detect too much sliding when doing so. It must be the “Helio +” technology that Michelin incorporates into these tires. According to Discount Tire, the Helio + technology is an advanced rubber compound that helps these tires maintain flexibility and ensure maximum traction in cold weather.
That being said, I’m not sure if I would drive them through a winter blizzard, but for places with light snowfall and moderate rain, they should handle perfectly fine. Especially if you’re driving an SUV or a regular car, as opposed to a tiny sports car.
RELATED: Best Dry-Weather Tires According to Consumer Reports
The Pilot Sport All-Season 4s handle even better in the dry
RELATED: The Best All-Season Tires For Winter Driving According to …
Now that the snow has dried up and the sun has come out, I’ve been enjoying balmy 70-degree days in Colorado. Taking advantage of the weather, I took the S2000 out to some local canyon roads to see how these tires grip when it’s dry. I do have some experience with summer tires on this car – in the form of the discontinued Yokohama S Drive tires – so I know what a set of sticky tires feel like.
I’m happy to report that the Pilot Spot AS 4s handle like a dream on warm, dry pavement. As I have stated before, they are noticeably quiet when cruising on the freeway and comfortable when driving over uneven pavement. But once I found a nice open road to really open up the car on, I got a real taste of what these tires can do.
On the canyon roads that I drive on, I could typically push my car through the turns at around 50 mph with the old Sumitomo all-season tires I previously had on the car. But with the Michelins, I was able to hit the corners at 60 mph without feeling like they were going to break traction and send my tail-happy car into a spin. If anything, they definitely inspired more confidence.
Are they worth the money?
Yes, every penny! I don’t care what anyone tells you; the tires on your car are very important, so don’t skimp on them. These Michelin Pilot Sport All-Sports can cost a pretty penny, considering Discount Tire prices them from $141 to $509 per tire, depending on the application.
However, I would say that they are well worth the cost, especially if you live in an area with only moderate snowfall and lots of sunshine, like Colorado. Although, I’m sure they would work well in snowier areas as well, provided you’re not driving a tiny, rear-drive sports car like me.
The post The Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 Tires Get Sticky When it’s Warm appeared first on MotorBiscuit.
