I've seen lots of posts about tires and a number of posts regarding the use of Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Some owners seem to like them, others do not, and for others, the jury is still out. I'm not an agressive driver ( I get 28-31 miles per gallon and sometimes measure 32 and once measured over 34) so I would expect almost any tire to work well here in Honolulu for me. Are the Pilot Sports harder riding or noisier than the S02's. What is the overall consensus of owners who have been using them?

A mailorder salesman said that he can't recommend them "because there is something about the suspension and chassis of the S2000 that just eats up tires other than the S02 and Yokahama A520". I do know that Honda worked with Bridgestone to design the S02 specifically for the S2000 while Pilot Sports are often used on Porche and BMW.

Michelin has a hard time getting enough of the Pilot Sports; they are made in France. As a result, Michelin has introduced a brand new tire called the Pilot Sport AS (All Season) made in the U.S. It has a 400 treadware rating, AA traction and A temperature. The tire is so new that Michelin didn't have any spec sheets or photos of the tire.
It is only available in the 205 size for the S2000. The company is monitoring customer acceptance of the tire before it commits to producing sizes for the S2000 rear.

 

When my OEM tires needed replacing at 15K miles, and due to the hydroplaning problems I had experienced as the tires got a few thousand miles on them, I decided to try the Michelins. So far, I'm very pleased with their performance. They are quieter, offer a better ride and so far haven't exhibited any hydroplaning or adverse wear tendencies. My wife even commented that she thought the car rode a little smoother with the Pilot Sports.

I can't speak to their ultimate handling capabilities since I neither autocross nor track the car; however, they have been very serviceable on a day-to-day basis. By the way, I think your mailorder salesman was trying to sell you a more expensive tire. I don't think there's anything about the suspension and chassis that eats up tires; aggressive driving eats up tires, whatever the brand.

 

lvs2k,

Thanks for your comments. I always though Michelin was a good tire brand. It sounds like everyone using aftermarket tires used the same size as OEM on the front but uses 245/45 on the rear instead of 225. There has been a lot of talk about tread width, and Michelin folks told me today that the company stopped providing that measurement because it varies depending upon the car make, the vehicle weight,(including passengers, tools, etc), and tire pressure. I guess the only way to measure it is to run the car over some modeling clay to create a mold of the tire.

 

I've had the Pilot Sports for about 4k miles now and have the following opinion on them compared to the OEM S02 and the S02 Pole Position(S02 PP) tires.

205/50/16 Front (Nearly same tire width as OEM)
245/45/16 Rear (Nearly same tire width as OEM)

1. Rides alot smoother
   
2. Wet traction is better than both OEM S02 and S02 PP.
   
3. Dry traction is better than S02 PP but not as good as OEM S02 tire. I can drift all 4 wheels when driving aggressively. Just ask RudyW during the S2kDays event.
   
4. Wears better than S02 PP so far. I only got 8k miles on my S02 PP.
   
5. Tire rolls on hard turns less than S02 PP. I didn't notice any tire sidewall flex on OEM S02.

The bottom line is that the OEM tires are the best so far if you plan to track your car or if you drive aggressively. However, the Michelin Pilot Sport tires are suited more for great all-around less spirited driving. I definately would pick these tire again if I didn't push the car so much.

[Edited by joe_s2k on 05-24-2001 at 10:13 AM]

 

Exactly.. that

 

Mahalo Nui Loa (Thanks very much) guys for your feedback. I know it is hard enough to read the incredible number of posts much less respond to them. Happy motoring.