Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3

[bbf2530]

Hi gang. For those in the market for new tires - I just ordered/purchased a set of the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires. They should arrive at the shop and be installed by this coming Thursday. Great price from Costco. 225/50-17V for 169.99 each + $15 a tire for mounting, balancing, road hazard warranty etc. (this also gives free rotations and balances for the life of the tire). - a $70 rebate (which Costco subtracts at the time of purchase versus mail-in from most other sellers) + 7% sales tax in NJ. Total of $727.76.

While it is a newly introduced tire model with limited reviews, all reviews I have found, both professional and by vehicle owners, are excellent.

I will post back with my own review when they have been installed and I can form an opinion.

Good luck.

 

[PublicHair]

Interesting. I have michelin energy saver tires on my car (OEM) and I like em.. may have to put these tires on my watch list for when that time comes.

[akirby]

The pilot sports have been around for at least a decade. They're great tires so I assume the new ones are at least as good as the old ones.

[bbf2530]

HI guys. OEMS on my MKZ were the Michelin Energy MXV4 S8. I was happy with them. Currently approaching 54,000 miles. After some research, I was undecided between replacing with the same Energy MXV4 S8, the Michelin Primacy MXM4, Goodyear Tripletread or Goodyear Comfortread. I asked the Costco shop manager his opinion and he leaned towards the Primacy. But then he asked if I knew about the new model Pilot Sport A/S 3. I told him no, so he pulled up some information and reviews and after some comparision research I decided to go with them. I will certainly report back once they are installed and I have some real world experince to offer.

 

Good luck.

Edited September 16, 2013 by bbf2530

[2011se25]

Any idea on the wear life? Just going by the guide on the site: http://www.michelin.ca/tire-selector/vehicle/2011/Ford/Fusion/SE/tires

 

It claims "10" for wear life, which is better than the "8" for the Pilot MXM4 (which I think is the same as the HXMXM4 that came OEM), but the MXM4 has a longer warranty (80 vs 70). Handling and braking are lower than the MXM4? I thought it was ultra high performance.

 

It's not clear to me the differentiation between the Pilot MXM4, Primacy, and Energy options. I wish they carried the Defender in this size. Wear life, handling, and braking "10", a 145,000km warranty, and usually cheaper.

 

My OEMs are wearing very well, though I have winters on half the year (Uniroyal Ice & Snow II which also wear well), and I have a lot of rural km on them. I'd say I have 30,000km on them and they are measuring between 7 and 10/32.

[PublicHair]

update: I read a review in a magazine about these tires. They got high reviews.. great dry/wet traction.

[bbf2530]

Any idea on the wear life? Just going by the guide on the site: http://www.michelin.ca/tire-selector/vehicle/2011/Ford/Fusion/SE/tires

 

It claims "10" for wear life, which is better than the "8" for the Pilot MXM4 (which I think is the same as the HXMXM4 that came OEM), but the MXM4 has a longer warranty (80 vs 70). Handling and braking are lower than the MXM4? I thought it was ultra high performance.

 

It's not clear to me the differentiation between the Pilot MXM4, Primacy, and Energy options. I wish they carried the Defender in this size. Wear life, handling, and braking "10", a 145,000km warranty, and usually cheaper.

 

My OEMs are wearing very well, though I have winters on half the year (Uniroyal Ice & Snow II which also wear well), and I have a lot of rural km on them. I'd say I have 30,000km on them and they are measuring between 7 and 10/32.

 

Hi 2011. The manufacturers warranty is 45,000 miles. Concerning the ratings you are referring to - Those are user ratings posted by everyday drivers like us, not professional ratings by automotive experts. So essentially, you have someones Aunt Tilly or Uncle Vito giving their non-professional opinions about the tire. I read those ratings, but always take them with a grain of salt, preferring to rely on professionally sourced tire tests by automotive experts and journalists. Hope this information helps.

 

As to my opinions on the Pilot Sport A/S 3's so far - Smoother ride and quieter than my OEM Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires (but they did have 54,000 miles on them). Handling wise I am sure they will be an improvement over my previous OEM's. But then again, I drive my car relatively easy so will likely never approach their full potential on the road anyway. I will update as I put more miles on.

 

Good luck.

Edited September 21, 2013 by bbf2530

[FusionDiffusion]

Well they say they have improved cold weather traction due to Helio compound, so I wonder how they will do in the snow (do you get snow where you live BBF?). I wonder how they will compare to the Bridgestone RE970AS or the Continentals DWS tires (which are ultra-high perf), but I always feel limited by winter performance with all season tires. If I can find a tire that has good enough winter performance I can get by without a winter tire set. The stock RS-A's on my car suck in the winter, especially on ice.

 

I also see they have this tire in both a V and Y speed rating. I better not buy the Y-rated ones because then I'll have to find a way to get my car to go faster than 149 mph!

Edited September 22, 2013 by FusionDiffusion

[bbf2530]

Well they say they have improved cold weather traction due to Helio compound, so I wonder how they will do in the snow (do you get snow where you live BBF?). I wonder how they will compare to the Bridgestone RE970AS or the Continentals DWS tires (which are ultra-high perf), but I always feel limited by winter performance with all season tires. If I can find a tire that has good enough winter performance I can get by without a winter tire set. The stock RS-A's on my car suck in the winter, especially on ice.

 

I also see they have this tire in both a V and Y speed rating. I better not buy the Y-rated ones because then I'll have to find a way to get my car to go faster than 149 mph!

 

HI FD. Yes we do get snow where I live (NJ), and I will report back once we get our first significant snowfall.

 

What I can say is...so far so good. As stated above, I am happy with the ride and road noise (or lack of). The A/S 3's are smoother riding and quieter than the old OEM Michelin Energy MXV4 S8's (although the Energy's did have 54,000 miles, so comparisons are skewed now). I do drive my car relatively easy, so I will rarely approach the handling limits of the Pilot Sport A/S 3's (unless in an emergency maneuver), but they do feel good in the highway on-ramp wars.

 

I will keep reporting back with my experience and opinion as I add miles.

 

Good luck.

Edited September 23, 2013 by bbf2530

[2011se25]

 

Hi 2011. The manufacturers warranty is 45,000 miles. Concerning the ratings you are referring to - Those are user ratings posted by everyday drivers like us, not professional ratings by automotive experts. So essentially, you have someones Aunt Tilly or Uncle Vito giving their non-professional opinions about the tire. I read those ratings, but always take them with a grain of salt, preferring to rely on professionally sourced tire tests by automotive experts and journalists. Hope this information helps.

 

As to my opinions on the Pilot Sport A/S 3's so far - Smoother ride and quieter than my OEM Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires (but they did have 54,000 miles on them). Handling wise I am sure they will be an improvement over my previous OEM's. But then again, I drive my car relatively easy so will likely never approach their full potential on the road anyway. I will update as I put more miles on.

 

Good luck.

 

 

I was referring to the Canadian warranty of 70,000km . On the ratings I was referring to this:

"Michelin Performance Rating" would be done by the manufacturer and should be possible to use to compare between different Michelin Tires. Aunt Tilly rates them on a 5 star scale that I take with a 454g of salt.

 

Well they say they have improved cold weather traction due to Helio compound, so I wonder how they will do in the snow (do you get snow where you live BBF?). I wonder how they will compare to the Bridgestone RE970AS or the Continentals DWS tires (which are ultra-high perf), but I always feel limited by winter performance with all season tires. If I can find a tire that has good enough winter performance I can get by without a winter tire set. The stock RS-A's on my car suck in the winter, especially on ice.

 

I also see they have this tire in both a V and Y speed rating. I better not buy the Y-rated ones because then I'll have to find a way to get my car to go faster than 149 mph!

 

I run winters, but I am interested in the Winter performance in case I get caught in a snowfall before the changeover, or when the temps start getting low.

 

Stupid speed ratings. In a normal road car does anyone really need more than T rated? That's 190km/h (118MPH).

[FusionDiffusion]

Stupid speed ratings. In a normal road car does anyone really need more than T rated? That's 190km/h (118MPH).

 

My car goes 126 MPH, so I need H or V rated tires on it. But if the limiter is set to 110 MPH like most cars then T rated is fine.

[2011se25]

 

My car goes 126 MPH, so I need H or V rated tires on it. But if the limiter is set to 110 MPH like most cars then T rated is fine.

Do you drive a lot in the 118-126MPH range?

[bbf2530]

Hi gang. An update - Have passed 5.000 miles with the Pilot Sport A/S 3's and very happy with them. Quieter than the OEM Energy MXV4 S8's and much better handling, especially in the wet. Ride is also better overall. Predictions are we will be getting our first significant snow storm here...at least while I am home to witness it...so l may be able to report on snow traction in a few days.

 

Good luck.

Edited January 2, 2014 by bbf2530

[akirby]

Wet handling is awesome on the Pilot Sports. I remember having to slam on the brakes in my old Lincoln LS with the original version in heavy rain with lots of surface water. It was like throwing out an anchor - no hydroplaning at all.

[wjcollier07]

I've been thinking about those as well. I'm a little apprehensive about them as I've heard they ride a little hard. I'm all about wet traction, which I know they are more than top tier, but ride quality is a close second. I know they do quiet and smooth well, but I'd like those attributes to equal the tire's ability to absorb shock.

 

I'm going into a set of tires for each car in the next few months. I haven't yet decided if they're both getting the same, or maybe go for some variety.

 

My choices are:

1. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus

2. Michelin Primacy MXM4

3. Continental PureContact

4. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3

 

I'm waiting for more reviews to show up on the Pirelli and the A/S3.

 

I'm leaning toward the Pirellis and the Continentals for their longer treadlife as the higher speed rated Michelins both have a 45k, not to mention they're generally a lower price. I think the PureContacts are a bit rough like the A/S3s though...so there's that.

Edited January 2, 2014 by wjcollier07

[BlueOval2010]

Glad the Pilot's are working well for you. I just had a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires installed on my sport just in time for todays 4" snow storm. Traction is excellent, and it tracks well through the snow ruts during lane changes. I didn't need to start out in 3rd gear like with the old GSA's. Nice and quite on the dry roads. The tread pattern looks really weird though.

[bbf2530]

I've been thinking about those as well. I'm a little apprehensive about them as I've heard they ride a little hard. I'm all about wet traction, which I know they are more than top tier, but ride quality is a close second. I know they do quiet and smooth well, but I'd like those attributes to equal the tire's ability to absorb shock.

 

I'm going into a set of tires for each car in the next few months. I haven't yet decided if they're both getting the same, or maybe go for some variety.

 

My choices are:

1. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus

2. Michelin Primacy MXM4

3. Continental PureContact

4. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3

 

I'm waiting for more reviews to show up on the Pirelli and the A/S3.

 

I'm leaning toward the Pirellis and the Continentals for their longer treadlife as the higher speed rated Michelins both have a 45k, not to mention they're generally a lower price. I think the PureContacts are a bit rough like the A/S3s though...so there's that.

 

Hi wj. Can vouch for the fact that (in my opinion) the Pilot Sport A/S 3's are not hard riding. In fact, they are better riding than the OEM, Grand Touring classified, Michelin Energy MXV4 S8's. Better overall ride, less expansion strip thumping etc..

 

Whatever your final choice, good luck.

Edited January 2, 2014 by bbf2530

[bbf2530]

Hi gang. Snow update! Eight inches of the white stuff last night/this morning, and can report that traction is better than the OEM Michelin Energy S8's. And in making my comparison, I am trying my best to compare how the Energy S8's were new, not with the 54,000 miles they had when I replaced them.

 

Good luck.

[MatrixMan]

I have been reading reviews at several sites and almost all say that the Pilot Sport A/S3 are terrible in the snow - great dry and wet though. That to me sounds like they are similar to the stock Goodyear RS/A which are dangerous in the lightest of snow. I love Michelins, but I cannot pull the trigger on these. And maybe I am reacting to the worst winter in decades in the Northeast. I am now leaning towards the Continental ExtremeContact DWS.

[bbf2530]

I have been reading reviews at several sites and almost all say that the Pilot Sport A/S3 are terrible in the snow - great dry and wet though. That to me sounds like they are similar to the stock Goodyear RS/A which are dangerous in the lightest of snow. I love Michelins, but I cannot pull the trigger on these. And maybe I am reacting to the worst winter in decades in the Northeast. I am now leaning towards the Continental ExtremeContact DWS.

Hi MatrixMan. Welcome to the Ford Fusion Forums with your first post! Hope you like it here.

 

Not sure what reviews you are speaking of, since you don't post any links. However, having now driven between New Jersey and Maryland/Virginia and back again in several snow storms up to 12" or more, I can report that my personal experience is certainly different than the reviews you cite.

 

Additionally, if driving in snow is a true concern for anyone, then a dedicated snow tire is always recommended. All season tires will never approach the snow capabilities of a dedicated snow tire.

 

Whichever tire you decide to purchase, good luck.

Edited March 3, 2014 by bbf2530

[MatrixMan]

Hi MatrixMan. Welcome to the Ford Fusion Forums with your first post! Hope you like it here.

 

Not sure what reviews you are speaking of, since you don't post any links. However, having now driven between New Jersey and Maryland/Virginia and back again in several snow storms up to 12" or more, I can report that my personal experience is certainly different than the reviews you cite.

 

Additionally, if driving in snow is a true concern for anyone, then a dedicated snow tire is always recommended. All season tires will never approach the snow capabilities of a dedicated snow tire.

 

Whichever tire you decide to purchase, good luck.

Thanks bbf. And fair enough about links:

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS

 

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-selector/vehicle/2010/Ford/Fusion/SEL%20w|Sport%20Pkg./OE/BNW/pilot-sport-a-s-3/tire-details#user_tire_reviews_and_ratings

 

this one rates it high: http://www.mavistire.com/ProductCart/pc/_tirerankings.asp?ld=SL&sr=V&tt=All%20Season&gs=2254518&frb=B

 

rated high until snow is mentioned: http://www.tirerack.com/survey/SurveyComments.jsp?additionalComments=y&commentStatus=P&tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot%20Sport%20A%2FS%203%20%28W-%20or%20Y-Speed%20Rated%29&partnum=245YR8PSAS3XL#

 

I really like the tires, but the Goodyear RS/A's have scared the crap out of me a few times during this horrible winter.

 

BTW been a member since I got the car (while doing research on the terrible transmission of the 2.5 liter engine). Except for the transmission I love the car!!

Edited March 4, 2014 by MatrixMan

[MarkH]

I've had the 2010 Ford Fusion for 5 years with Michelin Pilot MXM4's both original and replacement at 80,000. Minimal road noise, handle well in rain or snow. Just got an identical 2012 Ford Fusion, but this one has Michelin Energy's. First time out on the highway there is a noticeable increase in noise over the older vehicle. Since the vehicle's are identical I am assuming the Energy's are the culprit. It's not to the annoying level, so I guess I'll get used to a little more noise and ride on them until it is time to replace.