Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 vs. Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus tires

[CompuPsych]

I have a 2005 Z4 that needs new tires. After much research (Consumer Reports, Tire Rack, Tyre Reviews, etc.) I've narrowed it down to the Michelin All Season 4 and the new Continental DWS 06 Plus. I'm prioritizing road feel and handling, low road noise, and a reasonably comfortable ride. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[SD ///M4]

Why are you putting "all season" tires on your Z4? Is it your daily driver? Only car? Do you drive it in the winter, in snow, or in temperatures below 40 degrees? If not, then you don't need "all season" tires.

Why did I put "all season" in quotes? Because they're not a good winter tire, they're certainly not a good dry or summer tire, they really don't excel at anything.

If you drive your Z4 in the snow, get a dedicated set of snow tires for the winter. If you drive only in the summer, your best bet is probably the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, which are top dry tires and also do exceptionally well in wet conditions.

[rsutoratosu]

Or if you drive like a grandma... Im on avid ascend gt all season.. so much construction around my area, I only took the z out for inspection and maybe driven 25 miles since last summer. Its almost winter time again.. probably wont get to drive till next spring. I had ps3 prior while I was actively driving.

[wdb]

I have PS3's on my E93; I do expect to drive it year 'round -- although not in the snow! -- and I wanted the wider temperature range of the "no season" rubber. I do enjoy the car's handling but I never really explore limits, so the traction level of the PS3's is plenty. They're good in wet conditions too.

PS4's on the zed. It's much closer to a 2-season car. Despite the dire warnings I've actually driven PS4's in below freezing conditions, and did not immediately spin backwards off the road. Trundle around, don't do anything brash, and they're fine.

I might go to something a bit more radical when I wear these out, like Sport Cups or their equivalent. Just because.

[T-Bears]

Originally Posted by CompuPsych

I have a 2005 Z4 that needs new tires. After much research (Consumer Reports, Tire Rack, Tyre Reviews, etc.) I've narrowed it down to the Michelin All Season 4 and the new Continental DWS 06 Plus. I'm prioritizing road feel and handling, low road noise, and a reasonably comfortable ride. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

I have both. AS4 on my Z4 and DWS 06 on my SLK. They are both good long lasting-quiet tires that provides decent dry and wet traction . I daily drive those two cars so all season tires fit my needs. I've actually taken the AS4 at the track and it did well for all season tires. AS4 come stock on C8 Corvettes so it's not a horrible tire but it's also not the best for dry traction. Will the AS4 get the job done Mon-Fri? Absolutely.

On the other hand, I use PS Cup/4S on my Porsche since it's mostly a garage queen. The beast only comes out for occasional trackdays and canyon rides which is about 4k miles a year or less. That car only has one purpose .



What are your driving habits and what is car used for? That will determine your decision.

[Efthreeoh]

I'm a bit late on this thread, but I vote the Michie's AS4's. I have the AS3's on the Z4 now, but the AS4's I just put on my E90 and E46 convertible last month. Both cars have sport packages. You'll not out drive the tires. If you do get them loose, it will be at a speed that the car will not come back from after hitting whatever it hits.

They have great wet/dry grip and braking, and the AS4 have better steering feel. I just replaced DWS's on the E46 with the AS4's. I've run 3 sets of DWS on the E90 too; the Michelins are the better performance tire IMO.

[lookingforanusp]

Completely agree with Efthreeoh, a comparable Michelin always trumps a Continental for steering feel. Not sure why this is, but after years of giving Conti a chance, the Michelins always feel better in your hands.

[dwswager]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

Why are you putting "all season" tires on your Z4? Is it your daily driver? Only car? Do you drive it in the winter, in snow, or in temperatures below 40 degrees? If not, then you don't need "all season" tires.

Why did I put "all season" in quotes? Because they're not a good winter tire, they're certainly not a good dry or summer tire, they really don't excel at anything.

If you drive your Z4 in the snow, get a dedicated set of snow tires for the winter. If you drive only in the summer, your best bet is probably the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, which are top dry tires and also do exceptionally well in wet conditions.

Way late, but dispelling the All Season vs Summer tire issue. I run Pilot SuperSports on my supercharged MX-5 (224WHP. 2312lbs) (P4S unavailable) because I live in Alabama and it isn't going north on trips in the Winter. It has been on Atlanta MotorSports Park with these tires.

In the old days, All Seasons were generally not very good at any one thing to be decent at all things (think rental ski boots). Now, they are very good at most everything. As to these specific tires the Continental is a better value as in the size for my X5, it is $75/tire cheaper and offers essentially the same performance. Having run 5 sets of ExtremeContact DWS what is different is the sidewall is less rigid and if you are not used to it, it will feel like you are pushing into the corner. But it will be just as stable as the Pilot Sport All Season 4.

Pilot P4S - Ultra High Performance Summer
Pilot Sport All Season 4 - High Performance All Season
Cross Climate 2 - Grand Touring Tire
X-Ice - Snow Tire

[B328iC]

Since you have been doing your homework on the 2 different tires you have to ask yourself what conditions you might run into while driving. The PS4S are great tires on dry and very good on wet. The DSW06 are very good on dry but better than the PS4S in the wet. If you go out on drives with a group or even alone do you drive in the rain? I chose the DSW06's as I tend to drive spirited in both the rain and dry conditions. If you only drive on the dry days them you should get the PS4S.