[NTOwens]

I need your help.... I'm on the fence!

So I have looked at/researched several different options to replace the horrible RFTs.

For different reasons - I have narrowed it down to 3 options.

Please don’t make any suggestions of other brands... trust me - I have looked at them all, and want to choose from these three.

I know there are plenty of other great tires, at maybe higher price points, or lower wear life, that may perform better on the track - or in the snow.... etc.

So for the set up, you need to know a few things:

Term of ownership - 39 Month lease
Location/Weather - South GA (for now) - Mostly hot, never snows, rains plenty!
Type of driving - "Spirited" - I love this term. It’s what we like to use to describe how we drive that doesn’t make our insurance premiums go up.
Most recent previous replacement tires owned:
Nitto 555 Extremes - not available in 245/40/19…. I liked them but only 300 wear rating, barely made lease end
Falken FK-452 - meh…. noisy, wore out before lease end (also 300)
Looks - I have to say…. The tread design and sidewall look is important, and I am okay with the 3 selected.

2 of the 3 are considered “High Performance All Season” and I think are comparable to allot of the summer tires as far as performance. And they have longer wear, which has been an issue in the past.

So now for the three contenders, the deliverd price, and a quick blurb from the web describing them (and links for reviews if you are interested):

1. Nitto Motivo - HP All Season (560 A A / Y) - $746

The Motivo from Nitto Tires is one of the newest high performance all-season tires on the market today. It delivers impressive grip in the corners that is similar to some of the better summer driving tires. Steering control and braking are excellent, as is the riding comfort this model provides. Nitto includes a 60,000 mile tread warranty, which is among the best of any tire in this class.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/rt-archive/nitto-motivo

2. BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp 2 - Summer Tire (340 AA A / W) - $822

With a tread compound that sticks like glue in the corners, the g-Force Sport Comp 2 from BFGoodrich offers a very high level of performance in a summer tire. You will find this tire provides excellent steering control and feel, as well as solid traction on wet or dry pavement. With its lower price point, this new Sport Comp 2 offers good value for the money.
Nice review from The Smoking Tire:
http://www.thesmokingtire.com/2012/tested-bf-goodrich-g-force-sport-comp2-tires/


3. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 - Ultra HP All Season (500 AA A / V) - $886
The Pilot Sport A/S 3 is Michelin's ultimate Ultra High Performance All-Season tire with the highest level of performance and grip in all driving conditions. More dry grip than competitive max performance summer tires. The shortest wet and dry Braking of leading competitors in the Ultra High Performance A/S category. Cold weather and snow mobility for true all season performance.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/michelin-puts-its-new-pilot-sport-a-s-3-to-the-test-ar158814.html


So? What do you think? Your feedback is important - especially if you have experience with these tires personally!
But even if you want to speculate…. I will take that as well.
Thanks for participating!

 

[JR69]

Well, I can tell you that I just got the BFG G-force Comp 2 tires put on last week, great tire, NOISY as a MoFo. Swapping them out tomorrow for Bridgestone S04 Pole Positions.

I've done a ton of research, yes, I missed the complaints on the Comp 2's because everyone seemed to be driving cars with a loud exhaust so they don't hear the tire howl, trust me, it's awful in a relatively quiet car.

The Michelins are great tires, but they cost an arm and leg so that is a decision only you can decide on.

If I were to get All Season Performance tires I would look at Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position, the Mich A/S 3's, Conti DW, Yoko S.

Honestly there are so many. I settled on the S04's because i live in California are it rarely rains but the S04's have great dry and wet handling when needed. AND they are quiet.

 

[NTOwens]

Well, I can tell you that I just got the BFG G-force Comp 2 tires put on last week, great tire, NOISY as a MoFo.

I'm glad you shared this, because I had NOT seen that in any reviews. Thanks. That is an important factor for me too. I had ruled out a few already because of noise.

 

[JR69]

I'm glad you shared this, because I had NOT seen that in any reviews. Thanks. That is an important factor for me too. I had ruled out a few already because of noise.

Yeah, I finally found some reviews/comments on the noise AFTER I had them put on and noticed the noise. It is very apparent and the OEM Dunlops are much quieter.

 

[Q50Aggie]

I've heard good things about the AS3's, but I have no experience with them. I also want a quiet tire, so I'll be watching this thread closely.

 

[Q50Aggie]

Also, does anyone have any good recommendations for Fix-a-flat? Since we won't have a spare, would be good to have some sort of backup in case of a flat and we don't want to wait for Roadside assistance. Is Roadside assistance free with Infiniti? Meaning if I get a flat tire, they will come get me for free? How does that work? (Sorry if I hijacked your thread, but I think it is all relevant.

 

[selzini]

Also, does anyone have any good recommendations for Fix-a-flat? Since we won't have a spare, would be good to have some sort of backup in case of a flat and we don't want to wait for Roadside assistance. Is Roadside assistance free with Infiniti? Meaning if I get a flat tire, they will come get me for free? How does that work? (Sorry if I hijacked your thread, but I think it is all relevant.

I believe it is. A few years ago, for some reason, I had a dead battery. The car was still under warranty, so I called Infiniti. They came and got the car, and towed it 60 miles to the nearest dealer, and I was not charged for it. I assume the same would happen for a flat.

As far as the tire question is concerned, I am also waiting for those with experience with these tires. AND, I wonder whether a small air pump would be better than Fix-a-flat type of things.

 

[JR69]

Also, does anyone have any good recommendations for Fix-a-flat? Since we won't have a spare, would be good to have some sort of backup in case of a flat and we don't want to wait for Roadside assistance. Is Roadside assistance free with Infiniti? Meaning if I get a flat tire, they will come get me for free? How does that work? (Sorry if I hijacked your thread, but I think it is all relevant.

Yeah, it's all free as far as I was told. I used it when I had my Acura a few times for a dead battery. Fortunately I never had a flat on the Acura.

 

[SnowItch]

Also, does anyone have any good recommendations for Fix-a-flat? Since we won't have a spare, would be good to have some sort of backup in case of a flat and we don't want to wait for Roadside assistance. Is Roadside assistance free with Infiniti? Meaning if I get a flat tire, they will come get me for free? How does that work? (Sorry if I hijacked your thread, but I think it is all relevant.

Roadside assistance is part of the "free" 1 year Infinity Connect. I haven't looked at the details on towing/rental cars, etc.

I do know that you are supposed to be able to drive an additional 100-200 miles on the RunFlats. But, I've also heard that running on the runflats ruins the tire (makes sense) and that you have to buy new tires to replace them in pairs (some people refute this - I think it is based more on how much wear the tire has).

 

[greenhut]

I'm getting the Michelin AS3's. They really aren't that expensive, and have a great tread life warranty. What really pushed me to them though is my boss just put them on his M3 and loves them. He previously only bought PS2s which are a good deal more expensive, and melt in like 12k miles.

 

[JR69]

Roadside assistance is part of the "free" 1 year Infinity Connect. I haven't looked at the details on towing/rental cars, etc.

I do know that you are supposed to be able to drive an additional 100-200 miles on the RunFlats. But, I've also heard that running on the runflats ruins the tire (makes sense) and that you have to buy new tires to replace them in pairs (some people refute this - I think it is based more on how much wear the tire has).

It's 50 miles on RFT's not 100-200 miles.

 

[JR69]

I'm getting the Michelin AS3's. They really aren't that expensive, and have a great tread life warranty. What really pushed me to them though is my boss just put them on his M3 and loves them. He previously only bought PS2s which are a good deal more expensive, and melt in like 12k miles.

I think that is a good choice for all seasons.


Tire Test - Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 - European Car Magazine

 

[SnowItch]

It's 50 miles on RTF's not 100-200 miles.

I'll find the link again where I saw 100-200. Not doubting you, but I'm pretty sure that I saw it on the Dunlop site (and the AWD Hybrid has Dunlop tires).

Edit:

This isn't the link I saw, but it confirms 100-200 miles

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/how-run-flat-tires-work-11261.html

 

[SnowItch]

It's 50 miles on RFT's not 100-200 miles.

Seems to be one of those issues that it depends on who you ask (and who makes the tire).

You are correct, 50 miles at 50mph is what is recommended for the Dunlop 5000s that come standard on the Sport AWD. I don't know what is shipping on the other models, but it seems the figure does change based on the tire.

 

[JR69]

I'll find the link again where I saw 100-200. Not doubting you, but I'm pretty sure that I saw it on the Dunlop site (and the AWD Hybrid has Dunlop tires).

Edit:

This isn't the link I saw, but it confirms 100-200 miles

How Run-Flat Tires Work

Straight from their website.

Dunlop® Self-Supporting Technology (DSST)® uses a patented sidewall construction to allow continued driving on a flat tire for up to 50 miles at 50 mph in normal conditions***

 

[JR69]

Seems to be one of those issues that it depends on who you ask (and who makes the tire).

You are correct, 50 miles at 50mph is what is recommended for the Dunlop 5000s that come standard on the Sport AWD. I don't know what is shipping on the other models, but it seems the figure does change based on the tire.

The tires that came on my S Hybrid are Dunlop SP Maxx DSST CTT.

 

[chicagokevo]

Also, does anyone have any good recommendations for Fix-a-flat? Since we won't have a spare, would be good to have some sort of backup in case of a flat and we don't want to wait for Roadside assistance. Is Roadside assistance free with Infiniti? Meaning if I get a flat tire, they will come get me for free? How does that work? (Sorry if I hijacked your thread, but I think it is all relevant.

Roadside is definitely free (48mths/unltd. miles). Won't do you any good if you don't have a spare. The only thing the roadside offers is to change your flat with a spare, so it's merely a labor call. Otherwise, you could take them up on the free towing to the nearest Infiniti dealer ("reasonable" distance).

https://owners.infinitiusa.com/iowners/content/manualsandguides/M/2011/2011_RoadSide_QRG.pdf

 

[NTOwens]

Roadside Assistance/Fix-a-Flat/RFT mileage restrictions

Holy Hijacking Batman!

Thanks for the help (like two of you) lol.

I'm guilty too - no worries, someone will bring this back around at some point - Right?

 

[JR69]

Yeah, it happens. There are some good tire reviews on Tirerack. Are you looking for all season or summer? Remember many summer tires are also good in the rain as well.

 

[Q50Aggie]

Yeah, it happens. There are some good tire reviews on Tirerack. Are you looking for all season or summer? Remember many summer tires are also good in the rain as well.

In Houston, should I be looking for summer tire only?