AMGAffalterbach

I wore through my Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3s faster than I expected at 13,000 miles for the set, and I really didn't have much spirited driving in those miles - mostly commuting - so I was a little bit disappointed I was out nearly $800 since those wore at an appalling rate. But, thanks to Michelin's incredible mileage prorated warranty, I was able to buy a new set of tires while getting a credit of $102 per tire from Michelin. I was well under the 45k warranty they specified (I still love you Michelin, you rock).

However, although I've traditionally gone with pricey performance all-season tires, I've changed my rationale this time around. I decided to go with a dedicated set of summer tires and a dedicated set of winter tires, to not only maximize time between buying new tires, but to get significantly better performance in each circumstance. TheCold5.0 recently got a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sports on his E55, and this is the set of 245/40/18 tires I ended up getting for $250 with over $400 in credit from Michelin.

The Potenza RE760 Sport is an interesting tire, it has a very attractive tread pattern with 3-dimensional characteristics you would expect to see on an extreme performance summer tire, but it is actually an ultra-high performance summer tire (the scale goes UHP/Max/Extreme), so it is considered more of an entry-level performance summer tire by both price point and category. It definitely has the shortcomings of not having as much ultimate grip as a Michelin Pilot Super Sport (max performance) or Continental ExtremeContact DW (also max perforamnce) which I have experienced on friend's vehicles, but overall I remain extremely impressed.

This tire is definitely a sticky and grippy tire: cornering on this tire is very uneventful with non-existent squeal and what seems to be endless grip, it never seems to struggle for grip and is extremely composed. As many reviews said, it starts to exhibit some understeer at the limit, but I haven't pushed these tires hard enough to experience more than a hint of this characteristic. Braking seems on par with most tires I've had thus far (far better than slightly worn Michelin Primacy MXM4s and similar to the Pilot Sport AS3s), but is nothing exceptional - though I've yet to experience a panic braking situation and I hope I never have to.

The cornering composure is definitely a result of a stiffer sidewall, it's no secret that this is a performance oriented tire and it sometimes shows over larger bumps and manhole covers, you can tell the tire has less give than most performance all seasons. However, this translates into very flat cornering even for an airmatic vehicle, and durability. You don't have to worry about the rubber blocks on the outside of the tire getting worn as quickly, or chewing up the sidewall as a result of the tire rolling onto itself during maneuvers carrying extreme cornering load. The tradeoff here is some comfort, but I really like the road manner of my car after putting these on.

These tires compete with the Yokohama S.Drive as well, and in comparison to a friend's Legacy GT with the S.Drives on it, there is a LOT less road noise at highway speeds. Maybe I can only contribute this to a better insulated car, but the white noise droning is almost non-existent even rolling down concrete, and that's the major advantage of this tire in comparison to the competition. I think the only tire that competes with this from Michelin is the Pilot Exalto PE2, and I don't really know anyone who runs that.

And that brings me down to the ultimate point as to why I picked a UHP Summer versus a Max or Extreme Performance summer. The first motivating factor is price: this is an extremely affordable tire from a reputable company - granted there is no mileage prorated warranty on these - but I know two people with 9,000 miles on them, and the treadwear life far exceeds the Pilot Sport AS3s - they look almost brand new at 10k! So they're not as sticky as a max performance summer tire, but this attribute is what lends itself to a longer tire life. The same has held true for everyone I know that runs the Yokohama S.Drive. Any UHP summer tire from a reputable brand will be better than any all-season tire in the dry, I'm comfortable saying this, and it's something you already know. As much as I talk about compromise with this tire, there really isn't much: I bought this tire as a performance summer set and it is excellent at performing that function, doing so while also looking very sleek.

So, for my winter setup I'm planning on getting some cheap winter tires. Some Champiro WinterPro HPs or Imperial S210s are on the list, and I'm looking forward to experiencing a dedicated winter and ice tire in comparison to all seasons I've run so far.

Overall, I am a huge fan of these tires, and I have a newfound respect for Bridgestone as a company. They may not be quite at the level as Michelin in my personal and completely biased opinion, but they're a very close second and I'm extraordinarily happy I went with the Potenza RE760 Sports. Incredible grip, amazing looks, very flat cornering, and decent braking. I only experienced one minor rainstorm in them thus far, and like with most other tires I've experienced on 4Matic, you can't even tell the road is wet.

pinebaron

My rear A3S's did not even last 10,000 miles and shredded during my coast to coast drive. The fronts, I noticed have remained intact after 13,000 or more miles and have significant tread I'll measure when I'm home this weekend; I think I may get 20,000 miles out of them but may be pushing it. The (current) rears are Cooper tires, an only replacement available at the time during my coast to coast journey; offering a much firmer ride, these have held out great however it's too early to comment and conclude on quality or life of tire, except, they seem to stick to the road despite my extreme brutal driving methods on mountain roads and bends.

AMGAffalterbach

I think anyone with a somewhat spirited driving habit didn't get much life out of the AS3s, reading a bunch of forums that just seemed to be a characteristic of the tire. They're great tires for grip and road manner but wear wise, I think your experience is common.

kajtek1

impersonator strikes again????????????????
Couple years ago I hesitated to spend $1000 + on Michelins for 18" monoblocks and did find good deal on Chinese Triangles.
The company is pretty reputable and now after 2 years/10,000 miles they look good. The only complain might be higher noise at lower speeds, but we don't drive slow very often.
I don't think I will get promised 50k from Triangles, but even when I get only 30k, I am way ahead of the game and they look so darn good with directional thread.

pinebaron

Update: Front A3S's are still going strong after around almost 15,000 miles nevertheless I won't be buying them again. For the rears what I felt would be temporary Cooper RS3-S tires, are doing extremely well and showing little to no signs of wear after 3000 miles and have fared extremely well even during my extreme cornering speeds even though that has a lot to do with my active suspension; it will be a while before I need new tires. I'm not driving the car around very much this time of the year except for local driving. My favourite drive up to Whistler BC, on Sea to Sky highway, is now limited to my trusted Ford Expedition until at least spring time.
Happy Holidays to everyone!!

AMGAffalterbach

Good to hear Pinebaron, I'm on my winter setup at the moment too, nice that you have another car you can use as a winter vehicle. Interesting the front AS3s are doing well. Happy holidays!