Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 First Take

After just 26,000+ miles, the OEM Dunlap Sport 5000M tires were down to their wear markers. I am always happy to take care of my ride and was diligent about rotating the tires every 7500 miles or so.

After much research, I found a good deal on the Michelin Sport A/S 3 from America's Tires for the Labor day weekend. The Michelin just came out this summer to replace their all-season Pilot line. According to Michelin, they have used several new technologies like the asymmetric read pattern and high silica compound to give summer tire performance with all-season versatility. Are Michelin's claims true or are they all just marketing jargon?

There are several online reviews out there that report 0-60 times, 60-0 braking distances, and lap times. The Pilot Sports performed amazingly well, particularly considering that the wet 60-0 braking distances were shorter than the competitors' dry braking distances. While I cannot perform these tests to confirm them myself, I can give some seat-of-the pants impressions.

As soon as I pulled out of the tire shop, I immediately noticed that the ride and steering feel were completely transformed. Even when the Dunlaps were new, the ride on the Genesis was always a bit choppy going over larger bumps. As the OEM tires wore out, expansion joints and even smaller bumps and potholes sent unpleasant shocks through the chassis. The worst part was perhaps the bad case of bump steer the car exhibited on the worn out tires. With the fresh set of Michelins, however, just about ALL the harshness disappeared over all but the largest bumps and dips. Road noise had also substantially been reduced and the bump steer is non-existant. Just with the brand new set of tires, the car felt completely different. Although I have not pushed the car hard enough around any corners, I am confident that handling is much improved as well.

I have always been a skeptic when it comes to the importance of tires, particularly on ride quality. I always felt that the ride quality sole depended on the suspension and chassis design. Although this is still true, I can humbly say that the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 has made a believer out of me. It combines the wet and dry traction of summer tires (traction rating = AA) with durability (wear rating = 500), ride, and noise reduction of high-end all-season grand touring tires. At roughly $200 per tire, it is certainly one of the more expensive tires in its class (compared to Pirelli P Zero Nero A/S at ~$150 and Continental ContiProContact DWS at ~$180), but the extra cost is well justifiable for the extra performance and ride improvements. I would highly recommend it to all Genesis owners out there.