I found a pretty nasty slash in my front left sidewall that explains the slow leak I've had for the last couple of drives, so it's enough justification to put a new set of tires. But, I'm having analysis paralysis, and I'd love some opinions and recommendations from some other local F-Type owners about my specific situation. Yes, I know there are a ton of threads about this, but I couldn't find any information specific to my conundrum.

I live in the PNW (greater Seattle area), which means for all intents and purposes we never get snow, but we do have quite a few wet and rainy months where the temperature is in the 30s/40s/50s and the summer temperatures rarely get into the 90s. While my wife and I have another car and I don't plan on driving the F-Type all that much in inclement weather, it'd be nice if I could enjoy it outside the 5-6 months of sunny weather. I do not plan on having a separate set of winter wheels/tires.

Basically, we've had wonderful experiences with Michelin tires on our other cars, so I think my choice is really coming down to a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (PS4S) or Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 (PSAS4).

For additional context, here are some questions I've been having trouble answering:
- What is the temperature cutoff where the PSAS4 will outperform the PS4S? I'm thinking those beautiful Spring days after The Long Dark where it's finally sunny but still in the 40s. Will the PS4Ss be ice skates, or are they still better than the All Seasons unless there's snow?
- What is the real-world wet performance comparison between the PSAS4 and PS4S? I know the Tire Rack, etc. reviews always say that the PS4S has better wet traction than the PSAS4, but is that at warm temps with just a wet surface, or is that at 50 degrees with puddles? For these rainy months, will the PSAS4 outperform the PS4S?
- Do the PSAS4 subjectively feel as sporty as the PS4S? I remember hating our BMW 330 when it was on the OE Continentals because of it's vague and wallowy driving dynamics, but swapping to PSAS4 completely transformed the car and made it fun to drive, even just around town. Will the PSAS4 be noticeably more vague / less sporty in driving feel than the PS4S? Even more importantly, will the PSAS4 be noticeably more vague / less sporty than the current P Zeros (since that's the benchmark).
- How do the PSAS4 compare to the OE P Zero? I'm happy enough with the P Zero, so if the PSAS4 are better than the P Zero in all categories, it's a safe bet I'll be more than happy with the PSAS4, even if they are not quite as good as the PS4S.

Please help me make my decision. What would you recommend?

 

I fitted the PAS4's in Fall 2021.
They handle well in the cold, though I have never driven them in snow and only occasionally in the wet.
I kept the OE PZ's and did actually refit them in 2023 for Summer driving.
I did not bother this year.
IMO, the PSAS4's handle equally as well as the PZ's which, unlike many others, I never really had a problem with.
The PZ's are now stored on a garage shelf and will likely go back on the car when I put it up for sale when the warranty expires.

 

I have the PS4S and find that traction falls off below 40F. I don't have any issues with the wet, but cannot compare them with the all-season version.

I've heard good things about the latest Continental tires but again, don't have personal experience with them.

 

So....I put Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's on my R Coupe about a year ago now. While I live in Virginia, I don't take the car out in inclement weather, but do when it's cold. The tires are a real step up from OEM, do OK in the rain, but want to stay above the 40F range. But as a pure performance option, they tick the box.

 

Another possibility to consider is the new Michelin Pilot Sport S 5, see here: https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/...-5-is-here.htm
Up until very recently these were only available in 21" and OEM fitments (see linked article), but yesterday I discovered that my local tyre retailer offers them in two 20" sizes which lo and behold are just right for the F-Type, 295/30ZR20 (rear) and 265/35ZR20 (front), see here: https://www.tyrepower.com.au/tyres/m...ilot-sport-s-5
If we can get them in Oz then surely they can be got in the good ol' US of A!
I am due for new tyres soon so I will be getting these if they are available and if the price is not too horrendous.
Yes the 265 fronts are a little wider than the stock 255s but it's only 10 mm and plenty here have fitted that size with no problems.
Not much info out there about how they handle cold/wet roads but the little I can find suggests they are similar to the PS4S if not a little better.

 

Tire Rack has the S5's in stock. For 265/35ZR20 (front) and 295/30ZR20 (rear), the price is $453.99 / $467.99 - only about 9% more than 4S's.
That would be my vote. They only show 2 each in stock at the moment (get your order in), although I'm sure that will change.

 

It is all about the temperature.
If you want to drive safely at lower temps, you need an AS (or snow) tire.
Both the Michelins and the Continentals are good AS tires.
I have the Michs on the Jag and the Contis on the Audi.
Different cars but hard to tell the difference tire wise.
Contis might be a shade quieter and softer.

 

None of the ultrazperfrmance tires should be used below 40f. So, this is an irrelevant poll.

 

I live in Vancouver and I drive a RWD V6S (with a spicy tune).

I say PS4s all the way.
I had them previously, then I replaced them with Indy Firehawk 500s because I remembered liking them on my mx5 and wanted to give them another go. Now I can't wait for them to wear out so I can get back on the PS4s.

I've never felt that I needed special tires in the rain/wet/cold that we get here. I say you mostly just need be more careful with your right foot 😁.


I should mention that I've been using a separate set of wheels/tires for Nov - Mar. But I'll probably just get a separate winter car going forward. Not enjoying driving the F in the winter so much anymore. Or should I say that my F isn't enjoying it lol.

 

I live where it can snow so I'll be installing all season tires by late Fall this year so I'd like to see some comparisons of Michelins vs Continentals.

 

As previous, IMO the Mich's are slightly better handling vs Contis which are slightly quieter and softer ride.
Just one man's opinion. Have never had both types on the same car, and guessing few ever had both on their F-Type.
Best other info source is probably Tire Rack. Not sure what size tires are on your 75 but it may be that you end up with only one option.

 

I don't know what is is about LF P-zeros in the Puget Sound area, but mine has gone through two replacements - the last being a sidewall slash. The tires are still in too good of shape to replace them all, but in previous researches, it was a close match between the Mich AS and the Conti DWS 06 plus. When it's time, I plan on the Conti's... mainly because of the shape of the roads around here.

The odd think about them is that - according to the Continental Tire USA's website (which I don't necessarily trust for other reasons) they list the Conti DWS 06+ 255/35 R20 & 295/30 R20 as NOT fitting my '21 P380. In fact, the website claims they don't make ANY tire that fits my vehicle at all. (!!). In fact, if you believe this site, there are NO Continental tires that fit ANY MY F-type with 20" wheels. On the other hand, Tire Rack carries this tire in this size and claims it fits. Go figure.

So, I'm a bit curious as to whether anyone here has installed these tires on their F-type. If so, please state year, trim, and tire size. Thanks.

'Cuz this month (June 2024) both Continental Tires and Tire Rack are running a discount on them.

Or... could it be that Conti has decided to no longer make tires for 20" rims, and the only ones available are in current inventory? That might explain the discount.

 

If you are driving the car the way it was intended, get the best tires you can, even more so if you don’t live in the tropical, make the best out of the few months while it lasts!

ps4s will be your major contender as far as the internet is concerned, and a good reason for that, perfect balance between grip, feel, longevity and comfort.

Though if you’re willing to deal with more road noise or shorter life, there are options that are superior in more than one way to the ps4s.

Cheaper alternatives exist too that easily match out beat the p0, which is pretty much universally acclaimed “trash”.

 

I went through this with two of my cars. You don't want "summer" high performance tires in cold weather, ie. under 50 degrees. Get the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 -PSAS4's. They work well in hot weather as well as cold weather. They are excellent in wet weather and supposedly in the snow work decent. Read the reviews on the Tire Rack's feedback page. Great tires for the PNW. I lived in Oak Harbor back in the day!

 

Having previously owned a BMW with run flats, I would not want them again.
But, I am curious whether anybody has ever tried them on an F-Type.
Not having even a mini replacement wheel/tire, does make me somewhat nervous about longer trips.
Having said that we have done a couple of 2K trips, fortunately without mishap.

 

I run 265/35/20 f and 305/30/20 r DWS06Plus tires on my VAP'ed 3.0.

At 21k miles since installation, the rears STILL have the snow letter showing....amazing treadlife on the Continentals. Better than my last set of Michelins by perhaps 25%.

Smooth, quiet for what they are, cheaper..., and 3-5lbs lighter per corner....that matters.

Before these I had Michelins on all my cars for years thinking they were the best....the reality of the Michelin A/S's at least is they are super noisy tires. I would agree that on the prior DWS06 (not the plus), the Michelins were more precise feeling. At present, I don't think that is true any longer with the plus variant currently for sale.

You cannot go wrong with the Michelins...if you see under 50F I'd do A/S. I just wanted to share the fact that as a Michelin fanboy I have been unexpectedly surprised by the Continentals.

The Michelins are "wider" than the Conti's at the 295 sizing, but you can, as I did, get the conti's in SVR size of 305...you cannot get the Michelins in a 305....and the Conti's are still lighter. Tire weight matters....surprisingly not mentioned...

Let's put it this way, I see the use of wheel weights as an indirect measure of tire quality control.

On my recent Michelins, none have needed weights.

On the Continentals, no weights were needed either. These things are real peers. All I am saying.

 

Also in PNW, I can give you my perspective of the Conti DWS on another vehicle. I had this on my Cooper S and they were amazing in our crap weather. Really worked well in the cold and wet. Never hydroplaned on the flowing water that crosses our roads. I am a big of the tire for around here. These will go on my F-Type at the next tire change. I do not track the car so I have no need for ultra summer performance around here.

 

Another vote for Continental DWS06+ (make sure it's the "plus" as it is a vastly superior compound). I had them on my previous F-Type and I will be outfitting my current one with them as well once the PZeros are end-of-life. My car doesn't see snow either but here in New England we frequently have < 32F days that are plenty dry and salt-free so the car can be used. These are equivalent of ultra high-performance summer tires just a few generations ago (those tires have since gotten even better). They're cheaper, lighter, and quieter and have comparable performance to the Michelins. Unless you are tracking the car, you'll never reach the limit of either in most situations so I'd go with the Contis.

 

I have the DW06 on the X-Type. They are quiet and do well in the rain. I know they don’t last as long as the original tires but the X-Type isn’t a high performance F-Type. The weight savings is a big factor on high performance cars. That alone is worth the change.

 

The "plus" also made the tire handle better (stiffer sidewalls). This is why for me it is equal to the Michelins now in terms of performance in my opinion.

The compound as noted improved too, but to me the sidewall upgrade was the key.