ludwig Posted December 8, 2007 Report Share Posted December 8, 2007 mikemod, me again. Late again .... That's very interesting. I've been running my Contact 2 at 2.1 Bar for sometime now. I thought that was too low. But the ride suits me. The tank flap says 2.4. Too hard for our local roads I feel. I feel better now after what you and Michelin have said. As you know, 29PSI is 1.9998 Bar So I can still let a little more air out .... Ludwig BTW I'll almost certainly buy Pilots next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemod Posted December 8, 2007 Report Share Posted December 8, 2007 Hi Ludwig, I never did report back So after 3500 miles I can say the following. All round grip dry and wet is slightly better than the Conti's. The car seems to turn in with more precision, but then that might be just the change from worn out tyres to brand new ones. Even when you are going a bit fast, on say exiting a roundabout, if it starts to slide it is very controllable and gradual. In torrential rain, plenty of time to test at the moment, I have never noticed any aquaplaning or the car wandering about. Road noise is definitely less than the Continentals. Wear rate after 3500 miles, 7mm left on front and 8mm on back, so looking good as I was going through Conti's every 10-12000 miles. So to sum up I would definitely recommend them but they are quite expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 8, 2007 Report Share Posted December 8, 2007 mikemod, it's great that you could respond so quickly. Thanks. This is exactly what I wanted to know. Very useful feedback. <Road noise is definitely less than the Continentals.> This is quite important to me. It's also good to hear that you feel they behave well in the wet. That's important too. That does it for me. As I said, I'm going to get a set soon. My Contact2s have done nearly 18k now (I clearly don't drive as quickly as you and the others ) They've never let me down but I am looking for something a bit quieter. These Michelins seem to fit the bill. Thanks again, Ludwig BTW I'm considering getting a set of the new 18" (black) Detroits to fit the tyres to. I saw them recently at the local dealer - £1050 w/o tyres of course. I've seen them on a White one like mine, stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 ludwig - If I've understood your post correctly, it's not a good idea to run tyres at either under or over their recommended pressures - It'll result in uneven wear and shorter lifespan, quite apart from safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyGTi Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 Michelin Pilot Exaltos Ludvig, my new ED30 has come come with 18" Michelin Pilot Exaltos. Previously I have had both 17" and 18" Conti Sports on Monza wheels (on my previous GTi). My experience with the Michelin Exaltos (after 2000 miles) is similar to Mikes PS2's, so maybe another tyre to consider if you see them - particularly as VW are fitting them as standard to some ED 30's ? I find the road noise a lot less on the 18" Michelins than the 17" Contis. The ride is also slightly better than 18" Contis and comparable to the 17" Conttis. At speed, the Michelins tend to turn in quicker. At first I thought they felt a bit twitchy compared to the Contis - however now I have done some miles I have got more used to this. On a long 270 degree slip road loop that I know very well, I am still not quite as confident with the Michelins as the Contis when cornering close to the limit. Possibly due to the colder, wetter weather now, but I did quite like the Contis reassuring grip on this corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 RedRobin, I agree with what you say. The petrol tank flap sticker says 2.4 but run them at 2.1 That's about 12% less than the recommended pressure. So not that much I guess. Wear seems to be pretty even all round. I swapped the tyres front pair to back at about 10k I've heard others say inflate/deflate "to personal preference." Within reason of course. The Contis have done nearly 18k now and I guess are good for another 5k or so. I regularly get 35 mpg on a M-Way run 75/85mph which I'm satisfied with. The car feels as steady as a rock. But I don't drive as fast as some of you guys! Thanks for your interest and comments. Ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 JonnyGTI, thanks for this information. Very useful and helpful to me. And I'm sure to others. I will definitely consider the Exaltos after what you have said. I need to read up on Michelins. I believe a lot of the performance car manufactures seem to fit Pilots as standard. So they must be ok? <- particularly as VW are fitting them as standard to some ED 30's ? > Yes that is interesting. That is a good recommendation I think (or are VW just getting a good deal from Michelin? ) <I find the road noise a lot less on the 18" Michelins than the 17" Contis. > Really. That is what I'm after if I can get it - less road noise. <The ride is also slightly better than 18" Contis and comparable to the 17" Conttis.> I must say that I am concerned that if I go for the 18" Detroits that I'll find the ride "harder"/less compliant than the 17" Monzas, 225x45 versus 225x40. It is the main reason why I'm hesitating before getting the Detroits. What do you think? Would I notice any difference? Regards, Ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyGTi Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 [ QUOTE ] What do you think? Would I notice any difference? Regards, Ludwig [/ QUOTE ] There's quite a few people on here who have gone from 17" to 18" Monzas and been surprised at just how little the difference is in the ride . I went straight from 17" to 18" Contis....and then back to 17" Contis and recently straight onto 18" Michelin Exaltos with a new ED 30. The difference in ride quality is very subtle imho, and although I quite liked the Conti Sports I would rate the Michelins slightly higher overall. The Michelins also have excellent rim protection. Have you seen the recent EVO tyre test thread (see link below). The PS2's were included in the test and came 5th (out of 9) overall and 3rd in the subjective road test : http://www.tyresmoke.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1225427/page/0/fpart/all/vc/1 There is some useful info in that . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] What do you think? Would I notice any difference? Regards, Ludwig [/ QUOTE ] There's quite a few people on here who have gone from 17" to 18" Monzas and been surprised at just how little the difference is in the ride . [/ QUOTE ] ....I'm one of those people. I was surprised just how little difference - Just a bit firmer but not harsher. I don't know if my Koni FSD's help. Same goes for BBS CH 19's on the GTI with stock suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 JonnyGTI, thanks for this. It's good to hear that there is not much difference. Thanks also for the excellent photograph )I hope that you didn't take it just for this discussion?) Anyway, re. <The Michelins also have excellent rim protection. > That is important to me. And I can see that from the photo. Thanks a lot. 18" Detroits with Pilot Exaltos here I come .... but don't tell my wife! Ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 RedRobin, <I was surprised just how little difference - Just a bit firmer but not harsher.> Many thanks for this feedback. Ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 JonnyGTI, <Have you seen the recent EVO tyre test thread (see link below). > Yes I have thanks. I bought the mag that monthe and I've kept the piece so I'll dig it out to read it again. Thanks for reminding me. Ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 So is the general consensus that the Goodyear F1 Assymetrics or Michelin Exaltos are the ones to go for? I've got to replace all 4 this week, good timing just after xmas! Are the Exaltos the same as Pilot Sport 2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexM Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 [ QUOTE ] So is the general consensus that the Goodyear F1 Assymetrics or Michelin Exaltos are the ones to go for? I've got to replace all 4 this week, good timing just after xmas! Are the Exaltos the same as Pilot Sport 2? [/ QUOTE ] I have the Goodyear F1 Assymetrics and can recommend them. The levels of grip are great in the dry and wet. They managed to get me round a hairpin bend at nearly 60 MPH, wasn't planning on it or showing off just didn't realise the corner was that tight. 2 sets of underware ruined that day but the car was intact thankfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 Having read the EVO review, I had decided that when the time came I would move to Conti ASD's. However, yesterday while pulling into work, I heard what sounded like gravel under the car and the tyre-pressure monitor went off. Picked up 2 self-tapping screws, 1 in the front and 1 in the rear (RHS). Both on the outer rim block - damn! Started to worry about how I would get home with 2 flats - so did very quick internet search from m'desk. I had already swapped the Conti 2's front-to-rear at 12K, and have done 2k since then. As it was New Year's Eve and I reckoned I had about half a mile of air left at that point, I ended up getting 4 new Pilot Sport 2's - 225/40/18's. £606!! Grrr.. But when I reached home, I spotted (under the usual motorway cake of mud / salt) that the rear RHS tyre is on inside out! So have to bring it back tomorrow. Also, I think one of my alloys was slightly scrapped during the fitting. An interesting - and expensive - end to 2007! Guess I'll soon be able to write a review of the PS2's then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlT Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 I have been running Michelin PS2s all round for about 8 weeks now (on 18" Monzas). They are a fantastic tyre and I would highly reccomend them ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyGTi Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 [ QUOTE ] So is the general consensus that the Goodyear F1 Assymetrics or Michelin Exaltos are the ones to go for? I've got to replace all 4 this week, good timing just after xmas! Are the Exaltos the same as Pilot Sport 2? [/ QUOTE ] I think it all depends on how you drive If you want ultimate tyre performance (grip etc) then the Goodyear F1's are probably the obvious choice (winner of the EVO tyre test).... However, if you are looking for a good all round tyre for all types of road surface etc then you may be better looking at the Michelins or even try the Vreidesteins. It was interesting that when the tyres were driven on the road blind, in a subjective road test, that the Vredesteins won hands down - a huge 7.5% points more than 2nd place - and that was with a number of experienced drivers : EVO Tyre Test - Subjective Road Route Test (25mins on mix of surfaces) The tyres were driven blind on a MkV Golf GTI 1. Vredestein 100% 2. Dunlop 92.5% 3. Michelin 90.5% 4. Pirelli 89.4% 5. Goodyear 88.9% 6. Bridgestone 88.1% 7. Kumho 87.0% 8. Continental 86.5% 9. Yokohama 76.2% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PND Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 My two rears are barely legal (2yr old 18" Contis) - does anyone know of a good reliable tyre place in Leeds (ideally west Leeds) where I can get either 2 replacement Contis, or something better at a good price? Any thoughts above good or bad tyre sellers would be of use! Thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PND Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Above post is meant to say 'Any thoughts about good or bad..' Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Have now put in about 500 miles on the new Pilot Sport 2's (18" Monzas), was previously on Conti 2' which overall were very good but I often felt lateral grip was a bit lacking. Personally, I think the Michelin's are excellent, despite initial reservations (it was a 'forced' purchase!). With the Conti's, I often struggled to get power down on bends etc, the PS2's don't suffer to the same extent. I think tyre roar is down with the Michelin's. Also, grip in standing water (lots of it around at the moment) seems better. Braking is excellent, I would say equal to or possibly better than the Continental's. Overall, I would put the PS2's above the Conti 2's. Very subjective, but just feel the PS2's have the edge in real-world driving. Mind you, I'm not sure what to make of Michelin's note that the PS2's are not really designed for near-freezing weather conditions! Anyway - what ever rubber your GTI is on - just enjoy the car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 fresco1, thanks very much for posting this. Very useful to me and I'm sure others too. For me, it's down to a decision to buy the Vredstein Sessantas or Mich PS2s now .... decisions, decisions ludwig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemod Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 One word of warning for those thinking of getting the Michelin PS2s. There is absolutely no rim protection which I unfortunately have just become a victim off. I noticed this when I got them fitted and thought it would only be a matter of time A tosser in an X5 decided he needed my lane to drive his bus in as well as mine and I had to move towards the kerb. I just kissed it slightly, not even a mark on the tyre but a nice kerbed rim about a third of the way round.. I remember touching the kerb about the same amount on the Conti's and didn't mark the wheel. Having said that they are still an excellent tyre, I'm driving up the middle of the road from now on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winrya Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Just put 2 Goodyear f1 asymmetric's on the GTI and wow They replaced 2 very worn F1 GSD3's so its hard to compare worn to new but... They are massively quieter, Ride more smoothly, Dont tramline at all, And my god do they grip!!! Traction of the line is incredible, 1st, 2nd and 3rd can be treated as a switch, foot down and off, no drama, wheel spin etc, incredible. Feel in the bends is fantastic, i'm stunned, cant believe new rubber can make such a difference. Don't be put off by that negative post recently, these tyres are truly stunning - I can start using all that power again PS, I've only done 20 mile so i'm told there's even more to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyGTi Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Good stuff ... they should get better still after a few months too . Where did you get them from out of interest ? ... obviously a good source by the sound of your review . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winrya Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi Q, £204 fitted, although i do get discount through my dad's pension benefits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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