Finally wore out the Michelin PS2s on the front after about 5 years (low mileage car). I've been through 3 sets of rears in the same time. So now I have to decide if I want to stick with PS2s for another full cycle, or switch to something else and change all 4 now.

Tires are 225/45/17 and 255/40/17 on 17x7.5+50 17x9+63 wheels.

I absolutely love the PS2s, they've been great. Great handling, and always quiet (no squeal or roar, even as they age). But has anything newer come out that's better? I know plenty of folks love the Direzza Star Spec, but I think that will be a noisier tire than I want. I'd consider the Michelin Pilot Super Sport if they made a 255, but it appears they don't. The Bridgestone RE-11 is another option, anyone have experience with that?

Jim, any recommendations? I see that the fronts at least are on backorder at TR.

 

The RE-11s are a step above the PS2 performance wise. They are probably "friendlier" than the star specs, yet rougher than the PS2s. Their performance will be higher, but street manners will be more crude.

The PS2 (and even more so the PSS) are such a good tire, that you're going to have a hard time finding something that compares in both smoothness and performance. I'd say go with OEM sizes in the PSS. With the increased grip of the PSS, you won't notice any sort of difference in performance between them and the slightly larger set of PS2s you're coming from.

 

I just switched from 215 front 255 rear re-11 tires to 215 front 245 rear pss tires. I haven't broken in or really tested the limits of the pss yet but from my limited experience, they seem to provide pretty good handling. Once they are broken in and I have a bit more experience with them I'll report back on how they compare to the re-11s. If you can't wait though I wouldn't hesitate to buy the pss in 215 and 245.

 

If you liked the PS2 I would look at the Bridgestone S04 or the Michelin Super Sport. They are both superior in handling in both wet and dry. They should both give you better tread life as well with Michelin having a 15K mileage warranty rear and 30K front.
If you are looking for more of a track tire for the street the Bridgestone RE11, Dunlop Star Spec would both be excellent.
If I can help let me know.

 

Personally, I'm a big fan of the RE050 (if you're looking for a street-only tire). Very sticky, displaces water well, and manages to be stiff enough for crisp responses without being overly noisy.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I like the idea of trying the PSS in oem ap2 sizes, might try that down the road. I tend to prefer a well mannered street tire than a track oriented tire for daily driving.

However, a sense of urgency forced me to jump on a pair of PS2s today. I have a 500 mile road trip tomorrow, and realized that my left front was corded on the inside edge (camber wear) - not inspiring confidence. Luckily, I found a local tire shop with 225 PS2s in stock, and had those put on the fronts today. I'll get the rears done in the next couple of weeks - they didn't have the 255s in stock today.

Any thoughts on mixing PS2 fronts with PSS rears? Or should I just lock myself into the PS2s all around until I wear down another set of fronts (got 25k miles out of the first set).

 

I see that you have the volk ce28n with the same offset that I have. Are you lowered your car with suspension or stock? Does it rub the front fender with 225/45/17? thanks

 

Ah, but do you have the super-awesome mercury silver?

Yes, my car is lowered about 1" on Bilstein PSS9s. I can count on one hand the number of times it has rubbed the left front. Other than that, it's been flawless.

Never enough to even leave a mark on the fender liner, just a light scrub. Each time I had a passenger (read: extra weight) in the car, and it was a tight right hander. With just me in the car, it has never rubbed.

That said, tires often have different shoulder contours/profiles, so a more squared tire edge may be more prone to rubbing. As I recall, the PS2 is decently rounded relative to some others. Also, look at the measured section width and tread width of different tires to get an idea of how they compare.

 

^ I don't have the CE28N but do have RE30s same size and offset lol!
The reason I'm asking because I'm planing to track my car so I can see which tires size to choose from. I'll probably go with 215/45/17.

 

I have had several sets of tires on my S, one was the PS2s and I will be going back to the PS2 for my next tire choice. I have found that the Bridgestones are a little louder the Michelin. I like a high performace tire but hate the excess road noise most have, however the PS2s where very quiet. I run a non staggered set of Enkie 18 X 8.5 all around with a 225 / 40 tire size