The Si deserves better tires

[amirza786]

If you were driving in the rain and could get those stock all season Goodyears to break traction, it's because you weren't pushing their limit.

And their limit is very very low in the wet.

I will however note that they lose traction laterally in a very progressive manner that's hard to detect if you're not looking for it. As far as predictability goes, I do concede it's a great tire, plus it has decent life. Aside from that, I have no plaudits for it

Really, one should not be pushing the limits of any tire when the road is wet, slipper, or icy IMHO. So basically I can conclude that normal driving in bad weather they are fine, but when you push them hard they don't hold traction as well. That I can 100 percent agree with. Anyway when they are worn and have served their purpose I will replace them with better tires

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[Design]

The Goodyears aren't really all that bad for an A/S tire. Good treadlife, and terrific sidewall rigidity for the corners. These actually feel pretty good during turn-in, and really only flex past 8/10. And I agree with the earlier comment that they exhibit predictable roadholding manners.

There are of course better options out there. But for an all-around spirited daily, these feel quite good. I could see myself getting these or a set of Michelin A/S 3+ as replacements.

 

[Gotch]

The stock Goodyear A/S really do suck in the rain and not much better in the dry. This is exponentially noticeable if you are tuned, as I have found. Hopefully they wear out quickly and I can replace with a dedicated summer tire next year. I’m not about to just replace them until I need to. I just adjust my driving to suit road conditions.

 

[xbbnx]

One day update. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed, drove 30miles. 80% highway drive with some nice off ramp and on ramp curves. On city speed, ride seems a bit stiffer, road noise about the same, and ride quality a bit harsher. On freeway speeds (60-80mph), road noise is even more elevated, ride quality still feels a bit stiffer, and harsher, but stability has improved slightly, car feels more planted and weightier. The car feels much more raw, like I went from a GT car to a sports car, its that noticeable. You feel everything through to the steering wheel, through the pedals, everything, every road imperfection, for better or worse. And my Lord, the turn in! Lets put it like this..with the old tires it felt like the chasis and suspension set up where begging for a more suitable dance partner, it was capable of more but needed a more worthy partner. With these shoes on it has the right dance partner, the LSD and the tires turn with such vigor it was like a match made in heaven, it was like Jordan and Pippen..the tires setting up the play and the LSD completing the legs open, tongue out dunk. Its really that good in the turns, understeer is almost unditectable, and feels every bit of those .97g figures that magazines have posted. No squeal during hard acceleration either, and braking feels even more confident and sharper. An A/S tire with summer tire levels of grip all year round. The Si's chassis so far seems to have found a worthy dance partner.

 

[Captaindicki]

Just remember to take it easy the first couple hundred miles to shed away the mold coating. After that, the tires should provide even higher grip

 

[Chief lazy leaf]

The Si is so much more fun with better tires. Here's my experience so far. I'm in southern California so weather is not much of a factor.

Stock eagle a/s: nice tire for commuting with ok grip, definitely last a long time. Went about 4k on these.

Yokohama S-drive summer tire: instant improvement in feeling around turns, held up to a track day well. Nice if you occasionally do spirited driving and still want a quiet tire for commuting. Went about 6k on these.

Federal RSRR: swap rims with these tires to some rpf01. Holy crap these things have grip. Feels connected and are predictable. 2 track days on these tires and my fronts are at the wear marker already, could probably get one more in. Nice 200 treadwear tire. Only thing is they are loud. Like a jet plane following. Messed with me for the first couple miles since the exhaust is so quiet. Cheap and sticky. Great tire for the price if you don't mind the noise and shorter life.

Only had my car since mid October and have been driving the hell out of it.

 

[Old George]

There is several good tires for the SI.You must choose according to the place
where you live ( temperature, rainfall...) and the use you want to make of it.
And then, there is the price!
For my part, I chose the PS4s.

 

[xbbnx]

Fun fact: I was surprised to see that the Nissan Sentra Nismo comes equipped stock with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ that I got. And funny enough according to Car and Driver it pulled a .88g, same as the Si with the crappy Goodyear A/S. A marvel of the Si chassis/suspension even with poor tires, or a Sentra Nismo over equipped with good tires while lacking the chassis and suspension to perform?

 

[bikebit]

Fun fact: I was surprised to see that the Nissan Sentra Nismo comes equipped stock with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ that I got. And funny enough according to Car and Driver it pulled a .88g, same as the Si with the crappy Goodyear A/S. A marvel of the Si chassis/suspension even with poor tires, or a Sentra Nismo over equipped with good tires while lacking the chassis and suspension to perform?

Sentra Nismo is just such a sad testament to what Sentra used to be... I'm old enough to have owned ta brand new 1994 Sentra SE-R, still one of my favorite cars. Oh how it has fallen...

 

[VarmintCong]

Ive always said that the Si's biggest weakness are its tires, put on decent rubbers and you are looking at a car that can out handle a BMW I8, and a Golf R. Which brings me to my question, I am about ready to replace the dreadful all seasons with performance all seasons from better brands. My top choice right now is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The reason why I'm going with performance all seasons over summer's is because the weather here in Texas is very unpredictable and I need something that can perform remarkably in all seasons. Has anybody swapped out their oem tires with performnace tires, if so what? And how has it been holding up in terms of performance and wear?

I put AS 3+ tires on my Sport cause I couldn't find any good summers in my size (235/45R17 I think it was). They're ok but they definitely drive like all seasons, inferior to the summers I've used on other cars.

In Boston they're good cause they are passable in snow, but you don't need all seasons for rain, in fact summer tires are generally better in rain. If you get ice then they're probably a good choice. Summers would be useless on ice.

 

[xbbnx]

I put AS 3+ tires on my Sport cause I couldn't find any good summers in my size (235/45R17 I think it was). They're ok but they definitely drive like all seasons, inferior to the summers I've used on other cars.

In Boston they're good cause they are passable in snow, but you don't need all seasons for rain, in fact summer tires are generally better in rain. If you get ice then they're probably a good choice. Summers would be useless on ice.

I lauched hard today trying to see if I could break the tires loose with TC off, no chirp no squeal just hooked. These definitely dont act like all seasons.

 

[Captaindicki]

I lauched hard today trying to see if I could break the tires loose with TC off, no chirp no squeal just hooked. These definitely dont act like all seasons.

From all the reviews I’ve seen recently, these are really good a/s tires, maybe the best on the market. Labeled as UHP A/S, these tires seem to beat out some summer only rubber aswell. When in doubt, always go Michelin

A bit about the Pilot A/S 3+, toward the end of this vid...

 

[xbbnx]

From all the reviews I’ve seen recently, these are really good a/s tires, maybe the best on the market. Labeled as UHP A/S, these tires seem to beat out some summer only rubber aswell. When in doubt, always go Michelin

A bit about the Pilot A/S 3+, toward the end of this vid...

I went on the tire rack website and looked at all the tire ratings..it came in 3rd or 4th place as far as grip and handling based on consumer reviews. It beat out alot of tires in the Max Summer Performance and Ultra High Summer Performance tire categories. It was then I had made up my mind.

 

[Cornercarver]

Ive always said that the Si's biggest weakness are its tires, put on decent rubbers and you are looking at a car that can out handle a BMW I8, and a Golf R. Which brings me to my question, I am about ready to replace the dreadful all seasons with performance all seasons from better brands. My top choice right now is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The reason why I'm going with performance all seasons over summer's is because the weather here in Texas is very unpredictable and I need something that can perform remarkably in all seasons. Has anybody swapped out their oem tires with performnace tires, if so what? And how has it been holding up in terms of performance and wear?

Facing a similar decision - I am down to 6/32 on the factory all seasons after 33,000 miles, and will be going with Michelin Pilot 4S after doing extensive research. They are amazing on both dry roads and in the rain. Snow? Not an issue here in the greater Phoenix area.
I agree that unless you will be driving in snow, the Michelin Pilot 4S should be the top contender. Stiffer shoulders/sidewalls, and the overall top rated tire in its category for our SI's. A 30,000 mile tread warranty - not easy to come by on high performance tires - is a bonus.
Yes it will run over $ 1,000 with labor and tax, but hopefully will be worth it. Just putting different all season tires will probably not make that big a difference. To be sure, the SI handles superbly even on the factory all seasons, but I want all of the .97 g of grip this car is capable of.

 

[Cornercarver]

For those who don't know Texas,
the funny thing about Texas is that there isn't real winter and there is rarely snow, yet there is ice every year. You can have a sunny 70 degree December day then wake up the next morning and discover it's below 30. This will go on, back and forth, for months. And yes, everyone eventually gets sick because of it.

As for getting a set of winter tires, these cold snaps come and go so frequently that a driver would be changing wheels daily or weekly to keep up with the weather. It just wouldn't work. Personally, I will probably go with the Pilot Sport A/S 3+. I want the Pilot Sport 4S but I know it's just not a practical solution given the number of commutes below freezing I'll see. I'm also hoping the slightly harder compound will stand up better to those sustained 120 degree months.

Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember some incredibly changeable weather for the seven years I lived in Dallas. So Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is your only good option to both have fun and stay safe. As another poster pointed out, even without snow, a cold wave can damage summer tires.Still an upgrade from the factory Goodyear.

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