Tire recommends - '17 Porto alloy wheels

[03GolfTDI]

So my '12 CPO came with the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ that the prior owner put on prob ~1.5 years before they turned the car into VW. Tons of tread left but sitting in storage for 1.5 years did no favors to the tires. There is no visible cracking/dry rot and the tires look great (no browning, no weird tire chunking, etc.) but they seem to be hard as rocks and traction was incredibly poor when I bought the car. I figured let me get a wear layer off and see what happens, over ~2k miles including a lot of unintentional front wheel spinning the traction has only gone to maybe mediocre. It pains me to throw these tires away as they are 8/32's front and 9/32's rear and Michelins to boot.

So does anyone have any favorites for your 17" Porto alloys? Had it been any other situation I would have just blindly bought the same exact Michelins as I have a soft spot for Michelins and prefer them, but now dealing with these tires that could not handle 1.5 years of storage without turning into rocks I just don't know if I could justify it. The Pilot Sport AS3+ run ~$135/tire at Costco, the next step in the Michelin line is the Premier A/S at like $180/tire but I had a bad experience with those on my MB C300 where they were almost to the wear bars at 20k. Maybe time for me to take my Michelin blinders off.

So what tires have you had good luck with and can recommend?

 

[ewdysar]

I replaced my factory tires at about 58k with Conti PureContact LS 225/45/R17. I've got more than 20k on these tires and they are wearing even with 7/32 left all around. Good traction dry, good performance wet and reasonably quiet. good FE/MPG. I'll probably get 'em again unless things change in the next 2.5-3 years that I expect these to last.

 

[CleverUserName]

I just put the Yokohama Avid Ascend GTs on my Jetta a couple months ago. Went with the 215/50R17. 50 series aspect ratio and XL load rating make for a nice ride. I bought them based on the overwhelming positive reviews on tire rack and great specifications for a V rated touring tire. There is a $70 MIR for them right now as well. https://www.yokohamatire.com/summerrebate

The best tires I've ever had have been; Yokohama, Falken and Bridgestone.

 

[snakefart]

What do you want out of the tires? High performance, wet traction, long wearing, etc?


As a general recommendation, I have went through a couple sets of General AS05's on my BMW, I will be putting the same on my JSW with 17's when it is due. These tires are fun to drive, will probably offer more stick then the JSW can use, wear well and do great in the rain. I run dedicated snows in the winter so I can't comment on snow performance.

 

[Pharcyde145]

I agree with Snakefart, in that tire choice depends highly on the type of weather you will most commonly be driving in. Once you figure out what type of specific performance demands you want from the tire (large siping for rain/wet roads, tread grade etc.) it's easier to narrow down your search. I run Cooper CS5 Ultra touring in a 235/45R18 size (I have 18x8.5" wheels) which check all the boxes adequately for me, but you also can't really go wrong with Continental Contact series or Michelin Pilot series. The Hankook Ventus V3 is what came stock on on our cars in a 225/45R17, which in that specific size you get the most bang for your buck in terms of performance vs. cost. Going larger increases cost, rolling resistance, weight and will eventually force you to use smaller ratio's especially if you are lower than stock, but man, they sure do look cool!

 

[ksing44]

I like Grand Touring All-Season tires, H-rated. They might not handle like the Ultra Performance tires, but I think they're generally the most quiet and comfortable. For me, even going to V-rated tires seems to make them less comfortable and noisier too. I also run my tires softer than most. I like 32 psi for the best ride. I also have slightly bigger tires, 235/45/27 on 17" x 7.5" ET47 wheels.

I do gravitate to Michelin, but in general if I stay with what I think are the top tier manufacturers, e.g., Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, or Continental, the Grand Touring All-Season H-rated tires are pretty good. So far, I think Michelin Primacy MXM4 were my favorites. I have Pirelli Cinturato right now, but in the size I wanted I had to get a slightly higher weight rating. That made the sidewalls a bit stiffer and a bit less comfortable, but they do seem pretty quiet.

 

[DerekG]

I'm nearing 35k on my AS3 + and I've been very happy with them. I haven't noticed the symptoms you are experiencing and mine are close to 3-4/32nds (I did a lot of towing with them). Will likely replace them with another set around 40-45k as I have really enjoyed them. There are better tires if longevity is a concern (lots of good options listed in previous posts), but I wouldn't shy away from the AS3+ based on the used ones that sat for 1.5+ years.

 

[alex_tdi]

Just got all new Continental PureContact LS 225/50/r17 yesterday. A little taller than OEM, but they are very quiet and smooth. Time will tell how long they last, but I've had good luck with Continental and Michelin tires in the past.

 

[BikingTDIGuy]

I wrapped my Portos with General Altimax RT43s. I have General Arctics for the winter months and was going to go with a set of dedicated summers but ultimately felt that all seasons would net me the best tread life and wet weather performance. For the price, comparable, if not better, performance to other major brands tires in this class and the great tread life warranty, Generals seem hard to beat.

 

[Graham Line]

No Pirellis here? I replaced the oe Continentals (2012 TDI 2D 6M) with Pirelli Cinturato P7 All-Season Plus. The P7 has a stiffer sidewall and better turn-in, noise level is about the same or slightly less, and the wear rating is higher. Ride comfort is unchanged.

Except for one tire that was grenaded by a piece of trash highway steel, they have been fine (the impact ripped a T-shaped tear in the tire that was four inches on a side). They work well in rain and moderate snow.

 

[Rembrant]

No Pirellis here? I replaced the oe Continentals (2012 TDI 2D 6M) with Pirelli Cinturato P7 All-Season Plus.

I just installed a new set of these same Pirellis in 225/45/17 on VW Salamanca wheels. VW Dealer sells them and had a 50% off installation sale so I thought I'd give them a try. Only have a couple thousand miles on them but I like them so far.

 

[03GolfTDI]

Thank you for the recommends!! Will definitely check out all the tire recommendations. Leaning towards the Grand Touring All Season category, the 17" already provide a rough enough ride on my pothole ridden routes to/from work so any further cushy sidewall would be welcome.

The AS3+ are honestly a good looking tire visually and honestly they make the handling superb but the fact they turned to rubbish after 1.5 years sitting idle made me lose some faith in Michelin as a whole. They are one of the lower cost options for name brand tires so are definitely a contender.

Will check out all the other mentioned, thanks all for all the recommends!

 

[spyTDI]

I’m in the same hunt. Just picked up a ‘14 JSW with Porto’s. The OE Conti’s Have seen better days. I think I’ll opt for stock sized Hankook Ventus. They seem like a bargain and well reviewed, outside of Vortexers.