Has anyony had any experience with the Conti tires coming stock on the xfire? Dealer charged for the tire upgrade, Z rated tires, checked the Conti website and Tire Rack for opinions. Conti does not indicate the tire as a Z rated tire, Tire Rack users indicate the tire is noisy and wears out quickly. Since the car is 2 days old, should I 'opt for the Michelins? Dealer says they'll switch without questions. Thanks for the quick response in advance. Great site. James. :P

 

The roadster I drove had the Conti's. I hated them. Ugly tread pattern, less traction, somewhat noisy, sidewalls weren't as stiff.

 

The Continentals are an all weather tire. Not really a snow tire.

The Michellins are better for summer driving and have good holding on wet roads.

My personal feeling is that if you need snow tires, buy a second set of wheels and snow tires for winter and keep the Michellins for summer.

That is what I have done, and it worked out well for me last winter.

Good luck.

 

Are you looking at the right tire on Tirerack? The OEM Continentals are the ContiTouring Contact CW95. There is only one review of them on Tirerack and it isn't very helpful. The reviews that state that the tire wears out quickly are for the ContiSport Contact. Also, they are W speed rated, which is higher than Z.

The only time I really notice any noice is on grooved pavement, but I'm used to driving an SUV with Goodyear Wranglers, so maybe I am immune to tire noice. See if the dealer will let you drive a Crossfire with the Michelins and see for yourself how they compare.

Craig

 

Yeah, I'm not sure what tires to get either. The two big things I'm looking at are:

Which tire is going to last longer, and

Which will be better for winter (even though neither are really "winter" tires)

 

If you want ANY type of winter performance, then the only way to go is the Continentals.

My Michellins just spun around, on the first day we had snow! Absolutely zero grip.

If you look under the Parts/Accessories For Sale forum, I have a set of Continentals that have less than 300 miles on them. If you end up with Michellins, and want the Conti's, I would be willing to swap them with you.

Just a thought to keep in mind!

:-)

 

Thanks to all for the RSVP's. I think I will go to the dealer and drive a Crossfire with the Michelins. It'll be a better judgement call. Thanks again Forum.

 

How about treadlife? What will last me longer... the Continentals or the Pilots?

 

Good question. There was a thread talking about tire replacement just a few weeks ago, where I think it was Mighty (or somebody) who DOES NOT RACE said their Pilot's were near end of tread life at something like 15,000 miles :!: That's WAY below what I'd expect from either brand. I'm used to getting 35-40,000 on tires, but those cars weren't Crossfire's :wink: . I think it was the thread where people were talking about ignoring Chrysler guidance and going with a lower than Z rated tire to save money. Just hope those folks don't ever get in an accident or something and some scheister(sp?) lawyer (either other party to accident or owner's insurance company) looks in the owner's manual and asks before the judge "So exactly WHY did you ignore the owner's manual recommendation to maintain the same size and rating tire when you replaced the tires?". Doesn't have to mean squat, just has to cast doubt. Unless you got a good tire technical expert on your defense team.

 

I have the conti's and I don't think that they are loud at all. From what I have experienced, you will never find an ultra- quiet performance tire. If you want to hear real road noise, drive in a 350Z. Considering that I live in Michigan, having a 3 season tire isn't really an option... I wont be driving my xfire in the snow, but I'm sure that I will get caught in some cold weather and ice at some point in time. The Pilot sports offer no grip when it gets a little bit slick outside. My guess would be that the pilots will offer less tread life as well, considering that they are made of a grippier compound, which will be more likely to wear faster. Just my opinion..

 

Quick post-

First W is Z rated... Its a sub rating beyond Z.

Z rating is for 149+mph. This is an old rating system that is currently out dated. Since some vehicles are capable of well over 149.. Tire manufactures have come out with the sub set.. W, Y, etc. The tire is still Z rated because Z is open ended; it is any tire capable of over 149. The W and Y designations simply specify at what speed its max capability is. So therefore a W is not better or worse than Z; it is Z.

Next- See my posts (more than one):
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...?p=17236#17236

Has more info on why you should maintain the correct tire- Beyond reasoning in court if a lawyer got hold of you

 

I also have the Conti's. They add $185 to the list price.

I am loving them. They handle excellent in the wet and of course in the dry. I will probably replace with the same if I ever need to (the lease runs out in 3 years about the same time as I expect from the tires.)

 

the conti's will last twice the life of the pilots...no question. the pilots are very soft...great for handling and performance but horrible for tread life.

 

All of you have been a great help. The dealer said drive the conti, at any time you want to switch to the Michelin Pilots I will switch them at no charge. I cannot lose. Great car, Dealer and Forum!

 

Had to replace R/R tyre, due to nail in sidewall (3200 mi) (says couldn't be fixed...????) Cost ? $374 All I wanted is for dealer to match Tirerack $ ($334) installed, he wouldn't and lost a customer,,,

Comments ???

 

Forgot to mention that Dealer was St. Pete Jeep Chrysler a 5 star dealer, not my 5 stars