I just spent the weekend putting about 600 miles on these tires with various road conditions, driving from Kansas City to the Ozarks (Branson, MO <--> Eureka Springs, AR) and back.
Size: 225/45 YR17
Inflation: 42 front, 44 rear
Here are my impressions and observations from the trip:
The PS2s have a much stiffer sidewall than the stock Goodyear F1s, which is exactly what I was looking for. No noticeable tread squirm while cornering and sharper steering response as a result. Of course, this also means they provide a less cushy ride than the F1s--the surface of the road is communicated much more readily to the cabin.
The PS2s also produce quite a bit more road noise. Driving on grooved/textured highways was much noisier than the F1s. This might be alleviated to some degree with lower tire pressures, but I suspect the stiff sidewalls and the tread pattern are the root cause. On smooth blacktop, they're fairly quiet, and cruising around town isn't bad at all (in my opinion). If you traverse many miles on grooved/textured highways, the increased road noise may be bothersome to you after awhile. (I just turned the Monsoon's volume up and was able to cope with it.)
The tread pattern also produces a tendency for these tires to follow grooves in the road, which was never an issue with the F1s. You'll have to pay attention and provide a little more steering input with these tires on roads that have wavy grooves in them.
In terms of overall grip, the PS2s are outstanding. I took several corners at speed in the Ozark Mountains, and the PS2s showed no signs of letting go. Very confidence-inspiring. They're easily as grippy as the F1s, and actually felt as though they were superior in this regard. (Of course, it's entirely possible that the softer sidewall on the F1 is it's downfall here, as well. When the sidewall flexes, the whole weight of the car moves across the tread and upsets the balance, which may simply overwhelm it's ability to grip.)
No squealing or other audible complaints when pushed hard, either. In fact, the only time I could get them to squawk was during a hard launch around a 90 degree turn with the ESP turned off. The F1s would have made much more noise when performing the same maneuver. I need to find a big empty parking lot somewhere to see how much these tires will communicate (if at all) at/beyond their limits. It'd be nice to know if they'll provide any warning before letting go. I'll report back here if/when I can find the time to perform this test.
Wet weather performance was easily as good as the F1s, much to my pleasant surprise. I drove in conditions that varied from a light sprinkle to a heavy downpour, and the PS2s continued to perform as solidly as they did in the dry. I plowed through several puddles with not even a hint of hydroplaning. A spirited launch in the wet was just as quick as I've done with the F1s, and a friend who was riding with my was duly impressed: "That was a faster launch than most cars I've experienced in the dry!"
The tread pattern follows the "function over form" rule, and therefore isn't very flashy when compared to other hi-perf tires (in case you care about that kinda thing):
![Image]()
Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of these tires--but that great performance comes at the cost of some reduced comfort. Whether or not that trade-off is worth it is a decision you'll have to make if you're considering these tires. To me, it's worth it. (For now, anyway--I'll have to see how they perform as they age.)
Mike
Size: 225/45 YR17
Inflation: 42 front, 44 rear
Here are my impressions and observations from the trip:
The PS2s have a much stiffer sidewall than the stock Goodyear F1s, which is exactly what I was looking for. No noticeable tread squirm while cornering and sharper steering response as a result. Of course, this also means they provide a less cushy ride than the F1s--the surface of the road is communicated much more readily to the cabin.
The PS2s also produce quite a bit more road noise. Driving on grooved/textured highways was much noisier than the F1s. This might be alleviated to some degree with lower tire pressures, but I suspect the stiff sidewalls and the tread pattern are the root cause. On smooth blacktop, they're fairly quiet, and cruising around town isn't bad at all (in my opinion). If you traverse many miles on grooved/textured highways, the increased road noise may be bothersome to you after awhile. (I just turned the Monsoon's volume up and was able to cope with it.)
The tread pattern also produces a tendency for these tires to follow grooves in the road, which was never an issue with the F1s. You'll have to pay attention and provide a little more steering input with these tires on roads that have wavy grooves in them.
In terms of overall grip, the PS2s are outstanding. I took several corners at speed in the Ozark Mountains, and the PS2s showed no signs of letting go. Very confidence-inspiring. They're easily as grippy as the F1s, and actually felt as though they were superior in this regard. (Of course, it's entirely possible that the softer sidewall on the F1 is it's downfall here, as well. When the sidewall flexes, the whole weight of the car moves across the tread and upsets the balance, which may simply overwhelm it's ability to grip.)
No squealing or other audible complaints when pushed hard, either. In fact, the only time I could get them to squawk was during a hard launch around a 90 degree turn with the ESP turned off. The F1s would have made much more noise when performing the same maneuver. I need to find a big empty parking lot somewhere to see how much these tires will communicate (if at all) at/beyond their limits. It'd be nice to know if they'll provide any warning before letting go. I'll report back here if/when I can find the time to perform this test.
Wet weather performance was easily as good as the F1s, much to my pleasant surprise. I drove in conditions that varied from a light sprinkle to a heavy downpour, and the PS2s continued to perform as solidly as they did in the dry. I plowed through several puddles with not even a hint of hydroplaning. A spirited launch in the wet was just as quick as I've done with the F1s, and a friend who was riding with my was duly impressed: "That was a faster launch than most cars I've experienced in the dry!"
The tread pattern follows the "function over form" rule, and therefore isn't very flashy when compared to other hi-perf tires (in case you care about that kinda thing):
Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of these tires--but that great performance comes at the cost of some reduced comfort. Whether or not that trade-off is worth it is a decision you'll have to make if you're considering these tires. To me, it's worth it. (For now, anyway--I'll have to see how they perform as they age.)
Mike
