[cmosentine]

Hi all: I just purchased some Michelin Exalto A/S 's for my '08 Wolfaburg (225/45r17). First impress is they are not as responsive as I would like (as compared to my old S-Drives). Now that comparison may be unfair given the target of each tire design, but it is what it is. The only other negative I see is the lack of a rim protector. Besides these issues the Exalto's meet my requirements: quite, moderately long tread life, good grip. I have separate winters so the A/S was not really required, BUT they won't flat spot while sitting and can handle cold mornings in the spring and fall.
I have 30 days trial on these and want to read up on some other potential tires if I do decide these are not for me. Any other suggestions?

 

[joema]

Re: I might have bought the wrong tires (cmosentine)

Quote, originally posted by cmosentine »

...just purchased some Michelin Exalto A/S...they are not as responsive as I would like (as compared to my old S-Drives)...quite, moderately long tread life, good grip. I have separate winters so the A/S was not really required...

Your experience is typical of a perceptive driver comparing an all-season tire to a summer ultra-high-perf tire.
Some people can't feel the difference, and some cars mask the difference. But in a car with a communicative suspension, it's black and white.
The Exalto A/S is an excellent tire -- I have them on my wife's Ford Focus. I have used the Pilot Sport A/S (an even higher-performance all-season tire) on my BMW 330i. Compared to the summer Pilot Sport, the A/S was quieter, smoother, but numb feeling. Steering turn in wasn't as sharp -- overall handling a bit more sluggish.
The improvement was similar on my MKVI GTI when I upgraded from Dunlop SP Sport 01 A/S (all season) to Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 (summer). Much sharper handling, although road noise increased a bit.
If driving feel is important, I'd suggest upgrading them to a highly-rated summer tire during your 30-day window. You already have a dedicated winter set. Possibilities:
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 (good balance of attributes)
Bridgestone RE-01R (even better performance than PS2, but increased road noise and shorter life)
Bridgestone RE-11 (I think replaces the RE-01R)

 

[cmosentine]

Re: I might have bought the wrong tires (joema)

Thanks for the reply. I had looked at these but TireRack said:
"The Pilot Sport PS2 is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice." It does get cold in Michigan in late march/april and late october.

Modified by cmosentine at 9:00 AM 3-24-2010

 

[[email protected]]

Re: I might have bought the wrong tires (cmosentine)

The Pilot Sport AS+ or the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS would be one small step up from the Exalto in terms of handling, but would still have all season tmeperature range......