DangerBoy

Hi,

I have an '08 SS that needs new tires this spring. Right now I'm running on my winter rims & tires. I live in Canada and like to buy performance A/S tires for spring/summer/fall and switch to dedicated snows for the winter. I prefer A/S to summer tires because the place I live can have snow storms in the spring or early in the fall so it's better to have A/S tires than summer tires on when that happens but for the most part my summer tires don't get driven on snow.

I'm looking at purchasing either BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. Note that these are the new A/S 3+ tires not the older A/S 3 tires that aren't as good. The Comp-2 A/S and Pilot Sport A/S 3+ are the two highest rated performance A/S car tires on TireRack.com with the Michelins being the highest rated. If you take away the ratings on snow traction which are not that relevant to me, the two tires are pretty close in all the other categories on the customer ratings scores but the Michelins still rank higher.

I'm leaning towards the BFGs right now because they're 16% cheaper and will save me about $154 CAD after rebates vs the Michelins. That said, I would probably pay the extra amount for the Michelins if I thought they were really worth the extra money. I'm just not sure if they are.

I would like to go wider but I'll probably stick with the stock SS tire size of 225/45/18. If I could afford it, I'd probably go 245 or 255/40/18 but I can't afford the extra cost of that right now.

Has anyone used either of these tires on their HHR? What is your opinion? I'm particularly interested to hear from someone who also has a "spirited" driving style and has an SS but anyone's opinions will be very welcome and appreciated. Thanks.

Here's another thing to consider: I can buy the BF Goodrich Comp-2 A/S in a 255/40/18 for just $5 more per tire than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ in the stock 225/45/18. If I go for 245/40/18s in the BFGs, I can get them $5 per tire cheaper than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ in the stock 225/45/18 size. I realize the speedo will be out a bit if I go with the 245/40s but I don't mind. It makes no difference to me.

What to do, what to do...

Just realized that I can't go to 245s or 255s without going to a wider rim as I am using the 7.5" wide stock 18 inch rim. Looks like 235/45/18 would be my best choice if I want to go a little wider than the stock 225s. The BFGs in a 235/45/18 would cost about $5 less per tire than the stock 225/45/18s in the Michelins, so more or less the same price. I'm not sure the 10 mm extra width is going to be worth spending $134 more for the set of tires but here again are my choices:

Option A: BF Goodrich Comp-2 A/S in 225/45/18
Option B: BF Goodrich Comp-2 A/S in 235/45/18 for $134 more than Option A - worth it?
Option C: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ in 225/45/18 for $154 more than Option A - worth it and better than Option B?

solman98

I was running 245/40R18 on the 7" Cobalt SS wheels, they fit perfectly.

Oldblue

I'm in Canada too, it's like planting the vegetables garden, wait till May 24th to put on your summer rims, take them off Oct 1st!

I've run the BFG's got great grip and mileage, I have them on both my summer and winter rims, they are A/S and work really well.

DangerBoy

According to here: Wheel/Rim Size Calculator - Shows acceptable rim width range for the tyre size that's too wide of a tire for those rims but so be it. I should probably be okay using a 245/40 on the 7.5" rims if they'll stay on a 7.0".

That said, what's the difference in handling and braking compared to the stock 225/45/18s ?

solman98

I was told that as well, but seeing is believing.

About the best shot I can give here. As you can see, no bulging to stretched sidewalls. They were actually nice and flat. Gotta remember, 10 or 20 mm is not much.

solman98

Actually, this one might be better.

J W Davis

I replace my original tires with the same. Firestones and they are just fine.
No need for "winter" tires down here in Texas.

DangerBoy

No, 20 mm is not a lot and one also has to consider that the specifications for what width of rim is optimal for what tire widths probably has a fairly significant safety factor built into them to prevent liability.

My question for you though is whether or not you noticed any significant improvement to handling, braking and/or traction by going the extra 20 mm wide on your tires and under what condition(s) do you most notice the difference(s)? I'm still trying to figure out if going to 245/40s is going to make a noticeable improvement over 225/45s. I don't want to spend the extra $134 if it won't make much difference.

I'm also curious to know if anyone's tried a set of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ out. That's another option for me but I'm not sure they're worth the extra money over the BFGs.

I take it you like the BFGs? Good handling, traction, wear and not too noisy or anything?

solman98

Traction and handling were great. I liked the profile of the tire/wheel and it seemed to fill the area better. Whether it makes a difference for you, hard to say. Only way you will know is to try both, but we all know that's hard to do.

These tires were Continental Extreme Contact DWS

DangerBoy

Well, I managed to swing a deal on the Michelins to where the after rebate price difference on a set of 225/45/18 V rated Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires is only $13.69 CAD (so like $10 USD) more per tire than a set of the same size BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S tires so I'm going to buy the Michelins and I think I'd be a fool not to.

I'm sure the BFGs are great tires but I think the Michelins will be better and well worth the extra cost. The last set of tires I put on my old Volvo 940 Turbo with greatly modified and improved suspension were Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S and they were fantastic. The Pilot Exaltos were a two generation forerunner to the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ so I expect the Sport A/S 3+ will be even better.

I can't wait to get them mounted and try them out!