Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Skinnyman · March 7, 2023

The PS5 is available in the right sizes for the RC300h - I think this is a new size as they weren’t available a few weeks ago when I last checked.

I’m tempted to try a set when the current Bridgestones give up the ghost.

Linas.P · March 7, 2023

I am sure they will be better than Bridgestone, but I believe PS5 are overkill for RC300h (same as PS4 were overkill for cars I owned in the past). I am not saying they are bad tyres, but all the tyres are compromise and PS5 compromises are just wrong for car like RC300h, they will be harder, louder and less comfortable than the tyres needs to be car like this and they will cost more than one needs to pay.

I know it is annoying that most tyres are not available in RC sizes, but UHP tyres only makes sense on sports cars which can be thrown around and has power and speed to take advantage of UHP tyres. RC300h is more of GT car and Touring tyres would be better fit for it.

For free I would probably fit PS5s, but I would not be paying premium for them on RC300h.

LexusRbest · March 7, 2023

Lexus are best ,why compromise, these michelins are a huge upgrade in my opinion and experience

Skinnyman · March 7, 2023

44 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

I am sure they will be better than Bridgestone, but I believe PS5 are overkill for RC300h (same as PS4 were overkill for cars I owned in the past). I am not saying they are bad tyres, but all the tyres are compromise and PS5 compromises are just wrong for car like RC300h, they will be harder, louder and less comfortable than the tyres needs to be car like this and they will cost more than one needs to pay.

I know it is annoying that most tyres are not available in RC sizes, but UHP tyres only makes sense on sports cars which can be thrown around and has power and speed to take advantage of UHP tyres. RC300h is more of GT car and Touring tyres would be better fit for it.

For free I would probably fit PS5s, but I would not be paying premium for them on RC300h.

I hear what you’re saying and you’re right, PS5 are overkill for the RC300.

But….

Leaving aside the “at the limit” performance tests, in every comparative test I’ve seen, including (for me) the important ones of Comfort, Noise, Aquaplaning, and Wet Braking, the PS5 wallops the Bridgestone. I had PS4 on the F-Type and they were a massive improvement in comfort over the OE Pirellis so there’s a good chance the 5’s will be as, if not more, comfortable than the Bridgestones.

There’s a difference in price but it’s not huge and one I’m prepared to pay for tyres that stop me more quickly and are safer in the wet.

I’ll give them a go when it’s time and if they’re not a huge improvement I’ll go back to Bridgestone on the next swap.

Linas.P · March 7, 2023

33 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

PS5 wallops the Bridgestone.

I have no doubt of that, but you need to realise that Bridgestone's are all "horrible" tyres (regardless if they are Turanza T005 or Potenza S001 or RE050a), so almost any decent premium UHP tyre would "wallop" them anyway. The only semi-decent tyre they have is the "Sports", but that one is as well UUHP ~PS4S level. Horrible maybe unfair, but they are all mediocre at best, and particularly not great touring tyres i.e. where comfort and noise is priority.

33 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

I had PS4 on the F-Type and they were a massive improvement in comfort

F-Type is not RC300h, so whereas I would definitely fit PS5 on F-Type, I would not fit them on RC300h. Again - if the sole goal is to fit something better than Bridgestone, then PS5 will blow them out of this universe, but if the goal is to fit best tyre for the car, then I think they are just not the best choice.

33 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

that stop me more quickly and are safer in the wet.

I would not be so sure about it... Bridgestones are uncomfortable, but at least RE050a (that is what I had on my RC) were very grippy, horrible on fuel, horrible on noise, but grip really wasn't an issue. I never had PS4 of the same size, nor necessary PS4 are comparable to PS5, but I had PS4 on 18" IS wheels and they were outright dicey. Mechanical grip was amazing in the dry and generally on hot summer days, but in wet they were really not exceptional and on colder morning they were outright dangerous... and I don't mean -5C... I mean 10C autumn or spring mornings, I drive out and I feel like I can't put enough heat into the tyres to grip, they almost felt like track tyres which requires warming-up. And to be fair Brigestone RE050a are the same just at lower temp, where PS4 would feel sketchy below 10C, RE050a would feel sketchy maybe below 3C. Sure summer tyres are recommended for temps above 6C, but in contrast I had Dunlop RT2 before PS4 and those were good all the way to 0C and right from the cold, and they were better on fuel, more quiet and more comfortable. Dunlop RT2s were one of my favourite tyres, sadly legacy product now and they had very nice sort of sub-UHP performance, they were not touring tyres, but by modern standard they were not really UHP either.

If I were to put tyres on RC300h I would chose something like Michelin Primacy 4 or Goodyer Efficient Grip 2, or Continental Premium or even Eco Contact 6. Like distinctively level below UHP. Now sadly none of them are available in rear sizes... and the only tyre which to my knowledge does the right sizes is Uniroyal Rainsport 5, they would be still miles better than Brigestones in the wet, more comfortable and would not break the bank. Are they as good in dry handling as PS5 - definitely no, but they are made by Michelin as well, so they are not exactly inferior tyres.

Skinnyman · March 7, 2023

I think you’ve summarised the issue nicely - there’s a very limited choice of tyres in the rear size. I could change tyre size but that raises all the issues of whether insurance companies need to know, etc.

I’d happily fit Primacy or Conti Premium but if they’re not made in the RC size, they’re not an option.

I’ll take a look at the Uniroyal and see how they compare to the Bridgestones - if they’re an improvement then I’m happy to give them a go. If not, at least the PS5 are now an option.

Rabbers · March 20, 2023

For some reason or another apparently to do with currently reduced manufacturer inventories, my trusty tyre guy has been unable to locate matching pairs of 235/40/19 and 265/35/19 tyres for immediate delivery in my first and second choices of Pirelli PZeros and Goodyear Eagle F1s. However, he has been able to source Conti Sportcontact 7s at the Price of €925 (fitted), which is around what I would have been expecting to pay for the other brands. Not ever having had Sportcontacts of any generation on any car despite hearing nothing but good things about them I am quite looking forward to the prospect.

Linas.P · March 20, 2023

Yeah, definitely a good option and massive upgrade from Brigestones. I personally never had Contis on my car either, as it happens they never work out the best value for money when I am in the market for new set (usually is either front or the rear just happens to be much more expensive then would be reasonable to expect), but likewise based on feedback sound like they are making many good tyres. It will be interesting to hear how they do.

aztec · March 28, 2023

I had Continental WinterContact 235/40 and 265/35, the grip was decent and i had some experiences getting stucked(but after all it s a rwd car). Now for the summer season I switched to michelin pilot super sport. I will come back with a feedback for the performance

Linas.P · March 28, 2023

PSS tyres were great for their time, but they’re a bit outdated now. Something like the PS4 (not even the PS4S) would be a better choice for grip, fuel efficiency and comfort, whilst costing less.

I’ve heard that the new PSS 5 will be available soon. I’m curious about when it will be released and how it will affect the prices of other tyres (assuming it will be new UUHP king).

aztec · March 28, 2023

I actually run pilot sport 5 for the front wheels(235/40) and pilot super sport for the rear wheels(265/35). I went today on a joy ride cause it rained and tested the new tyres. I was kinda amazed about the stability of the car but I don't have any other tyres to compare(i own the car for about 3 months now)

rayaans · March 28, 2023

I think most people fail to grasp the fact that the Michelin Pilot Sport range is absolutely horrible in colder conditions. If you don't have a separate winter setup, you'd be better off going for an all season tyre if available or a decent touring tyre.

There are a lot of reviews which test UHP tyres but the problem is that they don't seem to test them under 10 degrees where their performance is quite poor

Linas.P · March 28, 2023

That’s interesting! How does the car handle with that tyre setup? Lexus cars usually have a "faux" safe understeer balance by default. So, if my assumptions are correct, having grippy and responsive PS5 on the front and older, less responsive PSS on the rear should result in more responsive steering and maybe even a bit of fun when exiting corners. If you had PS5 tyres on both ends, it might just understeer all the way.

4 minutes ago, rayaans said:

I think most people fail to grasp the fact that the Michelin Pilot Sport range is absolutely horrible in colder conditions. If you don't have a separate winter setup, you'd be better off going for an all season tyre if available or a decent touring tyre.

There are a lot of reviews which test UHP tyres but the problem is that they don't seem to test them under 10 degrees where their performance is quite poor

I don't know about "people", but I can attest that with my own experience... going from Dunlop RT2 to PS4 I have noticed quite a big decline in cold performance... and not even "cold" cold, just normal spring morning say 8C and I felt like I had to war-up the tyres as they would be quite dicey for good 20 minutes of the drive... whereas older and lower-end RT2s would grip from the start. The only thing I can assume is that UUHP like PSS or PS4S are even worse in that regard.

ColinBarber · March 28, 2023

Tyres are always a compromise. UUHP or just UHP are designed for maximum grip in warm weather. Comfort, noise, wear rate, cold performance and price all suffer to achieve maximum grip. They are suitable for Lexus F cars, and are fitted as standard, for other Lexus models there are far more appropriate tyres on the market.

aztec · April 1, 2023

On 3/28/2023 at 9:20 PM, Linas.P said:

That’s interesting! How does the car handle with that tyre setup? Lexus cars usually have a "faux" safe understeer balance by default. So, if my assumptions are correct, having grippy and responsive PS5 on the front and older, less responsive PSS on the rear should result in more responsive steering and maybe even a bit of fun when exiting corners. If you had PS5 tyres on both ends, it might just understeer all the way.

I don't know about "people", but I can attest that with my own experience... going from Dunlop RT2 to PS4 I have noticed quite a big decline in cold performance... and not even "cold" cold, just normal spring morning say 8C and I felt like I had to war-up the tyres as they would be quite dicey for good 20 minutes of the drive... whereas older and lower-end RT2s would grip from the start. The only thing I can assume is that UUHP like PSS or PS4S are even worse in that regard.

So I have a lil new update with this tyre setup. I drove the car today in wet condintions through some corners. With a normal driving style the grip was good but with a sportier style I can say the experience was pretty fun. If you have any questions I m here to respond you!

Duggie B · April 1, 2023

On 3/7/2023 at 9:11 AM, Skinnyman said:

The PS5 is available in the right sizes for the RC300h - I think this is a new size as they weren’t available a few weeks ago when I last checked.

I’m tempted to try a set when the current Bridgestones give up the ghost.

I've just had a complete set of Goodyear Eagle F1 put on my GS 300h F sport (staggered set up) and am finding how much less road noise there is compared to the original Bridgestones that came with the car not that they were worn just they began to crack heavily plus I do seem to be getting a little better mpg.

Skinnyman · April 1, 2023

17 minutes ago, Duggie B said:

I've just had a complete set of Goodyear Eagle F1 put on my GS 300h F sport (staggered set up) and am finding how much less road noise there is compared to the original Bridgestones that came with the car not that they were worn just they began to crack heavily plus I do seem to be getting a little better mpg.

Interesting…. How does the ride comfort compare to the Bridgestones?

If they’re a decent, compliant ride over bumps I might consider them when I change in a few months time.

Duggie B · April 1, 2023

To be honest they actually feel to be a better ride and cornering more sure footed ....not that I hoon around corners ....I'm more than happy with how they perform just not so happy about the hole in my wallet !!! I remember back in the day when the Goodyear Grand Prix S were the tyre of choice, does that give my age away? 😂

Las Palmas · April 1, 2023

For me it will again be Continental. This time UltraContact. For cars that mainly drive on paved roads, it will be hard to find something better than Continental.

Skinnyman · April 4, 2023

On 4/1/2023 at 11:59 PM, Duggie B said:

To be honest they actually feel to be a better ride and cornering more sure footed ....not that I hoon around corners ....I'm more than happy with how they perform just not so happy about the hole in my wallet !!! I remember back in the day when the Goodyear Grand Prix S were the tyre of choice, does that give my age away? 😂

There are quite a few GY Eagle F1. Are yours the Supersport, Asymmetric 2, 3, 5 or 6? And did you get run flats?

Duggie B · April 5, 2023

8 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

There are quite a few GY Eagle F1. Are yours the Supersport, Asymmetric 2, 3, 5 or 6? And did you get run flats?

Asymmetric 6 to the front and 3 to the rear due to the staggered set up and the load rating (94Y rear, 96y front) non run flats.

Skinnyman · June 27, 2023

After much dithering and discovering that the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT aren’t available any more (to my local fitter at any rate), I finally went for Uniroyal Rainsport 5.

I know these aren’t to everyone’s taste but, for me, they’re excellent, I’m really pleased with them. Comfort is a massive priority for me and the Unis are so much more compliant than the old RE050a that I took off. Grip is excellent - maybe not good enough for a track day but plenty good enough for a spirited run down the B6407 on a warm summer evening.

I’m also hoping that they’ll live up to their name and be decent in the rain and, going by the reviews online, be reasonable (for summer tyres) in cold temperatures.

There aren’t many tyres available in the OE sizes and for £800 for the set, fitted, these worked out much better value than the £1200 I would have had to pay for Michelin PS4S’s or the £1000+ that Bridgestone RE050a’s would have cost.

We all have different priorities when it comes to tyre choice - the Uniroyals match mine really well.