Installed Michelin Pilot Super Sports

[Ripple]

I just traded off the OEM Dunlops,And now the car handles so much better,What a grip the Super Sports have,I feel connected to the road.they are 225 45 18s the stock tread size was7.7 the new ones are 8.1 tread size smidge bigger and a lb lighter. Goodbye squish and bounce,Hello tight.

 

[SonicBoy]

What is tread size? I've never heard that term used before.

 

[CXVille]

I'm assuming tread size is the width of the tread in inches, although the 8.1 doesn't calculate out to match the 225 size. The stated width rarely matches exactly the actual tread width.

 

[Ripple]

Right,I meant to say tread width .I was researching on tire rack and was going over specs of tires in that class ,some had considerably wider tread and weighed more,.Some drug mileage down too.The stock Dunlops showed 7.7 the 225 super sports showed 8.1,tread ,width is what contacts road I assume.Some 225s showed like 8.7 I guess just guidelines they look about the same anyway.I just drove to work and the freeway on ramp was more bouncy with the stocks.

 

[Ripple]

I just measured tread contact on road,a bit of wet sand on tire.it came to 6 inches straight tread contact and full tread width appeared to be right at 8 or so.The installer recommended 34 PSI,any thoughts?so I set the pressure switch.
The tire alert went on shortly after I bought the Mazda so I added air at work ?I was shocked when I checked the pressure later and discovered I had 59 psi in a couple tires.the work gauge was off by that much.I trusted the tires less after that experience.

 

[Chibana]

I have Super Sports on my RX-8. Great tires. No way I'll spend that kind of money on my Mazda3 daily driver that gets 35,000 miles put on it in a year, though. I will be getting summer-only tires when the OEM all-season Dunlops wear out, just not anything that expensive.

 

[Ripple]

I wouldn't have either but my commute is 4 miles each way,and some other driving ,it may take some years to wear em out,we have a 2012 M3 with stock tires my wife puts a couple miles a day on so It gave me the option . Otherwise I may have been more rational and wore out the Dunlops and made a lesser upgrade.steering is soooo much better now though.

 

[SonicBoy]

So, you just changed the tires and did not get new wheels?

I've always known the wheel width along with the tire size dictates the contact patch on the road.

 

[Ripple]

I thought about new wheels and just swapping the wheels to our 2012,This way I didn't have to tell my wife she would think I am nuts.I like the stock wheels a good replacement would be expensive I bet.My wife may be right though.I am groovin on the super sports

 

[mz3_driver]

I ran MPSS on my 2005 Allroad which weighs 4200 lbs. 245/45-R18 - and they handled the car beautifully. Great grip, and excellent hydroplaning resistance.

From then on, I highly recommend these as THE summer tire.

 

[alligatorman]

Have you noticed any difference in road noise? I find the stock tires noisy on concrete. Maybe it's just the car.