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One of my tires had a small sidewall bubble, so I decided to get rid of the P7 All Season tires that came with my 35t RWD all together and swap them for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
When I was reviewing the Tire Rack testing data on the two tires, I found that the MPS4S stopped a whole 50ft sooner than the P7 (50 - 0 mph braking test) in the wet. On safety alone, that makes the swap a no brainer for me.
I really can't fathom why JLR decided to put such horrible OEM tires on the XE. It all comes down to their bottom line I guess. Really hope this changes in the future for their future customer's sake.
I wish I had a way to objectively measure 0 - 60 mph times, as I'd be willing to bet there is a huge improvement there too. Would be really fun to put my un-tuned XE with the MPS4S against someone with the tune on OEM tires in a drag race
I'll be sure to post a review once the tires arrive on Monday.
If you went for Pilot Sport summer tires you'd be really impressed. You live in TX, why bother with all season tires?
Jaguar has had a history of some odd tire choices. My XK came with Dunlops that were nice tires, but like $600 each to replace. No one kept with them and everyone switched... Who wants a tire that expensive when the other premier tires are like $250 or less?
They have completely transformed the way the car drives, and that is not an exaggeration.
1) the back has way more grip, and you can get on the power much earlier when exiting a corner.
2) ride quality is improved significantly.
3) noise level is massively improved, and this is something I was not expecting at all.
3) steering feel is much lighter now, but also more sensitive. It is much more "darty". The steering wheel also seems to return to center quicker when you let off the steering input.
They have completely transformed the way the car drives, and that is not an exaggeration.
1) the back has way more grip, and you can get on the power much earlier when exiting a corner.
2) ride quality is improved significantly.
3) noise level is massively improved, and this is something I was not expecting at all.
3) steering feel is much lighter now, but also more sensitive. It is much more "darty". The steering wheel also seems to return to center quicker when you let off the steering input.
10/10 would buy again
I'm a huge Continental fan myself. Mainly for bang for the buck. I would love to throw some extreme contact sport's on in the summer or maybe just some DWS all year round. That being said, Michelin makes a great tire, albeit a bit pricey.
I'm a huge Continental fan myself. Mainly for bang for the buck. I would love to throw some extreme contact sport's on in the summer or maybe just some DWS all year round. That being said, Michelin makes a great tire, albeit a bit pricey.
Mine came with Continental Extreme Contact DWS since 2 of the tires were damaged during the demo period by glass. They are pretty good on grip but previous experience with Extreme Contact DW's only lasting 6k miles and abysmal customer service makes me want to get rid of the tires asap.
I can't stress enough how much these MPS4S tires have transformed the car, it really is night and day...
I took a turn posted for 25 mph at 63 mph, and the tires didn't even seem to notice. And this is a turn I take several times a week, so I'm really familiar with what the previous tires would take (they'd start to show signs of giving up at around 50 mph). It appears the 4S can be pushed well beyond what I'm comfortable with, and be well within their limits of grip.
The Pirelli P7s are the #2 rated all season tire out of 43 on Tirerack. Being an all season tire they are not going to compare to a max performance summer tire. No question the MPS4S tires are amazing (they really are), but I think you'd find many people very unhappy about those Michelins being stock on the car. They are of no use in the north for 5-6 months out of the year on top of needing to be replaced almost twice as often as an all-season tire. It certainly should be a tick box option though that could be ordered on the car. There is no way I would want those tires on my car as I would have to swap out to an all season tire. The Pirelli's appear to be as good as it gets for all-season tires, at least per the 800 reviews on Tirerack.
At least if it was an option then dealers in the north could order all season tires while those in the south could order either depending on what they see fit for the bulk of their customers.
The Pirelli P7s are the #2 rated all season tire out of 43 on Tirerack.
This is a little disingenuous. The P7s are #2 within the "grand touring" all season class, but there are two performance categories above that: High Performance All Season and Ultra High Performance All Season.
Do you really think a car with 340hp doesn't deserve tires considered at least high performance? I agree that the XE shouldn't be offered with summer tires only, but the OEM A/S tires really are not fitting for a car in this class.
That said, summer tires should be a factory option, just like they are on the BMW 340i.
This is a little disingenuous. The P7s are #2 within the "grand touring" all season class, but there are two performance categories above that: High Performance All Season and Ultra High Performance All Season.
Do you really think a car with 340hp doesn't deserve tires considered at least high performance? I agree that the XE shouldn't be offered with summer tires only, but the OEM A/S tires really are not fitting for a car in this class.
That said, summer tires should be a factory option, just like they are on the BMW 340i.
It's really not that disingenuous. Look at the High Performance all season tire ratings. There isn't a single tire in that category better than the "lowly" stock Pirelli tires. The Pirellis are better than every tire in virtually every single measured category. Truthfully, I'm not sure what the classification parameters are for Grand Touring vs High Performance vs Ultra High Performance. There are only a couple tires rated higher in the Ultra High Performance category. I do not see the value (in terms of bulk customers) in moving to a high performance tire or ultra high performance especially given the warranty is almost halfed. They are one of the best all around all season tires you can buy and perfectly fine for this car. Again, the option should absolutely be there to select summer tires or maybe offer RWD cars a different tire, but the stock tires are absolutely fine for this car for a sole offering. When it comes time for me to put new tires on, given all reviews and tests, I'd probably go right back to these stock tires.
It's really not that disingenuous. Look at the High Performance all season tire ratings. There isn't a single tire in that category better than the "lowly" stock Pirelli tires. The Pirellis are better than every tire in virtually every single measured category. Truthfully, I'm not sure what the classification parameters are for Grand Touring vs High Performance vs Ultra High Performance. There are only a couple tires rated higher in the Ultra High Performance category. I do not see the value (in terms of bulk customers) in moving to a high performance tire or ultra high performance especially given the warranty is almost halfed. They are one of the best all around all season tires you can buy and perfectly fine for this car. Again, the option should absolutely be there to select summer tires or maybe offer RWD cars a different tire, but the stock tires are absolutely fine for this car for a sole offering. When it comes time for me to put new tires on, given all reviews and tests, I'd probably go right back to these stock tires.
There's a big difference between consumer opinion on the tire (ratings) and the tires actual performance and effectiveness.
Even within their own performance segment, the P7 Cinturato are objectively the worst performing tire (see graphic) in multiple tests. A >20ft difference in wet stopping distance between the P7 and the best performing tire in this test is significant from a safety perspective. Unsurprisingly, they also perform worse than many tires in the segment that are rated lower by consumers.
Now, compare that with UHP All Season tires (tested on the same vehicle)...
I stand behind my statement that P7 Cinturato are not fit for the XE, despite their apparently high consumer ratings. All else about the car being equal, they are objectively less safe, and lower performing, than many other All Season options JLR could have chosen.
There's a big difference between consumer opinion on the tire (ratings) and the tires actual performance and effectiveness.
Even within their own performance segment, the P7 Cinturato are objectively the worst performing tire (see graphic) in multiple tests. A >20ft difference in wet stopping distance between the P7 and the best performing tire in this test is significant from a safety perspective. Unsurprisingly, they also perform worse than many tires in the segment that are rated lower by consumers.
Now, compare that with UHP All Season tires (tested on the same vehicle)...
I stand behind my statement that P7 Cinturato are not fit for the XE, despite their apparently high consumer ratings. All else about the car being equal, they are objectively less safe, and lower performing, than many other All Season options JLR could have chosen.
Now compare every other aspect of the tires including wet and dry handling, comfort, winter snow, . I agree stopping distance is one thing, there are many other categories that relate to day to day driving. The ratings I was referring to are NOT customer ratings, they are Tirerack test ratings. Stock tires rated higher than most every other all season tire (including High Performance category) Again, tires are MORE than fine for the car. Link to Tirerack as compared to other tires.
Now compare every other aspect of the tires including wet and dry handling, comfort, winter snow, . I agree stopping distance is one thing, there are many other categories that relate to day to day driving. The ratings I was referring to are NOT customer ratings, they are Tirerack test ratings. Stock tires rated higher than most every other all season tire (including High Performance category) Again, tires are MORE than fine for the car. Link to Tirerack as compared to other tires.
Sorry bud, but assuming those links you posted are the ones you intended to post, you are incorrect. Those are indeed consumer ratings. Note this important line, below the tables...
"Information based on consumers completing Tire Rack's online survey. Read detailed descriptions of survey categories."
Sorry bud, but assuming those links you posted are the ones you intended to post, you are incorrect. Those are indeed consumer ratings. Note this important line, below the tables...
"Information based on consumers completing Tire Rack's online survey. Read detailed descriptions of survey categories."
I would think the R-Sport's or larger engine more sporty models would get Ultra High Performance All Seasons like the Pilot Sport A/S 3 or Extreme Contact DWS range of tire. The P7 is a great touring eco tire, it has no sporting intentions.
My XE sport has the 20" rims and the Pzero tire so they are not the all seasons.
I've had experience with the Michelin PSS (they have now replaced with their newer high performance tire) and they are way better than the Pirelli in every aspect. I installed these on my F type R and plan to go the same way on the XE. The Pirelli handles fairly well, however with the michelin the car is much more planted in cornering, acceleration and in the wet.
For snow the Pzero is not safe, so I have the Toyo snows that are way better than the Pirelli snows, both in snow and on ice. We get lots of snow and ice around here and I have owned both brands.
Lawrence
Swapping the P7 All Seasons for Pilot Sport 4S
