I haven't bought new tires for a modern car in 35 years, so to say I'm out of touch would be an understatement. My cars up to this point have all been classics, and my tire of choice for them has been the Avon CR6ZZ tire.
http://www.avonmotorsport.com/historic/historic/cr6zz
A DOT street legal racing tire. Sure, they cost $350+ per tire, and I only get a maximum 20,000 miles from a set, but they will transform a slightly above average handling car into one that will give you fantastic driving experience, without the drama. So my standards and expectations might be considered high.

What tires should I be looking at, and which to avoid. I'd like an all season tire, but am open to considering a summer tire.

thanks,

Z.
history & current:
Jaguar e types, '67 and '70
2002 XKR
Triumph TR-4a & Spitfire
Ford Mustang K code, '65 & '66
Ford Galaxie, '65 & '66
Shelby Mustang GT350, a few '66's

 

Since we acquired my wife's 2006 XK8 in February 2012, I have run Yokohama YK580 tires on it. I did the research back then and determined they would be the best bang-for-the-buck all-season tires for her car at that time. I have been very satisfied with them, and the car is now on its second set. Available only at Discount Tire....

You may also want to consider Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 tires....

 

Tire Rack has a terrific online tire comparison and review process that you can use.
They do their own testing as well as chart ratings from their customers.
I'd recommend checking out the site for a short refresher in what tires are available and streetable for your environment.
Good Luck!

 

Good Morning,


I too have an '02 XKR and will soon be buying tires. I have had the BF Goodrich g-Force Comp 2 A/S recently on a late model Corvette and they were great tires at a reasonable price and may go with these on the Jag. Either those of the Michelin Pilot Sport's is likely what I will go with. I drive year round and therefore summer tires were out for me.

 

Michelin AS3 Pilot Sport. Best tire on the market try Costco for a good price.

 

If you are a sporty driver, Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

If you are a more casual driver/more all season, Pilot Sport AS/3.

These cars deserve Michelin. Perceptible difference in feel between Michelin and the Yokohamas/2nd tier brands. Even Pirelli isn't as nice in my experience.

 

I'm fine with the BF Goodrich g-Force Comp 2 A/S on my XKR...been through a couple of sets, they've been great tires for me here in South Florida.

 

I'll be in the same boat in the spring, and I've done a lot of research. Sounds like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ are the highest rated in terms of performance, with the COMP-2 A/S close behind. The DWS 06s are the best in snow, and pretty good overall, except a bit softer performance-wise. The Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus are a very good compromise between performance, comfort and noise. Snow performance is reduced compared to the Continentals, though. I will never drive my car in the snow, so I was leaning toward the Pirellis. I have Sumitomos on the car now, and they are very harsh.

Here is the ratings from Tire Rack for Ultra High Performance All Seasons


https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...=true&filter=y

 

I'm leaning that way as well. I'm unlikely to drive any of the top selections at the edge of their limits. And the Pirelli's are over $100 less, and likely to last longer than the BFG or Michelin top all season selections.

Truthfully, if I did drive like I want to, I'd lose my license in 24 hours. I'm looking for average snow handling since I won't see that very often, maybe every 3 or 4 years for a few days. But I'd like above average dry and wet grip, low noise, and a chance to get 30,000 miles from a set. What I find very interesting about the TireRack reviews is that they never frail to contradict each other. Sometimes they are contradictory statements in the same review.

 

The Pilot Sport AS3 is a very quite and smooth riding tire. I have them on all my cars for that reason, while not a high mileage tire, 45K, if you don't drive as a high performance tire they will last longer. I paid mounted and balanced for 4 at Costco approximately $800. Should I decide to act up I know this tire will have my back!

 

I have never had a set of Pirelli tires last more than 15,000 miles on any vehicle we have owned in the past. While I wonder if those P-Zero all-season tires might be an exception, I would not be willing to risk spending my own money on them in order to find out. The Yokohama YK580 tires last about 48,000 miles in the front and about 33,000 miles in the rear on my wife's car, and I am satisfied with that range so I plan to continue to stay with them....

 

Good products, poor customer service.
If warranty coverage is important to you, be aware that the Michelin mileage warranty is cut in half if you have staggered sizes, i.e., different sizes front and rear. I had two front Michelin Pilot tires on my bride's Cadillac and the belts slipped on both of them. They had around 12,000 carefully-driven miles on them.
If it hadn't have been for a very customer oriented GM car dealer (who diagnosed the thump-thump-thump of slipped belts) who represented me to Michelin, I would not have gotten any help from Michelin, after I had contacted Michelin asking for some assistance replacing the two Pilots, but was denied any.
I am very disappointed in Michelin's customer service.
Your experience may vary.

 

My previous set was Eagle F1 Asymmetric summer tires (Y speed rating). Although they were not really the type of tire I need for my style of driving, as far as performance, I ran out of nerve well before I ran out of tire.

 

 

 

I'll back up Jandreu on this one - research them on Tire Rack and buy them at Costco !