I would like to get ideas for new tires. My car has the stock goodyears on it and they are horrible.Was told at tire rotation that one of the tires is cupped. I also dread driving my car in rain because they hydroplane so bad. Spring will be approaching and I cant even imagine what they will be like in a rain storm (so far only been through light rain). I am looking into michelins possibly. I want something that rides nice and has good wet/snow traction and are not noisy.
Thanks
Stephanie

 

Continental Extreme Contact DWS are a popular choice of members here. Great summer/winter/and wet condition tire that's quiet on the highway. These are going to be my choice when tires need to be changed.

 

Agreed DWS tires for replacement! Half tempted to take off my oem tires they're so bad.

 

Do people with the Sport package (19" wheel size) also recommend the Continental DWS? Was especially interested in how good this tire is in the snow since I'm also thinking of getting new tires but don't necessarily want to have separate summer/winter tires...

 

I just bought a set of Hankook's (Ventus S1 Noble 2 H452) for my '11 SV Premium. I bought the car with 29K on it and thankfully the OEM RSA'a were done.

The difference is night and day. Much quieter, smoother, and great when wet.

Will get another set when the time comes.

These are them http://www.hankooktire.com/global/pa...le-2-h452.html.

 

Have put contis on 4 maximas. DWS are great. Get them. You won't be disappointed. Correction you can't be disappointed coming from RSA's ;-)

 

When I got new tires I went with Falken PT722's in size 245/45/18. They ride nice, handle good in the wet and are quiet. Even at high speed my car still tracks straight ahead. My one complaint is that they sometimes get rocks stuck in the tread which makes an annoying thump when the rock hits the ground.

 

Do the DWS tires ride good and quiet, and stay that way?

 

Yes they do. Obviously they all get louder as they degrade and wear but they smoother and ride better than RSA without giving up feel or handling.

 

I will be a dissenting voice on the Conti DWS. I put them on my 2009. They were just OK; I was not particularly impressed. Handling was good, especially when turning. Wet performance was very good. I never had a chance to test in snow; they year I put them on we got no snow and then I traded in that model

But they always felt numb and wandered off center when driving straight, and tended to need additional input to keep the car centered. Several reviews have noted this quality.

I recently put on a set of Michelin Premier A/S. These are grand touring tires, so have a bit of a different purpose and feel than the OEMs or the Conti DWS, which are Ultra High Performance All-Season tires. So far I like them. A bit more noise than the RS/As, but much better wet handling and very comfortable.

 

I would have to agree. I have seen increasing reports of flat spotting and significantly increased noise with mileage.

The Coopers linked below have recently come onto my radar. I would have to consider them if I were in the market for my car.

http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Tire-...es%2fPassenger

 

Those Coopers were my other choice except on National backorder when I was buying so went with the Hankook's.

 

I am running the Cooper Zeon RS3-A and like them. Handle good, quiet and the price is great.
http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Passe...EON-RS3-A.aspx

 

Just put Michelin Pilot sport AS/3's on my Maxima 2 weeks ago. These tires are awesome. I have DWS on my Z and will put Pilot's on next time.

 

DSW's are by far the best in rain and snow. So if no inclement weather where you live, no worries. Otherwise you get what you pay for and since these are the only things that touch the road get a good quality set regardless of brand.

 

I went with bridgestone turanza serenity plus, recommended by my tire installer. He has never steered me wrong so far....I just got the tires yesterday. They are quiet and seem to ride nice...until you start getting in roads with bumps, then they ride really harsh. Installer says these have a stiffer side wall than the goodyears. I have a 30 day buy/try guarantee on it. So, my question on the continental dws, do they absorb bumps well without jarring the car?

 

Make sure the tire pressure is at 33 cold. Sometimes they forget to let the pressure down after they seat them and its stupid high. Still love my Hankooks after 5,000 miles.

 

Psi is at 32, was on 33, so I lowered it a bit to see if it helped the ride quality , so far no. Will give then a week or so and see if they break in and ride any better . If not, they are going back. How do I know when looking at tires on tire rack which ones have a softer sidewall that will give a better ride? Not liking the harsh ride when hitting bumps at all. Good years I had took bumps well , just couldn't stand the hydro planning. Thanks for the input

 

33 to 32 won't make a difference, better off at 33 for mpg reasons. If you look at the comfort section under surveys on tirerack's site you can get an idea. I checked your tire versus my Hankooks are they are the same and mine ride great so this is not the best answer.
Better off reading the reviews for your particular tire, sort it by vehicle so you can see other maxima owners comments. That's what I did.

 

Yup. 1psi will NOT make a difference in anything. Tire pressures fluctuate that much with just temperature changes between day and night. A 5psi change...maybe make a difference.

However, factory recommended 33 psi is always best.

 

I have been on tire rack almost every day for the last month looking for tires. I have read surveys, reviews, test results. etc. I think I may have figured out the harsher ride on the bridgestone tires is because they are W rated in the size I have. From what I've read the higher the speed rating, the stiffer the ride. I think If I go with a different tire thats V rated like the OEM, it will be better. Really considering the Michelin Premier A/S since Im wanting to go with a grand touring tire for the smoother ride quality over performance. I will be giving the bridgestones another week and see if the "break in" like the shop says they might. If not, they will go back for a different set. Thanks for all the feedback, its greatly appreciated.

 

You are right about the higher speed rating = harsher ride. In my experience on other cars is that it make a very dramatic difference in smoothly handling rough roads. I have V-rated Michelin Premier. I am very satisfied with the ride which is noticeably better than the GY OEM v rated. My guess is that they would be much better than the Bridgestone W's ride-wise.

 

Tire Rack also recommends that if you are traveling continuously at highway speeds or carry a heavy load to increase your psi by 1-2 above the recommended value. I keep mine at 35 cold all around since I live in Texas where most of my driving is on highways at speeds excess of 65 mph.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=72

Adjust accordingly to your tire speed rating and vehicle top speed; the Maxima is limited to 133 mph.

 

I had two sets of those tires on my previous Altima 3.5. I liked them a lot!!! Very good all around grand touring tire. They should perform very well on the Maxima.

I just put the Michelin Premier A/S's on my Maxima. The reviews were very good and they were a bit less $$$ then the Stones. LOVEM!!! Awesome dry and wet traction, braking is noticeably better, and the car handles much better.