Given
51%
while driving a
Mercedes Benz SLK 350
(245/40 R17 W) on
a combination of roads
for 7,000
average miles
Mercedes 2009 Model SLK 350, Rear 245/40/17 Front 225/45/17.
Previous tires, Continental Sport 3 and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2.
Positive sides for the Michelin are slightly better comfort and slightly lower noise level compared to previous tire brands.
For everyday normal driving I appreciate the slightly improved comfort, it is noticeable better.
Very little experience in the wet, they do seem to be acceptable but not more than that, the Michelin's do loose grip fast and early in wet corners/turns and I am not convinced in heavy rain, these Michelin's have a somewhat strange and unsafe feeling.
Dry grip is not what I expected, slightly less stable at high speeds, a "heavy" and "clumsy" steering feel and in general these Michelin tires makes my MB feel more like a truck than a sports-car.
The other tire brands, especially the Continentals, had a "light" and "agile" feeling, it is a huge disappointment to push these Michelin tires in any way.
In corners and in sharp turns these Michelin tires are "weird", they loose grip early and it is a slightly shaky/wobbly/tottering feeling at the limits, these Michelin tires do not feel safe at limits.
With the Continentals I felt 100% safe at Maximum speed, 250 km/h, I tried once with the Michelin's and I will never do that again, the Michelin's are a little bit "weird" and don't inspire me to push them.
To rule out any technical problem with the car my garage generously let me try some Continental Sport 5 and it was a rather huge difference, with the Continentals 5 it was 100% stable at high speeds, very grippy in corners/sharp turns, not a sign of wobbling or shaking.
The wear is about the same as the other brands, not very good but acceptable for this type of car.
I used to be a Michelin fan however these tires are a disappointment and I will not buy again, strangely I feel the same with other cars I recently have driven with new Michelin tires, it seems that nowadays other brands are noticeable/significantly better in almost every way, maybe with exception of comfort.