Given
92%
while driving a
Honda Accord
(215/55 R17 W) on
mostly town
for 150
average miles
Car: 2013 Honda Accord EXL V6 Sedan
I'm upgrading to the Pilot Sport All Season 4 from the Primacy MXV4. My tire size is 215/55/17. The MXV4s were 94V and the Pilot Sport AS4s are 98Y. So you'd think going from the factory standard tire to the Pilot Sport would be a nightmare. This couldn't be further from the truth, so long as you know what you're in for. The AS4's are more direct when steering, and the limits are higher. Additionally, they grip better and cause the traction control to kick in less because the tires are able to grip better, especially in the dry. Wet behavior is very good too. I have not noticed any hydroplaning so long as I am driving normally. I have not dealt with the tires in snow nor ice as of yet, but I am going to suspect they may not be as grippy as the MXV4s. I will have to wait for the first big storm to see what happens.
These tires have slight road noise, owing to the fact they are higher performance than the factory MXV4s, but the noise is not intrusive nor annoying. It's not the whirring drone that I had iniitially feared, so much as the tires communicating to you more of the road imperfections that exist (and in NYC / LI, there are LOTS of potholes and road imperfections). On highways and main roads, the tire noise is muted, but the tires still communicate when you load them up on an exit ramp, and I have not found the limits of these tires as of yet. In contrast, the MXV4s didn't communicate until you were near the limits of the tires... and being the car has almost 300hp and a V6 to the front wheels, you WANT to know when the car is about to lose grip and submit to torque steer (and not just because the traction control light has come on).
Because of the way this tire is (very direct, communicative), if you're coming from the MXV4 or another "Honda-installed low resistance tire", you may be shocked by how much more communication (bumps, handling feedback, steering directness) you get. But if you enjoy being able to have a smooth ride that's somewhat compliant, but with great handling improvements, minimal loss of fuel economy, and then being able to more aggressively storm backroads, these are great. Now if I Could get Pilot Sport 4S tires for the summer that are the same size and profile, I'd be set year-round.