Given
76%
while driving a
Volkswagen Mk7 Golf R
(235/35 R19)
on
a combination of roads
for 20,000
spirited miles
Optimum dry grip is reached when the tire reaches performance temperature. This can only be achieved driving on a track - public roads don't give enough opportunity to go fast safely around corners to generate heat. Once they're hot, they're sticky and provide loads of grip in the dry. Wet grip isn't too bad when they're hot, but they do cool off a bit quick. However, in the wet they are consistent with their grip, so once the temperature settles, you know what to expect.
Feedback is average. You really ought to know your vehicle's handling characteristics, rather than rely on this tire to tell you how it's coping on the road surface.
Wear is consistent. They provide just as much grip towards the end of their life as at the start. Used as a daily driver with moderate to easy cornering and acceleration, you should expect about 40,000 km. If used on sporadically on the track, about 20,000 km to 30,000 km.
Comfort isn't too bad. They are a tad noisy on the coarser bitumen surfaces on the country roads in south west Australia, but still adequate.
I've compared these to the original fitted Bridgestones that were road tires. The main difference between them is the wet handling is much better on the Bridgestones, but the Bridgestones lost a lot of grip suddenly two-thirds towards the end of their life. This made them initially, dangerously unpredictable. I actually removed them before they ran out of tread. Since them, I've had two sets of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s.
