Best Tires for the SEAT Leon Cupra 300ST 4Drive

I have to manage my expectations with these tires, and now the temperatures are dropping and the roads are getting wetter, I’m very pleased with the ASC2…

This is the most powerful car I’ve owned, with 300bhp & 4WD, and having had all-seasons fitted to my previous cars, it felt natural to do the same when it came to replacing the tires on this car.

When I bought it, the car had Continental Sport Contact 6 fitted, which, even being worn unevenly, and the fronts being saw-toothed, gripped like poop to a blanket and it felt like the car was on rails, even at around 3mm, when I always change my tires.

Changing to the All Season Contact 2, the sportiness and ultimate grip of the Sport Contacts has gone in dry, warm/hot weather, and I’m taking things a little easier on the ASC2 in those conditions. Having deployed ‘launch control’ a couple of times (where conditions have permitted) there was zero loss of traction, so I have no doubts the ASC2 do grip, they’re just not as precise as a summer tire when pushing a little on the twisties.

All that being said, the ASC2 is quiet, comfortable and fuel efficient, along with looking like there’s hardly been any wear, even after 7,000 miles, so they suit my mainly 250+ motorway journeys perfectly.

Back to my first comment about temperatures dropping, and the roads getting wetter…in these conditions, the tire seems to come to life, and I feel more comfortable throwing the car around in these conditions than in the warm and dry - the car’s starting to feel like it’s found the rails again now we’re heading towards winter, and is more fun to drive!

Would I buy again? More than likely, but I’d like to try the Pirelli SF2 (which wasn’t available when I bought the ASC2), or Michelin’s CrossClimate 3 if it’s out by then…tires are an easy ‘mod’ to change the characteristics of the car to suit you, and I enjoy that!

Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps your decision, whichever tire you choose!

Oh boy... they really make a huge change and it's not just marketing hype. I tested it to the extreme (involuntarily) quickly after buying - emergency braking on dry. I was astonished by the distance the car stopped completely from 140 km/h speed. It doesn't mean that these tires don't excel in other situations. Excellent braking and traction on wet is something very hard to describe. I braked really hard on standing water and ABS didn't kick in... This is just amazing. You just have to feel it. My previous tires were Continental ContiSportContact 5P. I think that Michelins are superior to 5P's in every way. I would say that only dry grip is similar but braking and lateral parameters are better in Michelins. I am the type of driver who really abuses tires. Even though the tread seems to withhold it quite well. They seem to be very durable as well, coping well with B-class roads which is a huge plus to me. Unlike my winter premiums (Pirellis) which brake on every pothole occasion these are really strong.