my OEM Conti 2's are toast at 18.5K.

Ive narrowed down replacement tires to be either:

Bridgestone Potenza RE960 A/S Pole Position
or
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

Biggest reason for the A/S is tread life as I dont like doing this every year.

These tires match up pretty closely, Michelins look modestly better drivers tire and slightly more $, Potenza's a litttle quieter but with strong reviews over many more miles (see tire rack).

Forum members have commented favorably on RE960's, but havent see much on this version of Michelins.

Think I'm inclined to go with the Bridgestones, looking for input and any commentary with regard to the Pilot Sport A/S Plus.

THOUGHTS?

Potenzas RE960 are actually sportier and cheaper, so it is kind of a no-brainer IMO

...and the Michelin's last a bit longer and are lousy on wet.

The summer Conties are a "don't buy"!

All non-RF's, of course.

The A/S tires are not good either in summer nor winter.

I'd put my Michelin PS A/S up against anything in rain. Not snow--that's not what they are designed for. If you are not in an area that requires a dedicated winter set-up, the A/S is a great alternative. A/S tires are great in summer and winter, and in between for the average driver--not autocrosser. However, summer tires are superior in warm weather, and snow tires are best in snow.

That said, the OP is in San Diego, so the need for anything other than summer (+33F) tires probably isn't an issue.

18.5k out of the OEM Conti's is good, most people (myself included) only get around 12k :(

I would caution you against mixing the Conti's on the front with RE960's on the back. They are quite different tires - sidewall stiffness, grip, etc. and will likely screw up your handling. A more suitable tire may be the Potenza RE760 Sport, which is classified as an Ultra High Performance Summer and has a better treadwear rating than the OEM Conti's, but I still would mix the tires front to rear.

I recently decided to go with another set of OEM Conti's on the rear and will probably replace all four with something different next time round. Hope this helps.

I am trying the Flaken 452's after having Conti-Contact-2's. They are about $400 cheaper for a set than the Conti's and supposidly have better tread life. I expect them to be similar in the rain. I only have about 500 miles on them, but so far I am happy.

Yokohama as430s. Love them and the price is good. Only certain retailers carry them. Like Tire Kingdom. Price is great and so is performance.
my 2 cents

Just saw a typo in my post, it should read "...but I still wouldn't mix the tires front to rear..."

I replaced my rf's with michelin ps2's from tire rack last week. Noticeable improvement in noise level and ride.

well, i've decided...

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus are soon to be installed.

After additional research I believe the driving feel, dry traction, comfort and quiet factor to be superior than the Potenza's.

For those 10 days a year when we get some rain, I'll be in good shape, but with a 500 treadwear factor I'll take the tradeoff for the other 355 days :cool:

Think these will enhance driving experience with far longer life than OEM Conti Sport Contact 2's

Tire rack has best price, local installer I am familiar with ..so lets go

Road Review in a few thousand miles.

Stay tuned...