[ElleToTheGee]

I just had brand new PS 4 SUV taken off mine and replaced with Latitude Sport, because they are HORRENDOUSLY rough and noisy.

They are a PS 4 S - which is already the ultra highest performance tyre without going a Cup semi slick, but being SUV rated, they have an even more rigid sidewall for the heavier car.

That equals fantastic performance and grip, say, if you want to do something like TRACK your Macan (I'd assume most people don't) and really pushing it. The type of grip you'll never come close to exceeding on the street. AT THE COST of a stupidly rough ride and above average tyre noise.

They also have insanely thick deep tread blocks meaning epic wet weather performance, and they will last for ages, but as mentioned - you will feel them through the wheel and through the seat. Even driving over painted lines on the road, will thump slightly over the tyre blocks.

There's a reason the LS are OEM fitment and the SUV aren't. They offer a little less performance and outright grip, but with comfort and minimal road noise.

The SUV is basically the highest performance street tyre you could possibly get, that is essentially a PS4S with two differences:

More rigidity in the sidewall for heavier weight.
More hard compound to last longer than a regular PS4S (with a little less performance) again due to the heavier car weight.

If you don't NEED or WANT the absolute most capable performance tyre, don't get the 4S or the SUV, IMO.

 

[muncie]

Great insight 👆🏻

 

[///Bruce]

So far, over the last four years, I’ve had Mich all-seasons which frankly sucked. Moved to Conti 6’s. Bald in 9,000 miles because the Macan was way out of alignment. Moved to Goodyear Asymmetrics. Three sets later I tried Pirellis. Junk! I was all over the road. Excessive tram-lining. Just went back to Goodyear. I will say when I pulled out of the dealership I noticed they were louder than the Pirellis. But…. It tracks so much better! Tire noise? That’s what the volume knob is for…

 

[ElleToTheGee]

Yep unfortunately (coming from a household where a family member worked in the Engineering division at Goodyear, so we all grew up driving every make / brand of tyre you could name, and also racing cars), you will NEVER get everything you want in one tyre.

Personally what I've had on mine: You'll quickly find the more you drive on different stuff, that each does something better but will lack elsewhere and never hit all points.

Continental Conti Sport Contact 5P
Comfort - Phenomenal
Noise - Great
Dry Grip - Great
Wet Grip - Good
Wear - Very poor

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Comfort - Good
Noise - Great
Dry Grip - Good
Wet Grip - Very poor
Wear - Good


Michelin PS4 SUV
Comfort - Poor
Noise - Fair
Dry Grip - Phenomenal
Wet Grip - Phenomenal
Wear - Great


Michelin Latitude Sport NO (OEM) so far at least -

Comfort - Fair
Noise - Good
Dry Grip - Great
Wet Grip - Good
Wear - Good


To me, that fact that any street tyre has tread at all - is for wet weather / seasonal performance. So a tyre with poor wet weather is unacceptable period, and barred from consideration. Then, you want a balance between comfort and dry grip, and they must also last a decent amount of time.

The Conti's are great - but they wear very fast.
The Dunlop's are great - but they suck in the wet. Stay away.
The Michelin PS4 are great - but they're uncomfortable and noisy. Perhaps worth the sacrifice, perhaps not.
The Michelin Latitude seem OK so far - but not on the same performance level as the PS4, and won't last as long. You can tell this purely by looking at the tread design, but also feeling how the tyre rolls over / walks on the wheel, as to how stiff or compliant it is. The PS4SUV are hard as concrete. The Latitude are still firm, but more compliant.
Both amplify the smallest imperfections on even a flat smooth road. Where something like the Conti will glide over them. Because they're softer, but hence wear a lot faster.
Having felt the Latitude, and knowing it's homologated as an OEM, you can see why the breakdown above looks more favourable than the others. It does everything "pretty OK", but still lacks a little in one area. A good all rounder. Not a standout in any way, but more balanced than the rest that have a more generic focus towards one area over the others, for all cars.

To my mind, I would question why anyone would want to put the highest performance, track capable street tyre on their crossover or 4WD. Because it certainly isn't necessary at the sacrifice of comfort, IMO at least.
When they say the PS4SUV will "turn your 4WD into a Sports Car", they technically aren't lying. It will certainly roughen it the heck up. If you want the best performance tyre out there, they are absolutely insane as far as all weather grip and wear goes. But personally, I have race cars for that. I want my daily to be quiet and comfortable.

 

[lyricgskills]

So far, over the last four years, I’ve had Mich all-seasons which frankly sucked. Moved to Conti 6’s. Bald in 9,000 miles because the Macan was way out of alignment. Moved to Goodyear Asymmetrics. Three sets later I tried Pirellis. Junk! I was all over the road. Excessive tram-lining. Just went back to Goodyear. I will say when I pulled out of the dealership I noticed they were louder than the Pirellis. But…. It tracks so much better! Tire noise? That’s what the volume knob is for…

Bruce, which Pirelli’s did you specifically have that you dislike so much? I’ve always been curious.

 

[dave-t]

Aren’t Michelin Pilot tires Z rated? All of the pilots I put on Cayman R were z rated, at least I thought they were. Michelin Latitudes are all I use because I need all weather tires on my Macan S.

 

[woodypup]

My original Sport Latitude 3 has lasted 27,000 miles so far, and there's still some tread remaining to the indicator, maybe 2mm (to the indicator). So, I'm confident I could get a few more thousand miles out of them easily, however as we go into the rainy season here in Seattle, I just purchased a set of Pilot Sport 4 All-Seasons from Costco (didn't really have a choice for 21-inch tires). Haven't installed them yet, maybe in a few weeks. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of differences, will report back.

 

[David45]

A 2 ton vehicle needs to be able to go, stop and change directions safely on wet and dry surfaces (especially if your not driving like your grandmother). Safety is my top priority so the grip of the PS4s is compelling reason to use them.

 

[V. Larson]

Bruce, which Pirelli’s did you specifically have that you dislike so much? I’ve always been curious.

I got rid of the 20” oem Pirelli Verdes because of NVH at 20k miles w 6/32 and replaced with P-Zero ASP III now at 20k. 7/32 even across and still quiet, good in rain, light snow for last 2.5 years. Don’t see much better 20” AS Oem size tires out there but always looking…

 

[///Bruce]

Bruce, which Pirelli’s did you specifically have that you dislike so much? I’ve always been curious.

Pirelli P Zero PZ4. Again, I've driven about 200+ miles on the Goodyears and I'm happy.

 

[lyricgskills]

Pirelli P Zero PZ4. Again, I've driven about 200+ miles on the Goodyears and I'm happy.

Aww gotcha. Just hoping you didn't say the Pirelli Verde AS tires. They've been great for 7,000 miles and I've been trying to find something wrong with them but found nothing other then they aren't summer tires lol

 

[Llarry]

My original Sport Latitude 3 has lasted 27,000 miles so far, and there's still some tread remaining to the indicator, maybe 2mm (to the indicator). So, I'm confident I could get a few more thousand miles out of them easily, however as we go into the rainy season here in Seattle, I just purchased a set of Pilot Sport 4 All-Seasons from Costco (didn't really have a choice for 21-inch tires). Haven't installed them yet, maybe in a few weeks. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of differences, will report back.

I'm amazed you got that many miles out of the Michelins. The primary gripe on Tire Rack customer ratings seems to be that folks are not getting enough miles out of a set. 27K is great!

 

[woodypup]

I'm amazed you got that many miles out of the Michelins. The primary gripe on Tire Rack customer ratings seems to be that folks are not getting enough miles out of a set. 27K is great!

Yeah, I can't complain. I enjoyed those tires, and if I were to get summer tires again, I wouldn't hesitate to go with them again.

 

[woodypup]

Just mounted the tires yesterday, and I can immediately feel a difference from the Sport Latitude 3. These PS All-Season 4 tires bring more comfort. Small bumps (like uneven concrete seams) are muted, and become heard-but-not-felt. Small/sharp bumps are toned down. It's like turning the treble knob down a couple clicks. Welcome relief.
I haven't check out the high-speed grip differences, but I don't really drive like that anyway. I'm sure most of the Macan's tenacious grip comes from the fact that they are super fat (295 and 265mm), regardless of tire, so on long sweepers pretty much any tire of that width will hold on well. If you're on public roads and extracting howling from your tires, you're a ****.

 

[Jshore]

Had the Michelin Latitude19's all seasons for 6 years ,over 50k miles on the '15 S.
Good tires,quiet,performed well even in snow.

 

[Jack90210]

Yep unfortunately (coming from a household where a family member worked in the Engineering division at Goodyear, so we all grew up driving every make / brand of tyre you could name, and also racing cars), you will NEVER get everything you want in one tyre.

Personally what I've had on mine: You'll quickly find the more you drive on different stuff, that each does something better but will lack elsewhere and never hit all points.

Continental Conti Sport Contact 5P
Comfort - Phenomenal
Noise - Great
Dry Grip - Great
Wet Grip - Good
Wear - Very poor

Dunlop Sport Maxx 050+
Comfort - Good
Noise - Great
Dry Grip - Good
Wet Grip - Very poor
Wear - Good


Michelin PS4 SUV
Comfort - Poor
Noise - Fair
Dry Grip - Phenomenal
Wet Grip - Phenomenal
Wear - Great


Michelin Latitude Sport NO (OEM) so far at least -

Comfort - Fair
Noise - Good
Dry Grip - Great
Wet Grip - Good
Wear - Good


To me, that fact that any street tyre has tread at all - is for wet weather / seasonal performance. So a tyre with poor wet weather is unacceptable period, and barred from consideration. Then, you want a balance between comfort and dry grip, and they must also last a decent amount of time.

The Conti's are great - but they wear very fast.
The Dunlop's are great - but they suck in the wet. Stay away.
The Michelin PS4 are great - but they're uncomfortable and noisy. Perhaps worth the sacrifice, perhaps not.
The Michelin Latitude seem OK so far - but not on the same performance level as the PS4, and won't last as long. You can tell this purely by looking at the tread design, but also feeling how the tyre rolls over / walks on the wheel, as to how stiff or compliant it is. The PS4SUV are hard as concrete. The Latitude are still firm, but more compliant.
Both amplify the smallest imperfections on even a flat smooth road. Where something like the Conti will glide over them. Because they're softer, but hence wear a lot faster.
Having felt the Latitude, and knowing it's homologated as an OEM, you can see why the breakdown above looks more favourable than the others. It does everything "pretty OK", but still lacks a little in one area. A good all rounder. Not a standout in any way, but more balanced than the rest that have a more generic focus towards one area over the others, for all cars.

To my mind, I would question why anyone would want to put the highest performance, track capable street tyre on their crossover or 4WD. Because it certainly isn't necessary at the sacrifice of comfort, IMO at least.
When they say the PS4SUV will "turn your 4WD into a Sports Car", they technically aren't lying. It will certainly roughen it the heck up. If you want the best performance tyre out there, they are absolutely insane as far as all weather grip and wear goes. But personally, I have race cars for that. I want my daily to be quiet and comfortable.

This is a hugely helpful post. Thank you. I love the PS4s on my 335i, but it sounds like the Latitude Sport 3s are the way to go on my '15 Turbo with 20" Spyders. Of note, they're also three pounds lighter than the PS4 SUV, and rated for several hundred pounds more load -- which explains the stiffness among other things.

I've been going back and forth for a while now, wondering which route to take to upgrade the Latitude Tour in the pursuit of more dry traction without losing wet traction or comfort (on the street), and I'm decided on the LS3. Thanks again.

 

[BMinSFL]

This is a hugely helpful post. Thank you. I love the PS4s on my 335i, but it sounds like the Latitude Sport 3s are the way to go on my '15 Turbo with 20" Spyders. Of note, they're also three pounds lighter than the PS4 SUV, and rated for several hundred pounds more load -- which explains the stiffness among other things.

I've been going back and forth for a while now, wondering which route to take to upgrade the Latitude Tour in the pursuit of more dry traction without losing wet traction or comfort (on the street), and I'm decided on the LS3. Thanks again.

The N tires have a lower load rating and after running 7 sets of tires on my Macan, that means more comfort, since they are tuned for the weight and uses of the Macan. The PS4 SUV, as a non-N tire, needs to handle any SUV use so the load rating is higher (and weight too) which results in a less comfortable ride. OE is 104 and 106 vs. 108 and 110. I loved them though, the traction in wet or dry was truly phenomenal.

I agree with your choice, if I were to choose a 20" OE Macan summer tire, it would be the LS3. As a wildcard, my new favorite 20" tire is the N0 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 for the Cayenne. They are a larger diameter and width at 275/45 and 305/40 so you get the bonus of a super comfortable ride and more contact patch without compromising handling.

I switch back-to-back with a set of 21" forged turbo designs with NE0 PS4 A/S and these Cayenne tires don't feel numb or sloshy given the massive difference in sidewall between the two. They feel dialed-in like a performance tire but also deliver the benefits of a larger sidewall. Probably a factor of the extra high load rating (stiff sidewall) of 110 and 112 but offset with comfort by the extra sidewall height.

 

[Ahay90]

Very happy with my Michelin LS3 tires. Quiet and great for daily use.

 

[biciklanto]

And as a counterpoint, love my "upgrade" from Latitude Sport 3 to Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires. I have the RS 20" wheels on my car, so 265 width front and 295 width back, and the grip feels limitless in terms of anything I do with the car.

Highly recommended.

 

[zhoushilun]

Interested as well