Fun with Tires: the 365 Days of PSAS3 Project

January 5, 2013 by V.R.M. - 12 Comments
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At NOLA Motorsports Park for the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 launch. Photo (c)Rick Dole

A few weeks ago I traveled to New Orleans to attend the launch of Michelin’s newest all-season tire, the Pilot Sport A/S 3. My review of the tire appeared on FlatSixes.com. In short, I was very impressed by this tire’s handling and stopping power (two crucial things when it comes to fun, but more importantly, safety behind the wheel). Lesson learned: the tire you put on your car makes a HUGE difference in how your car handles. No joke!

The PSAS3 was exceptional, but I was only able to discover this because I spent an entire day testing it on a few vehicles, against several competitors’ tires, and in various conditions. At the end of the event, I congratulated the Michelin folks on setting up the perfect tire test. I suggested that an even better test would be to drive the tire over one year, in every-day scenarios, and in various seasons and conditions. They agreed, and that is how the 365 days of PSAS3 came to be.

Our family car, and Audi A4 Avant, is now wearing Michelin PSAS3s. My plan is to drive as I normally do — to the kids’ school, to work, to the store, to the occasional vacation spot, and (yes, even) the track this summer. As I go along, I’ll share my thoughts on how this tire performs in real life. You may even get the occasional tire photo (Michelin does make very good looking tires, if you’re into that sort of thing…)

Day 1: winter, 23 degrees, no snow accumulation. The tire is quiet and handles confidently on the cold ground. Looking forward to seeing what happens when snow falls. Even though Michelin is very clear on the PSAS3s limitations (the tire will work well in very cold temperatures, but it is not made to function optimally in accumulating snow), I look forward to comparing its performance next to other all-seasons I’ve driven on.  Stay tuned…and feel free to post questions.