Should I dump 2 perfectly good ContiSP2s for 4 Pilot sports?

I gotta replace the rears on my cab, but can't get the tires from Continental. I only have to replace the rears, and the fronts have a good 20K left in them. So should I switch all 4 to Pilot Sports? Is it that much better a tire than Contis? I guess if I was not such a tightwad, I would not be agonizing over this decision. Will I see $300+ worth of improvement by switching? What I would really like is a tire that was quieter, and little less harsh at speeds over 80 than the Contis. And it would be nice if I did not have to put up with the understeer that these tires seem to have. For those of you that have switched from Continental to Michelin, please give me your thoughts.

By the time your front continentals wear out, I'll bet your new pilot rears will also have worn out, since the rears wear out faster than the front ones. Then you can buy the same tire at the next tire change. Bob

I have the Pilots and couldn't be happier. If your fronts are still good you can replace new Contis on the rear or get 4 new Pilot Sports. The rears always wear twice as fast as the fronts and it's common practice to replace the rears only and then all 4 next time around. You cannot mix and match tires, let alone N ratings.

i've found out that my Pilots sport does not feel as comfortable ride as my Conti2.

you should replace the rears with the same tires as you have on the front and then swap all 4 when they wear out. that's pretty standard procedure as chitownbob said.

This is the right answer.

I had a similar problem. PZero's were gone on the rear (4th set) but fronts were fine, problem is, Pirelli has NO tires for my car in the US until January, and it's overdue for state inspection. I'm switching all fours to Michelin Pilot Sport N1's tomorrow (just got them in and got very lucky).

argh, i'm confused... once and for all, can you mix and match front and rear tires...? (i.e. contis on the front and pilots on the rear)

Yes, as long as their on the same axle its okay. Unless your driving at the edge of the limit all the time you should be okay. Bob

Thanks for everyone's opinions. Like Eric, I am "tired" of waiting, so I bought 4 N1 Pilots which will be here on Monday. Since I only have 22K miles left on the lease, I think that it would be best to experience the car with other tires before I have to give it back and get a new toy.

Hi, I wouldn't agree with that. As others have pointed out, you should have four tyes of the same make and spec on your car. You are right, if you are not driving on the edge, you probably won't notice most of the time. But it might take only one sudden evasive maneuver and you will be on the edge. Driving a Porsche with mixed tyres is like buying a 1961 Chateau Petrus and drinking it from plastic cups. Cheers, Uwe

Interesting topic for me. I have and currently use SO3s and Pilots on my other 911s. Contis came on my new ride. I like the ride with both the Pilots and SO3s, Do they Contis have the traction of the the Pilots or SO3s.

You cannot mix and match different brand tires, it's a bad idea and unsafe. The tires have totally different tread designs and performance characteristics. I guarantee no tire manufacturer or PAG will warranty any damage occuring from this course of action. Sure you could probably get away with it but this is a high performance precision machine that you don't want to take any chances . Porsche doesn't even recommend using different N rated tires within a brand, there's a reason for that. Either get 2 new Contis or 4 new Michelins.

it's all subjective. i've had four sets on my 996 (pirelli assymetricos, bf goodrich kds, contis, and now pilots). the absolutely worst handling tires were the contis, but they were good in those non-performance attributes (about which i could care less).

I drink my Margaux out of paper cups all the time...............The wine is the priorety, not the vessel. This may not be a good analogy to make your point with.

Hmm, I guess I wanted to say you need a proper glass to experience the full potential of the wine, and you need proper tyres to experience the full potential of the car. Upon reflection ... you're right, the analogy was rubbish. Uwe

That's what I was afraid of. What's the deal? There was a cab with same 18 inch Carrera wheels delivered same time as my car and the cab had P-0s. Do they just use the Contis on coupes or is it just random.