My Nero M+S tire review

[shiggins]

I blew a RE92 on a pothole and figured is was as good fo an excuse as any to upgrade to the Pirelli Nero M+S tires.

After about 100 miles of driving, most freeway, I've got some initial impressions. First off, I'm soooooo glad I decided to ditch the 92's. The Bridgestones were capable enough for everything once you learned their limits (which were low), but puting on some decent tires has brought the car to life. It's like the difference between playing basketball in sandals versus tennis shoes.

The steering responsiveness and turn-in is so much sharper. Gone is that squirmy semi floaty feeling that just never felt right. The sidewalls definitely have a much more substantial presence here, plus the larger tread blocks really seem to help with that little extra squirm you feel on the stock tires. I can feel the road better, yet bumps and sharp pavement creases don't increase their presence in the steering wheel and car as bad as I thought they would. The ride is definitely harsher though in that respect, just not annoying.

I think noise has gone down, especially over grooved concrete where the car used to have an almost inside a tin can resonance effect. It's still there, just less obtrusive.

I have not yet gotten to try them in heavy rain or any snow (we're experiencing one of the warmest Januarys in history here), so I don't know how they compare.

There are a couple of minuses though. Tramlining is an issue. Certain roads will make you feel like maybe your trunk monkey got his own steering wheel. Lucky for me, it's few and far between where that happens. Just gon't go driving around with one finger on the steering wheel at 80 mph. Flat spotting.......damn I hate winter....with temps in the 20s to 30s, overnight or even during the work day, I end up with about 2-3 miles of driving on the freeway where it feels like the tires are out of balance.

I'm still waiting to see how they handle in snow, rain, and summer driving before I come to full conclusions, but so far, they've made me feel they're worth every penny.

Now to figure out how to get rid of 3 RE92's with 5200 miles on them.....

[MUD]

Good stuff Doc!

 

I was contemplating the Neros on a set of 18".... but couldn't conclude upon which wheels to buy... so I went with W300s on stock wheels for now. I'm also hoping for a doozy of a winter here in CO! *Fingers crossed!*

 

The wet & snow traction on the Neros received good ratings & feedback on tirerack.com.... so it should be more than worth the investment!

 

Glad you like em!

[CreoSTi]

Tramlining is an issue.

That was my biggest gripe with the tires when I had them, as it pretty much felt like you described everytime I got on the freeway (normal asphalt surface streets were fine). They did well on a snowboarding trip to Mammoth Lakes, CA. Conditions were in the high 30s and some hard-packed snow here and there.

 

-Mike-

[caramall2]

Can you comment on ice and snow? Some have said they're poor to down right "scary". I'm looking for better dry & wet than stock Bridgestones, and at least equal or better in snow. Thanks.

[SBT]

Tramlining is an issue. Certain roads will make you feel like maybe your trunk monkey got his own steering wheel. Lucky for me, it's few and far between where that happens. Just gon't go driving around with one finger on the steering wheel at 80 mph.

 

This was the main reason that I avoided the PZN M&S and went with the Michelin PS ASs.

 

SBT

[andrew.anderson]

Our LGT has 18" PZN M&S's mounted on Prodrive P1's. Will have to ask AC how she likes them. From what she has told me they are great. We do not drive the car in the winter though so cannot comment on the ice or snow.

[shiggins]

Well, so far I've only had one opportunity to drive on snow/ice due to our abnormally warm winter. It was a day where temps were slightly above freezing and there was 1/4 to 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. It sorta made it almost a greasy snow as it was melting enough to compact slightly on the road but not melt fully into slush or freeze fully into icy snow. All I can say is I hope it was just a unique situation and the tires will perform better than that normally because they were absolutely scary. I skidded past my first turn and was only going about 15 mph. Even starting from a stop with awd was a challenge. My girlfriend did comment on how she even thought it was somewhat slippery with her old Legacy and some very decent Yoko AS tires.

I got these thinking they'd be at least as good as the RE92s which weren't exactly confidence inspiring either in the snow. I'm very used to driving on snow, so I've got no problem with all season tires (I realize dedicated snows are far better). All I know is the one and only time I drove 'em on snow has me extremely concerned and worried that this is how they will behave during any snow. Hopefully like I said, it was conditions that were unique and won't be representative of all snow driving, because if it is, I'll be regretting my purchase big time. But before I make any judgement, I'll have to drive them again on snow.

They are awesome though in the dry, just amazing compared to the RE92s. Handling feel has really improved.

[Flanders]

I think people expect too much from an All Season High Performance tire. I think your observations are in line and you have not been in bad weather yet.

 

I used to live in the snow belt and never had Winter Tires or High Performance tires before I bought my set. They are better than Re92 in all respects but only marginally in the snow. I was completely confident in the rain and always drove conservatively in the snow unless there was no one else around to hit if I did slide.

 

They are not miracle workers. They are just very good in many categories. I live in San Francisco now and my set got blown right when I moved here. I am back on Re92 with 05 GT wheels. I would buy them again even though I don't need all seasons at the moment.