Michelin Pilot Sport PS2

January 2009. Consumer Reports provides the best review of the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tire, rating it alongside other ultra-high-performance summer tires in a series of objective tests. We also found excellent professional tests of this tire at Which? magazine and Car and Driver magazine. Write-ups at the Canadian Automobile Protection Association are brief, but they are based on expert analysis. Consumers can look up government tire ratings at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website. More than 800 owners also rate the Pilot Sport PS2 at The Tire Rack.

The Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 is the most recommended summer tire for high-performance sedans and sports cars. It's classified as a "maximum performance" tire for high-speed stability and traction, and reviews rank it highly on both counts. Owners say it's also one of the quietest tires in its class. While traction is excellent on both wet and dry pavement, this tire is designed only for summertime use and has poor traction on snow and ice. These tires also aren't designed for durability, and there's no treadwear warranty -- but this is typical of max-performance tires. The main drawback is price. If you don't want to spend so much, we found good reviews for the high-performance Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec (*est. $125). If you need performance tires for year-round use, reviews say the Michelin Primacy MXV4 (*est. $130) is the best all-around choice.