Pirelli P6

The P6 was OEM on my 2009 Saab 9.3. The car sat on the dealer lot for 15 months w/o being moved and one tire developed a permanent flat spot that never went away (a minor vibration when on the front). However, the tires worked reasonably well. Normal combination driving they lasted 30K miles (1mm remaining), but with 5K regular rotation, theye worn evenly. I never had any issue with them wet or dry, but they do lack feel (relative to a high performance tire). I live in Texas so can't' comment on snow. They are fairly quiet. Corner grip is ok; they definitely contribute to under-steer, but they will hold the road reasonably. Progressiveness is just ok as well. Nothing bad, but I do notice the anti-lock kicking in occasionally at times when I wouldn't expect it (I interpreting that as lack of progressiveness). But that may be the Saab as the brakes don't provide as much feel as my Honda del Sol. An ok tire for everyday use, but I can find better performance value so I probably wouldn't purchase again.

The car is on its 3rd set of these tyres which replaced Dunlop SP250s - found to be poor, especially in the wet where the vehicle stability control would activate with only the slightest provocation during wet cornering. I would unequivicably recommend these tyres to anyone who is looking for a safe and predictable every day tyre coupled with being a more value alternative to a Michelin MX (although not as much overall grip).

Some reviewers have suggested that the tyres loose traction more easily below 80% of the tread wear. All tyres loose most of their performance at low tread depth and there is a tendancy with this tyre towards a nocicable fidgety characteristic over rougher surfaces once the tyre is at the 3mm stage. One thing which is observed when the tyres approach the wear blocks is a transition to another rubber layer (a join where the inner core rubber composition is different to the upper tread). This may account for other people's perception of poor performance at the end of tyre life. I always change my tyres at 3mm for safety reasons anyway (my car is run on a budget but not a shoe-string) so this has not been a particular issue for me.

The wet grip cornering is excellent and predicable on all but the very worst surfaces and even then it is good, progressive and with excellent feedback. The car is driven spiritedly on country roads and on motorways. Stability is excellent on all surfaces and in all conditions including snow (although the feel does go wooden at very low temperatures it remains predictable still with plenty of feedback). I have found that there is very little aquaplaning with this tyre – my main reason for choosing the tyre and continuing to do so. The steering is slightly heavier than with the P6000 now on the car but provides a good solid feeling.

The negative points of this tyre are road noise and in my hands (very enthusiastic driving) the wear rate was about right rather than outstanding (approx. 13,000 from the fronts and around 30,000 at the rear). These two characteristics are not my main concerns when choosing a tyre. The noise provides me with information about the road surface however tyre noise is never particularly intrusive or overly noticeable in my vehicle. Further, comfort although not first rate is certainly acceptable over most surfaces even when pumped up to a 5-10% higher presure than specified in my vehicle handbook.

I have been very impressed with these tyres and would continue to buy this brand again. The only reason for changing model laterly to P6000 was because of availability at my local tyre outlet.