I am new to the forum and glad to be aboard. I really need help with tire selection. I am a driving enthusiast, I drive hard, I drive fast, and I drive a lot. Ive been researching tires and with every tire store, and even Volvo dealers all tell me something different. Do I get H rated or V. One store tried to sell mea Z rated becasue he said thats what I needed. I do want something that is sticky and grips the road. However, in my research I found that a good all season H is what I need. But everyone wants to sell me a V becasue they are more expensive. Please help me choose. What do all you S60 driving enthusiast use. And I do want to point out, I do NOT have the sport package. Here are some of the tires I selected as well as a few the stores selected: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, Michelin Pilot Exalto AS, Continental Extreme Contact DWS, Yokahama AVID Envigor, Hankook Ventus H 105. Oh, and by the way, I was told the Yokahamas and the Michelin Pilot are DIRECTIONAL tires which means you HAVE to keep your wheels aligned properly all the time. Realistically, Im not going to have my wheels aligned as much as I should. Please help me...Im confused!!!

 

Well first off, Where do you live, IE, what kind of weather do you have. Do need all season tires to run the tires year round or do you have a winter setup for the colder months?
With your said driving style, I'd lean more towards a performance tire.

Living in the Northwest, I run summer tires that have good wet traction year round on the S60R.
Really liked Toyo's T1-R's (I've had 3 sets and currently have them on the 850R)
I have Bridgstone Potenza RE-11's on the S60R right now and love these tires.
I have ran Toyo Proxes 4's and hated every last bit of them.

I've heard great things about the Continental Extreme Contact DWS.
Also check out the tirerack.com for more tire reviews.

 

I just replaced the Federal S595s, directional, on my 2003 S60 2.4T, 235/45ZR17. I did a ton of research and without a doubt, for the money, the Continental Extreme Contact DWS, non-directional, were the best tire. I got America's Tire to match Tirerack (plus shipping), and mounted, balanced all four for $660. They are smooth and quiet, and seem to grip the road real well when cornering. They also provide a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty which is unusual for UHP tires. Liked them so well I put another set on my son's Mazda6 a week later!

 

Got the same Contis on V70 with 17" wheels. Way better than the OEM Pirelli Scorpions.
So far (about 30K) they have lots of tread left, handle well, and were good in snow in winter. I have no complaints with them and will replace them with like tires when the time comes if they are still available.

 

If you live in an area with rain and any snow, I highly recommend the Continental Extreme Contacts DWS. Besides being whisper quiet, they grip like glue in the mush, even better than some studless snow tires do. They will save your life and reduce your stress.

If you are looking for something cheap, the Falken Zeix 512 would be my money saving preference or the Fuzion HR1. Noisier than I prefer, but both handle well.

The Speed rating is just that, it means you can drive at super high speeds longer. It may only effecty you if you live in very hot climate or drive regularly over 90 mph.

The "directional" aspect of the tire was poorly explained to you. It does not mean you have to keep the wheels aligned or the tires balanced (but you should anyway). It means the tires can only spin one direction only so you cannot rotate the wheels/tire from the left to the right of your car without remounting. You can still rotate front to back, back to front, but you must keep the tire on the same side. More tires than you know are directional. Its not much of a hastle unlessy you don't keep your air correct or only turn right.

If you live in a dry hot climate, you have more choices... Sumitomo and Conti offer some good choices. Whatever you choose, I have not had good luck with the Bridgestone Potenza's popular at Costo. The smallest amount of snow would break them loose. I find the Michelins over priced, but some mags always love em.

 

Hey Matt, thanks for the response back. I live in St. Louis. Most of the time our winters ae mild, we do get some snow but days later it melts. We will get the ocassional ice storm, whatever. The street crews do an amazing job clearing off the streets and highways. I will probably still with an all season tire. I called Volvo directly and told me that they recommend a V rated tire and thats what came out of the factory with. You love the Bridgestones. When I checked the reviews on Tire Rac, most people hatd them. To each it's own I guess. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Now that I know to get a V rated, I'll do more research. I've heard the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S is real good, Yokahama AVID ENVigor is good, and the Pirelli P6 but the reviews say they are kind of noisy. By the way, the 2005 S60s came out of the factory with the Pirelli P6. You asked where I live, now that you know, any more advice on tires. Getting desperate, new them soon. Thanks.

 

Thank you very much on explaining "Directional" tires. Also, the other things I've heard about speed rating is that...yeah, we dont have the German Autobon here, and no one typically drives over 90-100 in this country, but, I was told that a high speed tire will be grippier on the road, have a little more support on the sides, etc. I called Volvo and they told me the car definately calls for a V but you can go one stop up or one stop down. For instance, I could get an H speed tire. The 2005 S60 came out of the factory with V rated Pirelli P6. Any more food for thought? I live in St. Louis. Get some snow, some ice, but big deal. In St. Louis, it melts 2 days later and they do a wonderful job of clearing the highways and streets. Our summers are hot and humid.

 

Anytime.

What bridgstone tires did you look at? Here's the Potenze RE-11's that I was specifically referring to...
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
There rated the best in class tire...
Consumer Survey Results By Category

Since you're going to go with the all season tire and the winters are more on the mild side, I say the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. All the reviews of the tire from the rest of the R guys on Swedespeed say they're great tires. I don't think you'll be disappointed in them in the slightest. Also rated the best Ultra High Performance All-Season tire.
Consumer Survey Results By Category

 

Thank you all who responded to my confusion and agonizing decision on what kind of tires to buy for my S60. After days and days of research, calling local tire dealers, etc. I came up with the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. Getting them on Monday and cant wait to try them.

 

Any thoughts on the tires yet?