You can’t be in the market for new tires and not think of Michelin. It’s the OG brand and one of the most premium ones out there. For over a century, they’ve maintained sky-high standards of durability and performance. To this day, their latest tires such as the Michelin Premier A/S are only adding to that legacy.
Michelin Premier A/S — Overview
The Premier A/S succeeds the Primacy MXV4 — a wildly popular tire among critics (for all the good reasons). It’s a premium all-season grand touring tire designed to offer long-lasting tread life, luxurious comfort levels, and no compromises on safety. It’s supposed to outperform the Primacy MXV4 in all areas, especially wet traction and braking.
The all-season passenger tire category is filled to the brim with competitive options. Some of the closest competitors to Premier A/S are the Continental TrueContact Tour, and the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus II. Taking the win against these established products isn’t easy, but if any brand stands a chance, it’s Michelin.
The French tire maker has employed its latest and greatest tech in the Premier A/S, and it makes sense because it isn’t a cheap tire by any means. It’s one of the priciest players in its market segment of all-season touring tires. It costs about 30% higher than alternatives from manufacturers like Hankook, General, or Cooper.
So, is it worth paying the Michelin premium in this case, or can you get similar performance out of a more affordable option? Is there a practical reason behind the high price of the Premier A/S, or is it just because of the Michelin brand? In this article, we’ll discuss all relevant factors to come up with a precise answer. Keep reading!
Michelin Premier A/S – Features
Michelin takes a lot of pride in the ultra-high levels of safety the Premier A/S offers all year round. Like a true premium all-season grand touring tire, it’s advertised to have class-leading levels of comfort and luxury.
The tread compound is designed to be long-lasting, too — and that’s evident through its 60,000-mile treadwear warranty. Here’s what Michelin has to say about how this tire ages well:
“Safe When New. Safe When Worn. Even when half-worn, it’s still safe, thanks to EverGrip wet-braking technology.” – Michelin
The Premier A/S also features the Total Performance technology from Michelin, which includes many of the manufacturer’s greatest materials and design elements. Everything starts from the tread compound that’s made up of sunflower oil and extreme silica. It helps the tire stick to the surface in wet and cold conditions and also keeps rolling resistance low, leading to more efficient fuel consumption.
It features a symmetric tread pattern along with a linked shoulder block and intermediate ribs. It’s all etched onto a continuous center rib. This unique design is supposed to boost the tire’s straight-line tracking capabilities. It leads to improved handling and steering response on dry pavement.
Michelin’s EverGrip technology makes the package even sweeter. It enhances the tire’s traction on wet and dry surfaces with the help of emerging grooves across its shoulders and expanding rain grooves going around the tire.
This tech also plays a role in making the tire age well since these tread grooves open up even more with wear, retaining the tire’s wet grip even years down the line.
These technology implementations are the product of lots of money invested into Michelin’s research and development department, which is why their premium tires cost a lot. This is why even though the Premier A/S has a standard twin steel belt composition with a polyester casing ply, it still costs a hefty amount of money. Michelin has tweaked the tire’s design to perfection to get the best stability, handling, comfort, and durability out of it.
Performance on Dry Roads
When you first take the Michelin Premier A/S for a spin — or any other grand touring tire for that matter — you wouldn’t have any sporty expectations in mind. However, this tire will surprise you! Unlike other grand tourers in its category, this one doesn’t just provide premium levels of comfort, but pairs it up with a pretty high level of steering response and maneuverability.
We had no complaints about the tire’s traction and grip on dry pavement. It provides ample cornering grip and stability for your daily driving needs. The braking distances are also exceptionally short — so it checks all the right boxes!
Wet Traction
The Premier A/S outstrips every single competitor on wet roads — it’s not even close! Even in heavy rain, the tire doesn’t falter in any department whatsoever. Whether it’s hydroplaning resistance, handling precision, controllability, or braking, the tire handles everything like a champ. It doesn’t slip a tiny bit even under a heavy downpour. This makes the Premier A/S the best all-season touring tire in wet conditions!
Snow Performance
Snow is where it gets a bit challenging for the Michelin Premier A/S. It’s only an all-season tire (and not a winter tire) but it still manages to deliver decent traction on snow thanks to its tread blocks and sipes. The difference in performance between this tire and some budget all-season offerings can be felt clearly, but it’s still no match to a dedicated winter tire in icy conditions.
Off-Road Capabilities
Off-roading is way out of the tire’s comfort zone. It’s just not designed for that sort of use, even though its larger sizes can easily fit a crossover vehicle. It’ll give you some traction on rough patches in a pinch, but it’s not a tire for off-road hobbyists.
Ride Quality
As you’d expect from a grand touring tire from a brand like Michelin, the Premier A/S provides desirable levels of ride comfort. It manages to keep the ride plush even on bumpy roads.
The Premier A/S also has one of the quietest rides in its category. However, the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack probably has it beat when it comes to noise reduction.
Conclusion
If the Michelin Premier A/S falls into your budget, the all-season grand-touring tire category doesn’t get much better than this. Not only is it one of the most comfortable tires, but it’s also highly durable and safe in wet conditions. It packs just the right level of sportiness to make sure the driver has some fun, too — not just the passengers.