Michelin Premier A/S Review: The All-Season Titan of Comfort and Performance

The Michelin Premier A/S is Michelin’s flagship all-season touring tire, designed to provide a perfect balance of year-round traction, comfort, and long treadwear. As an all-season tire, it’s engineered to perform well in a wide range of weather conditions, from dry and wet roads to light snow.

This tire is intended for drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans, and crossovers who want a smooth, comfortable ride with responsive handling and excellent traction in most driving situations. The Premier A/S is a premium option for those seeking a high-quality, long-lasting tire that can handle the diverse weather challenges of all four seasons.

With its advanced tread compound and design, the Premier A/S aims to deliver outstanding dry and wet road grip, while also providing reliable traction on light snow and ice. Michelin’s EverGrip technology with expanding rain grooves helps maintain traction as the tire wears, ensuring consistent performance throughout its lifespan.

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Tire Construction and Compound

The Michelin Premier A/S features an advanced silica-enhanced tread compound designed for excellent all-season traction and long tread life. This proprietary rubber formulation provides enhanced grip on wet roads while maintaining good dry performance and treadwear resistance.

The tire’s internal structure utilizes two steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon for increased strength and uniformity. Michelin’s MaxTouch Construction optimizes the tire’s contact patch for more evenly distributed footprint pressure, promoting even treadwear.

The polyester casing plies are reinforced with sturdy polyamide reinforcement for improved durability and high-speed capability. Michelin’s Comfort Control Technology employs computer-optimized design and precision manufacturing to reduce vibrations and road noise.

The asymmetric tread pattern features deep, zigzag grooves and 3D Active Sipes for enhanced wet traction and evacuating water effectively. The inboard and outboard tread blocks are designed differently to optimize dry grip and hydroplaning resistance respectively.

Overall, the Premier A/S combines advanced tire construction with a silica tread compound to deliver well-rounded all-season performance with long treadwear, wet grip, and ride comfort.

Treadwear and Longevity

One of the standout features of the Michelin Premier A/S tire is its impressive treadwear and longevity. Michelin utilizes an advanced silica-based tread compound that provides excellent treadwear characteristics while maintaining a good balance of all-season performance.

The Premier A/S carries a respectable 60,000-mile treadwear warranty from Michelin, which is a testament to the tire’s expected lifespan. This warranty is among the best in its class and provides reassurance for buyers seeking long-lasting tires.

Real-world reports from Premier A/S owners further reinforce the tire’s longevity claims. Many drivers have reported achieving well over 50,000 miles on a single set of tires, with some even pushing past 70,000 miles before needing a replacement. This level of treadlife is exceptional for an all-season touring tire, especially considering the Premier A/S’s impressive performance capabilities.

Michelin’s advanced tread design and compound formulation play a significant role in the tire’s extended treadwear. The tread features a symmetric pattern with rigid tread blocks and wide circumferential grooves, which promote even wear and resist irregular wear patterns. Additionally, the silica-enhanced tread compound resists excessive heat buildup, a common cause of premature tread wear.

Overall, the Michelin Premier A/S delivers outstanding treadwear and longevity, providing drivers with a tire that can reliably last for tens of thousands of miles without compromising performance or safety. This exceptional treadlife, combined with Michelin’s generous warranty coverage, makes the Premier A/S a compelling choice for value-conscious consumers seeking a high-quality, long-lasting all-season tire.

Dry Road Performance

The Michelin Premier A/S delivers excellent dry road performance, making it a superb choice for drivers who value precise handling and responsive steering. This tire excels in dry conditions, providing exceptional grip and traction on dry pavement.

When it comes to handling, the Premier A/S truly shines. Its advanced compound and tread design work in harmony to offer precise steering response, allowing the vehicle to react quickly and accurately to driver inputs. Whether navigating tight city streets or winding country roads, this tire instills confidence with its predictable and controlled handling characteristics.

Cornering grip is another area where the Premier A/S excels. Its optimized tread pattern and stiff tread blocks work together to maximize contact with the road surface, ensuring impressive lateral grip during spirited driving or emergency maneuvers. Drivers can push their vehicles harder into corners without compromising traction, resulting in a more engaging and enjoyable driving experience.

On dry pavement, the Premier A/S exhibits remarkable stability and composure, even at higher speeds. Its solid center rib and rigid tread blocks contribute to a planted feel, minimizing tread squirm and enhancing overall control. This translates to a more reassuring and comfortable ride, especially during highway driving or when executing lane changes.

Overall, the Michelin Premier A/S delivers exceptional dry road performance, combining precise handling, responsive steering, and tenacious cornering grip. Whether you’re an enthusiastic driver or simply value a confident and controlled driving experience, this tire is sure to impress on dry roads.

Wet Road Performance

The Michelin Premier A/S tires are engineered to provide exceptional wet traction and hydroplaning resistance. The symmetric tread pattern features deep, grooved channels that effectively evacuate water from under the tire’s footprint, minimizing the risk of hydroplaning on flooded roads or during heavy rainfall. The advanced silica-based tread compound enhances grip on slippery surfaces, ensuring confident braking and handling in wet conditions.

During wet road testing, the Premier A/S demonstrated impressive hydroplaning resistance, outperforming many competitors in its class. Even at higher speeds on water-covered surfaces, these tires maintained remarkable stability and control, allowing drivers to navigate safely through adverse weather conditions.

In terms of wet traction and braking, the Premier A/S excels. The tread design incorporates specialized sipes and biting edges that interlock with the road surface, providing exceptional grip and shorter stopping distances on wet pavement. Whether you’re driving through a sudden downpour or encountering standing water, these tires inspire confidence with their reliable wet-weather performance.

Michelin’s expertise in tire technology shines through in the Premier A/S’s ability to maintain traction and stability on slippery roads. The tire’s advanced compound and tread design work in tandem to deliver predictable handling characteristics, even when navigating tight corners or making sudden maneuvers on wet surfaces. This level of control can be especially reassuring for drivers who frequently encounter rainy or moist conditions.

Snow and Ice Traction

The Michelin Premier A/S is an all-season tire designed to provide year-round traction, including reasonable snow and ice capabilities. However, it’s essential to understand that the Premier A/S is not a dedicated winter tire, and its performance on snowy and icy surfaces will not match that of a true winter tire.

While the Premier A/S features a specialized tread compound and design elements to enhance traction in winter conditions, it lacks the more aggressive tread patterns and softer rubber compounds found in winter tires. As a result, the Premier A/S may struggle to provide optimal grip and braking performance on packed snow or icy roads.

In light snow or slush conditions, the Premier A/S should perform adequately, but as the snow accumulates or the roads become icier, its limitations will become more apparent. Drivers in regions with frequent heavy snowfall or extended periods of icy conditions may find that a dedicated winter tire is a safer and more capable choice.

It’s worth noting that all-season tires, including the Premier A/S, are designed as a compromise between different driving conditions. While they offer reasonable performance across various scenarios, they may not excel in any particular area compared to tires designed specifically for those conditions.

Ride Comfort and Noise

The Michelin Premier A/S delivers an exceptionally smooth and comfortable ride quality on a variety of road surfaces. Its advanced tread compound and internal construction work in harmony to absorb road imperfections, minimizing vibrations and harshness transmitted into the cabin. Even on rougher city streets or well-worn highways, the tire maintains a luxurious ride, akin to what you’d expect from a premium touring tire.

Noise levels are also well-controlled, with the Premier A/S exhibiting low decibel readings across most surfaces. The tire’s computer-optimized tread pattern and noise-canceling design elements help reduce the typical roar and drone associated with many all-season tires. At highway speeds, interior noise remains pleasantly hushed, allowing for easy conversation or music enjoyment. Overall, the Premier A/S provides a refined and quiet driving experience befitting its premium positioning.

Fuel Efficiency Ratings

The Michelin Premier A/S tires are designed with low rolling resistance technology to help improve fuel efficiency. Michelin claims these tires can provide a 2.9% improvement in highway fuel economy compared to their previous generation tires. This translates to real savings at the pump for owners.

Independent tests have confirmed the low rolling resistance of the Premier A/S tires. Tire Rack’s real-world road testing found an increase of 1-2 mpg on the highway for vehicles equipped with these tires. City driving saw a more modest 0.5-1 mpg improvement.

Owners have reported noticeable gains in fuel economy after upgrading to the Premier A/S tires, especially on highway drives. Many have seen 1-3 mpg better mileage on the highway depending on their driving style and vehicle. The low rolling resistance helps maximize the efficiency of the engine’s power output.

While the fuel efficiency gains are relatively modest, they can add up to substantial savings over the life of the tires, especially for high mileage drivers. The improved mileage is a welcome bonus to the tires’ already impressive dry, wet, and winter traction capabilities.

Pricing and Value

The Michelin Premier A/S tires come with a premium price tag, reflecting their position as a top-tier all-season touring tire. Expect to pay $150-$250 per tire at retail, depending on the size. While this is on the higher end of the spectrum, the Premier A/S justifies its cost through exceptional performance, longevity, and Michelin’s quality construction.

Compared to mainstream touring tires from brands like Goodyear or Firestone, the Premier A/S commands a 20-30% premium. However, the gap narrows when sized up against other premium touring options like the Bridgestone Ecopia or Continental PureContact LS. In this competitive set, the Premier A/S stands out for its category-leading treadwear warranties and real-world longevity reports from owners.

Where the Premier A/S truly shines is in its blend of all-season capabilities. It delivers confident dry and wet traction comparable to dedicated summer tires, while also providing respectable snow and ice grip for winter conditions. This versatility allows drivers in temperate climates to run just one tire year-round, eliminating the hassle and cost of seasonal tire changes.

From a value perspective, the Premier A/S makes a compelling case despite its up-front cost premium. With proper rotation and care, the 60,000-mile treadwear warranty is achievable. When factoring in the tire’s longevity, year-round usability, and refined performance across all conditions, the Michelin emerges as a smart long-term investment for drivers seeking a premium all-season touring tire.

Sizing Options and Fitments

The Michelin Premier A/S is available in an extensive range of sizes to fit most passenger cars, crossovers, and minivans. Sizing starts at 15-inch wheel diameters and goes up to 20 inches, with widths from 185mm to 275mm. This wide sizing availability ensures a proper fit for most modern vehicles.

When it comes to plus/minus sizing, the Premier A/S can often be upsized by 1-2 inches in diameter and downsized by 1 inch compared to the vehicle’s stock size recommendations. This provides some flexibility for those seeking a slightly more sporty look or improved performance characteristics.

In terms of OEM fitments, the Premier A/S comes as original equipment on many popular models from Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Its high-performance capabilities and all-season versatility make it a favored choice among automakers.

Warranty Coverage

The Michelin Premier A/S tire comes with an impressive warranty package that provides peace of mind for drivers. Michelin offers a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty on this tire, which is a testament to its durability and long-lasting tread life. This warranty ensures that if the tire wears out prematurely, Michelin will replace it with a new one, prorated based on the remaining tread depth.

In addition to the treadwear warranty, the Michelin Premier A/S also comes with a standard limited warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty is valid for the first 6 years of the tire’s life or until the tread depth reaches 2/32 inch, whichever comes first. If a tire fails due to manufacturing defects during this period, Michelin will replace it free of charge.

Furthermore, Michelin offers road hazard protection with the Premier A/S tire. This coverage ensures that if the tire sustains damage from road hazards like potholes, nails, or debris, Michelin will replace it with a new one for a predetermined fee. This added protection provides valuable peace of mind, especially for drivers who frequently travel on rougher or less well-maintained roads.

Overall, the warranty package offered by Michelin for the Premier A/S tire is comprehensive and demonstrates the company’s confidence in the quality and durability of this product. With excellent treadwear coverage, materials and workmanship protection, and road hazard coverage, drivers can enjoy a worry-free ownership experience with these tires.

Where to Buy

The Michelin Premier A/S tires are widely available at most major tire retailers across the United States and Canada. Some of the top places to purchase these tires include:

Tire Rack – One of the largest online tire retailers, Tire Rack offers a wide selection of Michelin Premier A/S tires in various sizes, along with helpful user reviews and ratings.

Discount Tire – With over 1,000 locations nationwide, Discount Tire is a popular option for buying the Premier A/S tires. They often have competitive pricing and provide free services like rotation and flat repair.

Costco – For Costco members, the wholesale retailer is a great source for Michelin tires at discounted prices. Many Costco locations have tire installation services as well.

Sam’s Club – Similar to Costco, Sam’s Club offers the Premier A/S tires to its members, along with installation packages at their tire centers.

Local Tire/Automotive Shops – Independent tire and auto repair shops in your area will likely carry the Michelin Premier A/S or can order the tires for you. These shops can also handle mounting and balancing the new tires.

No matter where you purchase from, most retailers and installers provide services like mounting, balancing, valve stems, disposal fees, and lifetime rotation/rebalancing for the tires. Be sure to inquire about installation packages and pricing when buying your new Michelin Premier A/S tires.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The Michelin Premier A/S is an excellent all-season tire that delivers impressive performance across a wide range of driving conditions. Its advanced tread compound and symmetric tread design provide excellent dry and wet traction, while the specialized sipes and grooves enhance snow and light ice traction. The tire’s comfortable ride quality and low noise levels make it a great choice for daily driving and long road trips.

However, it’s important to note that while the Premier A/S performs well in light wintry conditions, it may not be the best option for areas with frequent heavy snow or severe ice. In such cases, dedicated winter tires would be a better choice for maximum traction and safety.

Pros:

• Excellent dry and wet traction
• Impressive snow and light ice performance for an all-season tire
• Comfortable and quiet ride
• Long treadwear and good fuel efficiency

Cons:

• May struggle in heavy snow or severe ice conditions
• Higher price point compared to some competitors

The Michelin Premier A/S is an ideal choice for drivers seeking a high-performance all-season tire that can handle a variety of weather conditions while providing a comfortable and quiet ride. It’s particularly well-suited for drivers in areas with moderate winter weather, as well as those who value a tire’s handling and traction capabilities in dry and wet conditions. While it may not be the most budget-friendly option, the Premier A/S offers a compelling combination of performance, comfort, and longevity that justifies its premium pricing for many drivers.