Cayman Tires: Summer, Winter, or All Season

[David Newton]

I went through two sets of Michelin PS2 tires within 35k miles, which led me to the decision I made to purchase a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS from Tire Rack. I also didn't want to get into the swapping of summer and winter tires.

Immediately after mounting, balance and alignment by the good folks at Possum Hollow, I noticed tire noise that increased with speed. No big deal; normal for all season designs, right?

But now with less than 20k on them (and maybe 40% of total tread left), they are droning so loudly that I don't know if I can limp through the winter on them.

I might have to reverse my decision about using all-season tires. I was fine with the Michelins, but I drive in all conditions and they were not that great in the rain and horrible of course in the snow. Unless I can be convinced otherwise, I think I'm back to the Michelins.

Does anyone have any advice, recommendations or other comments about the best balance of the seasons in a Cayman/Boxster? Do you like what you have now? Are you contemplating a purchase?

We're heading into the worst of the weather, but as soon as March roles around, I want to be prepared to pull the trigger and ditch these awful tires before I go deaf! Thanks...

[David Newton]

Turns out the Conti's were horribly chunked in the front due to bad alignment. Could have saved the rears, but they only had a season's life left in them, so I swapped out a new set of four DWS's in the hopes they would give me a season or too before I consider summers again. As either a consequence or completely unrelated, the drone itself was in fact a bad left front bearing. Picked up the car two days before Christmas and received a nice present... I can hear that gorgeous Fabspeed exhaust again. And NOTHING else!