>> It'll probably need it's 3rd set of rear tyres around the same time (Michelin Pilot Sports),
>> though roughly 8k miles have probably been done on winter tyres.
I run the same tyre all year round, and replaced the OE fit Pilot SuperSports with the new Pilot Sport 4 when they needed changing (fronts at 24k due to shoulder wear, rears at 28k - again, lots of motorway use). I found the Super Sport to be a fantastic tyre in the wet and dry in most conditions, but seemed to completely go off when the temperatures dropped much below 10°C. In very cold weather, they were borderline dangerous IMHO, even in dry conditions with irritating wheelspin / TC intervention even under relatively modest acceleration.
The new 4 is much better in the cold, with little perceptible trade off in summer conditions. They also seem to last longer, particularly at the front, with the fronts just showing some light scuffing on the shoulders after 13k. The nearside Super Sport was almost bald on the outer shoulder at 20k. This is a feature of the car due to the geometry, but the softer shoulder compound on the Super Sport really suffered with it.
>> But the engine does sound good
>> when revved,the acceleration is fun and the exhaust sounds much nicer now it’s worn in
>> than it did when new...! It’s a very good 8/10ths sort of car I think...ragged
>> when pushed, but possibly the best value 38 months motoring I’ve had :)
I agree, these so-called 'M-Lites' are brilliant cars. M-car performance and noise with very reasonable running costs for the performance. On a motorway run, I regularly see 40 mpg (average is nearer 28), and in 37k, total maintenance costs come to a service at £300, four tyres at £450.
Reliability has been first class. Aside from a couple of iDrive wobbles (a couple of unprompted reboots, not a single thing has gone wrong with it. It hasn't needed a drop of oil between services, although it does seem to like a coolant top-up every 15k or so. This is a "feature" of the B58 engine by all accounts.
I very much agree with the 8/10 thing, and it's mostly down to the dampers, I feel. The car gets very unsettled even in a straight line when pressing on, and you get a horrible vertical jiggling motion. With good quality suspension, and perhaps to a lesser extent for road use, a limited slip diff, I honestly think you'd have a near faultless driver's car.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 14 Aug 19 at 10:03
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