They are great!
In the past I went with Continental ExtremeContact DW tires on my old STI. More recently, with the S4, I went with Pilot Super Sports. My only complaint with the PSSs is that they simply don't seem to last as long as the ExtremeContact's.
This time around I decided to go with the ExtremeContact Sports because in my experience the ExtremeContact series produces less road noise than the equivalent Pilot tires. Also, the reviews for this tire compared to the PS4S seem to indicate that the ExtremeContacts have better traction in wet conditions. The lower price was also nice.
As far as traction goes, I'm very pleased. I no longer have to worry about the car CONSTANTLY losing traction in 2nd. I can now get on it in 2nd/3rd without worrying about the back end getting squirmy.
And for looks, the 285/35 rear and 265/35 front sit perfect square with my OEM wheels, which is what I prefer. I hear the PS4S sit notably wider, preventing the use of a 10mm spacer in the rear. I've got a 10mm spacer installed and there is no rubbing and I've gone over some considerable bumps.
With all that said, the PS4S is still considered the all-around superior performance tire. But, for a daily driver, you're not going to go wrong with either one.
Good news!
This last shop just gave me a quote of $700 for install and alignment. This is still a bit high, especially for just 2 springs, but it is MUCH more in line with what an install + alignment should be. So, I decided to go ahead and get the install/alignment on the books for next Thursday!
As a result, I also finalized my order on Eibach Euro v1 springs. After doing lots of researching, it appears the v1's have a more subtle drop of 0.8" after settling, confirmed by other members on here. The v2's apparently have a tendency to be closer to a full 1"+ drop, once settled, which make the front perfectly flush with the front tires but also lead to more scraping.
So, by next weekend I'll have some updated pics with the front lowered. Winter is gonna be brutal.
