Beyond the obvious increased traction under acceleration, braking, and cornering, here are my initial impressions of the Michelin PSS after 60 miles:
1. Body roll is substantially reduced.
2. Turn-in more responsive.
3. Less steering angle required. About half the slip angle.
4. Stiffer ride over bumps. Not harsh, just much more road feel through the chassis. Steering feel regrettably is still numb.
5. Front and rear of the car now roll together on corner exit, feeling more connected.
Yes the ride is slightly stiffer, but it's not a harsh ride by any means. Bumps on the road are now very much part of driving experience. Road noise however isn't any louder.
These tires completely transformed the personality of the car. It now drives like a "sports car", instead of a "sporty hatch". I find it somewhat surprising that tires can have this large of an effect on the car
Nearly all of the handling gripes I had on the car were eliminated by these tires. I am now less keen to lower the car and add stiffer anti-roll bars. I will eventually try stiffening the rear sway bar to make the car more pointy and the rearend more active, but I may choose a tune first prior to any chassis upgrades. With the increased traction, the additional torque and power provided by a tune now seem more usable.
I wonder why VW chose to dull the driving experience with these Pirelli A/S tires?