jginnane

1. I just put Conti DWSes on my Z (base/touring; 18") at 19K miles. I like them. Sticky enough for the street. Haven't yet been out in heavy rain to test them, though.

2. You're right at the edge of the seasonal weather band where A/S tires are a good idea, unless you only want to drive 8 months/yr. The tire construction *might* give extra protection with NY potholes (but personally I wouldn't drive my car in the City). You'll be happy you got A/S tires for fall foliage trips upstate and to New England (and later). But don't expect these to make your Z a snowmobile.

3. Tires on sport-option cars have been lasting anywhere from 8K-12K. The summer-compound OEM Advans on my car lasted quite a bit longer, almost 2X as long, but this spring I was getting some hydroplaning issues with the rears. As long as I rotate these new DWSes left-to-right every 5-6K, I expect them to last 4-5 years.

4. The other issue you'll confront, parking in NYC, is curbing vs. your rims. There's no protection for low-profile tires like these..

5. Make sure your radar detector is working from day 1!

6. Check stock at tirerack.com. They'd run out of my front A/S size, and expected >30 days to restock, so I had to buy that pair from Discount Tire (with price-matching).

7. "Road hazard warranty" -- always sounds like a good deal, and the price is usually attractive. But consider: you don't want to mismatch wear, so if one tire goes at >15K miles, you'll most likely buy a pair. It might be better to just plan ahead for a possible replacement strategy, than pay money up front.

8. Tirerack lists your OEM Potenzas at $1250 for the full set (plus install), but you won't get that. Make your decision based on how much of a haircut you'll have to take. You might still be able to re-open price negotiations with your salesman before taking delivery, and that would be by far the best way.

Good luck!