Tires Hankook or Pirelli

They've offered just as much snow/ice traction as the Blizzaks that I had previously used but it's the wet and dry weather traction where the Pirellis really shine and that's really important to me since the roads are mainly dry in the winter unless you venture up to the mountains.

Neuspeed RSe52 18x8 with 225/40/18 Hankook R-S3 (my current track setup)

I believe those were what I had on a Mustang GT. I know they were Pirelli P Zeros but can't remember any more specifics. They were great tires. Had 30k miles on them when I traded in the car and they still had quite a bit of life left.

I have been running the P7AS Plus for over 20k and they are still smooth, quiet and excellent handling. Zero complaints with these tires.

I had P7s(17\") installed on my 2013 SEL 4 weeks ago and the difference with the crappy Hankooks is night and day...quieter,braking and handling are transformed.

I went by the specs and got 225/40/18. They fit well and have a much wider tread and overall look than the stock Pirelli P7s I replaced.

I went with the Pirelli. I'm in Seattle, and had a chance to push them in the recent rain. Great traction in the wet, reasonable traction in dry, low road noise and reasonable comfort at 39/37psi. Very pleased with the tires.

I had Kumho and Hankooks. The Kumho, while being the superior dry tire (grip, feel), was terrifying in the rain. The really good think about Hankooks is that they grip well, are predictable, and ride really, really well (had 'em on 245/35/19s and rode way better than my winter set (235/50/17s). But as OP and many others have said, the sidewalls are waaaay too soft. Yeah, you can pump up the pressure by a couple PSI, but by doing that you're reducing the longevity of the tire (wears out center way more quickly).

I have these tires and despise them. Noisiest new tire I've had in at least a decade.

That said, if you're not looking for a performance tire but a quiet, smooth, comfortable tire that holds air and hates to change direction the Cinturato P7s are for you. If you want to drive your GTI like it's a sporty car with some fun and enthusiasm, you'll find that the P7s spin, lose traction, squeal, hate to change direction chatter on braking and generally suck when driving with more vigor than an 80 year old, blind coot who doesn't want to spill his beer.