I'd always go with Michelin tbh, as they typically offer the best grip and wear rates. Not entirely sure if Pilot Sports can be had in GTi size, but I have a set of Pilot Exaltos on the front and they have been superb. Very little wear after 10,000 miles at least (my old car would be most of the way through a set of Pirelli P-700 Z's by now), dry grip is excellent and wet grip is out of this world, certainly several notches above the Contis that came with the car. Plus, putting them on the front can help liven up the rear end a tad, especially in the wet. If oversteer isn't your thing, for chrissakes put them on the back.
Which brings me to another point. New tyres should always be put on the front axle. My father was at a very interesting demo of this point, where the tyre company he works for (it's not the same one as the brand I always recommend, honest
) put two new tyres on two separate Golf GTi's (mk3's aswell, which makes it all the more pertinent in this case). On one, the new tyres were put on the front, the back on the other. The cars were then driven round a circular track, and the max speed the cars obtained before spinning out was measured. With new on the back the Golf circulated at around 40-45mph, washing wide occasionally, but not doing anything too hairy. They then took out the car with news on the front and partly worn on the back. The test driver managed 25mph before the car span out of control.
Now when I came to get 2 new tyres, due to logistics they had to go on the front (Kwik-fit's driveway fitment service, along with two different brands on the rear axle - switching these to the front could have produced all kinds of torque-steer shenanigans -enough to make a Focus RS owner weep). I noticed a change in the balance of the car immediately. The nose was much keener to dive into corners, however as I said the back end got a bit livlier - i remember having a huge moment going into a puddled 50mph right hander, where the fronts, true to what they said on the tin, cut straight through the surface water, whilst the backs aquaplaned like their lives depended on it. Martin Brundle would take great pleasure in declaring it a tank slapper. And now, whenever the car slides it's the back end to go first (unless stamping on the throttle is involved - amazing, a slow car that can push its nose out under power. Whatever next....
)
Dunno how much help that is, as I've effectively told you to put them on both axles, but certainly bear it in mind. If opposite lock scares you, put them on the back, if yhou want to spice up your spirited drives, especially in the wet, stick em on the front.
