Best tires for Wear/Noise/Value?

freespace303

freespace303

Contributing Member
Joined
29 July 2013
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107
Location
Manassas VA
I'm growing tired of my noisy Khumo Ecsta XS's.

I look up my tire sizes on tirerack (205/45-16 and 245/40-17) and I'm seeing tires ranging in prices $74-$167 each. I have no interest in tracking my car, so ultra high performance isn't that big of a concern for me. I'm looking for excellent wear, value, and low road noise, as 99% of the time I'm just cruising around at normal speeds. This car will never see snow, but will see the occasional rain shower when caught in it. What tire should I choose?


Here are some I see on tirerack... (prices - front/rear)


Sumitomo HTR Z II - $74/85
Dunlop Direzza DZ101 - $82/110
General G-MAX AS-03 $89/111
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500 - $77/127
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 - $92/118
Yokohama S.drive - $104/121
BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S - $105/137
Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport - $102/152
Continental ExtremeContact DWS - $119/148
Toyo Proxes R1R - $146/167


Search results link...


Thanks everyone.
 
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Federal 595 - wow, cheap! How many miles can I expect to get out of these tires, granted I have a decent alignment. Are they loud at all? Do you have any experience with the tires I currently have, to compare? Thanks!

Update - ah, looks like they perform good in dry, ok in wet, but not the quietest around, get what you pay for, according to this thread... *shrugs*

I'm willing to pay more for quieter tires to be honest. It's worth it to me in the end.
 
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I can safely mark the Firestone off your list. My brother had a set on his WRX and they went to hell in a handbasket REALLY fast. Cupped, Roared, and feathered without any "real" use.

I ran a set of OEM 15/16 size Sumitomo HTR-Zs (not IIs though). I still use them for winter driving when my aggressive Dunlop Z1 / NT05 street/track tires might suffer. They have a softer sidewall, so ride really nicely, but still have decent grip. I did run a track day on them and a few autocrosses during the first year I owned my car and they put up with even that use just fine.

The Toyo R1R will have by far the most grip / be the most fun of anything listed, but will also wear the quickest. I would call it the "best" of those listed, but honestly probably not so much for how you describe your usage.
 
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I've always been a Michelin fan since buying my 1989 Accord LXi coupe with MX3s. Since Michelin bought BFGoodrich, I'm a BFGoodrich fan. I'm currently using the Comp-2 tires on my '91 NSX with '94 wheels. The front tires (205/45) are not load-rated according to OEM specs (they're Load indexed at 83: 1074#/NSX spec'ed for 86:1168#) so I had to take the wheels off in order for Discount tire to mount. I'm real happy with the ride quality and wear during daily driving. Not going to track. I'm planning on mounting Super Sport A/S on the original wheels for winter time use.
 
Dr. JL said:
I'm planning on mounting Super Sport A/S on the original wheels for winter time use.
Click to expand...

If you're using a separate set of winter tires, why use all-seasons? Why not real winter tires, which should perform better in the cold even if you aren't out in the slush/snow. At least that's my understanding; happy to hear if I'm wrong. I just ordered a set of Hankook I*Cept Evo W310 for the winter, as its starting to get below the point where my summer tires are happiest.

Maybe it's because it's hard/impossible to find winter performance tires for the 15/16 wheels? I don't see much with a quick search. Although you could get the same Hankooks I ended up with if you use 195/55R15 and 225/50R16. That's a 6% R-F difference, versus 7.75% for the OEM size, so the traction control would be happy still. I don't know about rubbing but your radial clearance only goes down 0.2" in front, so I doubt it's a problem.
 
FYI: Unless you are literally on snow or ice, a performance summer tire will be superior to an all-season or winter tire in any condition/temperature due to the rubber compound.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/tire-test-all-season-vs-snow-vs-summer.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/products/know-your-tires-all-season-vs-summer-9647443

In short: The all-season is the "meh" of the tire world. They're going to be mediocre everywhere, so if you're already going to run two sets. Get one set of pure winter tires, and if it's not white/icy outside, just leave the summer tires on.
 
I am using the Yokohama s.Drives currently. They are a good value and are quieter than the Kumhos and Falkens I have had previously. However I picked these up mostly for their performance. I'm not sure about tire life; I'll let you know in about six months or so.

OP, will you be driving around throughout the winter? I am pretty close to you and I daily-drive through the entire year.
 
Wow, that's a real hodgepodge of tires - all-seasons, extreme performance, ultra high performance, etc.

First of all, I would avoid all of the all-season tires that have been mentioned. All-season tires are designed as a compromise, emphasizing the ability to handle all temperatures and occasional light snow (and they wear well too); in exchange for that ability, they are just not very good at gripping in any particular weather conditions. They don't grip as well in moderate to warm temperatures as summer tires, and they don't grip as well in frigid temperature in winter temperatures. Stick to summer tires, and eliminate the all-season choices. (The same applies to Dr. JL. No reason to use anything but summer tires in Texas.)

The extreme performance summer tires offer terrific performance, but their downsides are in wear, noise, and value - the qualities you don't like in the Kumho XS, which is one of these tires. So based on your preferences, I would eliminate the other extreme performance tires. This includes the Federal 595; I haven't driven on that particular tire, but the tread pattern with its big tread blocks makes me believe it belongs in the extreme performance category, which is not what you're looking for.

The remaining tires are in the ultra high performance summer tire category. Of these, the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport is the best all-around tire. The Yokohama S.drive is also very good. So there's your answer. RE760 top pick.
 
R13 said:
FYI: Unless you are literally on snow or ice, a performance summer tire will be superior to an all-season or winter tire in any condition/temperature due to the rubber compound
Click to expand...

I consistently read statements to the contrary, and my personal experience is that summer tires lose a lot of grip below about 40 F.

I don't read your links to address cold-weather performance of summer tires. To the extent they do, I would say they support my understanding. In the PM article regarding summer tires: "That compound starts to harden at subfreezing temperatures." Edmunds only tested on snow or warm and wet, not on dry, cold surfaces.

I did not appreciate, however, that Dr. JL is in Texas, where I agree that summer tires are best at all times.

It will be interesting to me to switch to winter performance tires, which clearly are not as good as summer tires above freezing temperatures. I will certainly report back regarding how they feel in the cold. Right now with our mornings close to freezing, I notice a big difference in my summer tires.

-Jason
 
jwmelvin said:
I consistently read statements to the contrary, and my personal experience is that summer tires lose a lot of grip below about 40 F.

I don't read your links to address cold-weather performance of summer tires. To the extent they do, I would say they support my understanding. In the PM article regarding summer tires: "That compound starts to harden at subfreezing temperatures." Edmunds only tested on snow or warm and wet, not on dry, cold surfaces.

I did not appreciate, however, that Dr. JL is in Texas, where I agree that summer tires are best at all times.

It will be interesting to me to switch to winter performance tires, which clearly are not as good as summer tires above freezing temperatures. I will certainly report back regarding how they feel in the cold. Right now with our mornings close to freezing, I notice a big difference in my summer tires.

-Jason
Click to expand...

Right. I'm in East Tennessee, where we do get into the 20s and 'teens during the thick of winter, but only get ~10-15 total days of any kind of snow/ice. So, while I can't speak to summer tire performance in REALLY cold conditions, I have run autocrosses in sub-freezing dry conditions.

Barring Minnesota in January, I'll stand by my statement that for *most* intents and purposes a good summer tire will outperform an equivalent quality all-season in any conditions short of ice/snow.

Yes, the compound will lost something in sub-zero temps, but it will still be more effective than an all-season which is compromised by-design.
 
R13 said:
Barring Minnesota in January, I'll stand by my statement that for *most* intents and purposes a good summer tire will outperform an equivalent quality all-season in any conditions short of ice/snow.
Click to expand...
I too disagree with this. The purpose of winter tires is not just for ice and snow, but they also grip MUCH better than summer tires on dry pavement in below-freezing temperatures. So do all-seasons, to a lesser extent, but all-seasons are such a compromise in above-freezing temperatures that I would not use them on an NSX. Summer tires just don't grip well when you get below freezing. (An autocross may be an exception because you get heat into them on an autocross course, but not in normal street driving.)

All-seasons are fine for an everyday family car or SUV, which you probably didn't buy primarily for its performance. On an NSX, stick to summer tires. And if you drive your NSX regularly in frigid temperatures (beyond just a "take it out briefly to warm up the engine" type drive), get a set of winter tires. They WILL grip better than summer tires in those cold temperatures, even on dry pavement.

The fact that summer tires don't grip well in cold temperatures (even on dry pavement) is why the Tire Rack says, on almost every overview of a summer tire on their website, "like all summer tires, the (tire name) is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice." This is also why over the past twenty years the industry has eschewed the term "snow tires" in favor of "winter tires".
 
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R13 said:
Barring Minnesota in January, I'll stand by my statement that for *most* intents and purposes a good summer tire will outperform an equivalent quality all-season in any conditions short of ice/snow.
Click to expand...

nsxtasy said:
(An autocross may be an exception because you get heat into them on an autocross course, but not in normal street driving.).
Click to expand...

;)

If you're actually *driving* the car, you'll have heat in tire carcas to generate all-season-beating grip. If you're driving like a granny in 15 degree weather, you won't notice any fractional difference because barring something like a borderline competition tire (some P-Zero, Pilot Sport Cups, etc), the summer compounds I've had experience with don't become dangerous in the coldest temperatures I've experienced....and still felt better than all-seasons because they communicate better (e.g. I can feel a slip coming).

Having said, that, mother nature decided I should have to drive 20 miles through a blizzard, in 6" of snow to get from CMP (yeah, SOUTH Carolina) to my hotel....in an MR2 Turbo on Toyo R888s. Nerve wracking: sure Ice Skating: shockingly not.
 
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Full winter tires will also stop 25% faster then all seasons given the same cold temps and/or snow. There are two types of tires up here - summer or winter, on any car. Since you usually have them mounted on wheels you get double the life on each set since they are switched each season. It takes a lot of heat to the tires to max. performance. When we raced in the colder temps and got off the track the tires were still cold on the outside and no where near performance temps on the inside, even when we put the warmers on the track temps were so cold it drew the heat from the tire faster then it could heat up. To heat the inner you need consistent temps which you never get in the City where you stop and go. Best to put on full soft winters then have to white knuckle it and risk an accident
 
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. My NSX will stay garaged if the weather is anything below 50f, since I have another car to drive. Funny thing is, my DD is a Honda S2000. Before the NSX, it has been my only car for 6 years. I've always had Kumho Ecsta ASX all season tires on it. I've never had an issue with traction, or noise, or wear. I just wish they made the same tire in NSX sizes, but unfortunately they've been discontinued (tirerack).

And about all seasons, specifically the ones I use on my s2000, they grip good enough for me, even with spirited driving through Luray mountains on a particularly warm day. They are some of the curviest roads I've seen in VA. They've never let me down when there is snow on the ground either. The S's limited slip diff helps with that of course.

But it looks like from all of your suggestions above, for my NSX, the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport or Yokohama S.drive are my best choices.

So... RE760s or S.drives?
 
With all you folks probably having own garages and everything.. I can never understand why not to get a set of winter tires. Winter tire compound is all about staying soft and grippy when temp drops. All seasons carry too many compromises. While using summer tires is simply insane.
 
solidol said:
With all you folks probably having own garages and everything.. I can never understand why not to get a set of winter tires. Winter tire compound is all about staying soft and grippy when temp drops. All seasons carry too many compromises. While using summer tires is simply insane.
Click to expand...

My NSX is garaged, and the all seasons I have on my S2000 has never let me down. 5 winters so far and no problems. I live in VA, where the temperature during winter varies wildly. Winter tires are only good for freezing temperatures, but around here, half the time it's above freezing. If I lived further north, and had to deal with more serious winters, I would definitely have a spare set of AP1 rims and Blizzaks.
 
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I am going with the advice in this thread and would still recommend summer tires. I too am in northern Virginia and think all-seasons drive like crap in basically all weather (and I am driving every day from Alexandria to Chantilly ~ 29 miles each way). I only discovered this however after switching to summer tires.
 
I ran the RE760 and what I noticed was that (like all of the Bridgestones I've used in the past) as the tire wears down it gets stickier.

I've use Yoko AD007, A032R, Nexus and a few others I can't recall the exact model and they are just the opposite as they wear down. The rubber gets hard and my cars are all over the place.


This is for both wet or dry.
 
BATMANs said:
I ran the RE760 and what I noticed was that (like all of the Bridgestones I've used in the past) as the tire wears down it gets stickier.

I've use Yoko AD007, A032R, Nexus and a few others I can't recall the exact model and they are just the opposite as they wear down. The rubber gets hard and my cars are all over the place.


This is for both wet or dry.
Click to expand...

RE760s - Can you comment on the noise? Quiet? Loud?
 
I have the S drives on my 91 and was very happy. I also just ran 6 laps around the Nurburgring in a Toyota GT86 and it had Federal SS-R's and I thought they performed very well. I was impressed. I was looking for those before my S Drives but I could not find any dealer local or a far that had them in stock.
 

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