Yoko/Advan A048 vs. Bridgestone Potenza RE070

[Synthesis]

i've never had experience with either of these tires (been in a car with RE070s but that's it). i hear good things about both, and am considering one or the other for my next set of tires. can anybody give some insight as to the pros and cons of each?

thanks.

 

[nsxtasy]

Do you mean the RE070, which is only available in one size (for the Subaru WRX STi), and is thus not suitable for the NSX? Or the RE040, the stock tire for the '02-05 NSX?

Assuming you mean the RE040, these are two entirely different types of tires. The Bridgestone Potenza RE040 is an OEM performance summer tire, with great handling feel, and very good grip on dry pavement as well as in rain. The Yokohama A048R is an R compound track tire, with great grip when it warms up to track temperatures. In general, track tires aren't a great choice for street use, due to their rapid treadwear, so-so traction in rain, and need for warmup, although you can use them for driving to and from the track. They are a great choice on the track for experienced track drivers, although novices are generally better off with street tires in their first half dozen events.

If you are considering tires for daily driving, possibly including an occasional track event, then the RE040 is a good choice (as is the Goodyear F1 GS-D3). If you are an experienced track driver looking for tires for track use, then the A048 is a good choice.

 

[EvilSTi7]

The A048 is an r-compound tire, so it's going to have more grip than the re070's. What are you looking to use the tires for, track days or daily driving? If you're going to do daily driving go for the 70's.

The 70's come stock on the STi, so i have a lot of experience with them. They are fantastic dry weather tires, and are decent in the rain. I use them on the track and for a street tire, they do extremely well (not to mention i can get sets with only a couple thousand miles for $400 or less). The only trouble is currently in the U.S. the only size you can get is 225/45/17. I believe the S2000 CR will be coming with 255 size 70's, but i'm not sure.

If you do live in the states, and are looking for a street tire, the re01r is also a fantastic tire.

 

[BATMANs]

I've used the A048r on the street for years.

Love it.

Just be careful when they are past the wear bars. That's when you really need to warm them up first.

 

[WingZ]

The RE070 will soon be available to buy ( rear sizes only ) statewide once companys start stocking tires for the S2000CR. The RE01R also has sizes to fit the rear. If you need the fronts (215/40/17 ) on either of these contact Ramy and he can get them for you.

[email protected]

 

[nsxtasy]

If you're looking for very sticky street tires, there are choices that are easy to find, and sold in sizes available in the States which means they include the manufacturer's warranty honored at your local tire dealer, etc. The Falken Azenis RT-615 and Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R are IMHO the best of these. The RT-615 is available in 205/50-15 and 225/50-16 for 15"/16" wheels, 215/45-16 and 255/40-17 for 16"/17" wheels, 215/40-17 and 255/40-17 for 17"/17" wheels, and 215/40-17 and 265/35-18 for 17"/18" wheels. The RE-01R is available in 205/45-16 and 245/40-17 for 16"/17" wheels. The RT-615 is significantly less expensive than the RE-01R.

These are street tires optimized for dry traction; think of them as somewhere in between street tires and R compound track tires in terms of grip, wet traction, treadlife, etc. While they have downsides in some areas, those disadvantages are not as drastic as with true track tires. If you're looking for optimal grip on dry pavement on public roads, possibly with an occasional track or autocross event thrown in, they are a great choice.

 

[Synthesis]

wow, i wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly - thank you all for your input. :smile:

as for the RE070s, i was thinking about getting them through dali for the newer wheels (ofc, i have the 16/17s right now, so i would have to buy the new wheels too.... which i would like to do eventually anyway). i was in an STi with them on, and i was very impressed. As for the RE01R - i heard they are just as awesome, but the sidewalls are a little less stiff? so which do you think is better between the RE070 and the RE01R? (that's good to know the details about the warranty too, since we can't buy the stock size 70s here in the US; thanks.)

i don't track my car as of right now (would love to, but don't really have the $$ right now, heh). i guess for my use, and given the current situation the 01Rs would probably be the best route for me to go. i understand that the AO48s are a lot more track-oriented, but i thought they might be an option given that they are OE on the elise sport package.

again, thanks for the quick responses. :smile:

 

[Synthesis]

also, how is the tread wear on the A048s, specifically?

 

[sicarius82]

like most R compounds, the treadwear is 60. i've used this on my s13 (240sx) as well as the Nitto 555R. hands down these are better, but if you are on a budget, Nitto 555R is the better bang for your buck...imo

 

[lawdogg]

I faced this same decision recently and it came down to a Kuhmo MX vs. Potenza RE01R vs. Falken RT-615. I went with the RT-615s.

 

[WingZ]

wow, i wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly - thank you all for your input. :smile:

as for the RE070s, i was thinking about getting them through dali for the newer wheels (ofc, i have the 16/17s right now, so i would have to buy the new wheels too.... which i would like to do eventually anyway). i was in an STi with them on, and i was very impressed. As for the RE01R - i heard they are just as awesome, but the sidewalls are a little less stiff? so which do you think is better between the RE070 and the RE01R? (that's good to know the details about the warranty too, since we can't buy the stock size 70s here in the US; thanks.)

i don't track my car as of right now (would love to, but don't really have the $$ right now, heh). i guess for my use, and given the current situation the 01Rs would probably be the best route for me to go. i understand that the AO48s are a lot more track-oriented, but i thought they might be an option given that they are OE on the elise sport package.

again, thanks for the quick responses. :smile:

Well if your not tracking the car why would you really want something close to an R tire? I mean your not going to be using them to their full pontential and they'll were out a lot faster. Get a set of really good high performance street tires and you'll be happy. Plus your 16/17 combo offers plenty of great tires on the market. Nsxtasy is right about getting tires overseas ,but for some of us their really aren't too many options ( Sorry Ken I just can't put Falkens on my car LOL ) as the 215/40/17 market is really slim pickens especially for an R or near R tire. The Goodyear eagle F1 GSD3 is a really good street tire in the sizes you'll need and has great tread lifew as well as great rain performance. I've even been driving them on the track.

Good luck to you in your search and let us know what you decide.

 

[Synthesis]

i guess i should change this thread to RE01R vs. RE070....
can anybody comment on the difference between these two? other than being harder to get, i heard the 070s had superior sidewalls.

 

[Onsoku]

wow, i wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly - thank you all for your input. :smile:

as for the RE070s, i was thinking about getting them through dali for the newer wheels (ofc, i have the 16/17s right now, so i would have to buy the new wheels too.... which i would like to do eventually anyway). i was in an STi with them on, and i was very impressed. As for the RE01R - i heard they are just as awesome, but the sidewalls are a little less stiff? so which do you think is better between the RE070 and the RE01R? (that's good to know the details about the warranty too, since we can't buy the stock size 70s here in the US; thanks.)

i don't track my car as of right now (would love to, but don't really have the $$ right now, heh). i guess for my use, and given the current situation the 01Rs would probably be the best route for me to go. i understand that the AO48s are a lot more track-oriented, but i thought they might be an option given that they are OE on the elise sport package.

again, thanks for the quick responses. :smile:

You may want to get past the "Falken???" mindset. The RT-615 is the best bang for the buck non-R tyre you can buy if you are looking for excellent dry & very good wet traction and steering response.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/samples/august_100_115_tiretest.pdf

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/042007/st-tire-testing-bridgestone-vs-falken.php

 

[WingZ]

You may want to get past the "Falken???" mindset. The RT-615 is the best bang for the buck non-R tyre you can buy if you are looking for excellent dry & very good wet traction and steering response.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/samples/august_100_115_tiretest.pdf

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/042007/st-tire-testing-bridgestone-vs-falken.php

Well ,but in the info you provided they say the Bridgestone outperformed the Falken in both tests. Unless I missed something

Test Course Conclusions: The Bridgestone was quicker on the test course than the Falken by several tenths of a second.

i guess i should change this thread to RE01R vs. RE070....
can anybody comment on the difference between these two? other than being harder to get, i heard the 070s had superior sidewalls.

This question can only be anwsered by NSX owners outside the US or STi owners due to tire sizing availability.

 

[nsxtasy]

You may want to get past the "Falken???" mindset. The RT-615 is the best bang for the buck non-R tyre you can buy if you are looking for excellent dry & very good wet traction and steering response.

I agree with that statement except for the part about "very good wet traction". The RT-615 does not grip well on wet surfaces, not as well as most other tires. Which is no big surprise when you look at its tread pattern, with big tread blocks. The same thing is true of all tires optimized for dry traction (RE-01R, AD07, KD).

I recommend the RT-615 all the time for folks looking for the best dry traction, period (and who don't mind so-so wet traction and relatively short treadlife). If that's what you want, it's a great choice, especially since it is available in sizes for most NSX wheel fitments. The relatively low price is a bonus.

Well ,but in the info you provided they say the Bridgestone outperformed the Falken in both tests. Unless I missed something

I think you missed the fact that he said "best bang for the buck". The RE-01R costs 50-75 percent more than the RT-615. Best performance (on dry pavement)? RE-01R (but, for an NSX, only if you have 16"/17" wheels). Best bang for the buck? RT-615.

 

[WingZ]

I agree with that statement except for the part about "very good wet traction". The RT-615 does not grip well on wet surfaces, not as well as most other tires. Which is no big surprise when you look at its tread pattern, with big tread blocks. The same thing is true of all tires optimized for dry traction (RE-01R, AD07, KD).

I recommend the RT-615 all the time for folks looking for the best dry traction, period (and who don't mind so-so wet traction and relatively short treadlife). If that's what you want, it's a great choice, especially since it is available in sizes for most NSX wheel fitments. The relatively low price is a bonus.

I think you missed the fact that he said "best bang for the buck". The RE-01R costs 50-75 percent more than the RT-615. Best performance (on dry pavement)? RE-01R (but, for an NSX, only if you have 16"/17" wheels). Best bang for the buck? RT-615.

Kinda relative since they're Falkens:biggrin:

I'm a tire brand snob go ahead and flame me..LOL

 

[nsxtasy]

FWIW, Falken is a division of Sumitomo. And Sumitomo is in a global alliance with Goodyear; they cooperate as though they are one company.

 

[Onsoku]

Kinda relative since they're Falkens:biggrin:

I'm a tire brand snob go ahead and flame me..LOL

...in the end; it's your car...get what you want...FWIW, I've never saw/heard anyone turning thier nose up when I told them I was running the RT-615....my choice still stands...

...living in California; I would love to own a set of R888's though:biggrin:

 

[EvilSTi7]

...in the end; it's your car...get what you want...FWIW, I've never saw/heard anyone turning thier nose up when I told them I was running the RT-615....my choice still stands...

...living in California; I would love to own a set of R888's though:biggrin:

The R888's look like sex. I wonder what the reviews will be like compared to the nt01, a048, etc.

 

[stuntman]

The R888's look like sex. I wonder what the reviews will be like compared to the nt01, a048, etc.

RA-1, NT01, A048 have slight differences in feel/break-away/tread squirm/etc... but all have very similar performance levels. IMO, R888 is a small step above. Not huge, but a small step.

 

[nsxtasy]

Those tires are all R compound track tires (as are the Hoosier R6, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, Pirelli PZero Corsa, Kumho V700 Victoracer and Ecsta V710, Hankook Z211 and Z214, BFGoodrich g-Force T/A R1, etc). The differences among them are small; any of them is a good choice for track use (but not for street use, due to rapid treadwear, need for warmup, etc). Fortunately, we now have a lot of excellent track tires to choose from.

 

[WingZ]

...in the end; it's your car...get what you want...FWIW, I've never saw/heard anyone turning thier nose up when I told them I was running the RT-615....my choice still stands...

...living in California; I would love to own a set of R888's though:biggrin:

Yeah the Toyos are very nice. If the Falkens had outperformed the Bridgestones I would give them their props. My prejudice comes from guys who spend 4-5k on rims and then roll out on Falken hi performance or Falken all seasons. Just wrong! I've seen the RT-615s and they do well on the track. Notice I can write that because I didn't include the manufacturers name:biggrin: LOL

FWIW, Falken is a division of Sumitomo. And Sumitomo is in a global alliance with Goodyear; they cooperate as though they are one company.

Okay Ken you caught napping on the "best bang for the buck" thing ,but "cooperating" as though they are one is not the same as being one. That cooperation leaves a huge back door for them to have different ideas and agendas for performance.

 

[nsxtasy]

Okay Ken you caught napping on the "best bang for the buck" thing ,but "cooperating" as though they are one is not the same as being one. That cooperation leaves a huge back door for them to have different ideas and agendas for performance.

That's always true of different divisions and brand names within the same company - whether it's Honda vs Acura, or Bridgestone vs Firestone vs Fuzion, etc. It's still the same company for all intents and purposes.

As for Falken, every big tire company makes and sells a variety of tires - some with great performance, some with great pricing, some with great treadlife, etc. The Falken Azenis RT-615 is a great tire if you're looking for performance on dry pavement - and it would be just as good if it had some other company's name on it. The performance comes from the design engineering (features like compound, tread design, etc), not from the brand name.

 

[WingZ]

That's always true of different divisions and brand names within the same company - whether it's Honda vs Acura, or Bridgestone vs Firestone vs Fuzion, etc. It's still the same company for all intents and purposes.

As for Falken, every big tire company makes and sells a variety of tires - some with great performance, some with great pricing, some with great treadlife, etc. The Falken Azenis RT-615 is a great tire if you're looking for performance on dry pavement - and it would be just as good if it had some other company's name on it. The performance comes from the design engineering (features like compound, tread design, etc), not from the brand name.

So now your hinting/implying at Falken and Goodyear have the same relationship as Honda and Acura. I'm pretty skeptical on that and would like some proof. Should be easy to come by though as it's very easy to prove the Honda/Acura relationship. Unless this is just a moral of the story type deals

Oh synthesis here's a link that might be helpful
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=535135

 

[Synthesis]

haha, now i'm waiting for them to answer based on BMI :smile:
thanks for the link....