New Tire - Update

[hand14me]

Hey guys - please read the title of this thread before you start to tell me to search and all that. The last real tire suggestion thread was on 4-5-04 and now being 5-16-04 - i just wanted to see if people's opinions have changed.

I going to be replacing my stock MSP tires this week sometime. Budget is not really an issue as much, however i do want to stay away from bridgestone/firestone. I am looking for a summer tire and traction is my main focal point. I am open to everyone's suggestions and would also not like to completly break my pocket book this.

Thanks

[melicha8]

Ummm it sounds like Falken Azenis tires are right up your alley

[brianmcd]

Unless you go to 16s Azenis won't fit without rubbing. I run a set for autocross (215-45-16) and they're awesome, but scapamouche tried to run 225s on 17" wheels and it rubbed pretty badly I think. Even though you said you wanted to stay away from bridgestone, the potenza s-03 pole positions are supposed to be amazing. The Kumho MX's are good tires but not as good as the s-03s. DiscreetSpeed just got the Toyo T1s, and I'm wondering how they are. Another thing about the azenis is they won't last very long at all (10-12k miles). I think for my next set of tires I'll be going with the s-03s, but I'm waiting to hear about the toyos. The mx's are a great price though, but if that's not a consideration I'm pretty sure the s-03s are better.

~brian

['Sploder]

about the tread wear on the S-03. Is 220 a lot better than the 140 of the stock RE040's? better being longer lasting.

[Leigh]

Kuhmo MXs have awesome grip. But they track a whole lot on the street. Kind of annoying - if you're not going to be using them for AutoX or something similar I'm not sure I'd recomend them. They'll also only probably last 10-12k average.

For sizing ref however; I think their diameter(25.8") is about the maximum you're going to cram on the stock wheels without significant rubbing.

[1338]

so far i had to buy new tires every 10k miles and i have 25k on the car and i need new tires for cost and performance and if yo uhave a kauffman tire around get mastercraft ZHP they grip good and are only $100 a tire. thats what i have now and are great but its time to get new tires now and i want to try some thing diffrent

[brianmcd]

I'm thinking of the pilot ps2s, but i dunno how long the tread life is. They're supposed to own the s-03s in the rain.

~brian

[tracknfield423]

whats a good long tread life tire with good grip and handling. i also need something thats half-way decent in some light snow

[Leigh]

summer performance tire + snow = bad idea.

You're going to have to comprimise somewhere (grip, treadlife, all-season capabilities). You might look at Ultra or High Perf All-seasons instead.

By good grip I assume you mean for spiried daily driving and not any kind of racing. If that's the case I hear good things about the Pirelli Nero M&S. Never used them but was looking at getting them when I move to r-comps someday.

Expecting much more than about 18-25k from any higher perf tire is probably asking too much however; what kind of tread life do you consider "good"?

[BlueWolfCry]

Toyo st-1's

[SuperSpud]

I have some khumo ecsta supras. they suck lol.. seriously, dont get them. they are good for going straight, but the sidewalls are VERY soft. not good for cornering.

[N1XRR]

about the tread wear on the S-03. Is 220 a lot better than the 140 of the stock RE040's? better being longer lasting.
They'll last longer and have a better design, so they grip better. They're overall just better tires than the RE040's.

Personally, if you can get your hands on Dunlop SP8000's I would HIGHLY recommend them. Also, BF Goodrich KDW's, AWSOME tires.

[bazooka joe]

whats a good long tread life tire with good grip and handling. i also need something thats half-way decent in some light snow
all season or two sets of tires...summer/winter

[CONEH8R]

Bridgestone S-03 or the Goodyear F1's. I run the F1's as well as my brother with his MP3 and our friend with his Mini Cooper S. The F1's have AMAZING wet traction and very good dry traction. The sidewall on Potenza's is stiffer, but it's a subtle difference. Next time around I'll get S-03's to try them. If you want a good performing tire run a MAX performance tires, UHP is good too, but if you're going all out, Max is the way to go. Just run a set of 15"s with snow tires for the winter, those make a huge difference too. I've used alot of high performance tires. The F1's or the S-03's are a great purchase, you can't go wrong. The F1's are cheaper by a bit.

[blynzoo]

F1's suck wet, I'm sorry.

I'm on my third set of Yokohama AVS ES100's, 205/50/16. I have never had a better-gripping street tire wet or dry than these. No good for winter, but these f***ers just kill in the summertime. I have two family members who have also switched on their sports cars since driving mine. One swore by F1's.

Really, I cannot provide a strong enough recommendation for these. The downside is that it is a really soft, grippy rubber that, as a result, has a shorter tread life. I get 18-22K out of them before I feel the need to change. But I'm a professional driver (chauffer/courier), and I drive these things HARD.

[JMS'sMSP]

I really liked the Dunlop Sport9000's that were on my old MP3. But for this car I am not sure if I want to switch from the Stock Bridgestone Potenzas. I am at 23k miles now and still have about 1/4 more tread to go till it is replace time. Plus the grip isnt all that bad. I do think that the grip was better on the 9000's but the treadlife on the Potenzas is better. (Dont really know traded in my MP3 with 13k miles)

[BlazinMSP]

I got a set of t1-s's on my car about 3 months ago and still going strong, I got the stock size 215-45-17 with no issues at all with rubbing, they stick to the ground like no other but tend to squeel alot, if you dont care about that and want an affordable high performance summer tire, the t1-s are the way to go. Got em for 129 a tire

[CONEH8R]

F1's suck wet, I'm sorry.

I'm on my third set of Yokohama AVS ES100's, 205/50/16. I have never had a better-gripping street tire wet or dry than these. No good for winter, but these f***ers just kill in the summertime. I have two family members who have also switched on their sports cars since driving mine. One swore by F1's.

Really, I cannot provide a strong enough recommendation for these. The downside is that it is a really soft, grippy rubber that, as a result, has a shorter tread life. I get 18-22K out of them before I feel the need to change. But I'm a professional driver (chauffer/courier), and I drive these things HARD.

F1 GS-D3's is what i'm referring to. Not the standard F1's. I've used the ES100s, IMO they were complete crap compared to the F1 GS-D3's.

Take a look at Max Performance survey results on Tirerack.com You'll see the F1 GS-D3 right on the top with high 8's/9's accross the board, and the ES100's much much farther down the chart on UHP.

[jrodhotrod]

Toyo T1-S are awesome. I love mine.