Why Low Profile Tires

My 06 B came with Bridgestone Potenza's .They were summer performance tires that did nothing except rear end a woman's VW,when mine did not even make an attempt to stop on the rain soaked GW Bridge.

 

I have no clue why they would sell a car in the north east with summer performance tires when we certainly deal with all 4 seasons.

 

My car was only about three months old and had just assumed these tires excelled on dry pavement,,,,,,but to be absolutely worthless in rain,,,,never entered my mind.My speed was only about 30 MPH,I gave ample room to stop....however when I attempted to stop,,,all that happenened was I hydroplanned into her.The Stones did squat.The only positive was that the airbags did not deploy,no injuries.

 

I've always detested low profile tires,,and after the accident and repairs( hood,bumpers,lights radiator) I wondered if any standard tires would fit my 10 spoke 18" wheels.No was the answer.

 

What's the reason for the low profile tires,,they are uncomfortable,noisy,and transmit every nuance in the road with interest on to you.

 

Why sell a car,,with such a limited performance tire,,,only suitable in Arizona ,,maybe to a north east dealership,,,,,without even a warning about how incapable summer performance tires are in the real world.

Welcome to the forum, best to put on your flame suit now.

 

You own a 'performance sedan', and a hopped up verson of the model to boot. Yes, it's a Subaru, which are favored by the granola and rainbow crowd for their all season reliability, but that crowd didn't buy the Spec B.

 

The Spec B crowd wanted serious performance, and summer tires help wring out all that performance.

 

Best to keep the summer rubber for 2.5 seasons, and buy a set of dedicated winter rubber for the other 1.5 seasons.

 

This is what the Subaru engineers and marketing team figured the Spec B customer would do. Same with the STi crowd.

 

Can you imagine how much worse the performance specs of the STi would be if the magazines tested it with average all-seasons on it? Goodbye slalom speed, G-force score, 1/4 mile time and braking distance.

 

If you wanted big cushy sidewall tires like on a Buick or Camry, you likely bought the wrong car. Low profile tires also help immensely with overall performance but I figure you know that.

one time this person sued McDonald's because he spilled coffee on himself and it was "too hot." You related?

 

It was a woman and that lawsuit really wasn't that frivolous.

 

EDIT: To answer your question OP you really should have looked into what kind of tires you're driving on... I'm sure plenty of people in the northeast use summer performance tires and switch tires/adjust their driving depending on conditions.

I dont think they are THAT terrible in the rain.... I suppose its because we are in a season called winter.... and you are driving on summer tires.....

 

Summer tires in the winter + rain = fail.

2 things i dont get from the post

you bought the car new in 06 and you are now posting about this in 2013

or

you bought the car recently with 6 year old tires that are worn and complaining about hydroplaning...

 

so you can sue the seller for selling a car with summer tires without desecration that you live in a winter climate making the car very unsafe:rolleyes:

 

I got about 1 year on my cheap summer tires before they were down to the wear bars

Low profile tires also help immensely with overall performance but I figure you know that.

You know what they say about "assuming"... reading between the lines my guess is OP does not know that based on what was stated in his post.

 

OP - clearly you did not "give ample room to stop" given the conditions and the current state of your vehicle's installed equipment. I have an 06 spec.B and can drive on low profile summer performance tires in the warm months (and squeeze out my suspensions greatness using high performance rubber), and I can get around in snow, ice, and rain with my dedicated low profile winter tires.

obviously it went over your head, Nebraska

 

I know what you're trying to say, that was just a bad reference to make. BTW if you want to call me dumb, make fun of my Texas heritage instead

he's blaming tires for an accident just like that woman blamed McDonald's coffee for her getting burnt.

 

see now, partner?

 

I know what you're trying to say, that was just a bad reference to make.

low profile? im guessing your tread was also low...

looks like we've got a Stella award nominee right here.

+1 to low tread depth I'm betting, especially if they are the original tires from an 06 spec.b. 6 year old tire compound in the cold = no good will come of this.

 

sry to hear about your accident.

I am relaying an incident 3 months after I bought the car..from Town Motors in N.J.This car was in the showroom,it's list was around $34K.They said it can be had for mid 27K plus.I traded in my Forrester,and 10 K in cash....May the gods strike me dead if I speak with tonque ,,forked.

 

 

Such vitriol.....

 

Now some say it's a performance car...recently it was categorized as an overblown mid sedan by more than one.

 

I care not,however ,,,I was new to a concept of "summer tires"not to mention those ...."OH.....!! So LOW Profiles.....They were all new to me.

 

People speak of phase 2 modifications,,as if it's part of normal speech ..I'll admit that ignorance is NO Excuse in some situations but this Attack is unwarranted .

 

Hang me if you must,,but I had no clue.......

boxer3maine!!!!!!!! arrrrghhhh!!!!!!!

Its not a performance car like an m3 but its also not a Camry or accord. Its in the middle and to be in the middle Goodyear assurance tire wouldn't help its case.

 

Buy a set of all seasons or buy dedicated tires for the season. Either way. Big rims on a car equals low profile. Should have thought of that when you bought the car. You bitching about it now doesn't make any sense

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Im not bitching,,long after the fact.

The Pirelli P zero Nero set satisfied the requirements of all seaso driving,in fact this is my second set.

Immediately after the accident I unloaded them with hardly any miles on them.As was pointed out,,if I had the space maybe saving them was a remote possibility.

 

My overall point is......this was a mistake ..

 

No,not my buying the car,or the original equipment tires festooned to it...

So I'm gathering that you waited several years to write up this summer tire rant thread?

 

That's.... Interesting.

 

 

Glad to hear that you have been on the Pzero Neros for a while now. They are a good all season.

boxer3maine!!!!!!!! arrrrghhhh!!!!!!!

 

 

Holy shit. That's exactly who he reminds me of. I couldn't put my finger on it till you said that.

I think not......I'm not from Oregon or Washington

 

Also,I'm certainly not Lobster Man # 2 ..I am however a Libertarian,born & raised in the bronx ,N.Y. Esconsed now in northern N.J.

 

Alas,my queries are misunderstood.not the first time.

 

I'd like to thank all,for their responses.I mean it.

 

P.S. I do long for that crustacean when properly prepared.

As a fan of the ellipsis... I am disturbed by your execution and understanding of this punctuation.

 

As for stopping distances, perhaps a front splitter is needed for additional downforce to keep your spec.B and it's low profile tires acceptable to you? I think it may be time to sell to someone in Arizona since that's the only place it's meant to be driven.

 

The answer to your misunderstood queries... because race car!

Missed the boat completely.

 

My wife bought her 04 GLi brand new in Buffalo.

 

You know what she did right before her first winter with that car?

 

She sacked up and bought a set of snow tires and wheels.

Still curious as to why this has come up now of all times?

 

(Your grammar is killing me)

As a fan of the ellipsis... I am disturbed by your execution and understanding of this punctuation.

 

As for stopping distances, perhaps a front splitter is needed for additional downforce to keep your spec.B and it's low profile tires acceptable to you? I think it may be time to sell to someone in Arizona since that's the only place it's meant to be driven.

 

The answer to your misunderstood queries... because race car!

 

Like this one?

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/your-own-innovations-actually-help-performance-some-way-198870.html