Compendium of Tire Reviews: Please sticky

1. P215/50/R17/90V

 

2. SW Washington / Pacific NW / The wet side

 

3. No Events

 

4. 70% Hwy / Wife's commuter / 40 mi

 

5. Original / Purchased car May, 2010

 

6. On 25k rotation, both rear tires showed wear on

inside edges (2" wide) PSI @ 32 checked often.

61k on tires now with about 1/32" to wear bars.

Tires starting to hydroplane. Researching going to

a P225/60/R16 like used on the Outback to fill the

wheelwells a little better.

 

What car? an LGT wont take 16inch wheels

I am awaiting delivery of a new Legacy 3.6R. It will be my first Subaru and my first AWD vehicle.

I live in Northern NJ and get a few inches of snow maybe 10 times each year. Lots of rain and temperatures below freezing all winter.

Are the stock tires any good for winter driving or should I buy winter tires and a second set of wheels?

Which brand (Blizzaks?) of winter tires do you recommend?

Blizzaks are overkill. Just get a decent set of all seasons and call it good.

What are people getting for longevity on the DWS's?

#1) Continental Xtreme contact DWS

 

#2) Wisconsin

 

#3) 60 mile commute with some flogging when I feel like it

 

#4) 80% highway 20% city

 

#5) Yokohama Avid

 

#6) I have 35k miles on them. Car is bone stock with 180K miles.

 

Alot of people comment that these tires are wiggly in the corners. The best description I've seen is that they are like riding on marshmallows. The people saying this have not given the tire enough time to "set-up". Mine were wiggly until about 5000 miles were on them, then the sidewall stiffened up.

 

Too bad that the tires continued to stiffen up and they are now harsh riding and very noisy. They have really good wet and dry traction but they tend to understeer in the corners. The understeer could be partially because of the suspension setup in our cars.

 

Snow performance is ok but I would not want them on a 2wd vehicle. The fronts like to slide a bit too much when approaching stop lights. My F150 4x4 with General Grabber AT2's will beat the LGT in the snow hands down, no competition, laughing while the LGT is busy crabbing into the snowbank.

 

Will be replacing them within 5K miles so I got 40K miles total on them.

 

Will not buy them again due to the MASSIVE road noise and harsh ride they produce on the goat paths Wisconsin calls roads.

 

Will be buying a set of Yokohama Envigor W94's to replace them as my old Yoko's were a better tire. I had Yoko's on another car in days past and they were a good tire on that vehicle too.

hankook v12 or bridgestone 760??

 

i want an above avg dry summer tire with decent life. no track time

Check out the Reviews & Tests on Tire Rack's site, but they seem to be pretty good.

 

The bf Goodrich g-force sport COMP 2

 

 

Think I'm getting these tomorrow.. 205/40/17 on stock wheels.

#1) Hankook Ventus V12 225/40/18 on stock Spec.B wheels. Can't remember now. Car has 86k, stockers lasted about 22k, and Sumitomos must have been on for maybe 15k. So probably close to 50,000 miles on them.

 

#2) San Diego, CA

 

#3) Mostly commute, with some spirited days from time to time.

 

#4) 80% highway, 20% city

 

#5) Stock RE050A, Sumitomo HTR Z III (225/40/18)

 

#6) I had the stock tires for a hair over 20k, then replaced them with the Sumitomos which I liked, until I kept having to replace tires for getting bumps (driving in Tijuana and hitting potholes). Discount Tire doesn't usually carry them so having to wait for them to replace got a little old. The V12s have softer sidewalls so their handling feels a little squishy, but they grab on well when pushed. I haven't noticed any noise change, but I usually have the music on and my exhaust is louder than any road noise (I have an SPT exhaust, so it's not that loud). I'm very happy with their wear for sporty tires.

 

I now have a bump on one of the V12s and it's time to replace them all. Discount Tire doesn't seem to carry 225/40/18 anymore, I can't find them in San Diego today. I have used their hazard insurance with all my tires and it worked great when I got bumps and the tires were new, but as the tires wear and there comes a point when all should be replaced, not sure if the insurance is worth it.

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good quality all-season tire for my 2003 Legacy. I live in MA and it's important to have very good snow traction but also good performance in the summer. I have Yokohama Avid TRZs and I like them, though can't find them online anymore, and figured I should look for other suggestions. I have 191k miles on the car and really don't mind spending money on good tires to keep this car going as long as I can! TIA!!

There's a bunch discussed on this thread and probably no consensus. Just read through the pages and you'll get plenty of ideas. I have Kumho Ecsta 4x and I like them quite a bit. And they are reasonably priced. But no matter what tire you pick, they aren't likely to make your car last longer.

Kumho Ecsta PA31 225/45R17 on Avanti Racing 17x7

 

Third set of Kumho's. The PA31's are their newest HPAS tire. These tires keep getting better. I had ASX's, and Ecsta LX Platinum which both were decent for the money however these PA31's are impressive. QUIET, SMOOTH, excellent road manners and wet traction. I haven't "loved" a set of tires in a long time......I'm falling in love with these! The first set of tires on my Legacy that do not shimmy AT ALL.....NOTHING PERFECTLY SMOOTH. For $400.00 shipped to my door (tire rack) I don't think there is a better choice out there.

I've recently started looking for a new set of tires. I have Yoko Advid Envigor's (215/45/18 94W). I have 30k on them now and there's a little uneven wear due to bent rims, regardless I want to know if anyone has tried Cooper Zeon RS3-A.

There's a bunch discussed on this thread and probably no consensus. Just read through the pages and you'll get plenty of ideas. I have Kumho Ecsta 4x and I like them quite a bit. And they are reasonably priced. But no matter what tire you pick, they aren't likely to make your car last longer.

 

I am a firm believer in two tire sets for anyone north of the Mason-Dixon line, as IMO all-season tires mean no-season-tires.

 

That said, there is one tire out there that I and others have used (currently have them on my work commuter) that work well as winter tires and can be run year-round.

 

They are the Nokian WR, the latest one is the Nokian WR G3. They are Scandinavian all-season tires with an M&S (Mud & Snow) rating.

1. Currently running BS Potenza RE970 A/S 225/45/18 on 07 Spec B's

2. South central PA

3. Only using for DD, no track

4. About 80/20 City/Hwy

5. Formerly ran Continental DWS (and ContiExtremeProContacts before that)

 

I strongly disliked the DWS, though, to be fair, I needed an alignment badly so that was likely a contributor. I got maybe 35K out of them before they were completely unsafe in the rain at all. They were unimpressive in anything but dry pavement and a nightmare in the snow.

 

Before the DWS I ran the ContiExtremePro Contacts and had a blast in them! They were fantastic in all types of weather!

 

When I switched to the BS RE970's it was a breath of fresh air and my confidence is restored in my AWD once again!

1. Currently running BS Potenza RE970 A/S 225/45/18 on 07 Spec B's

2. South central PA

3. Only using for DD, no track

4. About 80/20 City/Hwy

5. Formerly ran Continental DWS (and ContiExtremeProContacts before that)

 

I strongly disliked the DWS, though, to be fair, I needed an alignment badly so that was likely a contributor. I got maybe 35K out of them before they were completely unsafe in the rain at all. They were unimpressive in anything but dry pavement and a nightmare in the snow.

 

Before the DWS I ran the ContiExtremePro Contacts and had a blast in them! They were fantastic in all types of weather!

 

When I switched to the BS RE970's it was a breath of fresh air and my confidence is restored in my AWD once again!

 

IMO, any decent tire is DONE for any purpose at 35K.

IMO, any decent tire is DONE for any purpose at 35K.

 

Agreed, however, the DWS's were not "UHP" safe, IMO, at 3,500 mi let alone 35,000. I couldn't believe the difference since discontinuing the ExtremeProContacts. My wife and I love our Bridgestones though!

#1) What tire are you offering for review:

205/50/16 Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec, Summer, $136 each + $50 shipping for set of 4. 96 Legacy L with Impreza alloys. About 1000 miles on them

 

#2) What is your geographic location:

Northern Virginia

 

#3) What types of driving events if any:

None, Commute only

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving:

50% highway/50% rural

 

#5) Tires used previously:

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S+

General Altimax Arctic

 

#6) Your review and personal comments:

Grippier than I'll ever need or use. I don't know the limits of them. I have not been able to lose grip or get any squeal. I could get the prior Michelins to squeal a bit on fast corners, but I still had to try hard to do that. I think I'd have to go to some wide open space, throw caution to the wind, and purposely abuse it to see what happens. I'm glad I have mudflaps to protect my paint. It sounds like you're driving over a freshly paved road. Every pebble and grain of sand seems to stick to them and get thrown into the car. The steering response is quick and nimble. The wet handling is an area I haven't pushed. They seem fine in the rain,(At least as good if not better than the Michelins). Higher speed tracking and stability is top notch. With crowned highways the drift has been almost eliminated. They stay where you aim them. They like to sing starting at around 50MPH. Not really loud or objectionable but it is present. In conclusion, This is a difficult tire for me to review. One would have to drive like an irresponsible maniac to find out what they can and can't do, I just can't find out on the public roads.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+COMP-2+A%2FS&partnum=24WR8GFC2ASXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes[/url]http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bfg/bfg_gforce_comp2as_pdpcrop.jpg"]

 

BFG G-Force COMP-2-A/S 225-40-18 $128.99ea+ fees from BigO ~ 3000mi so far

Made in USA!!! (New design from BFG)

 

So Cal

 

Spirited Street driving

 

50/50 street/Hwy

 

Previous tires were Michelin's... needed replacement when purchased car...

 

These BFG's are BEAST! The tread is very aggressive and we have been getting a lot of rain this El Niño season, and I have yet to get squirrely at all!

 

LGT wagon w Cusco C/O, sways, frame stiffeners: I am able to push the limits, mostly on on-ramps and off-ramps and these tires are like glue!

I have always been a BFG guy, made in USA and great tires every time.

 

Sorry I do not have any time driving other rubbers on LGT, only had car for a few months...

I come from driving a Jeep w huge BFG A/T's (70mph in pouring rain no prob!) and a passenger hooptie Cutlass with BigO brand tires that are just ok, some slip sliding in the rain...2wd also so not exactly the same either.

 

These tires are a bit on the soft side...If u want high mileage go buy Prius LOL.

HWY tires have zero noise, the sidewalls have awesome curb appeal, pun intended. lol

 

100 percent buy these tires. I will update my review as I put more mi on.

 

Peace

Edited January 8, 2016 by Jongrom
pic

What kind of tire choices does subaru dealership offer? I still have $500 in Subaru Bucks but want to get all season tires that are good in rain/snow.

Took these on a road-trip this weekend and was extremely impressed with their performance, in particular the wet-road traction. Was going around hairpin turns on wet mountain roads and could not get them to break loose.

 

As sticky as the rubber seems to be, I'm doubting I'll be getting 40K miles though.

 

Old post, I know... BUT, I'm happy to report that my Kumho Exsta 4xs have lasted 5 years and 55k miles. I bought these at the end of 2011 and have been driving them everyday since. There is still good tread on them but the sidewalls don't look great.

 

Likely replacing with the 4x v2...

#1) What tire are you offering for review (size, model, type (summer, A/s, winter, race, etc), price paid, miles driven on tires, etc):

235/40/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sport, Max Performance Summer, $180 each, $70 rebate on a set of 4, less than 1000mi so far

 

#2) What is your geographic location:

Houston, TX

 

#3) What types of driving events if any (Track, AutoX, Commute , etc):

Spirited commute

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving:

70/30

 

#5) Tires used previously:

Toyo Proxes 4, Bridgestone Potenza RE760Sport

 

#6) Your review and personal comments (Dry, wet, and snow, if applicable. Also, please compare to other tires used):

Incredible dry grip and traction. I can go around a roundabout at 40-45mph, compared to about 30-35 on the RE760s, and get on full throttle a lot earlier on any corner. Car feels a lot lighter and more responsive.

 

Have only driven on the highway in the rain, so not much info there yet. Was very stable even up to 80mph.

 

The tire shop filled it to about 32 psi all around. I tried running 35F/43R for a bit, but the ride got pretty hard. Back down to 33/32 for now (as recommended by the driver door sticker). Ride quality is a lot like a 911 C2S I got to drive a while back. Firm, but not harsh.

Seems strange to me that the GT Sedan and Wagon are both 35F/33R unless towing or loaded, then it's 35F/38R, while the Spec B Sedan is 33F/32R - which is also per the FSM. Perhaps the difference is the ZR rating on the stock GT Sedan/Wagon tires and the R rating on the stock Spec B tires.

Could be 1psi difference because the spec.B rear diff is heavier. Not sure why the lower pressure though. Could be the RE050 has stiffer side walls than the RE92

Surmise it's the difference in tire size (18 vs 17) and stock tire rating (R versus ZR) tires.

#1) What tire are you offering for review: Michelin Pilot Super Sport A/S 3+

 

#2) What is your geographic location: Reno/Tahoe

 

#3) What types of driving events if any (Track, AutoX, Commute , etc): occasional spirited driving

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving: 50/50

 

#5) Tires used previously: DWS A/S, MPSS A/S 3

 

#6) Your review and personal comments:

Previous Michelin's lasted 20k miles (Discount Tire prorated), roads in this area are tough on tires, wet & dry performance was excellent, packed snow or ice not so good. I was very hesitant to buy the new model Michelin again but since they claimed there was a 28% snow/ice improvement I gave them a shot.

I'm very impressed with A/S 3+ dry & wet is still excellent, it's a very quiet smooth riding tire, packed snow with some ice performance is greatly improved, fresh snow ( it's been dumping up here so I took her out for some fun) is very good and of course any A/S on ice is not going to be the greatest.