Compendium of Tire Reviews: Please sticky

Falken FK 452 245/45ZR18 mounted on 18" Rota Tarmac III's for my 06 OBXT MT, ~10k miles driven.

 

I'm in Long Island, NY

 

Aggressive Commuter use

 

40% Highway, 60% City

 

Overall, the tires are a significant improvement over stock and excellent in rain/wet. They are generally quiet though I have noticed some deceleration NVR around 25-20 mph. The tires do tend to wander over uneven pavement which can make steering awkward though this may be from the increased tire/rims size and not the tire itself.

Adding a review for the Bridgestone Potenza G 009 since it might be useful to the 2.5i folks.

 

#1) Bridgestone Potenza G 009, 215/60/16 (for a 2002 Altima), All Season tire, Paid $79 a tire with free mounting and balancing. Brand new ... so updates to come.

 

#2) Minneapolis, MN

 

#3) These will be used on a daily driver/commuter

 

#4) Tires will see 70-80% HWY miles. Currently drives about 30,000 miles a year. Expected to handle Rain well and do well in some snow.

 

#5) Previous tire was Continental ContiTouringContact IIRC. Previous size was 205/65/16. Wanted to give her a little more contact patch and diameter was VERY similar.

 

#6) I have no personal experience yet. Girl called to thank me because they were GREAT compared to the old tires. Just got them today, but more to follow.

 

Update: I got a deal on these through a buddy for a lady friend, and then about a month later hooked up a co-worker with the same deal. Both love the G-009 tires. The woman has thanked me a few times and commented that they're the best tires she's ever had (and she's not into cars). My coworker also has commented that they've been great in the snow and in the wet. I amazingly still haven't driven the girl's car, so STILL no first hand account of the tire.

question.

 

would you pick the

 

falken azenis RT 615

or

hankook ventus RS2 Z212

or

Kumho ecsta SPT

 

Up in the air with these three tires and looking to find others opinions.

question.

 

would you pick the

 

falken azenis RT 615

or

hankook ventus RS2 Z212

or

Kumho ecsta SPT

 

Up in the air with these three tires and looking to find others opinions.

 

No, no, and, um, no. The first is a streetable track tire, the last is an all season, dont know about the middle cheapo you ask about.

 

Since you're not asking about comparable tires, and you're thread-jacking, why dont you do some reading about tires in the forum first, and then start your own thread, listing the things you want out of a tire, because you obviously dont know what you're looking for.

people of this site if you think i am thread jacking i sincerely applogise. i have done my research and seen this thread that was giving a review of tires used by people on here. i didnt know by me asking about these tires it was going to strike a serious nerve by the person above to the point where he decided to go snitch to a mod about thread jacking. I really didnt realise that by me posting in a tire thread and asking a question about tires. I find it kind of harsh though that there are some board members here that are using the hankook ventus RS2 that you are calling "Cheapo", its kind of disrespectful. i am sorry that i might not have the money that you do to afford slicks or whatever. just trying to get honest peoples opinions of some tires that they are reviewing. but seriously i am one to avoid conflict. so if and when i ever post just keep your comments to yourself. thanks. sorry mods.

agreed the post to you can be taken as a bit harsh. but i believe the concern is that your comments were not on the topic of this thread. could the comments in the other post have been more kind...yes, but here's where we are. back on topic now:

 

Folks,

 

I think it's a good idea to have one thread with all tire reviews for our cars, like NASIOC does it. There are tons of reviews in here, but I think the information will be more useful for everyone if it is located in one thread.

 

Please Sticky so that folks may have all tire info along with Keefe's great Wheel/Tire FAQ. For all posts, please answer the following questions. (I'm still rocking the stockers, so I can't post any helpful info at this time). thanks

 

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

 

#2) What is your geographic location:

 

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

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving:

 

#5) Tires used previously:

 

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

Everybody cool in here? tantal... you could ask nicely.....

 

RaGe... feel free to start your own thread.

#1) Firestone Winterforce (215/55/16, (winter tire), $125ea mounted balanced and studded at sears(ugh,never again with those guys) 4500K on them so far):

 

#2) Central Oregon:

 

#3) What types of driving events if any (100+ miles per day for work, snow covered roads, dirt roads, lots of pavement):

 

#4) 50/50 city vs hwy:

 

#5) Yokohamas are what the car came with...not a bad tire in the snow either:

 

#6) Great snow tire for under $500 - I think you can get them at tirerack for $80-$90 shipped. Really fun go anywhere snow tire. The traction is "almost" as good as the nokian hakka2 I once owned but the price is waaaay better. I also understand that they wear longer than the nokians. They're ok on dry pavement but they are pretty heavy and clunky. The rubber stays soft at low temps it has tons of siping so it moves water and slush really well. If you live in snow country and need a good tire...this one is a go! Best low cost snow tire I have ever driven...

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b179/aboone1970/winterforce.jpg

1) Tires reviewed/Price paid: Bridgestone Potenza 960 A/S Pole Position. I paid $623 mounted and balanced for 4 tires at the local Firestone shop. I probably could have done better, but the price paid is pretty fair, I think.

 

2) Location: Northern Delaware

 

3) Driving Events: No dedicated events, just spirited driving around town.

 

4) City/Highway - About 50/50

 

5) Previous Tires: Stock RE92's.

 

6) The 960's are everything that I'd hoped that they would be, they're quiet, comfortable, and stick to the road like you wouldn't believe. I just had the opportunity to put ~1500 miles on these tires in rain, dry, and sleet and never felt as though I were about to lose traction. Driving around the city in the rain I -tried- to get these tires to slip, but just couldn't - they just want to stay stuck to the road. Not to be forgotten, braking is much improved. No more sliding when the road is wet, no more ABS in wet weather, no more of the problems I had with the RE92's.

 

So, my initial impressions are positive, but my experience with tires suggests that we won't really know how well these tires perform until I've had the opportunity to put a lot of miles on them and run them through all four seasons. I'll try to remember to post another review in 12 months or so.

 

Finally . . . The RE960's have their own thread here: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45754&highlight=960.

 

-

Jim

#1)

 

Avon M550 A/S

$104/tire from TireRack.com

225/45/17

 

#2) Rhode Island (New England)

 

#3) Daily driver and short 8-9 mile mud rally.

 

#4) Highway/City 70/30

 

#5) Re92s, Semperit Sport Grips

 

#6)

 

I have 1800 miles on the tires... 1,014 miles of which were during the past weekend while attending the "48 Hours of Tri-State" (http://www.48hrs.info) charity drive-a-thon. I've encountered everything but ice thus far.

 

Dry: The tires stick great to the dry road. They feel much smoother than the re92s and provide much more traction. Understeer has drastically been reduced.

 

Wet: The tires are still extremely sticky in the wet. They feel too smooth...as if they are gliding on butter...which may seem out of control, but they go in the direction you point them too. This will take some getting used to, but they are more than competent. I did notice some increased understeer in the wet, but I was finicking with the pressure all day, so that might of been my fault.

 

Snow/Slush/Mud: I've had the opportunity to drive these in 4-5inches of SnowMud (not sure exactly what to call it) and they preformed great for an all season. During 40mph rally in the SnowMud, of course the the wheel jerked around a little bit and had a couple of small sliding moments, but I was really impressed. I couldn't plow through like my dedicated snows, but I felt confident that I would not get stuck.

 

Pressure: 40psi all around felt dangerous. 38psi was good, a little harsh ride. I'm using 36F/34R and I really like this setting.

 

Conclusion: The Avons can't compete with dedicated summer tires and dedicated winters, but this is a great all-season. Keeping 36/34psi shows reduced understeer, remarkable wet and dry traction, and acceptable snow traction. This is a great all-season tire, and when considering its price of only ~$100, one could argue it is one of the best choices for someone seeking all-year use.

1) Tires reviewed/Price paid: Bridgestone Potenza 960 A/S Pole Position. I paid $623 mounted and balanced for 4 tires at the local Firestone shop.

 

I've got to locate a firestone shop. Looked at the paper last weekend. Mr. Tire was having a "sale". RE960 A/S, 225/45/17.....$243 ea. But thats on the rim and out the door. Man....that's about $100 a tire for balancing and valve stems....they better be gold plated.

Have tried to many to list a review for each one. If you have question's about one on the list shoot me a PM;)

 

Goodyear F1

Toyo TR-1

Toyo RA-1

Kuhmo Ecsta MX

Kuhmo supra 712

Contisport contact 2

Nitto NT555

 

I am currently running the 555 they were on the wheels when I purchased them:(

Not a bad tire, better than either of the Kuhmo tires. On par with the Contisport & F1 not a equal to the TR-1 though. The 555 rubber seems much harder than most, they do not perform very good in the rain

Kumho Ecsta SPT 215/50-ZR17 XL 95W treadwear 320

on stock wheels $84.00 each at tire rack

Summer/Rain Tires (NOT ALL-SEASON - DO NOT USE IN ICE/SNOW)

1000 miles driven

Tire Pressure 40F/37R

After-market sway bars & end-links, cusco front undercarriage brace otherwise stock suspension.

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

 

50/50 City/Highway including twisty mountain and coastal roads, no racing of any kind.

 

On LGT only RE92 used previously.

 

Selected this tire size with tall sidewalls for Hawaii's numerous deep potholes on the highways exacerbated by occasional torrential rain. Fitment is excellent with no rubbing. Please see Tire Rack or Kumho's website for detailed tire dimensions as this tire is actually wider than you would think for a 215 - more like a 225. Speedometer is -3.34% compared to the stock tires, though I have read that our speedometers tend to run high so in reality it may not underestimate speed by that much.

 

These tires are quieter, ride is plusher (despite XL designation) and potholes are handled much better. Haven't had the opportunity to test the tires over standing water, but on ordinary rainy wet roads the traction is definitely better than the RE92's.

 

Handling is less immediate - slower reaction to quick input than the RE92 due to the tall sidewalls - takes getting used to in fast twisties but once settled it hangs on quite well wet or dry - better than the RE92's but feels like more slip angle.

 

Although I've read that people have used this tire in occasional Auto-X, in this tall profile size it would not work well. It meets my daily driving needs and will likely buy another set. I would recommend this tire as an inexpensive comfortable long-lasting summer/rain tire for daily driving where potholes are a concern.

 

These tires are made in Korea

#1) What tire?

Goodyear Ultra Grip GW3 winter tire, paid $157 each about 3 weeks ago

 

#2) What is your geographic location?

Seattle, WA

 

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

Commuting & snowboarding trips

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving:

Half & half

 

#5) Tires used previously:

On this car, RE92s. Previous car, Michelin MVX4 & Blizzaks

 

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

 

Dry roads: these are winter tires, so I haven't pushed them on dry roads. Road noise and ride comfort are just fine though.

 

On a mildly rutted stretch of freeway, tramlining was almost undetectable. I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been deliberately wandering in my lane looking for it.

 

Wet roads: better grip for sure - there's a couple places I go frequently where I could get the stock tires to spin and slide a little, and these won't allow that. There's a place I've been looking forward to testing them in standing water (a freeway onramp that consistently gets about 1/4" during heavy rain) but it's not been wet enough lately. I'll update this when I've had a chance to run it through the test puddle.

 

Snow: better grip than stockers here too, and less sloppy in slushy snow. They'll spin, but powerslides are harder to induce and not as fun. That's a price I was hoping to pay though.

 

I haven't had a chance to A/B test on snow with the Blizzaks on my other car but these seem comparable. I'm not sure if they brake quite as well, but my other car weighs less, so it's hard to get a fair comparison.

 

I got them in 205/50/17, but at the widest point they're actually wider than the stock 215/45/17s - I don't have to worry about curbing the wheels at all (it's probably possible but I'd have to try).

Anybody have experience with General Exclaim UHP?

 

It could be a cheap immitator, or the biggest bargain to come along in quite a while.

 

Tire Rack reviews are very positive, stats are comparable with good tires, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone around here has them.

I hear sidewalls are very, very soft. Otherwise a good tire if you never make any quick turns.

Anybody have experience with General Exclaim UHP?

 

It could be a cheap immitator, or the biggest bargain to come along in quite a while.

 

Tire Rack reviews are very positive, stats are comparable with good tires, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone around here has them.

 

er, search??

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2100630

 

a good 10 threads mention it. At least 2 have someone actually review it.

 

=\

Found this in an IS forum. Thought it may be useful.

 

Brandon from Tirerack writes....

 

[ultra High Performance All Season:

 

 

Ok here is a list of the top 6 ultra high performance A/S tires in my humble opinion. I base this opinion on having driven on these tires mostly on IS 300's (our old test cars) as well as 03 BMW 330ci's. We have a test track here that has a slalom, a skid pad and and a sharp brake and turn. These are performance A/S tires and this track allows me to test the tires at its limits of cornering, traction, response and braking. These tires are not designed for the best ride quality but instead the best performance combined with light all-season traction.

 

My primary considerations are as follows when judging performance A/S tires.

 

A) Lap Times

B) How the tire responds to steering input

C) How it breaks off on the skid pad and in the slalom.

D) Wet traction (we have sprinklers)

E) Light snow and ice traction.

 

Note: This list is limited to the brands that we sell and does not include Toyo, Falken, or Nitto.

 

 

Top 5 Ultra High Performance A/S Tires:

 

 

1)Bridgestone RE960 PP

 

2)Michelin Pilot Sport A/S

 

Simply the best. Michelin has made a tire with superb performance AND light snow and ice traction. This tire also rides very well.

 

3)Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S

 

Very nice on the track but these will have marginal snow and ice traction.

 

4)Avon Tech M550

 

Surprisingly competitive with the more well known brands this tire is probably the best tire for the money. Rock bottom pricing make this tire attractive to the value shoppers.

 

5)Conti Extreme Contact

 

Excellent ride, good performer, and of the tires listed this will have the best snow and ice traction. Its also very reasonably priced.

 

 

Honorable Mention:

 

 

Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z

 

These tires are technically not a performance A/S tire they are a grand touring A/S tire but they are excellent performers and they compete often times with the Michelin A/S because both are available in many Lexus 17 inch wheel option sizes. I thought they were worth mentioning especially for you GS and LS guys that want the best combination of ride and performance.

 

 

 

Brandon | Sales Specialist

^ Avons were on my short list but high mileage reviews on Tire Rack seemed to indicate that they got noisey over time which means to me that they get baked and hard. I find reading the long term reviews to be the most informative. When someone replaces their old tires, the new ones are always wonderful in comparison and, of course, they are. The haven't seen any heat cycles.

 

The ContiExtremes didn't appear to get as many bad long term reviews. However, I am using them as my winter set up (very good in the snow I've seen) and they will come off come spring. Perhaps the Avons would have been just fine in that kind of service where they wouldn't see really warm temperatures that might bake the life out of them.

Don't count out the Toyo Proxes 4's! I have gone from the re92's to Continental ExtremeContacts, to Pirelli P-Zero Nero's to the Proxy's and I have to say that for the money so far, the Toyos are the only ones that I can honestly say I will try to buy again. Before that, I had a love affair with the Pirellis, but the Toyos have even better dry grip and were about $40 per tire cheaper.

Kumho Ecsta SPT 215/50-ZR17 XL 95W treadwear 320

on stock wheels $84.00 each at tire rack

Summer/Rain Tires (NOT ALL-SEASON - DO NOT USE IN ICE/SNOW)

 

guy at work runs them all year round on his M3. 30 degrees out now....about to snow / sleet / rain tonight. dare devil.

#1) Review: Continental ContiExtremeContact (215/45/17 @ 40psi)

 

#2) Location: East Coast, New York City 5 bouroughs.

 

#3) Driving: Highway, local commut.

 

#4) Usage: 50/50 highway compares to local.

 

#5) Previously: RE-92(poor traction causes ABS to act on more frequently, streching brake distance even more, could cost you your ride.)

 

#6) Continental Xtremecontact on my LGT is the best investment i ever made on my car, gives me confidence to drive around no matter dry or wet, braking is on bar with Dunlop sports5000. The scrate is to keep it at 40psi.

 

Talking about braking performance, i'm only familier with 3 other tires. Michilen pilot on 2001 Acura TL, these tires are one of the best all season tire, solid ride and braking. Dunlop sports5000 on 2005 benz ML350(4800lb). it's amazing how these tires can stop a 4800lb suv. And last is the RE-92 on both LGT and 240sx, not that they are worthless peice of sh1t, their performance is not on bar with their cost, $180/tire at tirerack; $220 at your local firestone, $260 after tax and mounting.

Yokohama's ES-100s ( 215/45/7 )

 

These replaced my stock tires, cornering was exceptional, grip was top notch, the look was teh sexay, unfortunately they had two achilles' heels: a.) the tires got much noisier with time and b.) these tires tramline HORRIBLY - their squared up sidewalls made the car jerk everytime I switched out of the trucker right lane...

#1) What tire?

Toyo Proxes TPT, 205/55/16 94H, $109/tire at Town Fair Tire in Auburn, MA

 

#2) What is your geographic location?

Sutton, MA

 

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

Commuting, ski trips, long road trips, etc....the usual stuff.

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving:

60/40 Highway vs. rough back roads

 

#5) Tires used previously:

Potenza RE92s (same size, 89H)

 

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

 

I've put 500 tough miles on the TPTs so far...had them installed this past Tuesday, the day before we got 6" of granular ice/snow...They handled quite admirably in the snow (climbed same hills as fiances 2005 Grand Cherokee with full-time 4x4), and seem to grip like crazy on wet roads...much quieter vs. the RE92, much smoother ride, and appears to track much straighter on the highway at high speeds (75-85mph), no more side-to-side "floaty" feeling...I was turned on by the attractive price and the 65K mile warranty, which I need being a poor grad student who can't afford to replace tires every 18 months...So far, very happy...feel free to PM if you have any more questions I didn't already answer here.

#1) What tire are you offering for review (size, model, type (summer, A/s, winter, race, etc), price paid, miles driven on tires, etc): 215/45/17, Bridgestone LM25, 'performance winter', $138 each from Tire Rack, about 3000 miles so far, mounted on new wheels.

 

#2) What is your geographic location: Fairfield County Connecticut

 

#3) What types of driving events if any (Track, AutoX, Commute , etc): 'spirited' commuting on fast country roads.

 

#4) Percent of highway vs. city driving: 80/20 (mostly country roads)

 

#5) Tires used previously: RE92's, what else? Good lord, when will they ever wear out? Why does SOA do this to us?

 

#6) Your review and personal comments (Dry, wet, and snow, if applicable. Also, please compare to other tires used): A MUCH nicer tire than RE92's in all conditions. Much quieter over bumps and holes (when I fail to avoid them). Happy with cornering, dry and wet. Vastly superior to RE92's in wet and snow. They can get loose on ice and crusty packed old snow but easy to recover. I drive faster than I probably should, often 50% over the posted limits, but generally never get near the limits of these tires. I rein it in according to conditions, of course, I am not an idiot...