Thoughts on buying Nitto Invo Tires ????

Hey guys, since I popped one of my RE050's I need a new tire, the city is paying $330 (the quoted price locally) for a new RE050 or towards replacement of an entire set.

 

Ive been looking around at different sets and have come to rest on these.

 

Nitto Invo

 

http://bmserver2.ciestudios.com/img/nitto_invo_frontwide.jpg

 

Ive been quote $260 taxes in (candian and local) per tire.

 

What do you guys think? They Will be installed on aftermarket rims (ive yet to choose) of 18x7.5 or 18x8 not sure yet. My factory spec b rims will be used for winter with my X-Ice I got last year.

 

 

Thoughts? They are the best tire that Nitto makes that isnt a DRAG-ONLY but still street legal tire (which im not into).

I have a set of Nitto NT05's sitting here in 235-40-18, waiting to be put on this weekend, they should be less than the invo's but the only down side is that they wont last long at all.

http://image.popularhotrodding.com/f/hard-driving/nitto-nt05/11046494+cr1+re0+ar1/nitto-nt05-summer-max-performance-tire-has-r-compound-grip-for-the-str.jpg

Hey guys, since I popped one of my RE050's I need a new tire, the city is paying $330 (the quoted price locally) for a new RE050 or towards replacement of an entire set.

 

Ive been looking around at different sets and have come to rest on these.

 

Nitto Invo

 

The Invos did not do well, in the latest C&D comparo of "budget" summer tires - http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q2/tire_test_nine_affordable_summer_tires_take_on_the_michelin_ps2-comparison_tests

I run the invos in 225/45/17 on my stock wheels.

Been a pretty good perfomance tire.

With the awd it takes alot to get them to come loose.

I got them at onlinetires.com for like 90 ish each.

I found out that you can get discount tires to match that price.

They do have a nice original/ classy performance look i like alot.

Oh, they are very quite also!

I'm going for a set of the RE11s in 255/30/19 at the end of the Summer. They should fit...

Hankook Ventus Evo V12 are a little more expensive but supposedly much, much better.

 

Krzys

Turns out the city is sticking me up the bum for replacement of my tire, No matter.

 

Invo's were ordered in February and there was a mixup at nitto, w

235/40/18 should be here mid next week. Rims have arrived, iPhone won't allow uploads to forum, maybe it does but it's 6 am and in tired .

 

I saw the c&d article. It's very subjective. The top rated tire in my size is over $100 more per tire and only preformed .03g's better on the skid pad, and marginally better on the track time.

 

That is one of the few conparitive reviews that rate then poorly. And poor is only realitive as they are comparing 10 top end tires. Even #10 is better than your $100 all season, or the stock summers my spec b came with.

 

While it is dishartening to read that c&d article, I am still confident in these tires as all the real world reviews from all the forums out there have been nothing but positive. This includes 2 Audi forums, mustange, viper and dodge forums, g35 and g37 forums, a personal review of my local dealer putting 20" 295s or 300+ width on a Ferrari, as well as a Lexus and Acura forum. I'm glad people find then good for what they are as it's easy to to find bad in what something isn't. I tend to side with guys who run them on a range of cars rather than a track day with 10 sets of tires slapped on one car.

 

 

I'm very excited to get these on as it's April 2 and we have had +10c days

since the middle of march which is unusual for this time. Coupled with the fact

that this is my first new set of rims I've purchased, the antisipatiob is killing me.

 

Pics and reviews to come. I just hope that 235/40/18 fits, but I think someone already said they had that size.

Ps, the m always comes out when I try to type theM, so most of my thens are thems. The iPhone has a whacky auto complete and I have fat thumbs, so sorry for retarded spelling mistakes.

 

I'm edumicated, really I is.

I saw the c&d article. It's very subjective. The top rated tire in my size is over $100 more per tire and only preformed .03g's better on the skid pad, and marginally better on the track time.

 

I'd consider the track-time somewhat subjective, as driver-interaction comes into play.

 

And yes, that's a slim margin on the dry skidpad, but the wet skidpad magnifies that margin, and the Invos were at the bottom of the pack, in terms of the other two non-subjective measures: braking distances both dry and wet.

 

And poor is only realitive as they are comparing 10 top end tires. Even #10 is better than your $100 all season, or the stock summers my spec b came with.

I agree - "poor" is relative, particularly given the slim margins that separate these tires, on a quantitative basis, but nonetheless, they are what they are, and these tires did not perform well, comparatively.

 

While it is dishartening to read that c&d article, I am still confident in these tires as all the real world reviews from all the forums out there have been nothing but positive. This includes 2 Audi forums, mustange, viper and dodge forums, g35 and g37 forums, a personal review of my local dealer putting 20" 295s or 300+ width on a Ferrari, as well as a Lexus and Acura forum. I'm glad people find then good for what they are as it's easy to to find bad in what something isn't. I tend to side with guys who run them on a range of cars rather than a track day with 10 sets of tires slapped on one car.

That's highly debatable, given the variability as to what the vehicles are (i.e. differences in powertrain and other vehicle-specific physical characteristics [weight distribution, suspension, etc.], as well as driver experience/capabilities.

 

The former would definitely go further towards reinforcing and strengthening your argument, but the latter decidedly would not.

 

Quantitatively, look at how relatively poorly the Falkens performed - yet, up until the point that article went to press (and decidedly less so, since), look at how many in the community (Subaru and otherwise) swore by the capabilities of this tire. [ The funny thing there is that of the last couple of years, the Falkens started to lose favor among the more experienced AutoXers, and instead were being more and more favored as aggressive summer street-tires for the "tuner" set. ]

 

The same kind of "public opinion" subjectivity can be found in the TireRack surveys/reviews section - the example I most often cite is one that played out just two winters ago, when the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 had just come to-market and was brand-new. If you dated the search of TireRack reviews/surveys for that time period, you'll see how many owners absolutely bombed this tire for poor performance in winter conditions. This winter, one winter later, after the various enthusiast rags here and overseas have had a chance to fully test this tire - and often rate it class-leading - look at how public opinion performed a virtual 180-turn, with nothing but compliments spilling forth.

 

Unless I specifically know the Forum member's driving background and experience level, this is one area where I tend to take any such opinion with a grain of salt.

 

The top rated tire in my size is over $100 more per tire....

 

I think that this has more to do with your locale.

 

The Hankooks are $130 ea., from TireRack, current (4/4/10) pricing. The Dunlops are $172 ea. The Invos, from DiscountTireDirect, price at $151.

I have been really happy with the Neo Gens. They were on my wagon when I got it and I put about 40k on them before they really needed to be replaced. I put on another set and they seem to work for really well for me.

The Hankooks are $130 ea., from TireRack, current (4/4/10) pricing. The Dunlops are $172 ea. The Invos, from DiscountTireDirect, price at $151.

 

$151 for those invos are a great price!!!!! WOW.

 

Although that turns into $852+ cdn tax at the border for a set of 4. That runs into $954.24 for 4 with main back road hazard warranty.

 

Still pretty good considering im paying $260 locally, installed.

i see in the rim guide sticky

 

235mm = 8", 8.5", and 9"

 

and I'm running the 235/40/18 invos on 7.5" rims, is that gonna be disastrous ?

^ You'll likely feel that the tire's a bit "imprecise," in terms of road-going performance.

 

But aside from that I really think that you'll be OK.

 

It's also going to be a bit more carcass weight than a comparable "215," but unless your butt-dyno is extremely well-calibrated, you're not likely going to notice.

 

If you AutoX, the above will be magnified.

 

----

 

RE: pricing -

 

Like I said above, I truly didn't know if what you'd posted about pricing was a local issue - looks like it is.

 

For as much as I love our friendly brothers and sisters north of the border, and sometimes wished I lived there - I don't think that I'd like to pay the extra cost, much!

^ You'll likely feel that the tire's a bit "imprecise," in terms of road-going performance.

 

But aside from that I really think that you'll be OK.

 

It's also going to be a bit more carcass weight than a comparable "215," but unless your butt-dyno is extremely well-calibrated, you're not likely going to notice.

 

If you AutoX, the above will be magnified.

 

----

 

RE: pricing -

 

Like I said above, I truly didn't know if what you'd posted about pricing was a local issue - looks like it is.

 

For as much as I love our friendly brothers and sisters north of the border, and sometimes wished I lived there - I don't think that I'd like to pay the extra cost, much!

 

will 225 be a better choice?

225/45 will be wider and taller but what do you think?

Many of us here either actively or have run 225/45/17 on the factory 7.5-inch rims, to good real-world effect, particularly on more broken streets.

stock spec b is 18x7 i thought ?

 

The Hankooks are $130 ea., from TireRack, current (4/4/10) pricing. The Dunlops are $172 ea. The Invos, from DiscountTireDirect, price at $151.

 

Thanks to you, and the par Canadian dollar, I saved $279.40 AND got a 5th tire as insurance. $755 + 12% tax at border = $845.60 + I get them from Pembina, ND. (1 hour from me)

 

Thanks TSI+WRX! Great Deal! Local place didnt want to play ball against american pricing, I was paying $1125 tax in + install. They decided to play ball when I canceled my order and came back with $981.12 tax in for 4. Im still saving $135 and got 5 tires instead of 4.

 

Thanks again!

^ Sweet!!!!! Congrats on getting a good deal! That makes the family-man in me super happy!

 

stock spec b is 18x7 i thought ?

 

^ Beats me! I drive a lowly standard LGT, not the almighty SpecB!

 

No, seriously, honestly, I'm embarrassed to say that I am not familiar with the SpecB's wheel/tire sizing.

 

But come to think of it, you're right about the 7-inch width on the 17-inch rims the LGT's of my year was equipped with! I'm getting old and senile! And to think that at one point, I'd even contributed to Keefe's FAQ! I'm ashamed!

HAHA !!!

 

 

since your on the boards right this very second ill quote my other thread, can you chime in ??

 

 

Question about my rims that just arrived..

 

They are 18x7.5 @ 42mm offset and stock Spec B is 18x7 @ 52 offset.

 

According to 1010tires wheel offset calc, that means the wheel sticks out 16mm towards the fender and 4 mm towards the strut.

 

The tires I have chosen are 235/40/18. Does that Mean the New tire (being 20 mm wider than stock of 215/45/18) will stick 14 mm closer to the strut, and 26 mm closer to the fender?

 

Is that correct? Will a 26mm increase to the fender cause rubbing? Its only 2.6cm wider.

 

edit: Tire diameter is only 0.9% shorter, sidewall is only 3mm less (wheeeee). rimsntires.com says that the package sticks out 20mm father towards the fender. Doesn't is stick out 26mm because the extra tire width (235-215=20mm) is half on each side of the rim, plus the additional protrusion of the rim due to 42 offset?

 

the rim is pushed 16mm to fender, and ive gone 10mm wider tire on each side of rim, so isnt it 26mm?

 

In any case, the site says it wont contact the wheel well, but may contact the fender lip.

Ideas ?

 

I see in the wheels that fit thread that a guy is running 18x7.5s like me with no issues, and looks good, but he doesnt list the tire size.

I never get why people buy these nitto tires when there are options that are much better and cheaper.

all personal reviews that ive seen are excellent, only the mags give bad reviews...

 

this is what ive seen..... they are better than my stock tires, so Ill be happy.

Personal reviews? People change bald oem tires, of course they are happy. This is the issue with 95% of tire review on tirerack as well.

ive seen more personal reviews on all the tire sites for the invos. They aren't the best, car and driver has their own review that was linked in this thread, but I feel comfortable buying these, im happy with what people are saying, isnt that all that matters?

 

I just found another set of guys that are using these, the SRT8 guys are all over the INVOs, the NT420s, the NT 05's and TOTO ST2's.

 

I think Ill be plenty happy.