The Official TIRES thread

[Bu11dogg2]

As we all know, there are many tire companys out there.
and finding the right set of tires at the right price can be difficult.
Allthough I cant tell you exactly how much tires will cost you, I can steer you in the right direction.

When you buy your 2005+ Legacy GT you get a set of Potenza RE92's
The majority of the subaru community will say that these are the worst tires SOA could have chosen for this car.

Before you go out and buy there are several things you need to consider.
1. What are my driving habits?
2. What type of weather will I be driving in?
3. What is my Budget (important)
4. Will I be racing?
5. Most important SAFETY!!

There are several types of tires.
Fro example: SUMMER
Summer Passenger Tires
1.Extreme Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
2.Max Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
3.Ultra High Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
4.High Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
5.Grand Touring Summer (May be ok for some wet conditions)
6.Track & Competition DOT (May NOT BE STREET LEGAL!!!)
All-Season Passenger Tires
1.Ultra High Performance All-Season (If you prefer all seasons, these are your best bet)
2.High Performance All-Season
3.Performance All-Season
4.Grand Touring All-Season
5.Standard Touring All-Season
6.Passenger All-Season
7.Winter (should be rated at "H" for speed NAD NOOOO HIGHER!)

The Tires that are on a new Legacy are 215/45/ZR17.
The "Z" is the rating of the tire.
For example:
P - 93 MPH
Q - 99 MPH
S - 112 MPH
T - 118 MPH
U - 124 MPH
H - 130 MPH
V - 149 MPH
Z - 149+ MPH (our tires)
W - 168 MPH
Y - 186 MPH
So as you can see our stock tires are rated for 149MPH +

With our car I would highly recommend sticking with the "Z" rated tires.

Different tires will have a different "stickyness" to them. It all really depends on the type of driving you plan on doing.
For example:
if you love the twisties, you want a tire with alot of stick, on the other hand, if you love to drag race, you may want a softer tire.

Once you decide what type of tires you want, you have to decide what brand.

Here are a few brands that carry Tires for our car.
Avon, BFGoodridge, Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Firestone, Fuzion, General, Goodyear,
Hankkok, Hoosier, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo, Uniroyal and Yokohama.

[LGT Chris]

Last fall I struggled with a decision on winter tires. The stock RE92s are very unsafe for this car. They cannot handle what the car is capable of even under just moderate driving conditions. SOA probably only pays $10/tire for these things...you get what you pay for. I hope no one dies from 'em.

I do like to go skiing and the road conditions are always unknown. I do NOT want to get stuck in the moutains. Especially in a Roo...how embarrassing would that be. Also, I am addicted to boost and live with mountains out the back door, so I needed something with reasonable dry performance. (It's not all snow in Denver...hardly any actually). What I was looking for was a good snow-performing tire that could take some abuse and push back under dry conditions.

When I first started looking, I initially ordered a set of Kumho ECSTA all seasons. I quickly decided that next spring (NOW!) I would get some 18s with summer shoes, which meant that I would go with a winter tire versus an all season. However, I figured that (a) I would have to give up some performance, or (b) I would have to drop $200+/tire. Turns out there is a pretty high demand for performance winter tires (especially in Europe), so selection wasn't a problem, and prices weren't as high as I thought.

Anyway, I went with the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 215/45/ZR17 (stock size). They did, actually, live up to the reviews and raves I read. Excellent handling under all conditions. Very reliable...performance was very consistant under a temperature range of -10F to 80F. With the awd and these tires, I was able to rip up the mountain roads leavnig Audi's and sport SUVs in a cloud of snowy dust. They performed equally as well on loose gravel roads too, but I have to keep reminding myself that I don't drive a rally car. Finally, the dry performance was light years ahead of the RE92s, however, you can still tell they are snow tires and not street, summer, dry tires. Still, pretty much everything I hope for.

If I remember right, I paid just right around $650 for tires, mounting and balancing.

http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/dunlop/du_winter_sport_m3_ci2_l.jpg (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Winter+Sport+M3&sidewall=Blackwall)

Here's Tire Rack's review. (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Winter+Sport+M3)

[Drift Monkey]

Different tires will have a different "stickyness" to them. It all really depends on the type of driving you plan on doing.
For example:
if you love the twisties, you may not want a tire with alot of stick, on the other hand, if you love to drag race, you w3ant all the grip you can get!

Incorrect. If you love the twisties, get the stickiest tire possible. If you drag race, and don't want to stress the driveline, don't use too sticky of a tire. :rtfm:

[NALegacy]

+1 on needing sticky tires for curves...Trust me, I know.
Also, you left off a very popular tire brand on your list of brands, I know that it wasn't supposed to be every possible brand, but among Subaru owners, FALKEN, it's on of their favorite brands. But good job on the tirerack style writeup:tup:

[Bu11dogg2]

Incorrect. If you love the twisties, get the stickiest tire possible. If you drag race, and don't want to stress the driveline, don't use too sticky of a tire. :rtfm:

hahahahah :lol:

Thanks DM, I had it backwards!!

Fix0r3d:D

["F"audi]

Falken = :tup:

[heightsgtltd]

Continental contiextremes = A/S :tup:

[Bu11dogg2]

Can you guys put up prices that you paid too?

unless you know a guy who knows a guy who got you a deal....

[Phil]

225/40/18 Kumho Ecsta SPT ~ $95 each at Discount Tire.

Superb value for money.

[Drift Monkey]

225/40/18 Falken Azenis RT615 - $131/each at teh edgeracing.com...

[eatV8]

Another thing I thought worth adding when considering budget... The high performance summer tyres do wear out faster then regular All Season rubber will. Therefore having to replace them more often.

[Drift Monkey]

Another thing I thought worth adding when considering budget... The high performance summer tyres do wear out faster then regular All Season rubber will. Therefore having to replace them more often.
100th post FTW!

[Ledfoot]

I cannot give enough praise for Yokohama AVS ES 100's. They are an outstanding, middle of the road (budget-wise) summer performance tire. I liked the feel and reliability of them so much I bought sets for three different cars covering all the drive types (FWD, RWD, and now, AWD).

Besides looking cool (IMHO) they have outstanding lateral grip. Best of all, they work equally as well in the rainiest of weather. Tread life for any preformance tire is fairly crappy, but I actually found my Yoko's to wear reasonably for their performance levels...I'd say I got two years and about 20k miles per set...this figure varies with the car...FWD eat the front tires more...not a concern for you guys. I paid 560 bucks for the set, mounted, balance, and that included aligning the car. Not bad at all.

Just don't get stuck in the first snow of early winter with these guys on your car. ;)

Edit: Like most stiffer sidewalled tires, there is a decent bit of road noise and harshness to these tires, but not enough to degrade my enjoyment of them. Every year i took them off and went to winter rubber it would surprise me the change in noise level..... but I was never bothered by it.

[JessterCPA]

...and what exactly is wrong with my RE-92's??

[Drift Monkey]

...and what exactly is wrong with my RE-92's??
Everything.

[ih8vtec13]

I have now put some substantial mileage on my Kumho MXs and have to say that they are a great tire as long as they dont see any snow. They are really
grippy in the dry and wet. Have not had them on ahy track events yet but I think they will perform well.

[Garandman]

...and what exactly is wrong with my RE-92's?? The RE-92 and 92A on Legacy and Outback is quiet, smooth-riding, low rolling resistance, and has decent grip in the dry. It was very interesting to put them on one of our minivans (replacing another OEM tire) to compare just what they did well, or not.

In the rain and snow it has very poor performance. They feel greasy and don't communicate with a gradually increasing slip angle - they wipe out with little notice. You'll note that in the tirerack surveys they rank #22 of 23.....

I replaced them with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3's (summer only) and they're terrific. they're fairly quiet and smooth riding, but have great cornering grip and turn-in. In they rain they're absurdly good. In a recent C&D test, the stopping distance on wet pavement was the same as it was on dry pavement. They have a 260 treadwear rating, I've only had them 5,000 miles so far but they don't seem to be wearing very fast. Got them just after the last autocross of the season but I'm going to try it next year in an otherwise stock Outback H6 wagon - arguably the worst possible Subaru for autocross.

What are the downsides? First, they're over $200 per tire. Second, they are completely hopeless in snow and ice. In the aforementioned C&D test (of goodyear Summer, A/S, and snow tires) they were not able to accelerate the car enough on snow to complete the braking test! An AWD BMW with 2 guys pushing! needless to say my snows are going on in a week or so.

It is sooo worth it to be able to horrify sporty car drivers in the corners, but more importantly, to be able to drive at normal speeds in heavy rain with a secure feeling and great capability.

[Bu11dogg2]

Good write up!!

I need new tires... need new clutch first though

[NALegacy]

What do you guys think of the falken fk452s? I need some new rubber...I can ride on my stock rubber for a while longer. I'm only down to the wear bars...and secondary rubber in a couple of spots...no cords yet:lol:

[TSi+WRX]

I have now put some substantial mileage on my Kumho MXs and have to say that they are a great tire as long as they dont see any snow. They are really
grippy in the dry and wet. Have not had them on ahy track events yet but I think they will perform well.

^ Hey bro,

What's your tire size, and what's your preferred inflation pressures (cold? hot?) ?

I ask because a fellow local recently recommended these tires to me - I'm currently shopping for summer skins for the next warm-up, and although I'll have enough dough saved-up to put me on a set of just about anything, I am also somewhat budget conscious, seeing as I've got a new baby around now. ;) The MXs were recommended as something that are affordable, but offered excellent wet-weather (and dry, too, of course) grip.

I don't remember what my friend runs, in terms of tire sizing, but I don't believe it to be in excess of 225 width, and his buddy cited that they were both surprised that these "budget" tires could grip so well, especially given the fact that my friend's STi is currently a clutch-replacement away from hitting 10s in the quarter.....

Thanks in-advance for any info. you may be able to share.

:)

[Drift Monkey]

What do you guys think of the falken fk452s? I need some new rubber...I can ride on my stock rubber for a while longer. I'm only down to the wear bars...and secondary rubber in a couple of spots...no cords yet:lol:
Weak, just get some RT-615...:lol:

Seriously though, FK452s are a good tire...:tup:

[Drift Monkey]

^ Hey bro,

What's your tire size, and what's your preferred inflation pressures (cold? hot?) ?

I ask because a fellow local recently recommended these tires to me - I'm currently shopping for summer skins for the next warm-up, and although I'll have enough dough saved-up to put me on a set of just about anything, I am also somewhat budget conscious, seeing as I've got a new baby around now. ;) The MXs were recommended as something that are affordable, but offered excellent wet-weather (and dry, too, of course) grip.

I don't remember what my friend runs, in terms of tire sizing, but I don't believe it to be in excess of 225 width, and his buddy cited that they were both surprised that these "budget" tires could grip so well, especially given the fact that my friend's STi is currently a clutch-replacement away from hitting 10s in the quarter.....

Thanks in-advance for any info. you may be able to share.

:) He's running 225/40/18....they were ubercheap when he bought them, might still be. It really is an excellent tire especially if you plan on nothing but street use. Not sure what you're planning though. They should last quite a while too...

[Wukindada]

Just put my winter tires on about 4 weeks ago....Toyo RA-1's nothing like that 40 treadwear;)

Talk about stiff sidewalls......Cornering....:eek:

[TSi+WRX]

DM - Thanks, bruddah, for that update.

Yes, I'm street-only.

:)

[Drift Monkey]

Just put my winter tires on about 4 weeks ago....Toyo RA-1's nothing like that 40 treadwear;)

Talk about stiff sidewalls......Cornering....:eek:
It's a decent tire for hotlapping on track days for sure. Sidewall isn't stiff as other R comps, but then again they don't cost nearly as much either...:tup:

[Wukindada]

Thats exactly why I purchased them, driving on them on a daily basis is the sidewalls were any stiffer it would hurt when accompanied by Bilsteins & Pinks.
Only downside I have found though is the optimal heat range window is very small:(

Still a great winter tire for Florida though.....

[andrew.anderson]

Potenza PZero Nero M&S Y Rated on our LGT> THey are good for the summer and mornign dew on the road. Once it starts to rain they quickly become useless.

[Drift Monkey]

Thats exactly why I purchased them, driving on them on a daily basis is the sidewalls were any stiffer it would hurt when accompanied by Bilsteins & Pinks.
Only downside I have found though is the optimal heat range window is very small:(

Still a great winter tire for Florida though.....
So i'm riding "hard" on coilovers and Azenis? :lol:

[Wukindada]

Remember, I'm a old man....
Firmer sidewall than the Azenis.....I'll be putting those on during the summer, great tire though...

[Effin Ponderous]

I ran Dunlop Direzza's on my G35. 245/45 ZR18's. Paid $125.00 each before M/B. They had a great balance of ride and dry weather handling, but were pretty poor in the rain. Prior to those I had run Falken Ziex ZE512's in 245/40 YR 18's (same cost). Great handling in wet or dry weather and the only performance tire with a treadwear warranty. They are overall the best udget tire for the money...in my opinion.

[GodWhomIsMike]

I'm looking for a heavy duty comfortable set of all-season tires that can stand up to the day to day life of NY - pothole capital of the world. I am nervous about the Conti's because the posts about squishy sidewalls brings back bad memories of the RE92s tripping over themselves at low speeds.

I'm strongly considering Avon M550 A/S tires in 225/45/17 size. I also looked at Nokian WR's, but lots of folks told me they'd suck for year round driving.

I'm looking for comfortable softer ride. I also want to tire that won't bubble or rip to shreds on our craptastic roads. Probably should get a tire with the XL rating then huh?


.

[GodWhomIsMike]

HOLY ****:

"The Nokian WR XL 94V tires are available for Wednesday.
Each tire- $244
Mounting- FREE
Balancing- FREE
Scrap- FREE
Valves- FREE"


That's insane - are they crazy?


.

[ih8vtec13]

wow and I thought i got ripped off when i payed $206 each for a 225/45/17 :lol:
They really are the most capable all-seasonfor year round use.

[mrjoshuanyc]

Ok I am also looking for new tires and I live in NY. I am sticking with the stockers and I have no idea what tire to put on. The oem tires are down right scary at this point and I have 25000miles on the clock. Suggestions please.

[dc78]

Potenza PZero Nero M&S Y Rated on our LGT> THey are good for the summer and mornign dew on the road. Once it starts to rain they quickly become useless.

i dont own them, but i thought the perelli PZeros were one of the best in the rain.

[Dookie]

Here's what the majority of people say that own these tires. Surveys are from The Tire Rack.


http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/pirelli/titles/pi_pzero_rosso_system.gif
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=PZero+Rosso&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=245WR70ARV2&fromCompare1=yes&place=5



http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/logo_goodyear.gif (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/goodyear/goodyear.jsp) http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/titles/gy_eagle_f1_gsd3.gif
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+F1+GS-D3


I've had the Goodyears GS-D3's on my other car and loved them. Can't wait to shread up my stockers to buy some Goodyears. BTW - they are excellant in the rain too, just like their Aquatreads.

[Drift Monkey]

F1s are great rain tires.

[Osei]

I have 215/45-17 BFG kdw2 (leaf like pattern) on Enkei ZR 1 rims for summer use

great wet and dry traction

Low noise imo ( and I drive NA), only have about 8K on them so far (just put them back on). They handle cold temps well, but really shine when the temp is above 50.

can't give really accurate pricing, for I got rims and tires thru a local vendor.
I paid the few extra $ to support a local business. when i was shopping both discount tire and tire rack had good prices.

$1600, rims tires m&b.

O.

[havanisda]

No1 mentioned anything about Toyos. I bought my car used w/new stock size Toyo Proxes 4 and they seem quiet and grippy even in the rain under full acceleration it just goes, I picked up a nail and a new 1 cost me $120 balanced, but I only been driving the car 3000 miles at this point

[GripDis]

what all season tires do you guys sugest to stick on the stocker???

[NALegacy]

I've got some miles on my FK452s now...and I must say, I would suggest them for a daily driver tire, on the reasonable side of the pricing scale; the tires have little quirks, like going side to side on those grooves in the pavement on the highway. Not really too bad, but kind of annoying. Probably because of the width/tread pattern:confused:. Pretty quiet tire, and seems to be wearing well. I'd hate to have to get new tires every year...:eek:

[Dookie]

How are they in the rain? I like the GS D3 tires, but if I can find something more inexpense with the same traction would be awesome.

[urabus]

Get the BF Goodrich G-Force KDW2 http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+T%2FA+KDW+2 there not to expensive and very sticky and good tread life.

[TSi+WRX]

How are they in the rain? I like the GS D3 tires, but if I can find something more inexpense with the same traction would be awesome.

At least one of our locals really likes the KDW2s. His application is mainly as an aggressive street-driver, on his 18G-equipped WRX wagon. There are also more than a handful of .com'ers who love the KDW2s.

I don't think that you'll find there's much price-difference between the two, though, and a significant portion of our local AutoXers consider this tire more of a "show tire," maintaining that the tread-pattern is both loud and less-than-totally optimized for either wet or dry performance.

I've never tried the KDW2s (I place a lot of trust in our local AutoXers to give good advice), so I can't say directly.

The Toyo T1-Rs have been often cited by many .com'ers as an excellent alternative to the F1 GS-D3s, and in particular cite this tire's not insignificantly lower price-point as well as its stiffer sidewalls (if that's something that you're looking for) as distinct advantages over the F1 GS-D3s. Wet-traction and hydroplane resistance is reputed to be similar.

I recently ended-up going with the Hankook RS-2 Z212s as my "summer tires" for the next two (and hopefully, 3) years or so. These were highly recommended from the local AutoX crowd, who tailored their tire-advice to me in terms of a sometimes-aggressive street-driver, with no plans for tracking/AutoX-ing the vehicle, who wanted confident wet-weather street-handling as well as better-than-average hydroplane resistance. A VW-enthusiast from FL further advised me that unless I intended to "drive really aggressively under monsoon coditions" ( which, plainly, I'd be stupid to do, given that this would be on public streets, and likely with my daughter as the passenger, even given the Britax Marathon that serves as her exoskeleton! :lol: ), I'd likely be just fine with the RS-2s. So far, through the two absolute downpours that we've had here in NE-Ohio, I have yet to be disappointed by the advice from these individuals (nor from these tires).

The price-point is comparable to the T1-Rs (without shipping), but I had the advantage of being able to source the Hankooks here, locally, which was a preference of mine.

The RS-2s major downfall, though, is treadwear. And since rain/wet performance - particularly hydroplane resistance - is at least in-part a direct function of this item, well....hey, at least these tires didn't cost an arm and a leg. I still, however, debate whether if I should have gone with the significantly more expensive GS-D3s, given their excellent wear characteristics as well as my street-driving/comfort bend.

Additionally, due to the tread pattern on the RS-2s, they will howl a bit at 30 to 45 MPH. If you have an aftermarket exhaust or - even a quiet one - or like to cruise with the windows open, this won't likely be an issue for you, but you should definitely take this under advisement.

...the tires have little quirks, like going side to side on those grooves in the pavement on the highway. Not really too bad, but kind of annoying. Probably because of the width/tread pattern:confused:.

That's disappointing to hear - that was also a big complaint with the Ziex ZE-512s, even at just 225 width. :( I'm surprised they haven't engineered this out of the FK-452s, which were, at the time, a next-generation tire. I wonder if the new 912s improved on this in any way.

Good to hear that you're liking them otherwise, though, bro! :)

[TSi+WRX]

I'll save a spot here for what tires I have, and what trade-offs I've made. :)

Be back later!

[Dookie]

I'm sure any of those tires are way better than the OEM RE-92s. Here in CA we don't need two sets of tires for the season change, but we do get a lot of rain during the winter. That's why I like the GS D3s so much because of the wet/dry handling. Prices on these tires have gone up in the past yr or two and making think twice about other brands.

I only have one more winter season on my current OEMs, by next spring I'll be needing new tires.

[TSi+WRX]

^ Agreed - the OEM RE92s, I believe, are a true trade-off in terms of treadwear/durability, performance/safety, and factory-negotiated pricing.

I think that much of why we got it on our Scoobys may be due to that last factor - certainly, it's nothing special in terms of treadwear/durability, and most definitely, it's by far not one of the better-performing set of OEM all-seasons that I've had experience with, under any conditions.

I still think that the RE92s aren't *that* bad, provided that you stay well within their very limited performance envelope. My wife, for example, on her WRX (granted, that's a different fitment, on a different vehicle), has never run in to any troubles - be it with snow/ice, hydroplaning/wet-performance, or dry-performance. Hands-down, she says, the WRX is the best handling vehicle she's ever driven, and coming from her history of low-powered imports, it's no wonder...still, she's never gotten stuck in the snow, caught-out by ice, or hydroplaned. Why? I think it's mainly because she's staying well within the limited performance envelope of the RE92s, and I think that this is also the reason why perhaps nearly 90% of the BL/BP Legacy drivers we see out there on the roads - the ones who are not necessarily "enthusiasts" nor ever really push their cars - are plenty satisfied with these OEM rubbers.

Definitely, just about any aftermarket high-performance or ultra-high-performance all-season will give you much better performance than the RE92s - and if you choose carefully, you can even tailor where on the spectrum of things you'd gain the most performance improvement as well as expand your safety envelope.

For me, the RE92s were ditched because I had unknowingly stopped on some just-refinished driveway repaving, and that caused those tires to pick up huge chunks of tar, something that was just impossible to remove. The persistent vibrations I received at-speed forced me to get a set of replacement all-seasons well before my budget (original plan had been for a set of "summers" and a set of "winters," each on their individual rims) was ready. :(

Had my budget been in-place, I likely would have gone through to that fall/winter transition with the RE92s, and made my first purchase a set of performance-biased winters, shod on my factory rims, at the beginning of that particular winter season (this would have been winter-2005, transitioning into 2006).

Alas, that was not to be, and as a result, I settled on a set of Falken Ziex ZE-512s, in 225/45/17 fitment (on the factory '05 LGT rims), as the replacement to the damaged RE92s.

I chose the 512s because I had good experiences with it in the past, on my DSMs, even though they were more powerful front-drivers (at nearly 300 wHP, Mustang dyno, to the front wheels), when tire pressures were properly monitored and maintained, they never had much trouble, to-speak, in the typical snow, slush, and other wintry weather combination that we see here in North-East Ohio (near east-side suburbs, Metro Cleveland). They handle snow and slush decently well, although off-the-line traction can be an issue under worse conditions, they are predictable and offer a decent safety envelope. And since one of my biggest requirements was that my "winter" tires are able to handle, with utmost confidence (i.e. exceptional resistance to highway-speed straight-line hydroplaning), the typical fall/spring transitional-season rainstorms, the 512s, with their huge rain-grooves, were an obvious choice.

Among our local Scooby enthusiast club, these economical tires are a favorite for "compromise winter" use (as well as are also favored by the guys who daily-drive a beater substitute for their highly modified Scoobys, which serve as track/AutoX/strip or weekend vehicles), particularly for those among us who live in areas where icing is not frequent (these tires are horrible on ice), and where roadways are relatively well-maintained.

The only true complaint that's been voiced and agreed-upon is that they seem to not wear very well. For those who run these tires as a true all-season tire, 24/7, most report tread-life that's barely acceptable, even given their bargain pricing.

Tramlining is another often-voiced issue, but with the 512s, it seems that this is more of a problem at 225-width or above.

---

With my summer tires, I'm currently running, as I cited above, a set of Hankook RS-2 Z212s, in 225/40/18 fitment, on a set of Prodrive PFF-7s.

The rims here are a trade-off, too - they're heavy for 18s, but I chose them as they can easily withstand the abuse that they're likely to see here in NE-Ohio, where winter damage to roadways from surface-treatments can take up until nearly the winter season of the next year to be completely fixed. :lol:

Given the rims are already so heavy, I was rather unwilling to add any more weight to this critical area - especially carcass weight. Still, my early consideration for tires included the 245/35/18 fitment that could've been possible with the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, Toyo T1-R, BFG KDW2, or Falken FK-452. In the end, though, weight and handling considerations (since the PFF-7s are only 8" wide) - as well as strut clearance (I'm on factory shocks, paired with iON springs) concerns - told me that the better part of valor, for now, was to simply stick with the tried-and-true 225/40/18 sizing. :redface:

The FK-452s were thus dropped from consideration, due to the mixed reviews that these tires have received from both the many Forums I scrubbed through as well as from direct-report via my own trusted sources (i.e. people whom I know personally, or are otherwise "local" to me). At the same time, the BFG KDW2s were also dropped from consideration, for the same reasons as above.

With the decision solidified to go with 225/40/18 sizing, this also brought the venerable Kumho MX into play. While this tire received outstanding commentary from many of my personally trusted sources, one aspect of their behavior was something that I thought would perhaps get me into trouble on the street -> they're quiet, even through break-away. Although this would definitely be of-benefit to drivers who are very aggressive in keeping them out of, perhaps, "display of speed" or "reckless driving" citations from an enforcer who was within earshot, to me, as a guy who wanted his street-tires to be able to warn him that he's stupidly approaching the envelope :redface: - I think anyone here can see that this trait would not necessarily be so welcome.

This left my final choices down to the Hankooks, the Goodyears, and the Toyos.

Of these three, the T1-Rs were probably what satisfied my requirements best. However, their lack of local availability was a big roadblock for me - and one which eventually took them out of the race, particularly once I got local pricing on the RS-2s. Also, since their sidewalls were reputedly much harder than the GS-D3s, this further allowed me to justify not going with these tires, since ride comfort for my family was a consideration - and thus shifted the overall balance to the GS-D3s in this respect.

Pricing, again, was the reason why the GS-D3s were dropped from my final consideration. Although their wet-performance, particularly on the street, were agreed by almost everyone I interviewed to be noticeably superior to the RS-2s, it was also a given that as long as I didn't do anything stupid, the RS-2s weren't going to be a problem. This, combined with the premium that the GS-D3s demanded, tipped the final decision in favor of the Hankooks.

So far, as I stated before, I have no regrets on the Hankooks. They allow me to go just as fast as I dare to go - particularly with precious cargo in-vehicle - even in downpour conditions, and I am very pleased with their dry-weather capabilities.

My only concern will be, as time rolls on and the miles pile on, whether or not I will regret their purchase based on tread-life. The Hankooks have typically lasted my locals through about two seasons' worth of hard street-driving, combined with one or perhaps two AutoX sessions. It's my hope that I will see at least three seasons' worth use out of them, particularly due to my low-mileage habits. Still, I can't help but wonder if paying the $300 or so premium for the GS-D3s, up-front, may not have been the smarter choice instead, particularly as there are so many reports of people seeing > 30K miles from these tires.

[urabus]

KDW2:tup: :p

[Dookie]

Car and Driver tested 11 top performance tires.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10252/tire-test-the-quick-and-the-tread.html




I've made my decision, I'm getting the GS-D3's again because of it's wet & dry performance.:tup:

[2.5sbd]

My plan was to do the same Dookie
So in November I got some snow tires for the winter months (Dunlop Sport M3's)
Well the long term weather forcast for my area turns out to be very mild:(
And then I got a bubble on one of the M3's
So put them up for sale and sold them last night
Put the old RE92's back on
And just took delivery today of the Goodyear F1 All Seasons also went up a size to 225 45 17
I just hope I don't get too much rain this weekend as my RE92's are bald as Terry Bradshaw's head:)
And the shop isn't open till Monday

Moral of this story
Unless your rich ... don't get season specific tires if you live in and around Philly

[Dookie]

I think I found something better for my price zone.

http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bfg/logo_bfg.gif (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bfg/bfg.jsp)http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bfg/titles/bfg_gforce_sport.gif

http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bfg/bfg_g_force_sport_ci2_l.jpg

Costco - Shipping, Handling, Installation, and Disposal Included in Price $119.00

Thoughts??

[2.5sbd]

Dookie I just realized you live in Cali but have tires that are great in the rain:confused:
These G Force Sports are more suited for Cali weather so good choice:tup:

[TSi+WRX]

No comment on the tires, brother Dookie - I have not had any experience with them....however, from what I've heard about them, the reviews are mainly all very positive.

Just be careful with Costco. They may not mount your tires, if the sizing isn't recognized in their books. Be sure you call-ahead to verify that they'll actually mount your fitment.

Someone on .com ran into a problem with this issue. :( 225/45/17s on the factory rims. Got denied. :(

[Dookie]

^^Yes, I did read that thread too. Costco's new policy is: if it's not the stock size tire for the stock size rim, then Costco has the right to deny service. I believe the member on .com had 18" rims.



Dookie I just realized you live in Cali but have tires that are great in the rain:confused:
These G Force Sports are more suited for Cali weather so good choice:tup:

Yes I'm looking for good rain tires too. Where I live, Central Valley (which is smack dab in the middle of California), gets alot of rain during the winter seasons.

[TSi+WRX]

^^Yes, I did read that thread too. Costco's new policy is: if it's not the stock size tire for the stock size rim, then Costco has the right to deny service. I believe the member on .com had 18" rims.

Sorry, bro, but it's definitely 225/45/17, on our stockers - here's the thread ->
http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77212 :(

Like I said, I just wanted to be sure you wouldn't, like, get there, and they'd say "no." :( That would suck! :(

[Dookie]

^^My bad, your right. It was the 225/45/17 that hey had a problem with.


Here's what atc5 found out.

they whipped out a book that showed plus one sizes and there was NOTHING other than 215/45/17 listed as acceptable for the LGT, therefore because of liability issues they could not install. No exceptions, I asked if they would let it slide.


If I do decide to go with these tires, I will def. call before I order them, plus, based on the above quote I should be fine since I'm using only stock size.

[TSi+WRX]

^ No problemo - just wanted to be sure you wouldn't encounter the same situation there. That would totally suck! :(

[Dookie]

Ok, I've changed my mind again. Has anyone experieced the Yokohama S.drive? From the online reviews and price, I think I'm sold on these.

http://www.yokohamatire.com/images/carsandtires/SDRIVEtire.jpg

[SubieChik]

^^ How much?? Link??

[Dookie]

Discount Tires (http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rc=CAFINT&yr=2005&cf=false&c=0&sw=false&pc=43672&tc=YOKHZ2&rf=true&rcz=93722&cs=215&dVeh=dVeh&rd=17&vid=009190&ar=45)

[havanisda]

Those Yokos are +$60 more expensive/per tire then my Toyos w/similar ratings accordin 2 www.1010tires.com (http://www.1010tires.com)

[Dookie]

If I order the Yokos, I'll order them through Tire Rack for $109 a tire, and a local installers charge $20 per tire to mount. Alot cheaper then Discount Tires.

Tire Rack (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=S.drive&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=145WR7SXL&fromCompare1=yes&place=0&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y))

BTW - How well do your Toyos work in the rain? These damn stockers start hydroplaning @ 60 mph on the freeway. I have to drive in the slow lane @ 50 mph to be safe.:(

[havanisda]

If I order the Yokos, I'll order them through Tire Rack for $109 a tire, and a local installers charge $20 per tire to mount. Alot cheaper then Discount Tires.

Tire Rack (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=S.drive&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=145WR7SXL&fromCompare1=yes&place=0&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y))

BTW - How well do your Toyos work in the rain? These damn stockers start hydroplaning @ 60 mph on the freeway. I have to drive in the slow lane @ 50 mph to be safe.:(
This is my 1st AWD car so I'm way impressed by what it can do in the rain. I know I'm an autobox but I can mash the gas from a dead stop in the pourin rain until however fast I wanna go and it just grabs and goes. I don't think it ever hydroplaned in the wet and I've done probably 70+mph. The tires have a lot of tread tho. :)

[Dookie]

OK, I broke down and went a total different route, after researching several different tires. I've decide on the General Exclaim UHPs which have close to the same ratings as the GS-D3s, and cost $89 per tire from a local dealer.:tup: Having them installed on Monday.

General Exclaim UHP (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Exclaim+UHP&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=145WR7EUHP&fromCompare1=yes&place=0)

[havanisda]

OK, I broke down and went a total different route, after researching several different tires. I've decide on the General Exclaim UHPs which have close to the same ratings as the GS-D3s, and cost $89 per tire from a local dealer.:tup: Having them installed on Monday.

General Exclaim UHP (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Exclaim+UHP&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=145WR7EUHP&fromCompare1=yes&place=0) GL anddon't4get2rotateyourtires4maximumtreadlife. :)

[urabus]

i just finished with my bfgoodrich KDW 2. They were very very good handling tires but... the road noise was terrible.

So im looking at my Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 star spec as im typing, that i just got from tirerack. I will let everyone know how they compare soon as i get some warm days and some miles on them.

They were priced fair $133 (not cheap but not 2 bad). No tire has the sex apeal as the KDW 2, but hopefully they handle just the same.

[Dookie]

Cool, keep us posted.

[TSi+WRX]

^ +1.

:)

[urabus]

hey tsi, did u get my pm?

About that nice looking shift knob and e break?

[urabus]

ok so i havent had a warm day 2 check out the new dunlops but... There is NO road noise so its a definite+ so far, i will keep u all posted.

[TSi+WRX]

hey tsi, did u get my pm?

About that nice looking shift knob and e break?

Replied! :tup: A couple of days ago, I believe - so if you didn't get it, let me know, and I'll re-send! :)

[urabus]

Replied! :tup: A couple of days ago, I believe - so if you didn't get it, let me know, and I'll re-send! :)

I got it bud.

You scared me out of it lol

I found each of them on the i net but the whole thing about it being light and tall, and having 2 replace the e break boot scared me.

Im not trying 2 spend much on my car except on a gt30

[Dookie]

Post up pics when you get a chance of those new shoes.

[TSi+WRX]

I got it bud.

You scared me out of it lol

I found each of them on the i net but the whole thing about it being light and tall, and having 2 replace the e break boot scared me.


:lol:

I didn't mean to scare you - :o - but yes, the destructive mod to the factory e-brake handle's leather cover is, er....., disheartening.

Other than that, it's pretty easy. Although the need to get an aftermarket e-brake boot does add significantly to the cost.

[urabus]

Post up pics when you get a chance of those new shoes.

I have been looking for my camera but have had no luck in finding it.:confused:

[Dookie]

I have been looking for my camera but have had no luck in finding it.:confused:.....:(