good tires for good handling

[phillyb]

i want my car to handle really well...
would an 18 or 17 inch wheel work better?
what are some good tire recommendations for tires that won't brake the bank?

please recommend offsets along with tire sizes as well...i'm a n00b at this

[speed3]

stock tires are the best out their period. Ask any tire shop and they will tell you the same thing. As far as rims, Try to find rims that the offset is same as stock which is 52. I went with 17x8.5 48 offset with 235-45-17 and no rubbing at all. If u find something closer to 52 you can go more than 235.

[Lymerock]

stock tires are the best? I strongly disagree.

do 17's or 18's work better? hmm... impossible to break it down that simple
how about, 17's are cheaper than 18's and will provide a softer ride than lower profile 18's (generally speaking) due to a taller sidewall, but gives up a bit of steering response and turn in crispness to a shorter/stiffer sidewalled 18.


I run 245/40/18's on a 18x8 +50, if you want to run 245's you gotta be damn close to the stock offset of 52.5
if you want to run a 235, you can prolly run an offset as low as +45
if you want to run a 225, you might be able to get away with a +42
if you stick with the stock width, you might be able to get away with a +38, but it will look geeked and the stock width is perfect for a yaris.


buying rims/tires takes homework and a bit of knoledge about what the numbers mean but its not rocket science

[Demi]

Originally Posted by speed3 stock tires are the best out their period. Ask any tire shop and they will tell you the same thing. As far as rims, Try to find rims that the offset is same as stock which is 52. I went with 17x8.5 48 offset with 235-45-17 and no rubbing at all. If u find something closer to 52 you can go more than 235.

You need to find a new tire shop. Thats far from true. Im running nt-555 on stock rims. Bumped it up to 225 40 18s. The difference in handling and acceleration traction was stunning.

[twisted99]

You need to be more specific on what type of weather you want handling. The stock tires are ok but by far not the best. If want dry weather handling for a great price I would look at the Falken Azenis rt-615s in a 225 or 235 width and look for a 7.5 inch wide rim. If you dont mind rolling your fenders go to a 8.0 inch wide rim and look at 245s or even 255s

[speed3]

Originally Posted by twisted99 You need to be more specific on what type of weather you want handling. The stock tires are ok but by far not the best. If want dry weather handling for a great price I would look at the Falken Azenis rt-615s in a 225 or 235 width and look for a 7.5 inch wide rim. If you dont mind rolling your fenders go to a 8.0 inch wide rim and look at 245s or even 255s

I got the potenza 760 just because tread life is 340 compar to the stock ones that are 140. Is not always about super grip, How about the steering response? Or road noise. I'm sure they are better tires out their than stock that grip more, but ride quality is not going to be the same.

[FCmaniac]

Falken Azenis RT615's. I just got mine from Edge Racing. You can't get a better performance per dollar tire.

[zpeedfreak]

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star spec.. hands down the best ones...

ones that are good and cheap right know are the kuhmo MX which tire rack have them a 111 each

[Lymerock]

for best dry weather road tire ill nominate the bridgestone Re-01
not cheap, but it is the defacto autocross street tire class (sts, stx, stu) tire for a reason

[shamuspeed3]

brigestone RE070a
they come stock on the new skyline gt-R
NOT CHEAP!

but i guess yeww get what yeww pay for
=]

[ms3jake]

Get some sway bars and coilovers while your at it. You said you want really good handling.

[MS3-oholic]

I have 235/40/18 Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires and they grip like crazy. I made my wife sick to her stomach on a 270 degree off ramp one day and the tires never made a noise. Tire Rack rated them higher than the Bridgestone RE-01. They do make more road noise than the stockers did but I can live with it.

[bani]

Originally Posted by speed3 stock tires are the best out their period.

no.

the stockers are very good, maybe even great tires, but not the best.

when mine wear out i'll be replacing them with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 for better wet grip.

[Frequentflyer]

My S2000 had RE050's on it from factory. After I wore them out in 20k miles, I went with the Azenis RT-615's. The RE050's are a great tire, but after autocrossing on both, I gotta say the 615's had more dry grip and weren't much worse in the rain. The Azenis are an amazing tire for the price and it took alot of effort just to get them to squeal. Lots of grip.

[builthatch]

Originally Posted by FCmaniac Falken Azenis RT615's. I just got mine from Edge Racing. You can't get a better performance per dollar tire.

this is 10000% correct.

the previous gen azenis, and the latest 615 are just incredible tires.

[speed3]

RE070A came stock on the 05-07 sti's. Excellent tires!

[cosmicspd3]

I am actually looking at getting new tires as my stockers are almost gone at 17k miles. I am looking at consumer reports and here is the break down for ultra performance.
score out of 100, to get a better review you'll need to look at the CR.
1. *Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 85
2. *Pirelli P-Zero - 84
3. BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2 - 78
4. *Bridgestone Potenza RE 050 A Pole Position - 77
5. *Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 - 76
6. *Continental ContiSportContact 3 - 76
7. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx - 76
8. *Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 - 73

* = CR recommended

Best bang for the buck are the KDW2's and the PE2's. The PE2's had the best tread life. I think I'll be getting those specially since they are $173 a piece at tirerack. Tread pattern is similar to the #1 and stock. My friend has the kdw2's on his SC cobalt and says they handle very well in wet/dry conditions, the side wall wasnt as stiff compared to his stock pzeros but on the road tour (twisty high speed driving) says they handled very well. So yeah... kdw2 or pe2's for me

Anyone try any of those?

[superskaterxes]

well considering the potenza RE050A's came on the FERRARI ENZO im pretty sure they are good tires. grated the ferrari versions had a higher speed rating and what not it was still the same tire.....uber poor treadwear but otherwise a great tire.


i went with the pirelli p-zero nero M+s. best all seasons tire out there for the money.

[lidokrantz]

Lots of great tires out there, as mentioned..... but as stated it depends on how long you want them to last as well as how they perform in the rain, and looks may be a factor...it is to me anyway,. But my 2 favorites are the Toyo R1R that just came out and Bridgestone RE01R. For grip these are some of the best, but will wear quickly on the street. And they look great. But R tires for the street are questionable.

[5_Alive]

Just because an uber tire comes on a really expensive supercar doesn't mean it will work for you as well.. A lot of times, manufacturers have a tire designed specifically for that specific car.. other times, they design the car to work with a really good tire that's available, and set the car up to work perfectly with that available tire..

My old SS/SC Cobalt had the Pirelli P-Zero's on it.. it was the shittiest thing on the planet... no grip, horrible rain traction, squealed like a pig.. but to a guy in a Ferrari, it works..

The Falken is one of the better tires out there right now for the money..
I've also had previous history with the Nexen N3000, and that tire was amazing..

Buy what is within' your budget and your needs..

[Demi]

Originally Posted by speed3 I'm sure they are better tires out their than stock that grip more, but ride quality is not going to be the same.

I will continue to groan your comments in tire threads because you dont know what youre talking about, and hopefully that will keep newer folks from thinking you do. God knows there is nothing that pisses me off more than people that talk just to talk. There is no shame in being ignorant, but to spread the ignorance because you want to be included in a conversation makes you the worst kid of poster, and the reason that people need to be careful when buying advice online.

[Sacrilicious]

Originally Posted by speed3 I got the potenza 760 just because tread life is 340 compar to the stock ones that are 140. Is not always about super grip, How about the steering response? Or road noise. I'm sure they are better tires out their than stock that grip more, but ride quality is not going to be the same.

there's a tradeoff for everything, and our stock tires are far from being the best in any category.

i currently run toyo t1-r tires in 235/40/18.

for dry performance: about the same as stock tires.
for wet performance: WAY better traction.
for comfort: noticeably more comfortable ride.
for treadwear: i'm pretty darn optimistic that these tires will have noticeably better wear than the stockers...but this is only a guess based on the 280 rating.
for rolling resistance: significantly more than stock...lost 3 mpg on mixed driving.

the price of these tires were $170 a pop as compared to $200+ each for the stock tires. overall, i'm probably going to be spending slightly more for the toyo T1-Rs even though i will be spending less on tires (initial cost and replacement cost) because of the added gas costs, but the bottom line is that if performance and comfort were my only considerations, it's not even a contest between the toyos and the stock potenzas...

this is just one example of tires which perform better than our stock tires. as demi said, you need to get a new tire shop, because they were definitely not straight with you about what's available....=/

[Sacrilicious]

Originally Posted by bani no. the stockers are very good, maybe even great tires, but not the best. when mine wear out i'll be replacing them with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 for better wet grip.

+1

our stockers actually have downright unimpressive wet traction compared to what's available. as soon as it gets wet out, you really start losing traction on any kind of moderately hard acceleration.

[Demi]

The stockers have poor traction (wet and dry), slow response due to loads of sidewall flex and a piss poor tread life. I will say that the road noise is minimal for a "performance" tire. Please note that this is in comparison to some of the inexpensive performance tires available, not to the crap you can buy off the rack. If thats what were are comparing then yes, the stockers are totally tits.

[5_Alive]

Weird? I haven't had any trouble in the rain with my stock tires.. I have 34,000km on my car, so roughly 21,000 miles..
Mostly highway driving, a lot of spirited.. They may be good for another 6-8k miles if I'm good with them.. I haven't yet hit the treadwear bars yet, but close to..
To be completely honest, you need to buy what suites your needs.. If you want a tire that is going to be comfortable with good tread rating, buy a Yokohama Avid Touring tire.. those are nice..
If you want a great summer tire, I don't know.. lots of people in the thread appear to be agreeing that the Falken is a really good tire, same as myself..

[Sacrilicious]

Originally Posted by 5_Alive Weird? I haven't had any trouble in the rain with my stock tires.. I have 34,000km on my car, so roughly 21,000 miles.. Mostly highway driving, a lot of spirited.. They may be good for another 6-8k miles if I'm good with them.. I haven't yet hit the treadwear bars yet, but close to.. To be completely honest, you need to buy what suites your needs.. If you want a tire that is going to be comfortable with good tread rating, buy a Yokohama Avid Touring tire.. those are nice.. If you want a great summer tire, I don't know.. lots of people in the thread appear to be agreeing that the Falken is a really good tire, same as myself..

it's not that the stockers are BAD in the rain, it's just that if you compare it to the competition, you don't actually have to look very far to find tires who perform noticeably better under wet conditions. all we're saying is that you can do better for your money no matter what your standards are!

[gtlaw]

this forum needs a sticky thread where people post pics of their cars with the info on wheel specs, tire size, and suspension mods. it would be a great resource.

[kingpin748]

Falken Azenis RT-615

Terrible wet weather driving but I don't care.

I should qualify that. If you're driving like an asshole in the rain it's not that great.

[gtlaw]

Originally Posted by kingpin748 Falken Azenis RT-615 Terrible wet weather driving but I don't care.

they aren't that bad. azenis are the only tires I've owned in the last five years until I bought this MS3 four months ago. BTW the old RT-215's were better

[Funky]

They stockers are good tires; you wont know that until you buy a cheaper set and realize what you're missing. BUT they are very expensive, and I believe you can get better tires for less $.
All I can say is DONT buy Sumitomos, and DEFINITELY consider Dunlop Z1 Star Specs. They are the #1 ranking tires in Tirerack tests and customer reviews. I just got them, and the sidewalls are rocksolid. They also stick very well which mean that they have the whole package taken care of...

Funky

[Demi]

Like wise, you wont know how bad they suck until you buy some better tires. You can get 4 triple nickles for $550. I love em, but dont buy them if you live in a wet area. They are much worse than the stockers in wet conditions, but MUCH better in dry. I live in AZ, so wet performance isnt much of a concern here. My stockers were running out of tread markers at 16000 miles.....it should be noted however that a good deal of those miles were autobahn.

[Otacon_X]

What about the Yokohama tire line?

[Nliiitend1]

I just want to chime in with my thoughts about the new Kumho XS.

I've been driving on these now for almost 2000 miles (235/40R18 on RX8 wheels), and so far I'm very impressed. Dry grip seems to be as good if not better than the Falken RT-615, and wet grip is better.

I'm excited to see what they can do on an autocross or open track course. I'll keep everyone updated!

[gsrtype1]

Man I probly gonna switch to 215 tires again my steering feels so heavy with the 235 on and I bet its wearing out my power steering..

[Haltech]

Originally Posted by gsrtype1 Man I probly gonna switch to 215 tires again my steering feels so heavy with the 235 on and I bet its wearing out my power steering..

Well if you arent using at least 8 inch wheels, you are feeling the pain.

[tutuga]

Originally Posted by Otacon_X What about the Yokohama tire line?

225/40/18 Yokohama Parada Spec-2 - amazing grip wet & dry

Dunlop Direzza Star Spec is pretty good too

[Corndogler]

The Azenis rt615 in 225 40, will fit on the stock rims just fine correct? Also, what is the best place to get them?

[FAUXSPD]

Is noise a variable in these considerations? I've had loud tires on previous vehicles and it sucked ...

[ms3077]

Originally Posted by tutuga 225/40/18 Yokohama Parada Spec-2 - amazing grip wet & dry Dunlop Direzza Star Spec is pretty good too

On my second set and couldn't agree more plus they're only like $133 per tire. Oh, and they're like the only 225/40/18 Ultra High Performance summer tire that fit on the stock rim according to manufactory specs.
Yes, other 225/40/18's will fit on the stock rim but if you look at the Manufactory recommendations for 99% of these tires they mandate a rim wider than 7 inches, otherwise if the tire fails you're SOL not to mention it could dangerous.

[Qluber]

Originally Posted by cosmicspd3 I am actually looking at getting new tires as my stockers are almost gone at 17k miles. I am looking at consumer reports and here is the break down for ultra performance. score out of 100, to get a better review you'll need to look at the CR. 1. *Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 85 2. *Pirelli P-Zero - 84 3. BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2 - 78 4. *Bridgestone Potenza RE 050 A Pole Position - 77 5. *Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 - 76 6. *Continental ContiSportContact 3 - 76 7. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx - 76 8. *Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 - 73 * = CR recommended Best bang for the buck are the KDW2's and the PE2's. The PE2's had the best tread life. I think I'll be getting those specially since they are $173 a piece at tirerack. Tread pattern is similar to the #1 and stock. My friend has the kdw2's on his SC cobalt and says they handle very well in wet/dry conditions, the side wall wasnt as stiff compared to his stock pzeros but on the road tour (twisty high speed driving) says they handled very well. So yeah... kdw2 or pe2's for me Anyone try any of those?

I had a set of Michelin PE2 Exaltos on my modded Mini Cooper, they were by far the best tire I have ever owned, traction wise, they absolutely stuck like glue, I absolutely tore the Dragon up with those things, never chirped a tire, ever..........