Ok.. I'm somewhat torn and figured I'd turn to all of you for some opinions..

I have around 21k miles now and my Dunlop OEM tires are about to be replaced... so been reading every review, calling all sorts of shops and have narrowed down what I want to a few tires..

BTW: The charts over at TireRack are great!
(http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=MP&tireSearch=true&width=225/&ratio=45&diameter=18&filter=y&sortValue=4)

However I noticed that there seem to be two distinct tires that have caught my eye, both in terms of performance, price and whatnot..

BridgeStone Potenza RE050A Pole Position (Summer Tire) @ around $195 each from Firestone
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE050A+Pole+Position

Vs

BridgeStone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position (All-Season) @ around $190 each.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE960AS+Pole+Position&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=245WR8RE960PP&fromCompare1=yes&speed_rating=H&speed_rating=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&minSpeedRating=H

What I'm torn on are two things since the prices and reviews are almost identical..

1) Treadwear : I've 2 years left on my lease, so unless they go 'bald' I'm probably not going to have an issue, yet the 960's DO have a 40k tread warranty.

2) Performance in Wet Conditions: It doesn't snow down here (I'm almost in Miami) but it does rain.. A LOT! I know the summer tires do have a good wet rating but wondered if the all-season would be a bit better even though the ratings are about the same. (Remember these are customer ratings and those who drive up north probably haven't ever driven in near-hurricane conditions).

I know both are good tires from the various reviews.. both the same price... I just need something to push me one way or the other :) Anything perhaps I'm not thinking about that I should??

if ur really nuts about the wear and the wet, then u should in no way have summer tires.....least not real good ones.....i went 8k on my potenza re040s and about 13k on my dunlop sp sports. im at 1k with my falken azenis rt615s and they are down 20% from new already. i have like 23k on my car and am half done my third set of tires....

if u want longer lasting tires and they must be good in the wet, u have no choice.....



just get some sort of all seasons

my toyo t1r's are a dedicated summer tire and they perform flawlessly in the wet

i thought summer tires were for wet and dry just not for snow and ice

I think there are better options for less money. Personally in Florida I would go with a summer tire of some sort that gets good wet ratings. The only advantage an all season will have over a good wet rated summer tire is that they will stay pliable and provide grip in the near to below freezing temps you already said you don't experience.

The first thing to think about is what are you going to do with your car. First, you live in Florida. You don't see any snow or ice. You don't need all-season tires. Also, because of where you live, you need something that will perform in heavy rains. You don't want to hydroplane in a storm. The all-season will not do as well in the rain. So, unless you seriously plan on going to the race track, stay away from the extreme performance tires. The RE050A should work fine for you.

The RE960 AS is a fine wet tire. In fact, tirerack test numbers of that tire is quite impressive. The RE050A Pole Positions is also a great wet weather tire and possibly slightly superior compared to the RE960AS while holding a definite edge in the dry. However I don't think you can make a wrong choice between the two. In the end it really depends on how hard you drive. If you're not a hard daily driver, the RE050A Pole Positions should suit you just fine and last a good while. The RX-8 by its nature is not hard on its tires.

all seasons will not do as well in the rain?

first of all, before making such a broad statement lets pick some tires here....

my summer tires (falken azenis rt 615s) will hydroplane like a bitch and all seasons (potenza g009) will take water WAYYY better.

this guy wanted tires that wont wear fast, summer tires wear fast, compared to all seasons.

the rt615 is a max performance summer tire which puts it in a category designed for dry track/street use

a tire like the fk452 or the t1r is another story since those tires are not really designed solely for dry weather

Kumho SPT tires. Many forum members seem to like them in both the wet and dry for a street tire, and have commented their expectations for the tires to last past 25K based on experienced wear. And they're summer tires. I'm lost why anyone in FL, especially near Miami, would even consider all seasons.

Living in FL, I would go with the RE050A Pole Positions. It never gets very cold and they are good tires that should do great in the rain. The only reason I would ever get all season is if I occasionally countered some light snow.

Well just as a followup, I got the RE050A Pole Positions.

Set of Four from TireRack = $748 ( $187 each)
Shipping to Installer = $47 for UPS Ground (Though it took ONE day to get there!)
Mount/Balance/Install = $60 ($15 each)
Total Cost = ~$860 for a set of new top performance tires! :eek:


One thing I just have to say here.. is if you live in South Florida near Ft.Lauderdale/Pembroke area, you can't go wrong with GoodWear Tires
http://www.tirerack.com/installer/InstallerDetail.jsp?index=13&installermiles=7&zipCode=33027&x=0&y=0&place=2

Not only were they inexpensive, but they did a great job, I was in and out under 45 minutes. Small family run shop and well worth it.. almost wish I needed more work to bring them!