I was looking for new tires online and I came up with these two:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e1=yes&place=2

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ech+M550+A%2FS

I think the potenzas I found are the stock ones on the 8. Please correct me if I'm wrong. For the specifications, the Avons looked like the best ultra high performance all season tires out there. I'm wondering if the ratings are the same between summer and all season. Going by the chart the Avons are better than the potenzas in every way (handling, traction, ride quality and noise), yet are priced cheaper than the potenzas... I want something all season but I dont want to lose any performance that I have with the stock tires. Are the avons the way to go?

Thanks

 

Well, I'm a little confused. Looks to me like, the Avons are summer high performance, but have a snow traction rating . They fared very well in the surveys, and not too bad on the track. And the price is very good.

My biggest complaints with the Re040s was the noise and the price. Tread wear wasn't too bad for me, 25k before replacing. Switched to KDW2s, personally, but after 16k, they are becoming as noisy as the Bridgestones. Their grip is amazing, though.

Edit: nevermind about the summer high performance. just looked that way from the tests.

 

avons are ultra high performance all season, not summer. They are in my opinion much better than the potenzas. I've been running them for about 1500 miles now, and the road noise is less, grip is better during rain, and car feels a lot smoother. for the first 300 miles there was a bit of tire squirm but that went away. For a cheaper tire to outperform the stock tires like that really amazed me.

 

Wow. The avons look a LOT better than the potenzas based on the ratings there. What is their life expectancy compared to the potenzas

 

Yea see thats what I cant belive lol they are cheaper and soo much better... I've heard good things though so they sound like a great buy

 

I have the 550s and am very pleased with them. Less road feel (and noise) with the softer sidewalls then the 040s but the 550s handle cool wet weather much better. Haven't had them in the snow yet. Did I say less noise? I can hear the engine and transmission now and can talk normally and not have to yell over the tire noise. And the price was right.

 

yeah....I'd take the softer sidewalls for like 100 bucks per tire

 

I've been riding them for a few months now (about 4k) and love them. The softer sidewall is definitely noticeable, making you feel a hair less 'connect' to the road at first (I got used to it in a few hundred miles). However the resulting reduction in noise is staggering. The grip is excellent in all conditions I've been in so far (no snow yet). The tread life should also be about twice that of the potenzas. With the improvements in tire compounds in recent years, I feel that dedicated summer tires wont be around for much longer.
As for the low cost... from what I hear they are trying to break into the US market. But I didn't buy them because they were cheap, rather because the had the best reviews and specs. The price was just a nice bonus. I will definitely buy them again, even if they cost as much as the other big names when I need my next set.

 

I was wondering how the AVONS compare to Pirelli pzero Nero m&s? I'm looking for a tire that will work well in all seasons including some light snow (I"m in Washington DC). Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

-also I understand that 245/40/18 will also fit on stock rims. Will this dramatically reduce winter/wet performance?

Best,
Jonathon

 

Keep in mind that you're comparing the SURVEY results of the tires. I don't know how well you can compare a survey of one tire to another.

You really want to compare the Tire Rack test results.

Here's the Avon, but I can't find the break down of the test results, which would let you compare specific features of each tire against each other, instead of an average performance rating.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...ech+M550+A%2FS

I can't find a page for the Bridgestone test results, not sure they tested that model.

 

Refer to my post, https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...78&postcount=4, for virtual shoot-out. Cliff notes summary: Get PZero Nero M+S if you do not autocross or Toyo Proxes 4.

 

There's a link at the bottom of that page which takes you to
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/..._m550_as_c.jsp

 

We have two 8s with Bridgestones on one and Avons on the other. I think that Avons are a great "tyre" and will not buy any more Bridgestones.

 

This is some great info. I've been convinced not to buy the Bridgestone to replace the two old tires on my 8 (too loud). For the same price it looks like I can get 4 of the Avons (never heard of them though). I was also looking at the BF Goodrich g-force. Its a great looking tire! Any thoughts on them, or any experience with them?

 

i just put a set of Avons on and though I only have 50 miles on them....so far...not to impressed. I'll see in a few hundred miles fi they get any better......they are a hell of a lot quieter!

 

I have about 3500 miles on the AVONs and I am also not that impressed with the way the car handles with these tires. There is definitely a difference in steering response. For instance, when performing emergency/quick lane changes, it now takes the car a little longer to change directions. When turning the steering wheel, the car tilts a bit first and then it steers. On the other hand, they are a lot quieter that the OEM tires (as others have said). They may get noisier as the age though.

In summary,
With the Avon tires (when switching from the OEM ones), I lost:
- Some steering accuracy
- Some steering response
- A small amount of confidence when taking turns

... I gained:
- A quieter drive (makes a big difference if you commute in the RX8)
- A slightly less bouncy ride
- A good amount of confidence when driving on a wet road
- Probably better traction in the snow (haven't tried this yet)

T-REX

 

put avons after 5,200 of stock brigestones and the avons feel softer and quieter than the re40. Great buy will see how they perform on light snow.

 

Just got my Avons and will keep you posted on snow.

I don't mind the softer ride (for a commuter, it's actually a blessing) and the rain traction seems to be excellent. They are definitely quieter. Hopefully, they will handle the light snow expected in about a month or two around here.

 

That model Avon is made especially for TireRack if i'm not mistaken, sure it's fine, but i'll always wonder why.