blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

I'm looking at getting some tires with comfort being the priority... I have some separate wheels and tires for spirited & track driving.

This is for an RX-8 sport.

Anyone switched from the stock dunlops to a different tire and noticed an improvement in road noise, or impact harshness?

I guess a GT all season will be the most comfortable, but the wet surface G measurements on tire rack scare me (max is like 0.7G, compared to 0.9G for a more performance oriented tire). I'm not so bothered about dry grip. I find less dry grip more fun on the street :-)

I'm also considering upping the sidewall height. Like 225/50/18 or even 225/55-60/18. That will also have the benefit of higher gearing (lower revs) on the freeway.

Right now I am somewhere between Michelin supersports in a 225/50/18 (not going to be the most comfortable but probably a bit better than the stock dunlops), or primacy MXM4 or MXV4 (will be comfortable, but have slightly scary wet grip ratings for a rear drive car with no traction control)

And yes, I did search, but comfort is not at the top of the agenda in most threads :-)

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

Contintental ExtremeContact DW

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the suggestion. I have done a back to back drive of Conti DW vs Michelin SS (owned both on a civic Si) and they ride pretty similarly. SS is marginally better. Both are much firmer than a Gran Touring all season...
DWS might be worth considering. I'm not too bothered about snow, but they have good wet and dry grip and I think should ride better than DW. Hmm...

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

Some more thinking...

Continental:
PureContact with EcoPlus Technology 235/55R18, 28.2" diameter, 24lbs (3500 rpm => 3227 rpm)
PureContact with EcoPlus Technology 235/50R18 27.3" diameter, 24lbs (3500 rpm => 3333 rpm)
ExtremeContact DWS 225/50ZR18 26.9"diameter, 25lbs (3500 rpm => 3383 rpm)
ExtremeContact DWS 235/50ZR18 27.3" diameter, 26lbs (3500 rpm => 3333 rpm)
ExtremeContact DW 235/50ZR18 27.3" diameter, 24lbs (3500 rpm => 3333 rpm)

Michelin Pilot Super Sport 225/50ZR18 26.9" diameter, 24lbs (3500 rpm => 3383 rpm)

All of these are almost the same price (between 174 and 188) on tire rack... (for some reason supersports are much more expensive in 225/45/18)

Right now I'm thinking DWS 225/50ZR18 is probably a good choice...

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Yes, that's what I have now on my stock wheels. A bit pricey but the ride feels smooth and its very quiet. Like a difference between boxed spring mattress and tempurpudic bed.

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

Interesting, thanks for the feedback. Perhaps I am over thinking the whole Max Summer tire thing and should just go for it... I am quite happy with my experience with the DW on a honda and BMW before this, but have no way to know myself how they will compare to the dunlops on the car right now.

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

as stated previously the difference will be night and day. The DWs won't go noisy on you 5,000 miles down the road either.

PeteInLongBeach

I replaced my original Dunlops with the Continental DWS. Much nicer ride, great wet weather handling, and dry handling is still fine.

Mazdax3

I put a set of Conti DWS on for the 6 months of iffy weather. The other day the rain was really coming down hard and a lot of puddles on the highway. Hardly any hydroplaning. Noise level is low, handling is a little worse than stock Bridgestones (expected) but overall, not too bad. Summer tires go back on in May so I'll get a few more months of seeing how the tires progress.

scotavo

[QUOTE=blu3dragon;4398439]I'm looking at getting some tires with comfort being the priority... I have some separate wheels and tires for spirited & track driving.

This is for an RX-8 sport.

Anyone switched from the stock dunlops to a different tire and noticed an improvement in road noise, or impact harshness?


I know the load rating will make many cringe, but this car is strictly a DD; 215/35-18 DWS on 18 X 8" OEM RX-8 wheels, total of 38 pounds per wheel/tire, 23.9" diameter for a lower CG and really great ride and handling with 32 psi all around. Best riding 35 aspect ratio tire I've ever driven. Quiet, excellent in rain, fast turn for an AS. Never more than one 120 pound passenger ;-)

scotavo

215/35-18 on 18 X 8" OEM.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

hankook ventus V12.. what I am going back to when I find a place for my HRX III 's. Even my track tires are quieter than the sumitomos.

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

1 yr on, and I still have the oem tires for DD. Damn tread has gotten so hard it won't wear out

That just seems crazy to me.

Beefy98

PS2s and super sports also have a bead leak problem. poor quality control! I know I had to add 3-4 psi to one tire every week on mine. drove me nuts. Pirelli has never let me down in over 20 yrs- right down to the P600s on my old GTI 16V.

https://www.google.com/#q=pilot+super+sport+bead+leak

gwilliams6

I have had the Conti DWS for many thousands of miles on my 40th Anniversary RX8 and love them in the dry, wet and light snow. Very comfortable and smooth. Long lasting tread with 50,000 mile treadlife warranty and a 12,000mi./one year road hazard warranty (unheard of in an ultra-performance all season tire). Finished at top on a few comparisons of Ultra-performance all-season tires. I recommend them wholeheartedly !

scotavo

Just compare those 225/50's at 26.9" diameter and 24 lbs to 23.9" and 18lbs. in a great riding 215/35-18 DWS. Lowers the CG 1.5" with NO loss of suspension travel and gives you the immediacy of turn in and braking stability of a 35 aspect ratio, with unsprung weight dropping by 6 lbs per tire. My experience is distorted by the lighter unsprung weight from the Brembo's so YMMV, but the DWS in any size is a great improvement. Commuting for me involves a lot of 170-180 kph cruising suddenly going to 60-80 kph and the 215/35 DWS's have been faultless.

gwilliams6

And the handling difference between the DWS and dedicated dry tires is so slight you won't really notice it. Your RX8 will still handle and corner and stick to the road like a serpent. I have owned many brands of ultra-performance tires over my 40 years of driving with seven RXs, and these Conti Extreme Contact DWS are the best overall all-season performance tires I have driven on. You won't be dissapointed if you buy them

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

We've had supersports on our civic for ~18 months without any such issue. I really like the tire as well, have tracked it and daily driven it. It is comfy compared to other performance summer tires, but it is not as comfortable as the MXM5 all seasons that were on the car before.

I'm probably going to end up going for the DWS, or a similar all season. Not that I need the snow performance, but because there doesn't seem to be much choice of summer tire with softer sidewalls.

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

I am already lowered on coilovers and actually want a taller than stock tire so I can go a little lower for track use with a separate set of wheels/tires, and still clear the speed bumps at work with my DD wheels/tires... I would also prefer a little fuel economy from lower revs and don't want to be dodging potholes with the worry of bursting a sidewall (I've been there and done that in the past).

J8635621

iTrader: (10)

Taller than stock tires + lowered.....that's gonna be awesome when you turn and stuff

scotavo

My driving reality is very different from yours, just sharing my experience. YMMV is an understatement. I use Eibach Pro Kit springs as well as the 215/35 and 328 mm Brembo's because overall it's the total unsprung weight and lowering effect I was after. Just worked better with DWS's than I ever expected. Close call on the caliper picture.

yogitrek

Hi everyone!

I have a 2010 sport daily driver and I am needing to get new tires. I am looking for a tire with good tread life ( I have 38K on my original tires ) and I do not drive "fast" but I love taking corners at speed.
If I go with the 23.9 inch diameter, 215/35-18 tires will my car be lower to the ground? I do not want to worry about speed bumps and so fourth.

Thank you for any information you can offer.

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

I think stock is 26 inch diameter, so they are going to lower the car by an inch. I would go stock size if I were you. If you don't need occaisional snow performance then Conti DW or Michelin SS are good choices for fast cornering on the street.

blu3dragon

iTrader: (1)

I have thought about that. Even the stock tires have noticeable roll over at the limit meaning they are rather unprogressive, but the reality is that I never really get to that point on the street and have dedicated track wheels and track time to fill my need of driving with a 10% slip angle.

scotavo

"I think stock is 26 inch diameter, so they are going to lower the car by an inch. I would go stock size if I were you. If you don't need occaisional snow performance then Conti DW or Michelin SS are good choices for fast cornering on the street."


If you look at the picture in post #11 you'll see how different from stock the sidewalls are from the tires I use. The "noticable roll over" of the stock size tire is gone with the 215/35-18's. I live where it rains very often and 170 kph is a common cruising speed. Exciting combination, hence the DWS for me. DW's for drier climates make sense. Lowering the center of gravity a little over one inch while not decreasing suspension travel truly transforms the street handling of this car for the better.