I've been researching tires like crazy... consumer reports, tire rack, car and driver, you name it. The more I read, the harder it is to choose.

Right now I am running 225/45/18 Kumho SPT's. They handle great, but wear too fast and are LOUD AS HELL.

I was thinking about the Toyo Proxes 4 but think an All Season tire is just too much of a compromise.

The one issue is that I can only afford $650 including installation, tax, etc... So the tires themselves have to be less than $150 each.

Also, to save on the price, I am thinking about running 225/40/18's. I don't mind if the ride is firmer as long as the tires are quieter than the Kumhos and I can still get darn good grip and road feel. The tires also have to last. I can never get more than 15000 miles out of a set of Kumhos. 20,000 miles FTW.

Suggestions?

 

I'm in the same situation. Right now I am running Continental Extreme Contact all seasons. I am content with the ride and noise I am currently getting. I never experienced my RX8 with another tire so I wouldn't know the feel, ride and noise other tires would have on my car.

I don't mean to thread jack but I have the same demands when it comes to budget, grip and road feel, etc etc. I know there is more to the handling of my RX8 and I know for sure that the tires I have now is holding it back.

 

Search Ebay for Hercules Raptis 245/40-18. My buddy owns tire shop and I bought these tires a year ago and they are great on the street in the wet and the dry. Now obviously in Texas we don't get a ton of rain but In the heat they have been great. I have done a few autox's on them and a couple of hard group runs out in the hill country and they performed much better than the BFG's I had last and on par with the stock Bridgestones. They are holding up very well in terms of longevity as well.

They are W rated Ultra High Performance. Trust me, I have paid for Toyo's, Yok's, Nitto's, etc. and unless you are an absolute track junkie you will not notice a diff.

http://www.herculestire.com/catalogH..._raptisWR1.pdf

 

^^^

Even when not on the track, I notice a difference when driving aggressively in the canyons. However, you're right, on the street......you shouldn't be going to those speeds anyways.

 

I mean of course when I get my new rims on I will probably buy a nice set of Falkin Azenis for my stockers for track duty but I don't see paying $800.00 for Pilot Sport 2's or anything like that in any situation unless money is not really and issue. My friend could still give me an insane deal for new Yok's or something but after owning these I just don't see the point on the street.

 

Try the Riken Raptors...they are made by Michelin with the same tread compound as their Pilot Sports. You can get them for under $100/ea, and go ahead bump up to a 245/40, it's a common upgrade on stock wheels. I just finished up a set of Rikens and they lasted me over 30k and that was with a few track days and autoX days.

 

off-brand junk tires FTL

 

It's getting to be winter and it's cold. Summer tires get hard and slippery.

 

Posting the same thread again? https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/tires-get-need-feedback-185725/

 

Some people have to take what they can afford at the time...besides I always keep a set of spare Hoosiers in the storage unit for when I really want to play.

 

I used toyo proxes 4 and they are great for a DD with a good amount of spirited driving, but don't plan on going to auto-x events with them. They will last a long time, grip well dry/wet and be useable in the snow (moderately).

 

Yep **** I forgot I had those too few years back, they were just fine too. Found these old pics. As far as off brand tires go, you would be surprised which tires are made in the same plant. For someone that tracks as much as Teamrx8 I can understand the extra expense but honestly for me, I switched from the Bridgestones to the Riken's and there was no difference on the autox course or on the street. But if you got it, spend it.

Riken Raptors, 245/40-18. These were got in 2006. Can't remember exactly how long they lasted.



Just look at reviews man. Riken/Michellin = same manufacturer.

 

I wonder how these tires compared against my Continental Extreme Contact all seasons. They rank 3rd and seem to have quite adequate performance and comfort. I am mainly looking for higher DRY/WET performance but still have the same ride and comfort I get with my current Continental All Seasons. I don't care about performance in the cold or snow because I will be driving something else that is more suitable for the winter.

Edit: I'll throw in their summer tire chart just for the hell of it. IIRC, this is tire rack's comparison chart.

 

My point exactly, look where the " off brand" Sumimoto's and Avon Tech tires rank among the all season. Not to mention, I remember when Kumho's, Hankook, and Falken's were considered off brands as well. Not to mention Nitto's have been bashed consistently in many tests.

 

Well, I've only had my INVO's on for a few miles now, and I can't say one bad thing about them. I ran Falken 451's and loved those for the 30k I got out of those and liked the Rikens I ran also...

 

Yeah i had Nitto's on my Maxima for years and they were great but a lot of reviews I had read have bashed them.

 

I've settled on the Yokohama S.Drive tires. They seem to have the best balance between wet and dry grip, noise, handling, and wear.

 

An all season tire in Georgia would seem to me overkill.


Good choice on the Yoko S.Drive, although I really like my Toyo T1R's (which Tirerack doesn't sell and therefore doesn't rate).

 

Report back with results when they're on!

 

Can't go bad with Yokohama. I had some Parada's back in the day.

 

I think S.Drive are a good tire from reviews - sticky yet very good driveability. Let us know what you think and what kind of price you get.

 

RE-11s. FTW! It has a treadwear rating of 180. my stock RE040 were 140 and those lasted me about 27k.

 

I got close to 30K miles out of a set of BF Goodrich KDW II's. Excellent looks and performance, but those bitches sounded like a 4 X 4 monster truck the last few thousand miles.

 

I love my toyo's have then on my Avalon also

 

Those are not comparison charts, those are user ratings which means nothing because most people are biased towards what they have. For example, RE01Rs are definitely better than Z1 Star specs, but not by a lot. Yet they scored higher in the user ratings.

For REAL tire comparions, go read the tire tests like these:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=100