JeRKy 8 Owner

The original (original) tires for the 8 (Bridgestone Potenza RE040) which normally go for around $230 or so are on sale right now at Tire Rack for $125 each.

A lot of you always hated the OE tire for the noise and tread life, but I think 500 bucks + shipping is a somewhat decent compromise for them since they always did handle fairly well.

EDIT: Brought thread back to life from last year (2009)....special is over, and the tire is back at regular price...ouch

rx8cited

General Exclaims are in the same category, cheaper, and rated higher. Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport is what I decided to go with ...... so far, so good. Those crappy RE040 are discounted for a reason .

JeRKy 8 Owner

The RE760s seem fairly priced, but with such a high treadwear rating (340), I can't imagine what kind of sacrifice is made when you're trying to do some high speed cornering. Also the General Exclaims you suggested are rated even higher at 380!

Even though the RE040s are noisy as hell and only last about 25k miles (if you're lucky), I still think they're a steal for under 600 bucks considering their handling ability.

rx8cited

TireRack's own testing and customer online survey results for the RE760 speak for themselves .

One man's trash is another man's treasure .

robrecht

Those tire tests do NOT compare anything to the RE40s and the surveys are of very limited comparative value.

rx8cited

They don't compare based on what? You've driven with RE040s and RE760s?

Here's an opinion from an RX-8 owner who has had both from TireRack:

"These tires are far better than the OEM re-040. They grip excellent and are quiet and smooth. they say not to drive in near 0 temps because they don't grip as well, but that's not true, I've driven at -9 Celsius. However I would not recommend driving in snow or on ice because they are a summer tire only. I will give and update when there are more miles on these tires".

RX26b

One clueless owner's opinion matters not, Cited. Dry grip-wise, the all season 760s are not in the same league as the 040s. A long time ago one or two drivers here expressed their negative opinions about the stock tires and then all the other sheep follow. Contrary to what they say, Kumhp SPTs, Eagle F1 all seasons, and whatever other mediocre rubber they mention do not come close to - let alone exceed - the handling from the stock tread.

Try them yourself - fresh rubber vs fresh. Not worn-to-the-belts OEMs against insert tire of the month here.

robrecht

Based on anything--the RE40s weren't even in the comparison tests you cited.
No, I have no need or desire to drive a 340 treadware tire. It has no relevance on my estimation of the abilities of the RE40s. They were a great dry traction summer tire. Not so good in the wet, especially the colder wet, noisy as they wear, which they do quickly, as should be expected from a 140 treadware tire. They're now close-out priced comparably to the Kumho SPTs. If someone's looking for dry traction, they could do a whole lot worse in that price range.

rx8cited

The fact that TireRack customer ratings put the RE040 at #38 of 39 tires on their UHP tire survey results list, where the RE040 ratings are based on 554 submissions says nothing to you guys apparently. Oh, yeah, I forgot, they were all dumb sheep that submitted those survey responses.

All season? Try Ultra High Performance Summer tire - same as the beloved RE040s.

I have a new set of RE760s on my car now which replaced my RE040s. I have not noticed any difference in performance.

I wish you'd put some substance behind that hot air aside from this lame statement:

I never said they compared RE040s to RE760s, did I?

The RE760s have 340 treadwear rating so they must not be any good , never mind the results of TireRack's own testing compared to other tires within the same category?

Hey Bridgestone, re-mark these tires with 180 treadwear and you'll have a few more customers

robrecht

I'm sure lots of customers can't tell the difference between a 140 and a 340 treadware tire. And most customers prefer long tread life anyway. I don't think your RE760s are bad tires, nor did I say so. If I was in the market for a 340 tire, I'd probably buy them, but I want higher performance, and I can tell the difference.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I never understood the 040 bashing. Not the best tire in the world, but far from the worst. They were a little twitchy in the rain, but other than that I think Mazda did pretty good by choosing the 040.

FWIW, I've had the 040s, Toyo T1-Rs, Dunlop Star Specs, and now Toyo R1-Rs. I'd say the 040s were right in there with the T1-Rs. A good tire fore sure, and at $125 a fantastic deal.

On the other hand, the Kumho XS can be had for $167...

rx8cited

Me either. I enjoyed them while the lasted. I probably got 25k+ out of them (I have snow tires too).

Now those are in a whole other category of Extreme Performance. More performance than I choose to afford right now or need. . Have you heard good things about them?

robrecht

George, how would you compare your T1Rs with your Star Specs? I've had the T1Rs on my Miata but am now thinking about the Star Specs for my 8. I'm hoping they'll be every bit as good as the RE40s in the dry if not considerably better and much better in the wet. I was considering the EXs but have heard they aren't as good in the wet, especially as it gets a little cool. Tire Rack's tests should be out invthe next weekk or so.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Yes, they have been tested by Grassroots Motorsports in an autocross setting and were found to be faster than the Star Specs, the Toyo R1-Rs, the Bridgestone RE-1s and RE-11s, and the Falken Azenis. Basically, they won the comparison.

However, this was on a Miata and not an RX-8. And, the Miata had a STS suspension, which means coilovers, stiffer sways, etc. And, the Star Specs had a taller sidewall than the rest. So, how meaningful the test is for and RX-8 driver remains to be seen. Suffice to say they are all very grippy and very fast.

rx8cited

Cool! So you'd buy RE040s again over any other tires at the same price point if you need tires today? What would you get if the RE040s were not on sale?

Um, I think you just answered all my questions above in your previous post while I was typing .... .

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

The Star Specs are a significant step up from the T1-Rs, performance-wise. The Dunlops are super sticky. There is a reason they are one of the favored tires for street-tire class autocrossing. You'll never find the T1-Rs in that same league.

On the other hand, I liked the T1-Rs better than the Star Specs from a subjective standpoint. The T1-Rs have great turn-in and feel alive. The Star Specs have a slightly wooden feel to them. Nothing terrible, but I missed the T1-Rs, subjectively speaking, when I went with the Star Specs, at least for street driving. It just depends on how you get your jollies.

I should say that both the Toyos and Dunlops were 245/40-18s, on 18x8.5 wheels. The Toyos in this size are marked as having a reinforced sidewall, so I'm not sure how other sizes would handle. I also found that I didn't like the Toyos on the OEM 8" wide rims - they really needed the 8.5" rim to come into their own.

I guess I'm picky on the street, subjectively speaking.

[edit] And yes, early reports from the autocross crowd is saying that the XS is not the best rain tire out of the bunch. One of the reasons I went with R1-Rs for this season.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

They were OK for OEM tires. They were good on the track. But, I only got 10K miles out of mine. And, I spun the car on a wet interstate @ 70 mph when the temperature was about 30 F. Those tires just don't like the cold, wet or snow. I only got 10K on the tires because after the spin, I got rid of those tires. I wouldn't have them on my car any more.

robrecht

Ranked 1st by GRM in their recent auto-x test. Great dry performance. Tire Rack's more comprehensive tests should be out in a week or so.

rx8cited

After I read what people were saying here, I did not bother to even trying the RE040s in cold for fear of dying since my 8's a daily driver.

What tires do you have on your 8 and how do you like them?

My car handles great with Dunlop Winter Sport M3s.

rx8cited

I initially ordered Star Specs, but then decided against them in favor of the more economical higher treadwear lesser performing RE760s since my 8's my daily driver.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Yes, I agree, driving a summer performance tire at below freezing temperatures on a wet freeway at 70 mph is not a good idea.

But anyway, if that is a common thing for you, then there are other tires out there that are a better choice. I drove my 040s until they wore out and never had a problem with unexpected spins. Although I never drove the car much in below freezing temps.

robrecht

No, not at all, but I am tempted at this price point to get a couple since I have a couple more in my garage that have decent tread left. I was saying I would strongly consider the 760s if I was looking for a 340 treadwear tire.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I was switching between Falken Azenis in the summer and Pirelli PZero Nero M&S in the winter (on the stock wheels). I gave up and just started running the Pirelli's after the Falkens wore out. The Pirelli's are now worn out and I chose Continental ExtremeContact (all season) for the car. They are great in the snow. Better than the Pirelli's. Not as grippy in the dry. The Goodyear F1 All Seasons may be next.
When I start tracking again, I will have a set of dedicated wheels for that.

robrecht

So is mine--all the more reason to have great tires to enjoy my commute, but I happen to have an ideal commute over 'mountain' roads.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I too am thinking of a higher-wearing tire to drive on the street daily, and after perusing Tire Rack, I came up with Goodyear Eagle F1 all-seasons. They seem well liked in the review section, are priced reasonably, and should wear better than the gumballs. And, handle sub-freezing temps OK.

Haven't taken that plunge yet, however.