LionZoo

I mounted 225/45-18 Advan Neovas on 18x8 42 offset TC005s (17.5 pounds) a few weeks ago. This combo replaced stock wheels with stock Dunlops. After giving them a few weeks and 600 miles to break in, I finally pushed them today over some deserted mountain roads.

First impression is that the weight savings can only be felt very faintly. The ride quality is slightly better and the car feels more composed over broken pavement. In addition, the car responds a bit faster, but that can be due to the tires as well as the unsprung weight reduction. Though the TC005s are 5 pounds lighter, my Dunlops were worn when they came off while the Advans are fresh so my tires are probably about 3 pounds heavier leading to a reduction of only about 2 pounds per corner. I didn't weigh the combos so this is just a guess.

What is very obvious though is the extra grip. The Advans stick a lot better than the Dunlops both longitudinally and laterally. I didn't find the limit of these tires often since I was used to the grip that the Dunlops offered me and the Advans could go quite a bit quicker it feels. The Advans also respond to heat much better than the Dunlops as the Dunlops would've started to go off about halfway through the run while the Advans felt fine the entire way through. Of course, that could just be because the Advans weren't sliding nearly as much as the Dunlops. It was slightly trickier driving the Advans as they tend not to squeal, but other than that they are superior to the Dunlops in every way. They even showed a lot less wear after the run than the Dunlops did.

Overall, I have to say that the Advan Neovas are definitely great tires and worth the high price that Yokohama charges. I like my wheels and scales don't lie, but in terms of making a difference, the tires make a much bigger difference, as expected.