The tires thread "So I need tires..."

[ScottyB]

hmmm, I guess they fit my car well or something because I literally had the exact opposite experience from Andy -- reasonably quiet, good wet grip, and they could tear ass in the dry. the only reason they weren't put back on was because they were pricey back then.

keep in mind too, i had the "E" version. i have no idea what makes it different from standard SP8000s.

what do TireRack reviews say?

[Maengelito]

i've got dedicated snow tires on seperate rims so these would be for the months of march through november.

You use snow tires from March through November? I'm more partial to using mine November through March.

"these" refering to my upcoming tires, not the snow tires.

hmmm, I guess they fit my car well or something because I literally had the exact opposite experience from Andy -- reasonably quiet, good wet grip, and they could tear ass in the dry. the only reason they weren't put back on was because they were pricey back then.

what do TireRack reviews say?

the tire rack reviews pretty much praise these tires. i hate to put too much faith in the reviews because we probably beat on our tires more than your average tirerack customer does. this is why i'm kinda puzzled that andy hates these tires so much. (ir)regardless, my car passed inspection, so i probably wont need tires until this winter when i'll ask these same questions again.

[Evan]

the goodyears on my miata kick much ass for a daily tire. They are in the Eagle line and have the best dry grip of an all season I have ever driven on.
Ill post the model when I get home and take a look at htem.

and ive *heard* the same that andy said about the SP8000. (and just about every dunlop)

[Maengelito]

well, i've got seperate snow tires, so i dont need an all season. i'd like to get a dedicated summer tire

[Evan]

*shrug*
'summer tires' are dumb on the street.
and I gar-un-teeee the eagles have better dry grip than the cumlops anyway

[Maengelito]

while i agree that summer tires arent "necessary" on the street, conversely, snow tires kick royal ass in the snow. i never said the cumlops were good, but thats the point of this whole thread, isnt it?

[Evan]

I agree , but to dismiss all-seasons entirely just because you have snows is a mistake IMO.

anyway, i havent checked the prices on the eagles so they may be too much $$ anyway.

[ziich]

falken ziex 512 for all seasons
falken azenis rt215 (i stocked up when they were still available) for race. 615s when i run out.

[Maengelito]

meh, i've had 215s and i currently have 615s on my miata. they're decent, but i'm not terribly impressed especially since they arent nearly as dirt cheap as they used to be

[Beej]

I remember liking the Ziex-512 all season things on my 318, but I've had them on the Subaru for awhile now, and I'm not a big fan. They're not as grippy in the dry as the RE070's (though they're a tad better through the puddles than worn out ones :-P), and the sidewalls feel soft (don't know if that's the right diagnosis, but at highway speeds, the car will 'swim' (for lack of a better term) after aggressive maneuvers). They're also a WAY thinner 225 than the RE070's were.

I'll probably look into RT-615's ($107/ea isn't THAT bad) or something next...I hope these die soon.

[ScottyB]

the car will 'swim' (for lack of a better term) after aggressive maneuvers).

i know exactly what you're talking about, that's a soft sidewall. my avon's do that and i hate it, but they grip so well i can forgive them.

[Evan]

A couple of quick tire reviews:

Goodyear Eagle GT HSM (allseason)
My 99 miata came with goodyear eagle gt hsm allseasons
I was very impressed with them. Grips good in the dry, decent in the wet, works when its cold outside, and works in the snow (although not a snow tire, in super slick ice the car wouldnt move)
20k+ miles or so and its not even 1/4 worn. Would buy again.
they are reasonably cheap last i looked them up ~$65 for 15s


Falken 912 (new model, replaces 512) M+S rated.
Wow color me impressed. I really liked the Goodyears but these are even better in the dry. They stick almost like a summer tire and dont howl at you when you have a little fun on an off ramp. They work well in the wet, although I havent driven through much deep water.
I will not be testing them in the snow however other than light dusting, the tread pattern looks to be horrible for that to my eyes. (and I have snow tires now too)
I think this will be a good compromise tire. Its grippy enough to be a lot of fun in the dry and good in the wet, and unlike a summer tire if you get a bit of snow but nothing deep its not going to leave you stranded.
Ill check back in when I have 5k or so miles on them.


Cliffs notes:
Goodyears - good true allseason tire. usable in the snow.
Falken 912 - great dry grip, cheap, closer to a summer tire, (most likely) not as good in the snow

[ScottyB]

Falken 912

i'm glad you reviewed these....i just took a look at the pricing for them and they're square in my sights for a replacement tire when i get ride of my RE92s.

[Mike]

oh hey, i just put some 912s on the hatch. very impressed for the price and my low expectations thanks to bj's review of the 512s.

good grip, but haven't tried them in the rain. winter will be interesting.

[WRXtranceformed]

Nice, I'll also have to look at the 912s after my 512s are donezo

[Feersty]

They ran out of the Ziex ZE-912s in my size at discount tire direct so I picked up the Ziex ZE-512. My Azenis ST115 have been great in every besides in snow and ice. I probably throw on my new rims and tires soon.

[Evan]

falken 912s in the snow:

its hard to rate a tires performance in light snow and ice since there is really no good reference.
but overall they lost traction a lot. light dusting of snow was fine, but when the snow got packed and icy, no grip. got sideways a couple times with no warning.

my snow tires will be going on the car asap

[Jeff]

My need - An All-season SUV tire that is "sporty" Does such a thing exist? I need tires for the van that will do really well in the rain and snow but will also give me the traction I need for dry pavement.

[PDenbigh]

I have Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo's on my F-150 and love them. They grip in pretty much anything. Great dry traction, great wet, great in the mud, great in sand, and about as good as it gets in snow. Plus they use Uni-T tire wearing technology so they don't harden up as fast as most tires. They're a little over $150 ea for 285/75/16's.

[.RJ]

My truck needs new tires before we get more snow - they were near worthless last year, and they've hardened up to the point where they look like they havent worn at all in the 6-7k miles since last winter. I've been browsing craigslist for a slightly used set but no luck yet... might have to buy new I think the last time I bought a new street tire was... shit I dont think I've ever bought a new street tire.