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

[D_Eclipse9916]

Conti ExxxxxxxxxxtreeeemeContact DW - these seem to get great reviews for grip and wear while still having a decent sidewall. look like they'd be great in the rain. never had a conti before, anybody have feedback? priced well.

i'd like something thats ultimately not unbearable on the highway but will also not roll over and disintegrate at a random autocross once or twice a year. i'm expecting at least 25k miles out of them with a solid alignment. not too worried about snow...if it does, i'll take the 4x4.

People legit buy the extreme contact DW as they are sick in the rain. Its the comparable RS3 of rain tires.

[ScottyB]

very cool, thanks DJ. we get some pretty good downpours around here.

[Goodspeed]

I don't have any experience with the tires you listed, but you can read my little blurb on the Yoko S.Drive a page or two back. I really liked mine when i had them on - 300 treadwear, lotsa grip and worked well in the rain. Fairly inexpensive to boot.

[ScottyB]

so i've altered my course a bit and i'm looking at high performance allseasons instead of summer tires. i just don't use the car in a way that makes much sense for the noise and wear levels of summers any more, especially with high performance all seasons getting better and better. if i commit to any more performance stuff it'll be with a second set of wheels. i think i've narrowed it down to these 2:

Kumho Ecsta 4X are getting great reviews, and with current rebates are only $320 in my size which is an impressive deal. the tread looks pretty tame but i guess the compound is good stuff.


General Tire is owned by Continental, and after doing some poking around the new AS-03 is apparently the same compound as the Conti DW but with a stiffer sidewall construction. considering how well recieved the conti's are, this one's really really intriguing. not as well priced by $80, but probably a more responsive tire.


still considering the RE970 and the Conti DW, but i'll have to get off the fence in about a month. i'll give a review when the new ones go on.

for what its worth, when my RE760's come off the car they'll probably have about 37k miles on them. not bad for a 340 treadwear "ultra high performance summer" tire. its pays to get a good alignment.

[FlaakCM]

Do you guys run winter tires all winter season or do you only swap them on when it is supposed to snow?

[ScottyB]

winter tire compounds are ideal for anything under about 40 degrees. i would run them regardless of snow if the temp is low enough. the fact that they have good snow grip is a bonus.

[FlaakCM]

Just want to make sure I'm not wearing down the tread faster than it needs to be

[NTIman]

Do you guys run winter tires all winter season or do you only swap them on when it is supposed to snow?

The cars I see come in to the shop with snow tires generally run them all winter long. I don't see where they wear down quick enough that you couldn't get a couple winters worth of use out of them.

Plus, it's a shitload of work to worry about swapping them just for the snow. :dunno:

[davej]

Do you guys run winter tires all winter season or do you only swap them on when it is supposed to snow?

Used to run the snows all winter long in NY (read sept to may) would usually sell the car before the tires wore out.

Trying my hand on the extreeeeeem contact DWS for year round this time and so far so good.

[Ken]

I run them as soon as i see that the temp will stay (somewhat) consistently below 45 degrees, switch the summers back on once i see the inverse.

[JustinG]

Bumpity.....

Looking for A/S for the Fozzy. Or soe dedicated winters, you guys let me know which I should go with.

Looking at the Cooper CS4, tread pattern looks legit for snow/rain.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?ra=filterTireProducts.do&fl=&yr=2004&pc=27752&counter=0&ar=60&rd=16&vid=008534&cs=215">http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... 534&cs=215</a><!-- m -->

Or the Hankook Optimo H727
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?ra=filterTireProducts.do&fl=&yr=2004&pc=11318&counter=0&ar=60&rd=16&vid=008534&cs=215">http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... 534&cs=215</a><!-- m -->

Open to other suggestions!

[Maengelito]

You have dedicated snow tires, just keep those for another couple of months.

[JustinG]

Sold them for $250.....paid $75

[Maengelito]

yeah but now you're talking about plunking down ~$500... for all seasons.

[JustinG]

Nerp, the tires I posted would be about $300 shipped.

[JustinG]

These are new, no reviews though. The tread pattern looks acceptable.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+PA31&partnum=16VR6PA31&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Subaru&autoYear=2004&autoModel=Forester">http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... l=Forester</a><!-- m --> 2.5 XT&autoModClar=

[ScottyB]

Garrett is selling his 16 inch blizzaks for a good price if you want winters. find some cheap steelies or legacy wheels and you're set.

[Steve85]

We just had some Dunlop WinterMaxx put on the wife's Camry and there has been 15" of opportunity to test round these parts and they work really well. We had Blizzaks on a Jetta years ago and I don't notice a difference. These were something like $80 cheaper overall than the Blizzaks with the mail-in rebate. They are also very quiet and smooth.

[fiveoh2go]

Help me out guys.

I'm trying to hunt down a set of Good Year Gatorbacks for my '93 (that's what the car originally came with) but GY stopped making that line of tire around '11 or '12. I called up the Richmond Good Year distributor, they don't have 'em in their warehouse...using their nationwide locator service revealed no one else has them either. Bummer.

SO...I found a pair on CL for a crazy good deal, but they were manufactured in 2008. "New" tires, but they're 6 years old. Are these safe? Should I buy them or keep looking?

[Jake]

I think 6 years is kind of the cutoff point regarding rubber's useful life. I would avoid them.