Car&Driver: Affordable summer tires shootout

Type 100 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 12:32 AM

This should make for interesting reading.

Tire Test: Nine Affordable Summer Tires Take On the Michelin PS2 - Tires/Comparison Test/Reviews/Car and Driver - Car And Driver

C&D had the OEM staple Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 as a benchmark.

You can accuse me of tire brand bias. I never thought the Korean tires would do so well!

kenchan · #2 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 06:52 PM

they didn't test the Fusions, huh? boooo... hahaha

eldaino · #3 (**permalink**) 07-13-2009, 02:22 PM

kuhmos always seem to have problems in the wet, hence why i have never warmed up to them.

good to know that the s drives did decently. especially considering if you drive a gd3 with the stock 15inchers, you can nab these at 65bucks a tire at tire rack.

Fitguy07 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-13-2009, 03:23 PM

I had a set of Kumho Ecsta 711's on my 89 Lude and they sucked in the rain. Great on dry but horrid when wet. It seems like a lot of Kumho's line-up suffers from this.

eldaino · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 11:14 AM

i found it rather funny what they said about the falken rt-615's....a sticky tire that makes lesser drivers 'feel' like they can do more than they really can. (less attributed to skill)

these are very popular tires for the honda crowd.

Fitguy07 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 01:30 PM

I think in terms of handling performance, a tire upgrade is badly needed for the Fit. I feel the Fit can handle MUCH better than it does right now but the tires are holding it back. Tires will probably be more beneficial than the misc. bars, and lowering would do.

Type 100 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitguy07

I think in terms of handling performance, a tire upgrade is badly needed for the Fit. I feel the Fit can handle MUCH better than it does right now but the tires are holding it back. Tires will probably be more beneficial than the misc. bars, and lowering would do.

Oh yeah DEFINITELY.

I have a feeling the stock tires (Dunlop SP31s there, Michelin Vivacys here) were selected because of the Fit's/Jazz's fuel-efficiency ethos, not really because of handling. Oh and let's not forget that they're CHEAP too.

I've said this before but upgrading tires changed so many aspects of my Jazz's handling performance. It's like night and day really, especially in the realm of braking...and you'll appreciate the improvement more on a non-ABS car like mine.
===

A real shame they don't offer the Z1 Star Spec here. Dunlop also has a pretty bad rap where I live due to the reported propensity for developing sidewall lumps and ruptures.

awptickes · #8 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 10:58 PM

Let me just throw out there that I'm an EXTREMELY competitive autocrosser in my GE8 fit with 15x6.5 direzza z1 star specs.

I love the direzzas, they rock.

eldaino · #9 (**permalink**) 07-21-2009, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awptickes

Let me just throw out there that I'm an EXTREMELY competitive autocrosser in my GE8 fit with 15x6.5 direzza z1 star specs.

I love the direzzas, they rock.

how competative awptickes? like are you serioiusly owning folks out there?

Fitguy07 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-21-2009, 01:08 PM

You guys have any good suggestions for High Performance All Seasons for the Fit. I don't think I'll be getting a summer tire combo setup any time soon.

awptickes · #11 (**permalink**) 07-21-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eldaino

how competative awptickes? like are you serioiusly owning folks out there?

I'll get times sometime this week. I'll post them when I get them. I did own a couple Evo 8s and 9s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitguy07

You guys have any good suggestions for High Performance All Seasons for the Fit. I don't think I'll be getting a summer tire combo setup any time soon.

Depends on where you live. Some people do alright with General UHP's all year around.

eldaino · #12 (**permalink**) 07-21-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awptickes

I'll get times sometime this week. I'll post them when I get them. I did own a couple Evo 8s and 9s.

Depends on where you live. Some people do alright with General UHP's all year around.

awesome. thats what i like to hear.

Type 100 · #13 (**permalink**) 07-21-2009, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitguy07

You guys have any good suggestions for High Performance All Seasons for the Fit. I don't think I'll be getting a summer tire combo setup any time soon.

Toyo Proxes 4s. I have these on my GD1. I've taken them to a trackday and through pretty bad spells of rain with lots of standing water on the road. So far so good.

I can't quite recommend them for snow, though...people say the M+S designation on these tires is just a nominal one. Then again, I guess that might also be the case for any high-performance all-season tire.

awptickes · #14 (**permalink**) 07-22-2009, 04:35 PM

Those are the peeps I beat.

Capital Driving Club There's the rest of the results. With FTD of 36.92, I'm not too worried about making the exact average time.