alright, i need a new set of tires. i've been doing some research and i've got my choices narrowed down to kumho 711s or toyo proxes 4s sized 215/45/17. i was wondering if anyone has any experience with the toyos (i have experience with the kumhos already). i'm not looking for ultimate performance, but i do need good wet weather traction since i live in louisiana.

 

Toyo all the way!

 

Every tire manufacturer sells a variety of tires - super-sticky performance tires, all-season tires that will grip okay in snow as well as warm weather, budget performance tires that will give decent performance at a bargain price, and cheap tires.

The Kumho Ecsta 711 and the Toyo Proxes 4 are two totally different kinds of tires.

The Kumho Ecsta 711 is a cheap summer tire. It offers a very low price ($65/tire in 215/45-17) and truly crappy performance.

The Toyo Proxes 4 is an all-season tire. It offers the ability to grip okay in snow and frigid cold (although not as good as a winter tire) and to grip okay in moderate to warm temperatures (although not as good as a summer tire). It is much more expensive than the 711.

If you live in Louisiana, you don't need an all-season tire. Get a good summer tire and it will give you great performance in rain as well as dry pavement. The Kumho Ecsta SPT offers MUCH better performance than the 711, although it costs a bit more ($91/tire in 215/45-17). If you really can't afford the SPT, then another choice - not as good, but much better than the 711 and similar in price - is the General Exclaim UHP for $72/tire in 215/45-17.

If you want to get an all-season tire anyway, the Kumho Ecsta ASX ($87/tire in 215/45-17) offers better performance than the Toyo Proxes 4, at a lower price.

Also, 215/45-17 is MUCH too big for most Honda/Acura cars. The best 17" size for Civics and Integras is 205/40-17.

 

Here goes the link for the Proxes 4
http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_specsheet.cfm?id=18
also here goes the Toyo FZ4
http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_specsheet.cfm?id=4

The Proxes 4 is going to be more expensive than the FZ4 also. I also run the proxes4 on my Integra damn great tire all the way around.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pingaturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Proxes 4 is going to be more expensive than the FZ4 also. I also run the proxes4 on my Integra damn great tire all the way around.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You must get a lot of snow in California, to make you want to use an all-season tire.

Seriously, a lot of people think that one tire or another is good, but that doesn't mean that another tire won't be even better. I can guarantee you that a good summer tire - even an inexpensive one - will beat a good all-season tire whenever the temperature is above freezing.

 

I posted because he asked about the Toyo's!!

 

thanks for all the info guys. a couple more things. what about the treadwear of these tires? i know the longer wearing the tire, the more grip i'll be giving up, but i need a tire thats gonna last me a good while. i have nitto neo-gens rite now and theyve lasted about 20000 miles (i'm not considering those again tho cuz their wet traction is questionable). also the reason i'm going 215/45 is because i need a little more sidewall to deal with the roads around here. i've popped quite a few tires in 205/40. i've ruled out the fz4 because i've read too many reviews about bubbled sidewalls and tread separating.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtewcjunkie81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what about the treadwear of these tires? i know the longer wearing the tire, the more grip i'll be giving up, but i need a tire thats gonna last me a good while.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's difficult to predict actual treadwear for one tire vs another, because there is so much variation in everything from driving style to climate etc. In general, all-season tires may last slightly longer than summer tires (10-20 percent) but they are also generally priced 20-25 percent higher than budget performance tires like the Kumho Ecsta SPT, so it's still worth it to get the summer tires if you aren't going to be driving them in winter weather. Tires like the Kumho Ecsta SPT and General Exclaim UHP may last you 25-40K miles; all-season tires may last 30-50K miles. Or, both tires may last YOU more or less than that, depending on how you drive, etc.

If you want to maximize the treadlife of your tires, check and adjust their inflation regularly, and rotate them at periodic intervals. Also, if you want to lower the cost of your tires, switch back to your smaller stock wheels; tires for smaller wheels are substantially less expensive than for larger ones.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtewcjunkie81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the reason i'm going 215/45 is because i need a little more sidewall to deal with the roads around here. i've popped quite a few tires in 205/40.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Again, that's one more reason to go back to your stock wheels. Tires on large diameter wheels, with their short sidewalls, are more susceptible to damage (as are the wheels themselves) and ride comfort is worse. Don't use the wrong size tires to avoid this problem; that's adding one problem to another. If you want to avoid damaging your tires, use smaller wheels.

 

theres just one problem. i dont have the stock wheels nor the funds to get them and a new set of tires.

 

I'd go with Kumho

 

Treadwear on the Proxes4 or FZ4 300
T1R 280, RA1 100

here goes Toyo's website check it out any information you need on the Toyo tires shouuld be here, If you don't find what you are looking for just ask me.

http://www.toyo.com/tires/passenger_tires/

 

The treadwear ratings shown on the sidewalls are notoriously unreliable, and are not comparable between one brand and another.

Last year Toyo changed the treadwear rating on the RA-1 from 60 to 100, without making any changes to the tire itself. Which tells you something about how accurate those ratings are (not just Toyo's, but everyone's)...

 

LET ME GUESS do you work for Tire Rack???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pingaturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">LET ME GUESS do you work for Tire Rack???</TD></TR></TABLE>

No. As I posted in this other topic:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with, or financial interest in, any particular tire manufacturer or retailer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just know a lot about tires from hanging around with folks at the track and talking about tires and stuff...

 

Do you do alot of road racing or auto cross???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pingaturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you do alot of road racing or auto cross???</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, I've driven in 150-200 HPDE events in the past twenty years.

 

COOL The owner of the store I work at owns this car http://www.urbanracer.com/gall...8.jpg