need to know your experiences and compare to any previous tire choice please

 

Contact davidnyc, here on HT, I believe he still has 'em. He is an avid Auto-X'er and could give you some very valuable insight about them and whatever either he is currently running or planning to replace them with.

Tell him I sent ya, He is an awesome guy and very helpful.

A.

 

I got em and they aight..


[Modified by EKb18b, 5:47 AM 3/15/2002]

 

The Ecstas are okay. Good daily drivers.. nice and quiet. The stock Birdgestones are much better however. Around the track, you can push them a lot harder and the grip much better. The Ecsta's.. you can hear them squeeling around turns and stuff. I sput out with them.. lost my rear bumper and stuff. I suggest something stickier if you plan to do track events or auto-X(although there are no walls in auto-x).

 

I have em
they are a good value

I had 730's. i think they had more grip, rain both about the same

after getting my koni yellow/hr oe sports installed; i wanted more grip on the tire

they are good for everyday stuff, if u autox or roadrace they will do fine, but wont decrease any times

my next step will probably be extra rims with sum sticky tires on them when i wana drive fast

i would buy them again for another street setup; freaking great price, good stick, they squel when pushed; which is helpful

 

i have them also.. been using them for Autox and will be going to the track with them also.. They are pretty good. In the rain they are also good. So its a good street tire, but don't expect them to be sticky like the stock bridgestones, because they are not even close to as sticky as those in dry conditions.

tj

 

Ben,

I have them (205-45-16).

They are decent, not great. Better than Paradas, but that ain't saying much.

Seem to wear pretty well. Plus, they were CHEAP ($77 each from Tire Rack). If I wanted to spend more $$$, I'd probably get Dunlop SP9000s.

 

can u guys comment about general ride quality, sidewall stiffness, braking performance?

maybe say something than "worse than x-brand of tire, but better than x-brand of....?


[Modified by Benjamin Tang, 9:56 PM 3/14/2002]

 

I have 205/50/ZR15's. I have 14k miles so far on 'em.

My review:
1. Good daily driver... good enough grip, quite enough, handle rain fine... all around good enough tire.
2. When pushed, squeals like a pig... the absolute grip is much less than RE-010's.
3. The tread has at least another 15k miles left on 'em, so for that.
4. 205/50/ZR15's ride harsher than stock 195/55/VR15 RE-010's. (Stock rides so much "softer" yet with much more grip.)
5. A great value, but not that great of a performer.

 

Ok, 712's in 205/50/ZR15's are:
1. Better in rain than 195/55/15 RE-010's and 195/50/15 Pirelli P-zero Assymetrico
2. Worse in braking and handling than RE-010's and P-zero assym.
3. Stiffter side-walls than RE-010's, but softer than P-zero assym.
4. Rides worse than RE-010's, but about the same with 195/50/ZR15 P-zero's.
5. Last longer than RE-010's and P-zero's
6. Better in every category than 195/55/VR15 Michellin XGT-V4 (stock GS-R tire)
7. Cost less than RE-010's and P-zero's.

Ranking: RE-010's for ITR is for everyday + autoX. P-zero is way better than 712's, but they are discontinued and they cost twice as much as 712's. 712's = good enough tires for everything, but not the best in anything.



[Modified by Cosworth, 1:06 AM 3/15/2002]

 

so... i'm compromising myself with price. damn.

i have to give up my advans because there is no dot approval and with the cops busting my *** all the time i can't stay on snow tires forever and my funds are running low... if i could only afford toyo t1-s's ... sigh.

 

in that case, they 712s are good for you. The sidewall is ok but does roll over easier than the potenzas but nothing more tire pressure won't help, and they are louder in my opinion than the potenzas. BTW, if i knew of falken azenis' i would have got them , but since they are on back order i hear, the the azenis is out of the question.

tj

 

Ben - if it helps any, I've got some Michellin XGT-V4's in Seattle area that you can have. They are almost down to the last tread, but should hold up until you can order a set of Azenis (due to be back on shelves by end of April.) If you're in Vancouver, the tire is located about 2 hrs. south from the border.

 

I have them on my car. Sidewalls are ok, but damn they squeal when you push them, not really good for confidence.

Does anyone know which has better grip, Kumho's or Dunlop W10s?


[Modified by SpecR_EK, 11:19 PM 3/14/2002]

 

Best bang for the buck. They grip good on the street. I haven't auto x with them yet. I heard a lot of autox OG uses them or the Falken Azenis

 

I've had them. I liked them, especially for the money, but there are better choices for ultimate grip. Great wet traction however.

 

I like the 712's. At first hated, but once I started keeping them at high pressures, I like them.

1. Great in the rain.
2. Great price
3. Good grip. Not as good as the Falken's though.

I'll be honest. I do all my hard driving in autocross or on the track. I do some spirited driving on the street, but not at the limit. I always stay below 80-90% of my limit on the street. So, I cannot tell you how the tires are at the limit. I use R-compound tires for autocross. But, I did take the 712's to a damp track last year, and they were ok. Not great, but still had tons of fun.

 

thanks... but i need something in a 16"

 

16k miles on my 712 205/50/ZR15. Great daily driving tire. Decent grip, great in the wet, like everyone else said.

Run a pound or two more air than you would in RE010's and you'll like them much more. Also, I hated them for the first thousand miles. But they get better after some wear. Mine still look brand new (almost exclusively street-driven). If you have two sets of rims, I'd run these on the street and get something stickier for auto-x/track use.

 

I ran them for the last year or so in dry weather, autoX, and the track. On the street, they are fine. That's it. Nothing great, but for the money I think they are a great value. They don't handle as well as the RE010's or my RE71's used to, but decent. Braking is not nearly as good as the stockers either...obviously becuase they are not as sticky. Yes they do squeal on the track, but they communicate well. They break away in a consistent manner. On the track I had no trouble knowing when the back end was about to let go. The best part about these things is that the last a looong time. I ran them for all this time, including track time, and the damn things aren't showing hardly any wear! Seriously...i ran them with high pressure at watkins glen, and the tire looked the same after 3 days out there. Of course, I wasn't really pushing too hard, but they do hold up well. As an all around decent tire, they're good for $60. I'm trying Azenis next, but i'm sure you know they are on backorder, so I won't get to try them out for a while. Good luck!

 

Well with the 712, you got what you've paid for... Cheap tires... I've a set on my RSX (225/50R16). I kind of regret buying them! My main concern, is that they scream like bitches whenever you start pushing them a bit. I don't feel confident with the grip and the handling they give me.

It's the last time I buy cheap tires... I'd rather spend twice that much (Potenza S-03) are about 150$ a piece and being happy with the tires I have on my car.

Just my .02$

 

Increase your pressures....the 712's will then squeal less and start performing better. They actual perform better AFTER the first 1000 miles or so...but you are right, you get what you pay for.

 

I just put the S03s on mine and they are great. Save your money for the S03s they are well worth the wait.

 

I have had the SP8000's,730's and the Kuhmo's.I can honestly say the Kumho's aren't as good as the other 2.They are excellent for the money but they don't have the feed back of the 8000's or the grip of the 730's.

 

azenis is not on the list for me. most of the local people i've asked about this tire say it's a water skate in the rain... and we do get a lot of rain here

i'm also uncertain whether i'm keeping the car at all. i just need something in the meantime to take me off my snow tires at the moment...