Yokohama ES100 vs. Avon Tech M500

I am interested in either the Yoko ES100 or Avon M500 in 205/50-15 for my daily driven 1998 Integra to be mounted on 15x7 Rota Slips.
The Avon performs well against the Yoko in TireRack’s comparison of the two and they are practically the same price. Can anyone tell me how the quality of the Avon compares to the Yoko? I have had very good experiences with previous Yokohama tires in the past (Avid H4s) and don’t know a lot about the Avon tyre brand. Both are listed UTQG 280/AA/A…does anyone know how well the two compare realistically in tire wear? I have read many posts from NSXtacy saying that the Yoko’s have a very good treadlife and wondered how the Avon’s compare. So, if you have used both of these tires please post your real-world comparisons/impressions of the two.

Thanks,
GIANT

 

Both are very good tires, and very similar. We're on our second set of ES100 on the GS-R, and the first set lasted just over 40K miles. YMMV.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 520lbGIANT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Can anyone tell me how the quality of the Avon compares to the Yoko? I have had very good experiences with previous Yokohama tires in the past (Avid H4s) and don’t know a lot about the Avon tyre brand.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Avon (if I'm not mistaken, it's pronounced to rhyme with HAVE-ON) is a large, long-time (founded 1885) tire manufacturer based in the UK, which only recently made them available in North America. Like all brands, they sell a variety of tires, from all-seasons, to summer street tires, to excellent R compound track tires. In general, their quality is comparable to other leading brands.

The performance of the best tires in this "budget performance tire" segment of the market are very, very close. You could come up with a list that looks something like this, from best to worst, with Tire Rack prices shown for 205/50-15:

Avon Tech M500 $73
Bridgestone Potenza RE750 $94
BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2 $99
Kumho Ecsta SPT $56
Yokohama AVS ES100 $71
Dunlop Direzza DZ101 $50
Fuzion ZRi $59

and, in performance terms, the difference from the best to the worst isn't really all that huge. All of these are good tires and very similar to each other - very good dry traction and wet traction, with good treadlife, at a reasonable price.

Because the performance is so similar, and because the whole point of this segment of the market is "bang for the buck", where there are big differences in price, I think you're generally better off spending less for tires that are just about as good. So, bottom line, I think you're better off getting the Kumho SPT for $56 or the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 for $50 than either of the two tires you mention. But if you have to choose between the Avon and the Yoko with only a two dollar difference in price, get the Avon.

 

nsxtasy,

Thanks for the quick reply.
The Kumhos looked really good on paper and the price is inviting but I have heard some people were dissappointed with them when put to daily driving.
And, maybe the Dunlop's are really good but, I had the read the rave reviews on the A2 Sports a few years back, put them on my car and really didn't like them...so, maybe these Dunlops rock but I still have that previous experience stuck in my head.
So, looks like when my tax return comes in I'll be getting some new Avon's for my car.

Thanks again for your input.

 

Most people I know with the SPT have been extremely happy with them. But as long as you don't mind spending more for the Avon, go for it; I'm sure you'll like it.

 

Bringing back from the dead to wiegh in. I've never owned the Yoko's but the Tech M500 was extreemly sticky. They are the best tires I've ever owned by far when considering grip.

Now they didn't last all that long, 2 summers was stretching it for me, and that's with no track events, but still for the price, I was stunned by how well they gripped. Only thing I noticed is at lower speeds it kind of goes with the grooves in the road, the car will just shift one way or another and have to make sure you have a good hold of the steering wheel. Not to bad, but def. noticable.

 

I had both tires on the same car- a 1995 volvo tr-5 with ecu upgrade cat back and koni sport adjust and sway bars. I like both tires, the Yokohamas turn in sharper, give more road feel, and have a very linear breakaway characteristics. The Avons had more ultimate grip, were quite a bit slower to turn in and gave less road feel. They were also a much quieter tire and were superb in the wet, better than the yokohamas which are very good in the wet. The Avons went strait, ignoring rain groves and surface inconsistencies, while the yokos wander and grab rain grooves. For my Volvo I preferred the Avons, as it is a fast cruser sort of car with a automatic tranny and crippling traction problems (300 ft lb of tourqe and a open diff). On a (presumably) precise handling car like an Integra i might be inclined to go with the Yokos, but overall I liked the Avons more. They wore about the same for me 20-25k, and both tires were very nicely made and looked great.