how are the hankook ventus RS2 for daily driving? they will go on a car that sees daily driving, highly spirited canyon runs, and hopefully some auto-x. my main concern is how are they in the rain

 

suppose to be really good...i myself am debating the rs2 vs azena (sp)....you find a good price on the rs2? 205 50 15

 

The Falkens are better. RS2s are ok in the rain, ok in dry weather, and squeal like stuck pigs during autocross.

 

Although I don't drive my k20 civic very much on the road, the RS2s do just fine for a sporty, more dry oriented tire. I can't compare them to the Falken b/c I've never ridden on them.

I'll sell U some used RS2s on a set of Desmond 5 spokes for $1200 shipped!
205/45/16 tires on 16x7 rims +35 offset 12.4lb rims.. . 31lb tire/rim combo.
No curb rash, no stickers or center caps. Dark Bronze rim

there are 215/45/16 & 225/50/16 sizes in Falken RT615 and Kook Rs2s that you could run as well.. .

I need a set of wide 15s so I can run 225/45/15 Toyo RA1s this year.. .

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">suppose to be really good...i myself am debating the rs2 vs azena (sp)....you find a good price on the rs2? 205 50 15</TD></TR></TABLE>

i think edgeracing.com have a better price on the rs2, but you can always call discount tire direct to have them beat it!

i personally like the rs2 more, but not everyone will agree with me. (but i do believe a lot of ppl only believe in azenis b/c they never tried those rs2)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by yoorang &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i think edgeracing.com have a better price on the rs2, but you can always call discount tire direct to have them beat it!

i personally like the rs2 more, but not everyone will agree with me. (but i do believe a lot of ppl only believe in azenis b/c they never tried those rs2)</TD></TR></TABLE>

discount tire is where the RS2s will be purchased from. a friend works there so it'll be 50% off . the reason im considering the RS2s over the azenis is because they seem like they will do better in the rain, which is important because i live in the northwest.

 

The Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 is a much better daily driver tire than the Azenis. Sidewall is not rediculously stiff for a DD like the Azenis - so the ride is nice and planted on non smooth roads [roadcourses are the only smooth roads around here]. Dry grip is close to the Azenis, my Tacoma pulled right under 1.000G's steady state cornering with 245/45-16 R-S2s on 16x7.5 wheels. R-S2's are good in the wet, no problems cruising at 80mph in the wet and running through shallow water patches. Expect to get anywhere from 15k to 20k miles from a set of R-S2's in a mostly daily driven car. The best daily driver maximum performance tire I have used so far. Very quiet, great ride, tons of dry grip, good wet grip, and great price level!

mtbprelude - are you sure you meant the Hankook R-S2's and not the Kumho Ecsta 712's when you said "squeal like stuck pigs during autocross"? The Hankook R-S2 Z212 are an extremely quiet tire, as quiet as Falken Azenis... at least they are on my Tacoma and my brothers '90 Integra RS. They are like a DOT-R tire in that they don't "squeal" at all - just give a little bit of complaint when you are approaching the limit. Very quiet tire compared to most!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vracer111 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

mtbprelude - are you sure you meant the Hankook R-S2's and not the Kumho Ecsta 712's when you said "squeal like stuck pigs during autocross"? The Hankook R-S2 Z212 are an extremely quiet tire, as quiet as Falken Azenis... at least they are on my Tacoma and my brothers '90 Integra RS. They are like a DOT-R tire in that they don't "squeal" at all - just give a little bit of complaint when you are approaching the limit. Very quiet tire compared to most!</TD></TR></TABLE>

With 5 track days on my kooks, I concour that on my 205/45/16s don't make much noise and only do when they are real close to their limit. Have I really driven them to their limit with G loads on the course, maybe.. . They don't blow up much smoke either.

did a lot better in the wet than I enticipated on HPT - a remotely new surfaced track

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pos_cd5 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how are the hankook ventus RS2 for daily driving? they will go on a car that sees daily driving, highly spirited canyon runs, and hopefully some auto-x. my main concern is how are they in the rain</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've been daily driving on 225/45-15 RS2s for the past year in all weather conditions. They're fine in anything but snow. A bit of a waste if you're not going to be autocrossing or tracking them at all though, because they wear out just as quickly as Azenis. If you're not specifically autocrossing with them, then A) I'd suggest the Kumho Ecsta SPT instead since they are significantly cheaper and are a better all around tire for daily driving with only a slight compromise to dry grip vs. the 'kooks, and B) this thread belongs in the wheel & tire forum, not the road racing & autocross forum.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mtbprelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Falkens are better. RS2s are ok in the rain, ok in dry weather, and squeal like stuck pigs during autocross. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Huh? Autocross performance overall is nearly the same for both tires based on testing I have done personally (I have owned both tires and did both autocrossing and daily driving with them), and they both make the same amount of noise. There are slight differences in a few different areas (i.e. braking characteristics, heat resistance), but a novice doing regional events would never notice. The Falkens do not have a significant advantage over the 'kooks, especially when they're shaved to 4/32" or less.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pos_cd5 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the reason im considering the RS2s over the azenis is because they seem like they will do better in the rain, which is important because i live in the northwest.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Neither tire handles standing water particularly well. The Hankooks look like they'd be a much better wet tire, but to be honest the difference isn't nearly what you'd expect, especially when the tread wears down. When both are at full tread, they are fairly comparable. The Azenis in wet at full tread are much better than most people would lead you to believe.

I don't know how much standing water you typically encounter in the rainy Northwest as I've never lived there.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vracer111 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 is a much better daily driver tire than the Azenis. Sidewall is not rediculously stiff for a DD like the Azenis - so the ride is nice and planted on non smooth roads [roadcourses are the only smooth roads around here].</TD></TR></TABLE>
While I like them, I wouldn't say that the RS2s are ]that much better for daily driving. I found them a little better, but not significantly. The main point that I prefer about them is that they have a lighter steering feel at low speeds, so they are much easier to park without power steering.

 

I had these on my WRX for 4 months, didnt do any auto-x but daily they were fine, quiet IMO, and gripped well. Rain was not really any problems. I think they are great for DD and auto-x/HPDE.

 

They're definitely nowhere near quiet by the time they're at 4/32" tread

 

thanks for all the input. sidewall stiffness is not a problem, the car its going on has really stiff suspension anyway and noise isnt a issue either. pretty much performance is the main priority, and then comes tractin in rain for daily driving, and lastly tire life, but since they will be 50% off im willing to sacrifice tire life for more performance