What's the difference between v and w rated tires? I am specifically looking at the Kumho Ecsta 205/50/15 tire on stock 96 GSR rims. v is $58, w is $60. Which has the stiffer sidewall? Will I notice a difference? Thanks!

 

ttt Anyone? V vs W?

 

speed rating.. do a search on the web or check tirerack.com for the acutal speeds the ratings mean.

 

speed rating
v is upto 149
w is upto 168
z is 149 and up

speed rating also tells (most cases) how stiff the sidewall will be..how much heat the tire can hold.

 

Buy the Ws... when they arrive they are marked as Z's...

I love em... 712s killer price for good performance!

 

Generally when comparing 2 tires of the same size, the tire w/ the higher speed rating will perform better at all speeds (in the dry at least). i'd go for the W's, can't go wrong for an extra $8.

 

The v-rated version has a higher treadwear rating, but will have less overall grip than the w-rated.

Go for the w-rated ones...even those aren't so nice when it comes to handling, but it's better than the v-rated version, nonetheless.

 

Even though your car won't be in the 168mph range I'd still get the w rated tires. It's only $8 bucks. Worth the little extra handling you get.

 

I bought the Z rated 712's from http://www.TireRack.com. They were the same price as the lower rated tires. You will be sacrificing a small amount of tread life to get the higher speed rating, but the tires will hold up better under abuse. I am very happy that I got the Z rated ones.

 

So the general consensus seems to be to go with the W's. Any idea how much tread life I'd be sacrificing? Also will the W's be much louder than the V's? Just wondering. Thanks guys!