mid level summer tires vs very good all seasons. grip?
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mid level summer tires vs very good all seasons. grip?
For comparison in terms of dry grip only, How well do ES100s, Dunlop Direzzas, Ecsta 712's (budget performance segment) compare to better all seasons like the Kumho ASX, Avon tech m550, Potenza 960AS pole, or Polit A/S?
If one were to go one step up in terms of grip above the ES100s for instance in the summer tires, what would it be?
Ride: Integra, 205/50/15 or 195/55/15 depending on tires sizes available..
If one were to go one step up in terms of grip above the ES100s for instance in the summer tires, what would it be?
Ride: Integra, 205/50/15 or 195/55/15 depending on tires sizes available..
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Incidentally, the Ecsta 712 has been discontinued.
Originally Posted by Forum Rules and FAQ - READ BEFORE POSTING
Tires FAQ
What kinds of tires are there?
Broad groupings of tires include summer tires, winter tires, all-season tires, and competition tires.
Summer tires are designed for use for moderate to warm temperatures. If you are only going to be using your tires in temperatures above freezing, summer tires provide the best performance at those temperatures. With only a few exceptions, most summer tires do extremely well in rain as well as on dry pavement. Summer tires are not recommended for use in extreme cold conditions, and especially not on snow and ice.
There are several types of summer tires:
a. Specialty tires designed to maximize traction on dry pavement. Downsides typically include so-so traction in rain, and rapid treadlife. These are a good choice for someone who only cares about dry traction, such as those who use their tires for autocrosses or track events as well as normal driving. Recommended examples include the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, Falken Azenis RT-615, Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R, Toyo R1R, and Kumho Ecsta XS.
b. Top-of-the-line performance tires, designed for excellent traction on dry pavement and in rain, and very good treadlife. The primary downside is a rather high purchase price. These are a good choice for someone who wants excellent performance and also cares about grip in rain and/or about treadlife, and doesn't mind paying more for better performance. Recommended examples include the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position.
c. Budget performance tires, designed for good traction on dry pavement and in rain, very good treadlife, and a relatively low purchase price. The downside is that the performance is not quite as good as the previous two groups. These are a good choice for someone looking for good value as well as good performance and treadlife. Recommended examples include the Kumho Ecsta SPT, Fuzion ZRi, and Yokohama ES100 and S.drive.
What kinds of tires are there?
Broad groupings of tires include summer tires, winter tires, all-season tires, and competition tires.
Summer tires are designed for use for moderate to warm temperatures. If you are only going to be using your tires in temperatures above freezing, summer tires provide the best performance at those temperatures. With only a few exceptions, most summer tires do extremely well in rain as well as on dry pavement. Summer tires are not recommended for use in extreme cold conditions, and especially not on snow and ice.
There are several types of summer tires:
a. Specialty tires designed to maximize traction on dry pavement. Downsides typically include so-so traction in rain, and rapid treadlife. These are a good choice for someone who only cares about dry traction, such as those who use their tires for autocrosses or track events as well as normal driving. Recommended examples include the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, Falken Azenis RT-615, Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R, Toyo R1R, and Kumho Ecsta XS.
b. Top-of-the-line performance tires, designed for excellent traction on dry pavement and in rain, and very good treadlife. The primary downside is a rather high purchase price. These are a good choice for someone who wants excellent performance and also cares about grip in rain and/or about treadlife, and doesn't mind paying more for better performance. Recommended examples include the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position.
c. Budget performance tires, designed for good traction on dry pavement and in rain, very good treadlife, and a relatively low purchase price. The downside is that the performance is not quite as good as the previous two groups. These are a good choice for someone looking for good value as well as good performance and treadlife. Recommended examples include the Kumho Ecsta SPT, Fuzion ZRi, and Yokohama ES100 and S.drive.
As long as you don't mind the lower treadlife (typically 10-12K miles, vs 25-45K for the budget performance tires you mention), you can get those supersticky specialty tires in your sizes. For your Integra, I recommend the Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec, which is available in 195/55-15. Another popular choice is the Falken Azenis RT-615 in 205/50-15 (but I think the Dunlop is better and the price is similar). New entries on the market in 15" sizes include the Kumho XS and the Toyo R1R.
Last edited by nsxtasy; Nov 27, 2008 at 05:26 AM.
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awesome awesome. thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I don't think Max performance summer and extreme performance summer are good for my DD (max is too expensive and don't make 15" and extreme tires wear out too fast). That leaves me with ultra high performance summer. Again, unfortunately, there are not too many choices for this category for 195/55/15 OR 205/50/15. The Avon M500's seem to be discontinued soon (Tirerack only has 2 left). The next choice would probably be the yoko S drives although I'd rather have the kumho SPT as my first choice but it doesnt have the correct size. DAMN...
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The S.drive is very similar to the SPT, in performance as well as price. The S.drive is cheaper in 195/55 than 205/50.
If you really want the SPT, though, according to Kumho's website, they're still available in 195/55-15 and 205/50-15. I know they're not listed on the Tire Rack or Discount Tire website, but any Kumho dealer should be able to order them for you.
If you really want the SPT, though, according to Kumho's website, they're still available in 195/55-15 and 205/50-15. I know they're not listed on the Tire Rack or Discount Tire website, but any Kumho dealer should be able to order them for you.
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