hey, i am looking to buy new street tires.. this car is not a daily drive, it should make at least 400whp when tuned, it is not all the way done yet, it is a street/track car, i am looking for the best traction/grip on the street and track when racing and trying to have the least amount of wheel spin coming out of the hole. of course i would like the tire to last as long as possible but with this kind of power, an these kind of tires, i know what to expect.


for the longest time i have had my heart set on the falken azenis 205/50/15, until i heard about the new dunlop direzza sport z1 star spec, the thing i found odd is the tire size 195/55/15.. so as of now, my choice is between these 2 tires, unless there is a stickier tire then both of these i am willing to hear it or consider, but these 2 sets of tires seem to be in the same price range..

is anyone running the star spec on the 195/55/15? how are they, any opinions?.. has anyone ran both the rt-615's and the star specs on 15 inch wheels an can give me an opinion? thank you

 

The Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec in 195/55 is much, MUCH stickier than the Falken Azenis RT-615 in 205/50. Remember, the primary factor in grip/performance is the design of the tire model, as reflected in its compound and tread pattern; by comparison, treadwidth is insignificant. A slightly narrower, stickier tire gives better grip than a wider, less sticky tire, and this is a perfect example.

The Azenis was a great tire a few years ago when it came out, but since then, several other tire companies have come out with tires that grip better on dry pavement, grip better in rain, last longer (typically 15-20K miles vs 10-12K for the Azenis), and don't have ill effects when they get hot. All of these will give you significantly better grip than the Azenis:

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec 195/55-15
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 205/50-15
Kumho Ecsta XS 205/50-15
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 205/50-15
Toyo Proxes R1R 205/50-15

There is a side-by-side comparison test of the first four of these on the Tire Rack website.

The Star Spec and XS are both priced similarly to the Azenis. There is a $60 rebate through August 8 on the Star Spec.

If this is for your CRX, the outer diameter of 205/50-15 is larger than your stock size, and the outer diameter of 195/55-15 is another 1.6 percent larger than that. If you want a tire whose outer diameter is close to your stock size, the RE-11 and R1R are both available in 195/50-15. The smaller diameter of the 195/50 will also slightly help your acceleration.

Here's how the outer diameter of these sizes compare to your stock size (assuming you have a CRX Si):

185/60-14: 22.74" (+0.0 percent, stock)
195/50-15: 22.68" (-0.3 percent)
195/55-15: 23.44" (+3.1 percent)
205/50-15: 23.07" (+1.5 percent)