I'm shopping for a 205/45/16, and i hear the S.drives and the RE-11's mentioned alot, but i'm looking on tirerack and i was wondering if anyone has any opinions on the Goodrich g-force T/A KDW 2, the Hankook Ventus RS-2, and especially the Yokohama Parada-Spec2. I don't care about noise, but i do care about treadwear; i don't want anything that that will wear out in 15,000 miles.

 

Since you care about treadwear, get the S.drive. It should last you anywhere between 20K and 40K miles - towards the upper end of that range if you rotate your tires, you're good about checking pressures, you don't do burnouts, etc. The RE-11 will probably wear out in around 15K miles or so; it's a great tire for those who care only about performance (such as if you occasionally autocross or track your car), but the treadlife and price ($159)make it less suitable for daily driving. The S.drive is a step down in performance from the RE-11, but it's still a very good level of performance, and the price ($90) and treadlife make it a better choice for daily driving and for those who are looking for more value (i.e. price and/or treadlife).

Compared with these tires, the BFGoodrich KDW offers similar performance to the S.drive but at a much higher price ($132); the RS-2 offers performance a little bit better than the S.drive but not as good as the RE-11 and it will only last around 15K miles; and the Parada Spec offers performance that's a whole lot worse than the S.drive for about the same price. That's why I wouldn't recommend any of those.

Based on what you say you're looking for, the Yokohama S.drive is an excellent choice for you. Another excellent choice is the Fuzion ZRi, for about the same price ($88), similar treadlife and dry performance, and even better in the rain than the S.drive.

Oh, and the Parada Spec is $76; if the $14/tire difference in price is important enough that you're willing to accept a bit less performance than the S.drive, you could instead go with the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 for $76 or the General Exclaim UHP for $73. Both are a slight step down in performance from the S.drive but better than the Parada Spec, and should last about as long as the S.drive also.