For anyone who might be considering buying a set of RE730s...

I just got these tires to replace the stock Michelins a few weeks ago. No other suspension mods yet except for some H&R O.E. Sport springs. Stock wheels, tires sized 205/50-15. Alignment is in good shape. Everything else stock so far.

I took it easy on the tires for the first 100 miles because (1) the guy at the shop recommended it, and (2) it was raining like heck most of the first 100 miles anyway. Once it dried up for a while, I started to explore just what these tires have to offer. I haven't done any autocrossing yet, but I have done some (ahem) "enthusiastic" street driving.

What a difference! I knew the stock Michelins were kind of weak, but I didn't know just how weak until I got these. The first thing I noticed was how much stiffer the sidewalls seem to be. Makes the ride a little more harsh over small bumps, but the huge improvement in the feeling of connectedness to the road more than makes up for it. Overall, the car feels much more planted and stable. The Michelins used to chirp and squeal all the time--pulling away from a stop, going around corners, driving over crosswalk paint, you name it. I haven't heard anything at all from the Bridgestones yet. I don't even think road noise is any worse than it used to be.

I would have to say that these tires have greatly improved my confidence behind the wheel in my Integra. Where I used to save the more advanced driving for my wife's 318i, now I feel like there really isn't anything I could do in her car that I can't do in my own. I can do the occasional hard launch without worrying about attracting the attention of everyone at the intersection. Fast corners and on-ramps are a lot more fun. And braking feels really solid.

As it turns out, all the improvements I've felt on dry pavement seem to hold true in the wet, too. I'm certainly not pretending to be Speed Racer when it's pouring or anything, but the car definitely feels a whole lot safer and more composed when it's raining now.

In summary:
Bridgestone Potenza RE730s are excellent tires. I haven't gotten anywhere near their limits yet. Great when it's dry, almost as good when it's wet. And I even think they were cheaper than the stock Michelins. I would recommend them to just about anybody.

 

good reveiw, I love mine too.

 

GREAT REVIEW!!! How is the road noise compared to the Stock tires? I need a new set of tires soon and thinking of concidering the potenza's

 

Thanks!

So far, I have noticed absolutely no increase in road noise over the stock Michelins.

(But I should probably mention that I usually drive alone, so I do spend much more time listening to music than trying to have conversations in my car.)