TurboMike
11-25-2005, 03:33 PM
Everyone always asks me what tires are best because I autox. I never have an answer since I have summer and winter tires and tend to drive them until they're bald enough to show cords, and I also pass on the tires I want for slightly less sticky ones if they're on sale. So I dont drive on a lot of different tires so I can compare them. Every 5 years or so Car&Driver tests tires. Sometimes snow tires sometimes allseasons, this year they did summer-only max grip tires (without going into r compound race tires).
I always wanted Michelin PS2 tires. Every car or car comparison or tuner challenge I've ever read where a requirement was street tires 90% of the cars chose PS2s. They review awesome on Tirerack.com and are a little pricey but that was my plans for summer when I need new tires. i was surprised they came in fourth in this test, so I poured over the test charts and reviews. I figure I might as well type it all out with my opinions for those looking for summer tires and dont have access to car&driver.
They took the grippiest tire from 11 manufacturers and tested them. They were scored on wet and dry grip, with price and treadwear factored in at a small level. So its a basic performance test. First the losers, they came in 6th to 11th place.
Kuhmo MX (least grip, worse feel) $136
BFG gForce KD (best drag grip, bad in all other tests, horrible wet grip) $169
Bridgestone RE050A (moderate ratings in all categories) $178
Toyo Proxes T1R (moderate in all, but cheap and good tread rating) $135
Pirelli Rosso Asimmetrico (good wet, horrible dry grip) $152
Dunlop Sport Maxx (good wet, bad dry) $165
The top 5 tires were all similar in performance, but I'm going to break it down in my own opinion after looking at the data.
First their #1 tire, Goodyear F1 GSD3. It was 80% in dry grip, 100% in wet grip, amazing skidpad (grip) and decent autocross (transition and feel). They're $145 and an excellent street tire. I have them on my Miata.
#1 true performance tire (IMO): Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 (came in 4th). 2nd best dry grip, 3rd best wet grip, 2nd best wet and dry braking, top 75% in all other tests. After reading this, its still the tire I'm buying in the spring. $179 (also most expensive in test)
Best dry grip (IMO): Yoko Neova AD07 (came in 3rd). Best dry track time, best braking, best dry autox, best dry skidpad. But its wet numbers are at the bottom 1/3 of the pack. At $175 they're second most expensive but best for a weekend car that will never see rain.
Best wet grip (IMO): Continental ContiSportContact 2 (came in 2nd). Best in all wet tests, but only top 2/3 in dry tests. Best for agressive drivers who dont drive at the limit. If you drive 9/10th and need excellent grip but want the great wet grip so you can still drive fast in the rain, this is your tire. $146
Best tire for the money (IMO): Hankook Ventus RS2 Z212 (came in fifth). Amazing dry weather scores, middle pack wet weather. Yeah its not a good weather tire, but its right up with the top dry grip measurements and its a whopping $99 per tire. For that price, keep sane speeds in the wet and deal with it, thats a bargain for the stick it has.
I'm glad the tire I wanted (PS2) pretty much is exactly what I thought it was. This test reaffirms that I was thinking right. But I've heard the Kuhmo MX is a great tire, a lot of cheapskate autoxers who wont buy R compounds use it. I'm shocked how much it got its ass kicked. Also I used to have BFG KDWs and hated their dry grip but they were decent in the rain, and I recommended them to people. The KDs in this test (same tire with slightly different tread and compound for better dry and less wet stick) did horrible.
So next time someone asks me, I'm gona link them to this thread. Just remember these are summer tires, it would be suicide to try and of them in snow (been there, gona try to never get stuck doing that again).
I always wanted Michelin PS2 tires. Every car or car comparison or tuner challenge I've ever read where a requirement was street tires 90% of the cars chose PS2s. They review awesome on Tirerack.com and are a little pricey but that was my plans for summer when I need new tires. i was surprised they came in fourth in this test, so I poured over the test charts and reviews. I figure I might as well type it all out with my opinions for those looking for summer tires and dont have access to car&driver.
They took the grippiest tire from 11 manufacturers and tested them. They were scored on wet and dry grip, with price and treadwear factored in at a small level. So its a basic performance test. First the losers, they came in 6th to 11th place.
Kuhmo MX (least grip, worse feel) $136
BFG gForce KD (best drag grip, bad in all other tests, horrible wet grip) $169
Bridgestone RE050A (moderate ratings in all categories) $178
Toyo Proxes T1R (moderate in all, but cheap and good tread rating) $135
Pirelli Rosso Asimmetrico (good wet, horrible dry grip) $152
Dunlop Sport Maxx (good wet, bad dry) $165
The top 5 tires were all similar in performance, but I'm going to break it down in my own opinion after looking at the data.
First their #1 tire, Goodyear F1 GSD3. It was 80% in dry grip, 100% in wet grip, amazing skidpad (grip) and decent autocross (transition and feel). They're $145 and an excellent street tire. I have them on my Miata.
#1 true performance tire (IMO): Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 (came in 4th). 2nd best dry grip, 3rd best wet grip, 2nd best wet and dry braking, top 75% in all other tests. After reading this, its still the tire I'm buying in the spring. $179 (also most expensive in test)
Best dry grip (IMO): Yoko Neova AD07 (came in 3rd). Best dry track time, best braking, best dry autox, best dry skidpad. But its wet numbers are at the bottom 1/3 of the pack. At $175 they're second most expensive but best for a weekend car that will never see rain.
Best wet grip (IMO): Continental ContiSportContact 2 (came in 2nd). Best in all wet tests, but only top 2/3 in dry tests. Best for agressive drivers who dont drive at the limit. If you drive 9/10th and need excellent grip but want the great wet grip so you can still drive fast in the rain, this is your tire. $146
Best tire for the money (IMO): Hankook Ventus RS2 Z212 (came in fifth). Amazing dry weather scores, middle pack wet weather. Yeah its not a good weather tire, but its right up with the top dry grip measurements and its a whopping $99 per tire. For that price, keep sane speeds in the wet and deal with it, thats a bargain for the stick it has.
I'm glad the tire I wanted (PS2) pretty much is exactly what I thought it was. This test reaffirms that I was thinking right. But I've heard the Kuhmo MX is a great tire, a lot of cheapskate autoxers who wont buy R compounds use it. I'm shocked how much it got its ass kicked. Also I used to have BFG KDWs and hated their dry grip but they were decent in the rain, and I recommended them to people. The KDs in this test (same tire with slightly different tread and compound for better dry and less wet stick) did horrible.
So next time someone asks me, I'm gona link them to this thread. Just remember these are summer tires, it would be suicide to try and of them in snow (been there, gona try to never get stuck doing that again).