Tires - what's the best
 

I'm curious on what the best tires are that are out there (streetable tires not slicks). Is there maybe someplace that compares them all, I read the reviews on the tire places, but that doesn't really tell me if it truly is better etc.....

Go to tirerack.com - - select your tire size, then pick which tires interest you, then do a compare - - - I put a set of S03 Pole Positions on my Z after the oem's wore out - huge improvement, alot of people like the pilot sports too - - have fun

Tirerack.com has survey results for tires in different categories such as Maximum Performance, Ultra High Performance, etc... For Max Performance, the Goodyear F1 GS D3 was ranked #1.

I second the S03 Pole Positions. But too bad its been on back order for the past 2 months. I heard one of the factory blew up in Japan that why for the delays? Anyone knows the story?

I have a set of Dunlop SP9000s. Awesome handling tire and priced right.

Lou

never ask "best". there is no such thing.

you have price, performance; and wear. every tire has some combo of them.

tye best wear will have the worst performance and vice versa. price can make both go up; but itll cost you.

Been to tirerack, and I like their setup however, they do not have EVERY tire and so I can't compare all tires, is there a site that reviews ALL tires, or more than I can just find on tirerack. Also not every tire place has what tirerack has. Like I said I read the reviews but I'm looking for more than just tirerack's!!

They are backordered!? oh crap... i hafta make sure my so3's don't blow. :D

i like my falken fk451's. very nice tread pattern and very good grip, not to mention a bargain too. this is for 18" rim tho.

There was a fire at a major Bridgestone factory about 6 months ago. Production had to be shifted to other factories. Which tires/models were affected -- I don't know.

However, Bridgestone has had problems with keeping up with 19 inch demand for the S03 PP's for a long time.

I don't understand why Yokohama doesn't come out with a new line including 19 inch. Until then ... there are TOYO T1's... superb tire -- with a much better rep in the US than in Japan -- but even these are in short supply -- the last time I heard.

The problem with the Tireack ratings is that 1st, they don't have every tire (toyo for instance); second, while some are pro tested by tirerack, those charts at the bottom of every tire description are from user surveys, which are not veryconsistent.

I would like to answer to this question too, it's been quite a while since I had to buy performance tires. I need a max peformace tire that I can use at the track for the first year or two, until I buy r-compounds. Yet still drive every day in the summer.

I guess I'm considering Toyo T1-S, Bridgestone S-03, BFG KDW2, Yoko ES100.

toyo t1-s are great and lighter than most as well.

I have 275/30/20 and 245/35/20 Toyo T1S's and the wheels/tires came out lighter than the stock enthusiast wheels (I weighed them as I changed them).

Grip is much improved over stock as is ride quality; no more bounce and chatter from "stutter" bumps.

My main distaste with the stock tire/suspension setup is 1) the bounce and 2) the harshness. The bounce can be eliminated with Nismo, coil overs, etc. But what about the harshness? By harshness, I mean the hard impacts feeling and high road noise of the Bridgestones. I wonder if a T1S or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S would not only be a better handling tire (I'm pretty sure of this), but whether it would exhibit MUCH less impact harshness and less road noise. I can't stand the stock setup!

My T1S's have substantially less road noise and ride far smoother than the stock setup ever did. :)

Very VERY pleased.

How are the T1-S in the rain?

ES100 is not even close in terms of the other tires you mentioned....

there is no such thing as best...its such a subjective thing, like which wheels or body kit you prefer on the car.

You cannot go wrong with any of the higher end tires such as a PZero, S03, T1S, etc etc....biggest difference you'll find is weight and noise (T1S is light and quiet, P Zero is mid weight and louder, S03 is heavy and noisy). I have used all 3 on various cars...all served me well, and I'd use any of them again without hesitation.

I ahve T1S on my 350Z now, just my everyday car (in 18's) and they are a great all around tire...I ahve not found its limits yet on the street. I found exactly what Jeffrey did too. My car is an Enthusiast, so I have the 17's and stock bridegestones. Switching to the 18 inch T1S yielded FAR better ride quality, much quieter, and much better over bumps, and this was despite going to an 18 inch wheel.

we have em in stock if you need any

2nd that...i have s0-3's now and i may go back to the 451's after these are worn out. The S03's tramline a bit vs the 451 but that may be due to the fact that my S03's are a lot wider than my 451 when i had them (235 vs 245/275) Plus i dont think I ever drive my car hard enough to exploit the extra grip the S03's give vs other tires. For daily driving when you drive at 1/10 of the tires and your driving ability I'd go for a tire that last a lil bit longer. When I was one of the first of my friends to get the 451's they gave me crap about it, but a few gave them a try and now most of them are running them and swear by them. Pick a tire based on how you are going to use them and your driving ability as well. If you are never going to use the full potential of the tire then you are just wasteing money.

Excellent!:)