FDTT19

It's time to get some new tires for the FD and I was hoping to get some opinions. I was planning on getting some BF Goodrich KD's but they stopped making them in the FD stock wheel size so basically it's between the Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R and the Kumho ECSTA MX. Basically what I want is a really sticky street tire, let me know what you guys think and if you have any other recommendations that would be great too. Thanks in advance.

rynberg

The RE-01R will spank the MX. Pretty much the stickiest street tires are the RE-01R, the Yoko Advan AD07, the Michelin PS2, and the Falken RT-615. If the RT-615 is available in 225/50 or 245/45, I would go with those unless wet traction is really important.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Agreed. Grassroots Motorsports just did an OK test on tires. Not all encompassing but interesting read.

OJmobileII

the widest the 615 is available in is the 225/50R16, since you have oem 16in. same goes for the MX and RE-01R. i think the AD07 only has a real small size for a 16in rim. something <205. i heard the RE-01R is very very nice, but has ~150(off the top of my head) UTQG. another popular tire is the Toyo T1-R (less sticky than tires mentioned here) which is suppose to be decently priced and has a good selection of 16in sizes. you might want to look into 17's as tire selection becomes much easier.

i have been lookin for tires as well. from what i have put together is that the MX and 615 are almost as good or better than the pricier tires out there (i.e. RE-01R is about $120more/set4). they also have ~200 UTQG so still sticky, but atleast get some mileage out of them. now i have to make a decision between the 615 and MX, i am concerned with straightline traction and summer drivability. goodluck with your search and post up your decision, review, etc. hope this was helpful.

EDIT: heres a link to grassroots test that everyone likes to reference for every tire question and everyone seems to think is the end all and thinks that any varying opinion is wrong. sorry for the rant. enjoy the link.

rynberg

The 615 is WAY stickier than the MX and is probably more refined too. The MX was a great tire for the price (well, still is), but it is becoming an old design. The Michelin PS2 is like all Michelin tires -- overpriced. Although it's actually pretty stunning how much Yoko charges for the AD07, given their usual good pricing. I'm looking very hard at the RE-01R for my next set.

FDTT19

Thanks for the info guys, I'll take a look into the 615's as well. I'll let you guys know what I buy in a few weeks (just got done completely revamping the suspension as well), but I wanted to start looking again once I found out bf stopped the 225/50/16 for the kds. How harsh is the ride in the re-01's because I've read some of the other bridgestones have been pretty bad? Anything else you guys got would be great, and thanks for the link.

rynberg

I wouldn't be worried about ride harshness on 16s... (says the guy with 600-lb springs up front and 18s)

FDTT19

rynberg - since you keep saying the bridgestones and the falcons would be alot stickier then the mx's, is this meaning that perhaps tire rack is putting them in the wrong catergory since they are viewed as competitors, like for example does the mx perform more like the kdw then the kd from bfgoodrich? Thanks for the help so far, I'm just asking about the kumhos because for the first time with the fd I thought perhaps I may be able to save a little money in an area (I know tires are important).

OJmobileII

the RE-01R, KD, and MX are all correctly placed in the "Extreme Performance" category. if tirerack supplied Falken, i am sure they would classify the RT-615 in there as well.

the extreme, max, etc. are all tirerack categories. most companies classify all these tires under ultra high-performance summer (UHP). seems like tirerack jus broke up that larger category up a bit to help out consumers when looking for tires.

from what i have read the RE-01R are the newest tire available and probably the stickiest. the KD and MX have been out for quite some time and have been moving down in the rankings in the recent reviews i have seen. i do not know if this is because of certain company advertisements and sponsorships for mags, etc. or if the others are just that much better.

i have driven a car with the BFG KD and they were incredibly sticky. if i had my choice out of the KD, RE-01R, MX, and RT-615 with price as no option... i would give the RE-01R a try since they are the newest and have just heard insane things about them. but since it should wear more than the competitors, in the real world i would choose the KD. with that said, i think i am going to give the MX a chance based solely on price and what i have heard from a friend. if i dont like them i will go with the KD next time.

i have recently been told that the RT-615 is probably stickier than the KD/MX, but also stiffer sidewall and even worse in the rain than the MX/KD. so i am going to avoid those since i am concerned with straightline traction and street driving. like i said above. only have experience with the KD, loved them, very sticky. maybe someone has some experience with more of these tires to give better input than i.

P.S. since you were looking at 225/50R16, maybe you are interested in tire rotation. the KD no longer is available in 16in sizes, but if it was you have to remember that it is directional and asymmetrical.

rynberg

There is no probably....the RT-615 is one sticky ****. I do not believe that Tire Rack or Grassroots Motorsports are biased in their tire tests, which show the RE-01R or AD07 or RT-615 significantly outperforming the KD and MX. Those tires are SEVERAL years old, you can't expect them to outgrip the new top tires.

OJmobileII

i know numbers don't lie. and tirerack and grassroots show the numbers. some magazines just give a breakdown of tests and then give a brief summary. sometimes i feel the summaries can be a little biased. i jus don't know if i believe the RE-01R or AD07 outperform the older competition by so much that they warrant the price that they carry.

also, just a side note about the tests. i wish they would do a test with more high powered rwd vehicles with tire sizes that most people would run. seems like every test is fwd or underpowered rwd on skinny tires. different tire sizes on different wheels on different cars will perform completely differently.

back on topic. not sure what FDTT19 needs the tires for. maybe he can tell us what he uses the car for so we can give better advise, considering some of the tires we mentioned are not even available in a proper size for him.

rynberg

Well, I never commented on that.... :p , I just said they were better. The RT-615 is bargain priced though.

FDTT19

I know the KD isn't available anymore, thats why I started the thread. You both have def been a big help. Main purpose for the tires is street with some track, mainly drag/straightline but will prolly hit up lime rock once or twice this yr. At this point I'll prolly see what kind of prices I can get on these and go from there but based off this thread I feel like there really isn't a bad choice among the three.

OJmobileII

you did state that they werent available and i didnt forget. shouldnt have structured the sentence like that. jus wanted to point out that they are directional and asymmetrical. if its going to see any rain, i would narrow it down to the RE-01R and MX. if it were me i would go w/ the MX out of those two based on price and treadwear. goodluck and let us know ur decisions and review after you get them.

FDTT19

ok thanks oj, quick question, has falken fixed the issue the 215's had of hardening up after getting hott with the 615's or is that a problem with them as well?

rynberg

Less of a problem but still there. All tires overheat at some point though.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

The closer you get to racing compounds, the more likely you are to have that happen. You need to decide what you are after:

1. Ride comfort
2. Cornering ability

You can't have both. If you want to have great cornering ability, then you want a tire with a stiff sidewall. However, that means the ride on the road is going to be rough. Getting a tire with a softer sidewall will help absorb the road, but will not have the same cornering ability.

You should feel what happens to the r-compounds once they get heat cycled.

FDTT19

Alright guys, these are the prices I've got for the tires and wanted to see what people's opinions were of the price/buy. Price includes Mounting, Balancing, Alignment. The RE-01R's are 640, The Kuhmo MX's are 610, and the Azenis RT-615's are 550. Also, if you anyone knows the speed rating on the Azenis that would be great because that's what I'm leaning towards right now.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

They have a H and a Z rated tire for the 615 line.