Yesterday changing my rear brake pads I could see that my rear tires were so worn on the shoulder that the cords are starting to show, so I need to replace them (Dunlop SP Sport FM901).
I really used to like BF Goodrich KDW2's on other cars, and I saw they are still decently priced on tirerack. However I saw there were a lot more options than I'm used to so I'm wondering if my money would be better spent on a different set? I've also seen others using wider than the stock (225) but seems like options are limited in 235/245?

 

KDW2 is..... a bad tire. They look cool, but offer poor grip and harden up half way through their lifespan.

Kumho XS are $138 each on discount tire direct.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...w=false&cs=225

 

What are your main priorities for the tire, and what will you be using it for? Is your FD just a weekend/nice day car? Is rain traction an issue? Longevity, price? Im sure you know this, but just asking "whats the best tire" is a very open ended question. Give us a little more info of what you are looking for, and from there we can make a recommendation. There are a ton of really nice tires out there now a days

 

Car doesn't see rain unless the weatherman is wrong. It's not a track car, and when/if I do take it to the track it will just be for fun not competition.
Generally I drive the car to work (20 minutes) only on nice days, and sometimes on the weekends. Longevity not a huge concern since I hardly drive it. (5k miles in 2 years).

 

Ok. These would be my recommendations. I dont consider myself a tire "expert", as I dont get to personally test tires.. but I am a well informed enthusiast

- Dunlop Direzza Star Specs- Im running these tires on my FD currently, and have had some experience with them in S2000s as well. Excellent, excellent tire especially for the money. Tons of grip, does pretty well in the rain also. Suitable for light track/autox as well, though when really pushed to the limit for extended periods on a track can become a but greasy. Tirerack lists these in 225 for $147/tire.

-Yokohama Advan ADO8 - Again, another excellent performance street tire. Grip levels when dry are probably slightly higher than the star specs, and Ive been told that they will last a bit longer on the track. Wet traction isnt quite as good as the star specs. Tire rack lists these for $168/tire

Hankook RS-3. Good performance dry tire, in line with the above 2. No personal experience with this one, but a few friends run them and compliment the dry traction. Ive been told theyre a bit sketchy in the rain. $123/tire

BFG T/A KDW2 - Slightly old-school compared to the newer offerings, but still a good decent all around tire. Grip levels slightly reduced from that of above offerings, but still a very good high performance tire with decent light rain handling. They do seem to lose grip/wet traction fairly quickly when they are down past half of their life cycle. $138/tire

There are alot of good tires out there today, Im sure others will chime in with their favorites. If it were me, Id go with the star specs. For more serious racing without stepping up to a full slick, go with the Advans.

 

Really liking my hankook ventus v12

Tire Test: Nine Affordable Summer Tires Take On the Michelin PS2 Comparison Tests - Page 10 - Car and Driver

 

The Star Specs or the Ecsta XS are the way to go as long as you aren't getting brave in the rain. They have amazing grip and the life on them isn't too bad either.

 

I have on stock wheels fallen ze 329 all season 440 thread wear.. my car is around 400 HP and these tired stick on dry and wet.. don't drive in the wet much but its really good tires for $110+ 225/50/16f and 245/50/16 r. On my 18s I run Hankook EVO v12. I love these tires for price and performance..

 

I've had bad luck with Dunlops in the past (not Star Specs) so I try to stay clear of them. I would go for the Kumho Ecsta XS. The downside with those is the treadwear is a little high. The Hankook Ventus v12's are a very good bang for the buck tire with good tread life.

 

Dunlop star specs are phenomenal tires for the price. Much better than the Kumho xs , ive driven FDs with both.

 

nitto nt05 summer radial = Amazing.

Just had the fc out on them today and they bite pretty hard

 

the hankook ventus evo v12 and the falken 452 are also 300 treadwear rating as the GDW2 and have gotten many many good reviews in terms of bang for the buck

 

The NT05s are awesome summer tires. I have a pair on the FD. Would definitely recommend you get a set.

Don't forget to get an alignment afterwards.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

 

Bumping this thread. Out of the three listed below, which has the least amount of tire noise? Rain isn't an issue. The car has Kumho Ecsta right now but I've never driven on them and it's due to arrive in a few weeks

Falken 452
Dunlop Direzza
Hankook Ventus v12

 

^Out of those three I'd choose the Hankooks if tire noise is a concern.

 

Thanks Rich. Last noob question, is the thread wear good? My last FD I had Toyo T1-R and while they were grippy, the wear was terrible

 

Yup, they're a pretty tame tire compared to the 'Extreme' summer tires. They'll last you longer than the AD08R, ZII SS, RE71R, etc etc.

 

Had the Falken 452's. They have superb grip, low road noise and good traction and hanling in the rain.

 

^not sure how you define 'superb' but compared to the big boys out there (ZII/AD08/new RE-71R) their grip is more accurately defined as 'mediocre'