Suggestions for new summer rubber

[Cmezz331]

hey guys, my tires are basically bald on my summer wheels, and im lookin for some new rubber.
ive been looking at a bunch and dont know what to do.....
beside these, if you have any opinions or other tires please let me know.
These are the ones im looking at.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Direzza+Sport+Z1+Star+Spec&partnum=145WR7Z1SS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Mazda&autoYear=2003&autoModel=MazdaSpeed%20Protege&autoModClar=

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=ADVAN+Neova+AD08&partnum=145WR7AD08&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Mazda&autoYear=2003&autoModel=MazdaSpeed%20Protege&autoModClar=

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+T%2FA+KDW+2&partnum=145YR7GFTAKDW2&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Mazda&autoYear=2003&autoModel=MazdaSpeed%20Protege&autoModClar=

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=ADVAN+A048&partnum=145WR7048M&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Mazda&autoYear=2003&autoModel=MazdaSpeed%20Protege&autoModClar=

ahhhhh
thanks guys

 

[ohsixspeedsix]

Unless you are planning on doing some racing, I'd ditch the Advans. My personal prefference out of the group is the BFG's. I always rock falkens just because I always seem to find a good deal on them.

 

[mndsm]

I've had Dunlop Star Specs on my car for two summers, and they're remarkably good. I'll either those, or Hankook RS-3's when I need to replace them.

 

[FunK73]

Star specs are the best of that group by far. I also run them.

Advans arent street legal, the Yoko's arent worth the money, and the KDWs are going to be a bit loud

 

[Cmezz331]

Ahh yes the rs3s. Those were the other ones I was gonna out up here. I really like those. I know the kdws are loud, my friend has them on his sti. Which advans aren't street legal?

 

[mndsm]

One other thing to consider, as it was a piece of advice given to me from some racing friends I know- never put a tire on a car that can outdrive it. IE- don't put all season boring mobiles on a sports car. That ruins the fun.

 

[mndsm]

AD08's are legal. A048's are TECHNICALLY street legal, but retarded pricy, and will wear out like mad. I know a few people that have run the AD08's. They love them, but hate the wear factor on them as well. I have 15-20k on my star specs and expect another 15k easy. Not bad for what amounts to a track tire for the street.

 

[FunK73]

Yeah you'd be lucky to get 10k out of the A048s, and they will have no traction in the wet. They're essentially a track tire. Hence the 80 wear rating lol. They also need proper heat cycling.

 

[Cmezz331]

yeah... im really stuck between the kdw, the star specs, and the rs3's. the rs3's have a 140 treadwear, whereas the starspecs have 200, but then again the kdw have 300.....and they have a 'aa' rating for traction. every other one is just 'a'....theyre only a little louder than mine right now in my frends sti, and i plan on getting a better flowing exhaust that will probably(hopefully) cancel out the tire noise....

 

[dmention7]

Disregard tire noise, acquire traction and treadwear.

 

[Picklz]

What is the car going to be used for? How many miles per year? Daily driven? Autocross once or twice a year for fun or are you worried about being competitive, etc.

For a daily driver that maybe sees an auto-x session or two a year, I'd look at StarSpecs or Hankook Evo V12's, I put the V12's on my MS6 and I love them, good compromise between traction and treadwear and they ride reasonably smooth/quiet for a summer performance tire. I had KDW's on my GTO and goddamn were those things loud.

 

[concealer404]

The KDWs do not deserve to be in the same thread as the RS3s and Star Specs.

Run them if you want, but they're not even comparable.

Depending on the car, the RS3s might be faster than Star Specs. Either is a good choice.

I prefer RS3s, but had to get Star Specs for street tires for the Escort.

 

[Cmezz331]

How aren't they comparable? Are they higher quality or lower? Everything I've seen points to higher... Daily driven, hoping to track, bu i like to hold my lines on the road too.. I drive maybe 5k a summer

 

[mndsm]

They compromise is that the rubber is so much harder than the star spec or the rs3, you don't get nearly the traction. You can only get so much out of reviews without driving them side by side.

 

[concealer404]

How aren't they comparable? Are they higher quality or lower? Everything I've seen points to higher... Daily driven, hoping to track, bu i like to hold my lines on the road too.. I drive maybe 5k a summer

I don't think i could find a review on the internet anywhere that would say the KDWs are better at..... anything.... than the RS3s or Star Specs. Besides maybe treadlife. Or picking up bitches because you've got an awesome-looking pattern that doesn't really serve much purpose other than to look cool. (And give you a LOT of tread squirm which = no bueno for roundy bits)

 

[Cmezz331]

Haha oh ok. Well if you can't tell I've never bought tires before. And being a college kid I don't have lots of dem cash monies to be buying tires often.

 

[Picklz]

College kid = buy v12's imo. Cheaper than either star specs or RS3's, better tread-life than both, and still reasonably grippy, no they aren't as sticky as the other two options but that's why they actually have a decent tread-life to them, and they're much better than an all-season or I'll probably even argue the KDW's

 

[mndsm]

Otherwise the Kumho Ecsta XS... but they're kinda horseshit in the rain.

 

[dmention7]

I forget which one of Kumho's summer performance tires I have (maybe it was the XS...?) but I have no complaints about them in the rain.

I'd also second Picklz's suggestion of going with the less expensive option with better tread life. It's not like you're going to be whipping around skidpads thinking "awwww man, if I had only spent another $100, I could be at .91g instead of just .89"

 

[AJ]

I have the Ecsta STPs and have little rain issues. In Auto X, I perform better than those running RS3s and such. I'll be running at least 2 sets of tires this year, maybe 3, as I get just a little more serious.