[NOS2Go4Me]

I haven't seen a collective tire thread yet... so please delete / merge if there is mods. thanks :)

Guys/gals - please list the tire brand, specific tire, sizing, and any special circumstances with an entry for each tire used. This goes for ALL drivers - daily, special show cars, track cars, whatever. One entry per tire in your post, but the listing can be cumulative - ie. 3 sets of proxes, one sucked, two rocked :P

Without further ado:

Goodyear Integrity all-seasons, 185/65R14 (stock 2001 SE sedan equipment).

Synopsis: A great year-round tire for those wishing to save gas and impersonate old ladies. Not a decent on-ramp performer. There's a significant amount of heel-over in heavy cornering. Gas mileage is king with these tires, and an unexpected plus is their winter driveability. I've yet to get stuck in 2 decent North Bay winters. This year (2005/06) was the worst on record for 25+ years. Never stuck once.

Firestone Firehawk all-seasons, 205/50R16 (stock on 16" 2000-04 Focus rims, S2 hatch in this case).

Synopsis: Got these tires well used from Hardk0re on the original S2 rims. They were grippy enough in the dry, but wet weather gave them pause at times. They were well-worn, with only another 8,000 KMs or so left on them right now. There's no early understeer when the SE is driven aggressively. One big downside is TIRE NOISE. Man, are these things loud at speed (100KM/H +). Not sure I'd entertain getting another 2 pair, considering they're 230+ each at the dealer. Many better tires can be had for less cash.

Pirelli P6 all-seasons, 205/50R16 (standard on 2005/06 16" Focus rims, ST/SES for sure).

Synopsis: These are definitely all-season tires... not for the lack of performance, but for their seemingly godlike grip in the rain. I've only had them for 5 days, but they just DON'T give up in the rain. I've purposely bent the car into a corner at 50 KM/H that I wouldn't even do at 35 on the 14s... no problem. I had to really give it hell to break it loose off the line, something that was easily done with both the stock 14s and the Firehawks on the 16s in the rain. I mean, they are BRAND NEW... but they're really grippy. Also, driving to work today in a couple CM of snow was uneventful. I tried to pitch it but it stuck well to the road. I'll update down the road, but so far I like them :)

[laidman]

Pirelli P6 all-seasons, 205/50R16. Excellent in the rain, good traction in the snow. Do a nice burn out if the conditions are right.

Continental ContiSportContact, 215/45R17. Garbage, crap in the rain, hooks like s***, no grip in the corners, (nearly slid off the road) And to finish no stoping power at 50km/h just sliding 30feet into on coming traffic......oopsie!!

TOYO Proxe4 215/45R17 Good all around traction in a straight line, rain/dry. Tread design looks cool from behind. Loud when turning corners, grips like theirs stickem on the road. Very little wheel hop at launches

[ZX3_2NV]

Yokohoma H4's 215/45 R17 Great for summer rims alright in the rain great grip on dry pavment tread looks great to all around no problems what so ever

[MAlby7]

Goodyear Eagle RSA All-Season (195/60/15):

Stock tires on a 2000 ZX3. Complete crap. Goodyear managed to make soft tires that didn't grip for s***. End result is that they wore out real fast and never really provided anything as far as performance.

Dunlop SP 9000 Max Performance Summer (215/45/17):

Unbelievable improvement over the goodyears. Tire gripped amazing in both wet and dry conditions. Very cool looking "v-shaped" tread pattern. They lasted 2 and a half summers (20,000 - 27,000kms). Great tires but tread life was really low!

Ventus K-102 High Performance Summer (205/45/17):

Out of all the tires I've driven on these tires are the best bang for the buck. They lasted a lot longer than the Dunlops and provided the same amount of unbelievable of wet and dry grip when warm. The only difference between these tires and the dunlops was that they took longer to reach optimum traction temperatures. I highly recommend these tires to people who want a summer tire but don't wanna spend a fortune.

Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tire (195/60/15):

I can't remember the model number for these but I know they don't make them anymore. Great on Ice and packed down snow. On every other snow covered surface they are as good as any other snow tire. These tires are very soft and lasted about 2 winters with absolutely no spirited driving. The sidewalls flex a lot and you cannot take corners at anything close to a high speed. If you have the money these tires are great for those bad snow storms but drive them on dry roads and they will wear away.

Gislaved NordFrost 3 Winter Tire (205/55/16):

I haven't personally used these for long but my brother has them on 2005 BMW 325i RWD sedan. Even on a RWD car these tires will get you out of huge amounts of snow and ice. Never once did they fail. I would rate these as the best winter tires anyone in my family has ever driven on. Highly recommend as these will be my next set of winter tires.

[NefCanuck]

Pirelli P6 all-seasons, 205/50R16 on 16 x 6.5 rims

Bought the car last April with 14,712km on the clock. Amazing tires in the wet & dry. Traction is first rate in those conditions (Hitting Rouge Valley Rd. in Scarborough is a joy on those things, grip, grip and more grip)

However, unplowed snow is not these tires forte. First time I found that out was after our first big storm in the GTA last December. Approximately 10cm worth of unplowed snow gave these tires fits, leaving me almost stranded several times as the traction control refused to acknowledge that the tires had any grip whatsoever.

Plowed snow/ice no issue, but in summary unless your roads are always plowed after a snowfall, consider dedicated winter rubber.

NefCanuck

[Casper]

Hankook Ventus H405 205/45/17
Excellent dry grip, very good in wet, surprisingly good in slush/snow. Quieter than expected for a high performance tire. Very good for the price!

[meford4u]

BFG all terrain tires.

Da best. They last me on average on the truck 100,000km's+
If you have a truck, you need these tires.

[Focus man. Focus.]

NOS2Go4Me,Apr 4 2006, 10:44 AM Wrote:Firestone Firehawk all-seasons, 205/50R16 (stock on 16" 2000-04 Focus rims, S2 hatch in this case).

Synopsis: Got these tires well used from Hardk0re on the original S2 rims. They were grippy enough in the dry, but wet weather gave them pause at times. They were well-worn, with only another 8,000 KMs or so left on them right now. There's no early understeer when the SE is driven aggressively. One big downside is TIRE NOISE. Man, are these things loud at speed (100KM/H +). Not sure I'd entertain getting another 2 pair, considering they're 230+ each at the dealer. Many better tires can be had for less cash.

I feel the same way about these tires with the exception of the noise. I didn't notice any noise out of the ordinary from these tires. They were excellent all season tires. I used these thr the winter until the end of February and the worked well in the little snow we had. To expensive to replace.

Fuzion ZRi, 205/50R16

These are my replacement tires for the Firehawks. These tires are a great value. They are excellent in the wet and dry. Work well in the corners and have an extra wide area around the bead to protect your rims. One of the 2 complaint's I have is that they pick up every small piece of fine rock from the road. Hopefully soon once all the roads have been swept the sandblasting of my rockers will stop. The second complaint is that they totally suck in the snow. But I really don't think these directional tires were made for snow.

[euro_zx5]

Well as much as the snow made me nearly hate the Pirelli P6's... the handling of these tires is incredible.

[naz]

195/60/14 azenis sport RT215. great summer tire. 12000 street miles and 4 autoX events and they still have 50% tread. fine in the wet driving around 60mph but did hydroplane in deep standing water. if i could find them today i would get them without a doubt.

195/60/15 goodyear rsa. sucked

205/55/15 kumho 712. i thought they were a good 'performance' tire after the stock goodyears but after trying azenis sport i realize these are just another crappy all season tire that is marketed as 'high performance'

205/55/16 bfg traction t/a. another crappy all season tires marketed as 'high performance'. they suck. don't buy them. spend more and get a real tire

195/60/14 winterforce snow tires. they work. great bang for the buck

185/65/15 pirelli winter ice. more expensive than the winterforce tires, didn't work any better. don't buy them

185/60/14 yokohama avid h4. suck.

185/16/14 yokohama guardex winter tires. pretty damn good.. but maybe that was the locking rear and center diffs doing all the work not the tires. whatever.. i'd get them again unless they were much more expensive than the winterforce tires


EDIT: cliff's notes.. naz's recommendation for summer tires for the street.. azenis sport

naz's recommendation for winter tires.. winterforce M+S

[Casper]

meford4u,Apr 4 2006, 03:21 PM Wrote:BFG all terrain tires.

Da best.  They last me on average on the truck 100,000km's+
If you have a truck, you need these tires.
[right][snapback]179041[/snapback][/right]

+1

[05zx5]

Yokohama Parada spec 2 215/35R18, garbage, worst tire i've ever ran, expensive, bad wet traction, hard compound, felt like i was riding on wooden tires. wore out in one summer, lots of road noise.

Hankook K102 215/40R17 So far the best tire i've ever baught, cheap, excellent wet/dry traction, quiet, softer ride.

Hankook Ice Bear W300 205/50R16. Not to many complaints, not the best winter tire, wouldn't recommend it to anyone but in deep snow, wet conditions proved well, ice, dry roads were a nightmare

Pirelli P6 205/50R16, took them off the day i baught the car but seemed just fine on the way home from the dealership :P

[Drivesthebeast]

Goodyear Eagle RSA 195/60 HR15:

These tires were OK in the dry....dry, bare pavement, without decreasing radius corners taken at highspeed...lol... Junk, pure and simple, I personally HATE any tire made by goodyear, and feel the same way about Michelins...both brands are useless in the snow, and in the rain....

Bridgestone Potenza RE 950's 195/60 HR15

Absolutely the greatest All-Season Tires that members of my family have ever had. I had (and still do) these tires on a 78 Mercury Zephyr with Mustang Turbine wheels, my dad had them on his Topaz GS V6, as well as his Contour SE. I had another set on the stock 15's on the ZX3, and they are about 40-60% worn down now (might be for sale if someone is interested). They simply were mindblowing in almost all conditions, well, except for snow...they were pretty crummy in the snow. 100MPH in the DRIVING RAIN, and doing fast lane changes....very very fun, and driving very aggressively in the good weather was an absolute blast too. Stiff sidewalls, F1 technology in the tread pattern and compounds, etc. Almost faultless tires. If they were still around, I would have bought them for my 17's.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM18's 195/60 HR15

Simply awesome snow tires. They are both winter rated (little mountain and snowflake symbol thiny on sidewall), and H-speed rated. I have these on my stock 15" Trend style rims since November of last year until April 1st of this year, and they were an absolute blast. Grip in the snow was great, stopping was vastly improved over all-seasons, and the best part was, they performed awesome on bare roads, both wet and dry, and at high speeds. I would reccomend these tires for anyone who doesn't drive through a LOT of snow, and wants a tire that's still responsive on plowed roads.

Fuzion ZRi's 215/45 ZR(W) 17

Well, I've only had these on the car for about 1 week now, and so far...so good. I had some issues with some snow that just HAD to fall up here this past monday, and the car was pretty squirrelly all over the roads, but on dry pavement, they kick arse, and they still do in rain too. I've not had the car upto highspeed in the rain, but in the dry...the car almost seems boring at 100mph...it just feels "dialed-in" or glued to the road. Lane changes require less steering input, I can drive around medians and other corners at the speed limit with NO noise from the tires, etc. So far they have gripped well, have that awesome thick rimguard, and are actually quite comfortable to drive on (especially when they finally warm up...lol). I have them on 17"x7" SVT Euro's, and they have an awesome fitment...very square profile, and give the car a beefier and sporty stance. At $168.00 each, mounted, balanced, and road-forced....they are certainly an awesome value. Also the Bridgestone (makers of Fuzion) road hazard warranty and 30-day trial are also nice incentives too...

[cornflakes]

Pirelli P6 All Seasons (205/50/16) stock tires.

I must say for stock tires they are AMAZING. Grip and handling is smooth and superb. Rain is awesome...either im a over confident driver or these tires really do work well in rain....everyone else drives like the rain is ice while im just cruising by comfortably with no problems in the rain.

Low noise and ride comfort is a plus. For stock, once again i say, these Pirelli P6's are truly amazing :) :)

[NOS2Go4Me]

Pirelli P6 (205/50R16s) re-mix:

We've had these tires on the new 2007 Focus ZX5 hatch since we got it last week. Day 2 of ownership included a snowstorm with ~ 1 foot of snow. We drove the 130 KMs or so to my in-laws in Garson, ON (just outside Sudbury) in about 2.5 hours. We stopped 4 times to clear the ice off the wiper blades, but we never stopped ONCE because I felt unsafe using those tires in those conditions. We also were the "lead wagon" in a line of about 12 cars. We frequently left those cars behind in the worst areas by just maintaining 60 KM/H. I'm really quite stunned by the Pirellis' performance.

There's a hill leading out of/into Wanipitae, 5 minutes east of Sudbury. Normally driving this hill requires a solid run at it (before starting up it, even in dry weather as it's at least a 7% grade) if you have any aspirations of doing the legal limit up it. We took it at about 70KM/H in the new car, in 4th, no TCS kicking in. Stopping due to a lack of traction was never a thought. The new power of the Duratec is nice, but I was expecting massive wheelspin and fighting with the TCS. No dice.

I backed the car up the in-laws well-inclined driveway before shoveling it, again without even pissing off the TCS.

We all have our own experiences with different tires, but at this point I'm hard-pressed to run out and buy 4 winters after last weekend.

[02_svt_guy]

BF goodrich g force t/a kdw's.... A+ handling, A++ traction, A+++ looks, wouldnt try them in the winter if my life depended on it.

Nokian WR winter tyres still to be determined as i havent had a solid snow fall yet
loud on dry pavement, not overly soft(decent life expectency)

Both tires in a 215/45/R17

[torradan]

Pirelli P6 (205/50R16)
No real complaints about them. Since they were the stockers, I didn't expect much out of them. No problems in the rain or snow, and hell, they even got me through 4 autocrosses with a little tire wear. Coming up on 24k miles now, but they're still getting me through the snow and ice no problem. Tread is at about 50% now I'd say (can almost see the top of Lincoln's head).

Goodyear Eagle GSA (195/60R15)
Two words: They suck.

Kuhmo 712 (195/60R15)
Just put them on the wife's car to replace the Eagles. They're like night and day. Nice to drive on, handle really well, and not as noisy as the Eagles. For the price I paid for them, I didn't expect as much improvement over the higher priced Goodyears.

[ZX5chica]

I had 13" Blizzaks on the Tercel... that was fun!! :)
16" Pirelli P6 (OE) all-seasons on the Focus --> so far so good
15" Dunlop Grapic winters --> I've had them on for a few days... so far, they seem to stop well on icy roads. I'll give you a better synopsis if I manage to get through the winter with no major accidents or repairs needed... don't laugh, something is bound to happen... new cars just beg to be totalled ;)

EDIT: So they're the Dunlop Graspic 2's... and after 8000kms this winter, they managed to keep me out of the ditch. I don't know if it's the car or the tires, but I preffered them to the Blizzaks.

[NefCanuck]

Figured I'd give a report with the new tires on the car

Nokian WR All Season Plus 2

I put these tires on after having two frightening driving experiences last year after snowstorms with the P6s that came stock on the car (Traction Control kept me at a standstill at more than one stoplight <_<)

So far I haven't seen any snow yet but in the rain these tires grip as good or better than the P6's did in the dry so I'm fairly confident that they will exceed the performance of the P6's when the white stuff finally decides to fall.

Another point in their favour is that as the temps drop their performance hasn't dropped at all (These tires have a severe winter service rating, which means that they are supposed to remain flexible to -35C)

Only downside so far is that they are noiser than the P6's were (and the P6's had 40K on 'em when I dumped them) we'll see how they are as the kilometres pile up on them.

NefCanuck

[Drivesthebeast]

Pirelli P Zero Nero...OEM tire fitment on 05 Mustang GT Premium...235/55ZR 17(W)...

Comfy tire for cruising, grippy tire when pushing the car hard laterally in twisty roads and in light rain. They aren't overly loud (well, on a mustang GT, almost everything is natuarally loud...designed this way to add driver excitement...lol), great for stopping on dry pavement, as well as wet pavement. Actually decent in light snow too...even on a RWD V8 car with a live axle...

Might just buy these tires again for these rims when they wear out...as the size isn't very common between different tyre manufacturers...