Spring Sale on Sumitomo HTR Z III

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 by Marshall Wisler

If you're looking for a good performing summer tire on a budget, take a look at the latest offering from Sumitomo. Their HTR Z III features an asymmetrical pattern that provides noticeable noise reduction when compared to the directional, previous generation HTR Z II.

While this tire may not be the top-ranked option in the Max Performance Summer category, it has one of the most attractive price points in the group. Developed for sports cars, sporty coupes and high performance sedans, the HTR Z III showcases Sumitomo's technical resources by providing high speed handling stability along with traction on dry and wet roads. The inside shoulder is linked by a continuous circumferential rib that enhances wear quality to help reduce noise throughout the tire's life, especially on vehicles with independent suspensions and alignment settings that specify negative camber. Straight and wide circumferential grooves along with long, sweeping lateral grooves evacuate water from under the tire's footprint to increase hydroplaning resistance and wet traction.

Through May 31, 2013, when you purchase a set of four Sumitomo HTR Z III tires you may be eligible to receive a $50 Tire Rack Prepaid MasterCard by mail. See special offer details here.

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season

Monday, May 13, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Reviewer's Overall Rating: 10
 
 

2006 BMW X5 4.4i
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Miles driven on tires: 700
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 700 Miles on Tires
April 29, 2013

I am so happy with my Pirelli Scorpion Verde's that I can't wait to buy another pair. I had Michelin Energy's on my X5 and yes they are a good all around touring tire, however the price is just outragious. Plus, Pirelli's Scorpion Verde's to me are a far more superior tire from the ride, the handling and the way the tire is built. For example, as soon as they arrived at my home, which was delivered by UPS within a day, I could see the quality of the tire and design that stood out from the Michelin tire. Nevertheless, I recently went on a business trip to Delaware and Philly and let me tell you the noise level was low and the comfort and ride was excellent. I've never seen such deep tread grooves on a tire. This tire can handle Rain, Snow and anything in my opinion. I saved over $150 dollars a tire, Verde $201 and Michelin $350. In closing, I have always wanted to have Pirelli's on my car and now I do and I absolutely love them and recommend them to all. You don't have to spend the big bucks on Michelin, really. Let me reiterate that the Pirelli Scorpion Verde is an ideal tire for a SUV that travels via city and highway and ultimatley gives you that confidence of driving in style and luxury. I will be placing my next order for the other pair by the end of the week. Travel Safe!

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.88
 
 

2008 Pontiac G8 GT
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Miles driven on tires: 6,000
Location: Spring, TX
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
April 01, 2013

This tire is a on powerful heavy car and it is the best set I have ever owned. The wet traction is astonishing. The mileage not so sure about that but they have 30,000 warranty, so we shall see how close they get to that.

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin X-Ice Xi2

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Michelin X-Ice Xi2 Reviewer's Overall Rating: 7.6
 
 

2005 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro
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Miles driven on tires: 3,000
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
April 10, 2013

Excellent snow tire especially when paired with an all wheel drive sedan. The car stuck to the road like super glue(TM) in every winter driving condition. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

 

Eliminate Fender Gap with Eibach Springs

Thursday, April 11, 2013 by Ben Rooney

Looking to get rid of the empty space between the tire and fender arch? Many people think they need to use taller tires to fill the space, but the right way of doing this is with lowering springs. A well tuned set of lowering springs will make the car look better, handle better and unlike oversized tires, it will not make the speedometer, odometer and other systems overestimate vehicle speed and mileage.

The good folks from Eibach dropped by to visit us last week and reminded us of all the wonderful things they do. All Eibach springs, from the popular Pro-Kit springs for street cars, to the special titanium springs they make for the Bugatti Veyron, to the custom springs they manufacture for the premier professional racing series are built to the same standards of quality and durability.

If your car is a daily driver, the Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set is one of the best options available. It gives a nice boost to performance without compromising ride quality. The lowering is usually between 1" and 1.5" depending on the application. This amount of lowering generally doesn't require any special alignment parts to be added in order to obtain a proper alignment. It's recommended to have an alignment done after the springs are installed.

View all Eibach products and choose the one that best fits your vehicle.

Travel Trailer Tires and Camper Tires

Thursday, April 11, 2013 by Gary Stanley

With it starting to feel a little more like spring, many people are starting to bring out their toys. By toys, I mean: RVs, campers, ATVs, boats, personal water craft and motorcycles. While Tire Rack doesn't carry motorcycle or ATV tires, we do have a line of trailer tires and even some options for RVs. If you're concerned about your old, cracked and weathered trailer tires, now is a good time to consider replacing them.

Why use trailer tires instead of normal passenger car tires on your trailer? Simple, trailer tires are produced with heavier-duty materials and are constructed to be tougher than your typical passenger vehicle tire. A trailer will also be more stable on tires specifically designed for trailer use. For more information, read "Trailer Tires vs. Passenger Vehicle Tires."

The two tires we carry that are specifically designed for trailer use are the Power King Towmax STR and Goodyear Marathon Radial.  

 Goodyear Marathon Radial
Goodyear Marathon Radial
 Power King Towmax STR
Power King Towmax STR


The following sizes are available for the Power King Towmax STR:

The Goodyear Marathon Radial is made in the following sizes :

Be sure to check the condition of your trailer tires before head out on your first spring adventure. If you find you're in need of replacement tires, Tire Rack has you covered.

Improve Performance at the Track with Eibach Lowering Springs

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 by Zig Ziegler

An easy and inexpensive way to increase the performance and handling of your vehicle is to add lowering springs. By lowering the vehicle's center of gravity, you can reduce body roll in the turns, dive under braking and squat during acceleration. Eibach offers two different kits, the Pro-Kit Spring Set for performance street use and the more aggressive Sportline Spring Set for autocross and track use.

A key to choosing the one best suited for your needs is the amount of drop the kit can provide. The lower the drop from the spring kit, the lower the center of gravity - which provides the best performance. However, the lower the spring kit drops, the stiffer the ride for everyday driving will become. It's important to choose the Eibach Spring Kit with the appropriate amount of drop for your driving needs.

 Eibach Pro-Kit Set
Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set
 Eibach Sportline Set
Eibach Sportline Spring Set


Eibach's Pro-Kit Spring Set is designed to provide improved handling and improve the look of the vehicle. It's the perfect balance between performance and handling, while still maintaining the original ride quality of the vehicle. Eibach Pro-Kit Springs minimize the fender gap that makes a car look lifted. The Eibach Pro-Kit typically lowers the vehicle 1.00"-1.25" depending upon the application.

If you're looking for the ultimate in track performance, the Eibach Sportline Spring Kit will give your car a low, race-replica look. A radical reduction in wheel well gap and improved handling is achieved for serious track and autocross enthusiasts. The Sportline Kit provides a drop typically between 1.50"-2.00" depending upon the application. This kit is for someone willing to give up some ride quality in exchange for the best cornering grip and turn-in response.

Shop by vehicle to see if an Eibach kit is right for your application. Also, be sure to read "Altitude and Attitude Adjustment" for more information on properly lowering your vehicle.

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Firestone Winterforce

Monday, March 25, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Firestone Winterforce Reviewer's Overall Rating: 9.36
 
 

1999 Chevrolet Lumina
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Miles driven on tires: 15,000
Location: Genoa, WI
Driving Condition: Average

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
March 04, 2013

Have purchased a set of 4, every year for the past 10 years. These are the only tires I 'have to have'. Use on work vehicle as well as personal vehicle. I am a rural carrier 150 daily miles Conditions: snow, ice, drifting snow, slush, gravel, sand, rocks, manure, and mud Vehicle Type: car and 4x4 truck I use these tires until they wear out in usually 5 to 6 months. They do wear quickly during warm weather, but last longer if the winter is colder (below freezing). If used on the interstate, they will start to sound loud at higher speeds of 65mph. These are quiet for snow tires and do not affect your gas mileage much. No complaints with the handling. No lean when cornering. Please rememeber these are not sport tires so I am compairing to average all season radials. I use two sets per year, but this is hard stop and go driving over multiple kinds of road terrain and with vehicle weighted down with mail. Tires only last 6 months for me, even the all season radials. Everyone in our office now uses these tires, even those who are not carriers. We all swear by them. I have never had to stud them. They always get me thru everything. One co-worker has been using them for three winters now. Says he may be able to make it thru a fourth. Puts them on in Nov and removes them in early spring. I recommend these tires to everyone.

 

New Extreme Performance Summer Tires for 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 by Steve Huffman

2013 is a great year for enthusiasts of high performance cars looking for street tires that are trackable. This year we are excited to offer three new Extreme Performance Summer tires. These tires primary focus is going to be on extreme dry grip for spirited or competitive driving such as autocrossing. We can't wait to get a chance to test them at our facility this spring!

While we haven't had a chance to test the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival on our track, we did have the chance to drive on it at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans and the feedback was very positive. The tire was very easy to drive on, had excellent responsiveness and is designed to wear very well over the course of a competitive event. It has the 200 UTQG treadwear rating that is required by many sanctioning bodies.

The next new tire for 2013 is the Dunlop Direzza ZII. This tire is replacing the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Compared to its predecessor, it's designed to have better responsiveness, as well as an improvement in wet and dry grip. Also offered with the 200 UTQG treadwear rating, the Direzza ZII is available in a variety of hard-to-find smaller sizes. Last fall, we tested a production-spec set of Direzza ZII tires against the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec and found that Dunlop hit the mark with this new offering as it was faster and more predictable in the dry and wet. For a complete recap of our test, read "Dunlop Direzza ZII Introductory Track Drive."

Bridgestone's Potenza RE-11A is replacing the previous model, the Potenza RE-11 in 10 sizes. This newer tire has an updated rubber compound designed to improve wet and dry traction. While sharing the same tread design, the Potenza RE-11A adds an exclusive tread compound that combines silica with a new long-link carbon black that increases road contact and abrasion resistance while promoting tread rubber flexibility across a range of cool to hot temperatures. The internal construction includes a custom asymmetric shape that helps distribute footprint pressure more evenly.

BF Goodrich g-Force Rival
BFGoodrich g-Force Rival
Dunlop Direzza ZII
Dunlop Direzza ZII
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A


Are you a serious driving enthusiast looking for dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities? If so, take a look at our Extreme Performance Summer tires and find the one that's right for your vehicle.

KONI Suspension Sale at Tire Rack - Save 20%

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 by Marshall Wisler

As spring turns the corner, you may find yourself looking to upgrade your vehicle's suspension. The snow is clearing and soon non-winter Tire & Wheel Packages will find their way back on performance vehicles across the country. If you have already upgraded your vehicle with a Tire & Wheel Package, or are simply looking to upgrade the handling characteristics of your car, we have the parts from KONI to help.

KONI's vast experience has earned them a worldwide reputation for being able to optimize their products for any specific application. And by focusing on high quality shock absorbers, the manufacturer's no-compromise philosophy results in superb product performance and enhanced car control.

In fact, KONI's suspension experts recognize that all vehicles have unique dampening needs, and rather than build one type of shock absorber, they utilize three technologies (twin tube hydraulic, mono-tube high pressure gas and twin-tube low pressure gas) from which they choose the best solutions. KONI shock absorbers are designed for a specific car and even its specific driving conditions. They aren't a copy of the original, but a tailor made design to get the best handling and ride characteristics from your vehicle.

Now is the perfect time to upgrade your vehicle's suspension as select KONI products are now 20% off until June 30, 2013. View special offer details here

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

Monday, March 18, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.3
 
 

2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe
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Miles driven on tires: 20,000
Location: Houston, TX
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
March 15, 2013

These were great tires. Mine wore out quickly but this was not unexpected as I had the suspension setup on the car with a -1 degree camber on the rear and -.5 degree negative on the front. Caster and toe were set to factory Honda specs. These tires gave excellent dry traction and cornering stability as they were used on a sporty Civic that had been lowered 2 inches and had a fully adjustable autocross suspension setup. I am considering purchasing these tires for my 2012 Civic Si that is fully stock and has not been modified in any way just to see how many more miles I can get out of them. These are a great set of All Season tires for spirited driving or for those wanting the flexibility of an All Season but with the performance of a Max Performance Summer Tire. These Pilot Sport A/S Plus' were used in Northern Arkansas for the majority of their life and were purchased over a summer tire due to the inclement weather conditions that Arkansas receives during the winter months. Obviously I wouldn't recommend venturing out into a blizzard with these tires but they fared will on freshly snowed roads and over a few day old black ice spots along the highways. Spring and Summer times rainy and dry days are what these tires were meant for and they are made to be driven hot!

 

New Track and Autocross Tires for 2013

Friday, March 15, 2013 by Zig Ziegler

The snow is beginning to melt and the sun is starting to shine a bit longer each day. To most of the country, this marks the beginning of spring, however if you're a car enthusiast, it's the beginning of autocross and track season. Now is the time to remove the car cover and start planning for the race season ahead. With each race season comes a host of new track products and this year is no exception. We have three of the biggest names in the autocross and track tire market introducing new tires for the upcoming season. New this season are the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival, Dunlop Direzza ZII and Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A.

All of these tires are new to the Extreme Performance Summer category, which means they're intended to be streetable track tires. If you require a tire that has near R-compound performance, but need it to be durable enough to be driven to and from the track, the Extreme Performance Summer category is for you. For additional tire category information, view "Looking for the Best Autocross Tires?"

BFGoodrich g-Force Rival
BFGoodrich g-Force Rival
 Dunlop Direzza ZII
Dunlop Direzza ZII
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A


g-Force Rival tires feature a silica-infused compound molded into asymmetric tread designs that are performance-tuned to match tire width (265mm and narrower sizes feature a 3-rib design, while 275mm and wider sizes use a 4-rib pattern). Large, solid outboard tread blocks and BFGoodrich’s Extreme Tread Edge (ETE) shoulder design wrap the tread compound farther down the sidewalls for predictable feedback and maximum cornering grip from start to finish. Also, the g-Force Rival has just been approved for SCCA use!

Direzza ZII tires have a high-grip tread compound that's molded into a directional design with a continuous center rib flanked by massive shoulders that form a highly rigid tread delivering high levels of dry grip and handling. Two wide circumferential center grooves channel water through the center of the tread design while angled independent grooves help direct water to the sides of the footprint for improved wet traction.

Sharing the tread design of the popular Potenza RE-11, the Potenza RE-11A adds an exclusive tread compound that blends silica with a new long-link carbon black to increase road contact and abrasion resistance. An asymmetric tread design features Bridgestone's 3D Seamless Stealth technology that combines massive independent outboard shoulder blocks interlocked with notches in the circumferential intermediate rib to deliver lateral tread stiffness that's needed to enhance steering response and cornering traction.

To view our full range of track and autocross tires, shop by size and choose an option that best suits your specific vehicle needs.

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Hankook Optimo H426

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Hankook Optimo H426 Reviewer's Overall Rating: 7.88
 
 

2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback
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Miles driven on tires: 58,000
Location: Spring Valley, CA
Driving Condition: Easy Going

Initial Review, 58,000 Miles on Tires
March 08, 2013

I see people bashing this tire, looks like areas with bad weather. I just replaced my optima 426's at 58,925 miles. I do happen to drive 140 miles a day (all freeway) and all in sunny San Diego - Orange County, so I cant say how bad they are in the snow. It does rain, but not hard, and again, people in San Diego cant drive in the rain, so your always slowing it down. I have never hydroplaned or had any issues feeling safe in the rain. My other vehicle is a Expedition on 40" mudders, so maybe that causes a comparison in my mind that makes me think this tire is better, I feel reading the reviews that I should not like them. But I have to say, what tire is going to go over 55,000 miles? Again, all freeway, and all very cautious (70 mph MAX) driving. They dont seem loud to me, the car goes where I want it to, tracks well, holds a straight line, etc. I cant say I have had any peel outs or traction loss but that could be the wimpy motor in the Fiesta, it really is a fuel economy car and the motor/tranny forces it to be driven that way.

Anyways, I just bought the Optima 426's again, so I'd have to say I like them, and they serve the fiesta well.

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin HydroEdge with Green X

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Michelin HydroEdge with Green X Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.11
 
 

1996 Toyota Corolla DX
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Miles driven on tires: 80,000
Location: Liverpool, NY
Driving Condition: Average

Initial Review, 80,000 Miles on Tires
February 27, 2013

I live in the upstate NY and we get 120 inches of snow annually. I don't understand why people are rating these tires low for snow--look at the ratings! Although they are all-season, these tires are not made for snow--the rating prove it. Looking at the tread design, they are nothing but a sled in snow. There is no such thing as an all-season tire in the northeast, except for winter tires--period! I drive 110 miles a day and see many cars off the road--yup, there goes another all-season tire car. My son has these tires on a 1996 corolla and he has approx 80K on then; yes, he also has Blizzaks for winter tires and he can go anywhere with those tires. Use these tires from spring to fall and you will be fine. Use these tires year-round, and you will regret ti.

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Dunlop Direzza ZII

Monday, February 25, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.


Dunlop Direzza ZIIReviewer's Overall Rating: 8.29

1986 Porsche 944 Turbo
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Buy/More Info
Miles driven on tires: 500
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
February 18, 2013

I just purchased the new ZIIs and ran them for a day at a POC time trial at Willow Springs, and I was very impressed. The dry grip is excellent as expected, but their greatest asset to me is the steering response and communication. I can really feel subtle changes in grip through the steering wheel and seat, which is invaluable for track use. I was the only car in the run group on true street tires (all of the rest were R-comp) and my times were top 6 out of the group of 20 or so). The rear end grip in the slower uphill Omega section of the track was particularly impressive.
I had 7-8 sets of the Z1 Star Specs for track/street use in the past few years, as well as a couple sets of Hankook RS-3 since then. The Z1 Star specs are the best all-around tire that I have experienced in terms of a dual-purpose street/track tire and dry/wet grip for the money. The Hankooks have excellent mid-corner grip in the dry and are dirt cheap, but I felt the sidewalls were too soft and the steering response/communication was not as good as the Z1 Star Specs. They also had no grip in colder ambient temps (below 60 F) and in the wet. The Z1s had excellent grip during the wet track days that I ran them on and would only hydroplane in deep standing water. Judging by the massive tread blocks on the new ZIIs, I am not sure if they will be quite as good as their predecessor in the wet. However, I did have to drive through some slush/light snow in 30 degree temps for a short period on the ZIIs on the way to Willow Springs (which is of course NOT recommended with this type of tire!) and they actually did pretty well! The excellent communicability of the tires conveyed that there was not much grip available and I never felt unsafe. I will report back after more track events (I will run them back to back with my Toyo RA1s at Streets of Willow this weekend), but I am extremely satisfied with the ZIIs so far!

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology

Monday, February 25, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology Reviewer's Overall Rating: 9
 
 

2010 Honda Civic Sedan
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Miles driven on tires: 1,000
Location: Stafford Springs, CT
Driving Condition: Average

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 24, 2013

I put a lot of research into buying a good tire for my car I could not be any happier! After 1,000 miles the tire has porformed great in all weather conditions. I noticed a big difference in the ride comfort and noise.

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Thursday, January 31, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.75
 
 

2005 Mazda Miata Mazdaspeed
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Miles driven on tires: 8,500
Location: Huntsville, AL
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 8,500 Miles on Tires
January 21, 2013

Great tire. I have had Toyos, Yokohama, and Generals on this car. (Daily Driven)
I have moded this car with suspension change, springs, shocks, sway bar, and alignment. Oh yeah, the power is up another 60+ hp
Previous tires just did not work as well, These Michelin's are wonderful on this car. Grippy, predictable, reasonably quiet, they hold the road. I have tried them, more than once in the mountains of Georgia, Tenn, and the Carolinas. Jan 2013 Here in North Bama we had 7" of rain and 3" of snow. I put on ~250 miles and not a problem, went through some serious standing water and slushy roads. Wear is great, much better than previous tires. If I had to find a fault is the ride comfort is not like your 15 inch tires. But they are pretty darned good for a performance tire.

These are with out a doubt the best tire I have owned. Yes I have had several Cars prior to the MSM, Porsche, BMW, Mazda

 

Tire Rack Consumer Review of the Michelin X-Ice Xi3

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 by Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.


Michelin X-Ice Xi3Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.4

2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan Base Model
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Buy/More Info
Miles driven on tires: 1,000
Location: Rose Valley, PA
Driving Condition: Spirited

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
January 26, 2013

My warm season tire is the BS RE970AS PP, an ultra high performance A/S, and I love it. Compared to that, this tire clearly provides better snow and ice traction. I drove on I495N between Delaware and Philly during a recent light snowstorm. The temperatures hadnt risen above 20F for five days and the salt/sand trucks hadn't been out yet, so the left and right lanes were virtually virgin with two inches of unmelted powder. Just as I broke single file formation into the left lane, a jacked up F150 broke to the right lane. Within seconds he nearly fishtailed and fell back in line. I was worried, but kept plowing ahead carefully, and before I knew it, I was the only one in sight, pushing 80mph after having passed the most daring of other drivers going no faster than 55, so I took the opportunity to try braking and swerving ever so carefully to test the traction. The combination of AWD and these tires resulted in an astounding amount of traction and confidence. Within the limits of my nerve, I literally could not break the rear end loose, or even get the traction control to kick in-- I finally gave up trying. In the grocery store parking lot, jackrabbit starts from a dead stop into a 90 degree parking spot did break the rear end loose, but barely, and the car fell in line immediately when traction control lit up. These tires clearly suffer more squirminess at near triple digit highway speeds, and they aren't as glued and fun in dry weather as the RE970s, but they're definitely no worse than the Michelin Pilot Exaltos or any other all season grand touring tire--may even be better than many. Bottom line, I thought about switching these in/out every time the weather forecast warranted, so as to keep the 970s on as much as possible, but these winter tires sacrifice relatively little dry traction and provide so much more confidence in the snow and ice, that from now on, I'll be putting them on come November and I'll leave them on till the spring.

Winter Driving Tips from the Experts at Bridgestone

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 by Doc Horvath

Recently, I returned from a two-day training session at Bridgestone's Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Having grown up in the Midwest and driven through many winters, I thought I knew pretty much all I needed to know in terms of safe winter driving habits. Like anything else, there's always more to learn! Using several purpose-built tracks that have a variety of elevation changes and turns, the expert instructors put me through a variety of exercises in both front-wheel (using Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 tires) and all-wheel-drive vehicles (using Blizzak DM-V1 winter tires). 

The Blizzak WS70 features Bridgestone's most aggressive Tube Multicell compound to offer the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans and crossover vehicles the best ice traction. This fourth generation of Bridgestone WinterBiter tire is designed to deliver wintertime traction and control that inspires driver confidence. They were installed on the school's fleet of Lexus ES 350 sedans and proved to make the most of the car's front-wheel-drive system and lighter weight.

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 tires use a Multicell Z compound that features microscopic bubbles and tubes to absorb the thin film of water that forms as tires run over packed snow and ice. Designed for pickups, crossovers and sport utility vehicles, the tire focuses on ice traction and braking, as well as wet road handling and hydroplaning resistance to provide winter tire driving competence. Installed on a Lexus GX 460, the Blizzak DM-V1 provided a real solid feel in cornering despite the vehicle's high center of gravity.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70
Bridgestone Blizzak WS70
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1


The intent was not only to highlight the enhanced traction that winter / snow tires provide, but also show us some basic, and often overlooked tools to make us better drivers in winter conditions. Of the multitude of exercises we performed, the key lesson I took away from the school was to always pay constant attention to availability of grip and modify your driving to utilize what grip you have to maximize braking and modulate speed. Too much of either can spell disaster when the grip disappears.

For more information on the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, read "Winter Driving Tips."

New Wheel for Spring 2013: Verde Parallax

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 by Ben Rooney

The Verde Parallax has been added to our lineup of aftermarket wheels for 2013. This wheel has an attractive, clean five-spoke design, with each spoke divided into two parallel spokes. All Verde Parallax wheels feature a machined face with black accents. The machined spokes are highlighted against the black background, making them the visual focus of the design. 

Verde, established in 1981, has committed itself to excellence throughout the production process, from research and design through final production. This dedication has resulted in both ISO/TS16949 certification and recognition internationally via certification by the International Standards Organization. Their factory was built in 2002 as a fully integrated production line with R & D, tooling, casting, CNC machining, polishing, chrome plating, painting, packaging and warehouse logistics capabilities.

While this wheel is listed as new for the spring of 2013, there are already a few in stock. Pricing for the Parallax currently ranges between the $170 to $200*. The wheel is available in rim diameters of 19" and 20". You can shop by vehicle to view the offerings available for your car.

* Prices subject to change