Not too long ago, finding a tire with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty was not easy. Modern construction methods, advanced tread compounds and other technology has lead to tires that can wear for even longer. With treadwear warranties on some replacement tires approaching 100,000 miles, they may even outlast your car!
Achieving long treadlife requires more work than simply installing the tires and driving. Proper maintenance of the tires' inflation pressures, tire rotation and keeping your vehicle aligned all play a role. In fact, manufacturers require that the tires are worn down evenly in order to qualify for treadwear warranty coverage. Find more information about this by reading "The Good, the Bad and the Impossible Regarding Treadlife Warranties."
Here are some of my top picks for tires that feature a long treadwear warranty, while still maintaining acceptable levels of grip and ride quality:
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.
I just got back today from using these for auto-x on my 93 Corvette with Z07 suspension and aggressive alignment. These tires just plain work, even on a heavy car in cold/wet/dry conditions. It was actually snowing and later got up around 45 or a little less. I kept pace (within a couple tenths or so) with near FTD C5Z06 (Hoosiers, not good at all in those conditions). I was impressed, dry grip is excellent. Breaks away predictably and smoothly. Tires do perform in cold/wet/dry conditions, with due caution exercised.
Quick warm up on tires, only 3 runs and they were warm. Grip got better as I went.
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.
Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires April 18, 2013
Great tire, great hanlding, would definatley buy these again, I Go thru many tires owning 6 vehicles, will put these on my other winter driving cars. I monitor udates on new tires regularly, i feel these are one of the best tires available for winter driving. Work great for dry weather also. SO far they are showing no signs of wear.
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.
Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires February 04, 2013
There was no snow for the first month of the tire use, so when we got a few inches, I took the Miata to a parking lot to see how the tires would perform. Donuts, quick stops, quick acceleration were all tested. It's a rear wheel drive roadster so there was fishtailing, but the Miata does that with the forecast of snow. I was really impressed with the Continentals. I was able to control the slides and was able to recover every time, no matter how hard I pushed the car. I have had all season/mud & snow tires from Pirelli (P Zero Nero's), Dunlop, Goodrich (Super Sport M/S)...the Continentals beat them all. We'll see how they do in deep snow, but so far, so good!
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.
Initial Review, 25,000 Miles on Tires April 11, 2013
These are the best snow tires I've owned, over an 8 car career so far. They handle snow and ice just fine, and drive like good all seasons when on dry roads (which is most of the time, even in the middle of a VT winter). My ratings are all for a SNOW tire, not a sticky summer tire. But even considering they are a snow tire, I think they handle almost as well as a good quality all season, and I drive my Mazda pretty hard. I'm replacing the Mazda with a Ford Focus ST, and plan on getting a set of these for the ST. I'm sold.
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.
Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires March 06, 2013
This tires are extremely smooth when it comes to ride, and the very low level of noise compared to the dunlop's that it had before it's huge, i ride most of the time in city, but since it's an BMW M it has a lot of torque even in low rpm's so the wear on the tires are common but in this case are better than others that i had, i've had this car since 2004 and i haven't done many tire changes but his time i decided for the michelin's due i was tired of the noise in the previous tires when they start to fade, in this case since the tire draw it's what i call neutral with no extravagant design it's more comfortable when it's fading.
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.
Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires March 15, 2013
Car: Honda S2000
Soft ride, nice tires, there are worse and better tires. Driver side and Passenger side tires can be switched unlike unidirectional tires. Kumho XS gives better dry traction. However, these tires are a standard extreme performance tire. Not bad for the price, you get what you pay for.
Street driving is comfortable, should be matched with a proper suspension setup to yield optimal results. These tires, like the XS, ADVAN AD08 & RE-11 will need a stiffer suspension to better manage the grip. If your not really into supreme handling then sports tires are a far better choice. Longevity is lost for performance gain; increadible performance gain, however, save the performance potential for the track.
Track:
displays good ultimate grip, should be careful will probably outdrive 90% of most drivers, meaning to fully maximize performance from these tires, they are a perfect blend of street and track use..
Might try a different set of tires, Dunlop should really design something that has a more durable centre section for regular driving and softer outer sections for higher grip.
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.
Initial Review, 15,500 Miles on Tires March 14, 2013
drive this car in summer time. Run D.E.events & these tires are amazing! My lap times are close to cars w/race slicks. I have 12 events, 4 autocrosses, & 15,500 miles on them & they are now ready to be changed, what a bang for the buck!! A++++++
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.
Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires April 01, 2013
I just went through a winter that delivered record snowfalls and the tires performed as I had hoped they would - excellent. I drive in deep snow all the time and despite driving a high performance rear-wheel drive car, I had no problems driving on ice and deep snow on a regular basis. I put them to the test while driving through the Adirondacks in a blizzard after a day of skiing Whiteface...the tires got me through 6-8 inches of snow on the icy roads without a problem...even the step hills and sharp turns...outstanding winter tire fit for my car. I know winter and I love winter driving..great recommendation Tire Rack
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.
This is basically a fun HPDE / Autocross tire for me. I plan to switch to a different set of wheels/tires for daily driving. Last year I used Conti DW and Michelin Supersports for daily, autocross and HPDE use, howevever that was with a different car, so I can't make a direct comparison.
Ride quality is actually pretty reasonable given the "extreme" nature of this tire. Actually, ride has improved over the oem Dunlop SP Sport 2050 tires, however, some of that may be due to the smaller and lighter wheels. I'm sure a more recent max performance summer tire will ride better, and a gran touring tire better still, but these are quite reasonable for what they are, and not at the level of harshness of a run flat tire.
Noise is deeper and a little louder than oem, but still not bad. It is more noticeable at lower speeds (40-50mph) now. Smooth tarmac is still quiet, but rough tarmac, or concrete is where you will hear them.
OK, now for the performance aspect. So far I have just 2 days on track with these tires, 1 dry and 1 wet. I was very happy with them in both conditions. In the dry, these held up well for a 25 minute session. They did get slightly greasy feeling after a few hot laps, but much less so than the Supersports I last ran at this track and adjusting tire pressures helped dial that out. There is another comment on here saying that the traction is harder to judge for the beginner due to the lack of audible feedback. I did find it hard to judge traction in my first session, however once I had learned to understand the feedback after that first session, I found them to be very communicative and was able to push up to the limit of traction. I'm not a complete beginner, but neither am I that experienced yet. In the wet, they worked well on track and I also drove through some storms on the way home with no aqua planing.
Overall, I am very happy with these tires and would recommend them for anyone who wants an aggressive street tire.
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.
Initial Review, 19,000 Miles on Tires April 05, 2013
Not understanding all the hate for this tire. Most likely it's because they come standard on 2010 thru 2013 GTI's and drivers who never experience sub-zero temperatures and snow have no need for an A/S tire on a high-performance car. As a result, they compare this tire to either max or extreme performance summer tires.
However, comparing this tire to the Kumho ECSTA 4X A/S tires on my son's Mazda 3, I would rate them at least as equals, and probably a bit better when below zero.
Additionally, using a regular rotation period of 5k miles, these tires demonstrate fantastic wear resistance. Currently at 19k miles and less than 50% wear. Very quiet on the freeway as well. The only negative is the braking and cornering traction in the wet should be a little higher.
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.
Initial Review, 35,021 Miles on Tires March 21, 2013
These are my first winter tires....and I wore them throughout the whole year, from 2009-2013. I was initially impressed with the snow.
I DON'T KNOW WHY RALLY GUYS HAVEN'T PICKED THIS TIRE UP YET.
Great sand traction, I used them for all season. Treadware was OK, and I did have one small blowout due to a nail, but I guess, for the average treadlife, it was a good buy. In my subaru, with these tires just installed, the little car could STEAM right up hills in deep snow. I think it did better than my jeep in the snow. I rotated the snot out of them to get extra life, and found that this helped.
Road noise is OK. I'm guessing, for a winter tire, the road noise was outstanding. Towards the end, it was a little shaky and there was some traction flaking off. I live on mountain roads and zip through turns, and I felt very comfortable in these tires. Off road, and yes, I did take the beast far off road at least once a month, there were no complaints.
A great melding of tire and awd vehicle.
To sum up:
If you:
Go off road, rally, or are in lots of snow, often, get these.
Great tire to have all winter long if you rotate out.
On long trips, ride comfort is medium, noise level is there but quite bearable.
If you are looking for tread life, and don't have much snow, don't get these.
Ultimately the second time around I'm trying out Defenders as I found myself wanting comfort and tread life to be priority 1. I'll post more if I find drastic differences.
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.
Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires February 10, 2013
Just yesterday we had a blizzard and this was my first opportunity to try out these winter tires. The roads were all covered with snow so it was Perfect to see if the tires are going to perform well in these conditions. First I started with starting and abrupt stopping. I was great! Tires kept grip well and stopped only after a minimal slip (the car had no ABS system). Next test was a hill. Next to exxon gas station across from pathmark. It was pretty steep. I stopped in the middle. Car was not sliding down, I started to step on gas pedal, it was difficult and tires were slipping but we made it! I'm sure I wouldn't make it with all season tires. It was impressive but also a very extreme effort. Next was an empty parking lot were I was slaloming in the snow trying to lose control and make the car fishtail. I failed. Tires did a great job! I couldnt believe it. The difference between all season and winter tires is huge. Last part was a long hill on Goerge Rd, I went uphill no problem, downhill I was hitting brakes to see what happens, every time tires made the car stop with minimal slip. Tires totally passed the test. I was amazed how well they performed and how safe they make you feel. I would totally recommend them. You may need them only a couple of times before they plough but they can make a huge difference when you need them and save you. I was so excited to try them out and I was not disappointed. Great tires for a good price. Buy buy buy!
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.
Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires March 19, 2013
Got this tyre 2 winters ago for my outback. At the time it was just about the cheapest snow tyre around. My original outback died last autumn and I got another outback, and i kept the graspics on their rims. I am a confirmed michelin fanboy and was jealous of my GF who had michelin xices on her van. But my graspics have performed flawlessly. I kept them on last Summer and simply pumped them up to 36psi. My commute is 55m each way and I drive 78-90mph traffic and Smokey permitting. Tyres still have 1/3 left up front and 1/4 at the back at 50k miles (was the other way around on my original car). My GF's xices are worn after 20k miles. The tyres have pulled through ice and snow flawlessly. The graspics are also much better in the dry than the OEM tyres which are plainly awful. 4wd is no use if you don't have the right tyre-I spun out in a snowstorm on the OEM all season tyres. If you live in a winter climate region I wholeheartedly recommend the graspics.
The Dunlop Sport Maxx Race is a racing tire that is street legal. Unlike some other race tires that are DOT-legal but not intended for road use, the Sport Maxx Race is able to be driven to and from the track. This tire performs excellently on dry roads and was introduced as the stock tire for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series. Dunlop has recently expanded their offerings for the widths ranging from 235mm to 325mm.
These tires are a class up from Extreme Performance Summer tires that offer a balance of street longevity and track performance. The Dunlops are more track focused and have less longevity on the street. While we haven't had the opportunity to test the Sport Maxx Race yet, we have received some very positive customer feedback. In a recent review, one owner writes:
"Though it is soft and wears quickly, it is actually quite comfortable and not very loud at all. I have two sets of wheels/tires; one for the street and another for track. Other than the price and how quickly they wear, I can't find a single fault with this tire. It is designed for the track, and is only DOT-certified so that you can drive your car to the track, instead of trailering it there. The Sport Maxx is the best tire of its kind, in my experience."
While it's definitely not a tire for everyone based on price and limited treadlife, it could be just the ticket for a dedicated enthusiast. View available sizes to see if the Dunlop Sport Maxx Race is an option for your vehicle.
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.
Initial Review, 42,000 Miles on Tires March 14, 2013
Our Touareg came with 255/60-17 tires from Dunlop. They were throw-aways well before 20K miles. The corners wore off quickly and they became very noisy. This is with the tires inflated to their maximum suggested cold pressure. The replacements were the same size, but from Goodyear. They, too wore the corners off in about 20K to 25K miles and became noisy. Again tire pressure was maintained at the top end of the cold pressure range. The third set was yet another manufacturer and the same size. Same story.
So, for tire set #4, I went to the alternate size 235/65-17 and bought the Generals. It was my guess that the wear problem was suspension related relative to the tire width. These narrower profile tires were better in snow, wet and hard pack/ice. They handled just fine on a 5000 pound truck, but not quite as responsive as the wider, lower profile tire. They've been more than acceptable for towing (5000# fully loaded car trailer) and fine for City/Highway driving. Further, they've been far more comfortable and quiet throughout the 40+K miles so far.
We've gotten more than twice the milage out of these Generals than we got out of any of the previous tires. The product is excellent, but the change in tire profile is what has saved these tires. They aren't as wide and haven't sheered off the corners at all. Treadwear across the entire face is very uniform.
So, if you own a Touareg and are fed up with tire wear, noise and harsh ride, consider going to the taller, narrower profile. There's not much downside and the improvement is very good. Further, the speedometer is spot-on accurate with these tires compared to the original lower profiles. I gave the Altimax Generals mostly 9s with a couple of 8s and 10s. These have by far been the best tires yet in about 120K miles of driving. They probably will see us through the Summer and Fall, but will be replaced before next Winter.
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.
Initial Review, 8,500 Miles on Tires March 17, 2013
I bought these Continental tires so I wouldn't have to put on my dedicated snow tires every year. They have been awesome with this winters above average snow fall. They go, stop, and corner as well as my snow tires. Granted as the tread wears, they won't be as good in the snow, but that's why I still have my snow tires sitting in the garage waiting for action. These tires look great on my Audi and although they don't match the OEM summer Dunlops ability to make the car feel like it's riding on rails when cornering, the Continentals are far superior for Iowa's climate.
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.
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.
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?"
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.
BFGoodrich's internal testing and their launch comparison indicate mission accomplished. The g-Force Rival excels when driven side-by-side with traditional Extreme Performance Summer leaders.
Our test drivers were particularly impressed with the g-Force Rival's combination of consistent, extreme grip with a high degree of predictability. Instead of "peaky" grip levels which leave the driver wondering what their tire and car are doing, BFGoodrich has endowed the Rival with more progressive grip levels. This allows for better control because the driver has no doubt what's happening with his/her car and tires.
The NOLA Motorsports Park launch test featured some good competitors, but how will the g-Force Rival do against the newest rivals in its class? Dunlop has launched the new Direzza ZII. Bridgestone's rolling out the new Potenza RE-11A. Yokohama has the ADVAN Neova AD08. Who's the king of that group? With all due apologies to Dennis Green, we won't crown it now. We'll crown the champ in early June after completing our comprehensive in-house test.
1993 Chevrolet Corvette
2004 Volkswagen Touareg V6
