Performance Rims and Tires

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
October 13, 2012

I used to run Yokohama tires on all my BMWs. This was my first General tire based upon tirerack reviews and surveys. Highly recommended! They handle great, ride quiet and affordably priced. With only 5,000 miles to date, I can not comment on tread wear. I have Hankook winter tires on separate rims, so no info on snow or ice performance.

Initial Review, 35,000 Miles on Tires
September 07, 2012

I purchased these tires when upgrading my 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer to the 20" rims. I have used Yokohama in the past and am consistently happy with the price/performance factor.

These tires are wearing wonderfully, I do rotate them every 10,000 though. They are quiet, and not harsh riding, the sidewall has some give.

It's an SUV- so as you could expect, I don't corner like a corvette. But on more than one occasion, the grip has surprised me, and the tires don't protest- no squealing through corners.

I rated these low on Hydroplaning and Deep Snow. I believe the cross section has more to do with that than the tire, but on a 5000# truck, I shouldn't have hydroplaning problems, at reasonable speeds. Also I HAVE to use 4WD now in any snow over 3"- once again, I'll attribute this to the width of the tire (mostly).

Overall I'm happy, but when the snow flies, I find myself wishing for some snow tires.....

Initial Review, 9,800 Miles on Tires
September 20, 2012

Following a set of Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs, these tires were purchased to be more daily-driver friendly. They were definitely smoother riding, quieter, and better in the rain. They still performed acceptably in spirited driving around town. I was liking them a lot until track day (at which time they had approximately 7,000 miles on them). After five 20-minute sessions on the Memphis International Raceway (fka Memphis Motorsports Park), there was above-average wear (relative to expectations from one track day and from prior experience with different tires) and two of the tires (LF and LR) started separating (cording) on the outside edge! Tires were 37psi of nitrogen on stock rims. The vehicle is a Subaru Legacy with approx. 300 crank HP and Bilstein struts with STi springs - not far from stock and certainly not a track monster.

Initial Review, 31,000 Miles on Tires
September 14, 2012

The o.e.m. tires on the car when delivered will probably last 35,000 miles when the wear-indicators are flush with the tread. While I would consider this unacceptable for a "general use all-season radial," this is the best tire I've owned for performance driving while still getting around in rain and snow. I was so impressed with it that, now that replacement time has arrived, I re-upped for the o.e.m. tire on a set of OZ Alleggerita HLT rims (25% + lighter than Honda's Si alloy).

Steering feel, turn-in, and lateral grip are excellent. The car is used for track days and to "do" the Tail of the Dragon about twice a year (each). It gets around fine in light snow. It sees regular rain use on Interstates with no aquaplaning at above-legal speeds. I have not noticed the noise that some other reviewers complain of. it is as grippy as the Goodrich T/A's I upgraded to on my Mazda RX-7, quieter, and has a more supple ride.

Initial Review, 29,000 Miles on Tires
August 13, 2012

OEM tires on my car. They will probably last 40,000 miles, but I want to upgrade wheels/tires before my next trip to Tail of the Dragon. The o.e.m.'s have done two Dragon runs and two HSAX track days. Have been shopping Tire Rack for a grippier 4-season tire based on UTCQ rating (300). Can't find one. This confirms my subjective experience: the best 4-season sporting tire I've driven. They stick and stick with excellent feedback about the slip angle.

I will re-up for these o.e.m. tires mounted on OZ 15-lb. rims from Tire Rack in September. The negative reviews astonish me. I can back through 4" of new snow in my driveway. Winter traction is average for a 4-season performance tire, a small price to pay for summer fun.

No hydroplaning problems. In fact, they track better through deep water than other high-performance tires I've owned. Superb on rainy Interstates at high speeds. Can spin 'em from a dead stop at a greasy intersection. Would be disappointed if a Civic Si couldn't!

Noise and ride harshness not a problem; no worse than other high-performance 4-season radials I've owned. But the grip is better. Seems to me that if these factors are more important to a user than dry/wet summer grip, should not be on these tires in the first place.

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
August 27, 2012

Overall, a great tire. Dry performance is fantastic! I have pushed this tires to there limits both in cornering and top speed, the tires never let me down. Wet performance, well this is why I got this tires. After replacing my Bridgestone Petenza because of wear issues and wet traction, these tires where incredible in the rain. In the snow, the performance of these tires in snow is what has sold me on these tires and why I will continue to use them on my other cars. I tried after a 6+" snowfall in Chicago to see if I could get the tires to break loose, and they would not! Not once did the traction control or stability control on my Volvo R kick on! Rock solid control and traction!

I have a couple of negatives with these tires. First is ride comfort. The ride is pretty stiff with these tires. But this is something I will live. I bent 3 rims on my old set of Bridgestones, which had much better ride comfort. So a $1000 for new rims vs. ride comfort? Ride Comfort will have to be sacrificed. These is a lot more noise from these tires as well, the fix, turn the radio up a little loader.

I had an issue with treadwear as well, but I am not really doing to blame the tires for this. I had the tires for less then a year and I had to replace them. Granted, I had nearly 30,000 miles on them, I figured I would have had a little more life out of them. Never-the-less, these are some great tires!

Initial Review, 34,000 Miles on Tires
July 26, 2012

These tires were the original equipment on my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4WD. I take pride in caring for my vehicles and I do my homework before I purchase replacement tires for all of my vehicles. These tires made for a good set of original equipment for this Jeep. It is very important to keep them inflated to maximum recommended inflation pressure because the tread seems a little soft and has a tendency to wear on the outer edges if they become even slightly under inflated. I tow a motorcycle trailer that is approximately 3500 lbs when loaded and they seem to perform well under all driving conditions. However, I am slightly disappointed with the wear at 34,000 miles. I am getting close to the wear bands and not sure that I should try and push it to 40K. I also own a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD with 93,000 miles and by far, it is riding on the best set of tires that I have ever owned, the Michelin LTX M&S. I put them on the Jeep when it had 32,000 miles on it and more than 60K later, they're still going strong! I can easily get another 10-15K on them without compromising safety or handling. I would purchase the for my 2011 but they are not available for the original 20 inch rims. They would probably cost 3X as much as the Fortera HL's. So, for the value, I think I will probably purchase the Goodyear Fortera HL's again because I know what I'm getting for my money vs purchasing another brand that I am not familiar with and pay a much higher price. Lastly, these have not been noisy tires at all.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
July 15, 2012

Upgraded the rims on my car and after seeing all the positive reviews here I decided to go with the RE970s. In terms of control in dry and wet roads, I was really impressed as the grip was amazing going through twisty roads and in the rain, hydroplaning did occur over a huge puddle but even when it did, I felt in control. Also I could really "feel" the road through the tires as it might have been the suspension as well but even the slightest bump on the road I could feel. The only downside I found was the road noise but then again if you're looking for performance tires, thats bound to happen.

Initial Review, 17,000 Miles on Tires
July 04, 2012

This is a great summer tire for a front-heavy FWD performance vehicle. I drive a '94 Saab 900 Convertible (the "Classic" or "Pre-GM"-style 900). I am on my second set of these tires for my 'vert and the are the best tires I've ever put on a Saab (and I've owned three). When they say that they are summer tires, they mean it. The rubber compound starts to harden below 40 degress and the tires become dangerous--I cannot stress strongly enough that if you live in a region that gets cold in the winter but does not necessarily freeze often (like Washington, DC)--get a set of snow or all-season tires if you plan on driving your car in the winter. I've had a few close calls, but it was my own dumb fault for driving on summer tires in cold, rainy weather. Other than that, these tires are great in the city, if you parallel park somewhat frequently, since the tire features a 360-deg. raised crest on the sidewall that will take the brunt of abuse instead of your rims when scraping against a curb. I expect to get another 17-20k miles out of this second set, considering I use my car mostly for road trips, and I do relatively little start-and-stop driving...and I'm rather religious when it comes to tire rotation. These tires may get a little noisy after 10,000 miles, but this car idoes not make me a good judge of tire noise since I drive a convertible. The sidewall features a rubber compound that keeps it's gloss and newish-ness for a long time, so you don't need to make liberal applications of tire-shine products. The side profile is sporty looking, and the tread looks agressive and functionally-sophisticated, but not so looking to an absurd point that the tires look like they belong on a ricer in Fast and the Furious--perfect for a Turbo 900.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 30, 2012

These tires were on my car and slightly used when I purchased it a year ago. About 12,000+ miles I've added. Dry traction is very good. My 95M Miata handles extremely well with these. Dry traction is very good. These tires loosen up quite a bit when wet. Actually just loose enough to make wet road driving alot of fun at about the speed limit on spirited scenic drives. If your up for that. They reject hydroplaning rather well. Was forced to drive all winter with these in nothern WV. They performed better than expected in the snow on a rear wheel drive vehicle, but you better be a good driver to avoid getting stuck. However, even my spouse could handle snow under 1 inch and plowed roads. We did burn up our rear tires in >3 mild months of winter, we contend with many hills to climb. And we did climb them in the snow with these tires all winter. I'd reconsider using these if being used on a true performance vehicle with muscle. My stock 95M Miata can spin them at will and powerslide with mildly spirited driving if just a little wet. Fun for me, but dangerous at higher speeds/horsepower. These are one of the very few all-season tires available for the stock 95M Miata BBS rims. 195/50 15. Upon an inspection today I did find an outward bulge the one of my sidwalls about 2" in diameter. QC may be an issue? Overall for the price, I'm quite pleased with the performance of these tires. Can't completely say how much of it is the car and how much is the tire. But these tires are giving me exactly what I expect from my Miata and I can afford to burn them up having a little having fun. Also, they look good enough. I'm buying 2 more rear tires. Zoom-Zoom

Note: these are directional tires

Dry Traction = very good+
Wet traction = ok, safe at moderate speeds, good highway, easily pushed to fun limit
Snow traction = just good enough
Hydroplaning rejection = very good
Braking = good

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
April 28, 2012

This is the perfect tire if you want a comfortable ride but still want to pull some G's on the on-ramp.
The ride of this tire is very civilized considering it's grip. I was very impressed with it's wet performance also. Tire noise?? what noise?? Nuff said.

I would recommend running these on wider rim to improve responsiveness, that seems to be the only concession for the sweet ride. Am running the 245/40-18" on a 9" wheel, it gives the tire a little "stretch" which improves response. Granted, the response in not terrible... but it is noticeable slower than the 245/35-19 wheel/tire combination that it replaced. All talk about "response" goes out the door the first time you traverse a large crack across the road and it doesn't feel like shocks are about to be launched through the hood: )

I have been running these for approx. 4000 miles and they actually feel more responsive now, like they needed to be broken in a bit.
As far as wear, I can't detect any at this point.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
April 20, 2012

Years ago I had a work truck, Chevy Silverado 2wd that I used in residential construction. I was SO impressed with this tire overall that when my '09 Dodge Ram 4x4 hit 40,000 miles the factory GY Wrangler HP's were toast. It is shamefull that a loaded 4x4 truck came with a glorified passenger tire, but it did and I never liked them. Sure the ride on dry paved road was smooth/quiet but thats it. Every other area of performance was awful. Even after siping it was only marginaly better in the rain. The reason I'm giving a history lesson is b/c if you have a Ram with the 20" rims sooner or later you will be reading reviews and looking for a real truck tire. This tire is it, stop looking and buy these! I'm still in the construction business and this truck is 50-50 work/personal use. It handles all aspects of paved road and is still very quiet rolling, smooth ride etc. At job sites no problem, personal use is frequent long road trips...once again VERY quiet and no MPG loss. I like the squared up shoulder blocks which help traction, add strength and just plain look good. We camp and I have no worries taking this thing off the road and on graded paths at preserves/state parks. With the HP's I was always worried about every small branch/foilage in our path. Although we don't do any "off-roading" you wont have problems with small rocks etc. I am less worried about a puncture now. There are a lot of tires on the market, if you want a solid tire firmly between a passenger/highway only tire and a mongo-mudder this is it. No regrets!

Initial Review, 31,000 Miles on Tires
April 19, 2012

The Dunlop Sport Signature has been a good and reliable street performance tire. Great handling in wet and dry, responsive and predictable in the corners, no noise and respectable wear. The tire has a beefy rim protector bead and a stiff sidewall that still provides a comfortable ride. This Passat is re-mapped to 215hp, 7" wheels and I have certainly used these Dunlops. A good price point and probably all a sport sedan needs. Would purchase again. Nice balance of practical and performance.

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
April 02, 2012

Got these from The Tire Rack in January 2011 for my 2007 Cooper S R56 which had 17 OE rims. Was advised to go 16" with a reasonable price set of MSW as "Winter" Rims. I live north of Toronto in an area that gets hit regularly by snow squalls. I also travel to the Detroit area on a regular basis and need to be confident that I will get there and back regardless of the weather. The winter performace on this set up is great. The ride is also significantly smoother due to the 16". These tires make the car so much fun to drive in the winter. The OE Continental all seasons were really scary in the winter. I got stuck a couple of times with less than 4" of snow and white knuckle syndrome was the norm on snow and ice covered on highways. The Blizzaks give a great deal of confidence in the snow and ice with significantly improved stopping distance and cornering performance. Going around bends feels a bit squirmy on dry warm days. I would reccomend these to any MINI owner who needs winter tires. The advice to drop down to 16" is also recommended. Cannot comment on wear yet as I have just ended my second winter season and they still look like new. I'm guessing they will be good for another 3 seasons (approximately 25,000 to 30,000 winter miles)

Initial Review, 46,000 Miles on Tires
March 27, 2012

I have driven these tires until the wear indicators were flat with the tread. I got roughly 47,000 miles out of them (rounding to the nearest 500). I drive a 1994 Mustang GT, and my driving style is very spirited. I was not gentle with these tires, I did not baby them at all and to get as many miles out of them as I did, I'm truly impressed! The only thing I will do differently with my next set of tires is rotate them at EVERY oil change (5k miles). This is most likely due to my driving style. I think I may get some additional miles out of them with the more frequent rotation.

Driving in the wet / rain was excellent in the first half of the tread life. For the second half, and just before they needed to be replaced the wet driving took a little more care. Using common sense and slowing down when water is ponding on the road was necessary as the tread life dwindled.

I also had the opportunity to drive in light snow with this tire. This is obviously NOT a snow tire, but it did get me home before the snow storm was too much to handle.

All in all this is a FANTASTIC tire. I am on my second set for this car and recommend these to my fellow mustang owners. The cornering / handling in dry weather was outstanding. Definitely a perfect match for my driving style. I would like to note that I have 2003 mustang Mach 1 wheels on the car (17x8 rim). The tire size mounted is 235 50 17 which gives slightly more side wall. This did NOT impair performance but it did fill out the wheel well more since the car is not lowered. I also have a set of these tires on a 2005 mustnag v6 with 18x8.5 2008 GT wheels on it and they work perfectly.