Tire Rack Consumer Reviews

Initial Review, 18,000 Miles on Tires
January 10, 2013

Performance wise, this tire delivers in all driving conditions. Putting nearly 300 wheel horsepower to the ground with a front wheel drive hatchback is pretty demanding of tires. Yet they stay planted to the road in practically any condition, wet or dry. Well behaved in the corners, they don't get squirrely or break loose when pushed.

I took a trip to Vermont in winter where I had to put up with light to heavy snow, and what a surprise-- these performed adequately, better than many all-season tires I've used in the past. Traction was fantastic for an ultra high performance tire; not to the level of dedicated snow tires but much better than I was expecting.

Where these tires fall short is in ride comfort and noise. The short sidewall in a 225/45/19 size makes for a very rigid ride in which you can feel most any road imperfection or bump. Noise is a startlingly loud drone, much like a wheel bearing going bad, especially at higher speeds. Most of this is not surprising given the type of tire it is. In the UHP category, performance first, comfort second.

Treadwear seems decent. After 18k miles, I'm probably through about a third to two fifths thread life. That's not bad considering the tread compound and driving style. If I ever needed a tire where performance mattered most, this would be one of my top picks. However, I will probably find myself looking at touring-type tires on the next go-around.