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, 15,000 Miles on Tires March 16, 2013
Have used this tire on my Genesis 3.8 GT for tracking. They have at least 20 track sessions of 25 minutes . Very responsive and pleasant to drive. Best tires for this car without R compounds. When threads are used this is not a tire for tracking in the rain. Otherwise I will get the same tires for this car for sure. The tires have a nice thread pattern. Look nice and racy.
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.
Hankook's Ventus R-S3 provides an affordable street tire that best mimics the grip of a racing slick intended for the track. The R-S3 entered a very competitive group of Extreme Performance Summer tires dominated by the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 and the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, both of which are considered excellent dual purpose tires for performance street and occasional track / autocross use. We had the opportunity to compare the Hankook against both these tires, as well as the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 and Kumho Ecsta XS on our test track. Results were published in the August 2011 issue of Grassroots Motorsports Magazine. During this test, the R-S3 shaved nearly a full second off the Dunlop's lap time and came in quicker than the Bridgestone, too! Our tester remarked: "The tire inspires confidence from the first turn of the steering wheel, making it easy to attack the course's elements."
Our extensive Tire Survey Results put the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 just slightly ahead of the Hankook in cornering stability and hydroplaning resistance. With that said, customers really like this tire and have spoken with high praise for this Hankook and say they would buy this tire again!
"I love this tire. I bought it mostly for autocross use. However, I have driven quite a few highway miles now and have had no problems. I'd say this is one of the best performance tires you can buy, especially for the price. Needless to say, I'll be buying another set when the time comes." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2002 Honda S2000
"I purchased this tire for mainly track use and it did not disappoint. The traction was great when accelerating, cornering and braking. I have just purchased another set for my TT. Excellent value!" -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe
Do you want to see if the Hankook Ventus RS-3 is available for sports car, sports coupe or performance sedan? Then shop by 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, 20,000 Miles on Tires January 11, 2013
These were the stock tires on my vehicle and drove extremely well when new. While I had no problem whatsoever breaking the rear loose in a straight line or in turning situations (even at speed!), skid entrance was predicatable and controlable. The vehicle turned in very good lateral accerleration numbers (measured). Beginning at 50% treadwear, performance began to drop off dramatically, until even on dry pavement it feels as if I am driving on marbles. If not for the electronic traction control (I originally NEVER used this "feature") I would be afraid to drive the car with these tires installed. With 1/8" tread remaining before the wear bars were exposed I was driving a Jet-Ski when it rained! I will NEVER purchase a set of these tires, opting instead for RE-11's, Continental DWS's, or Michelin Pilot SS's (which I'm buying now). I have driven vehicles with these tires installed so I do have a baseline to form an opinion from.
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.
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, 38,000 Miles on Tires November 04, 2012
I have a 2004 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. I went through 2 sets of OEM Pirelli P-6 tires during the first 60K of this car's life. The Pirelli's are good tires but they don't last too long and they were a bit noisy, so I decided to give something else a try. I had recently purchased some 20" Yokohama Parada Spec-X tires from TireRack for my Mazda CX-9 and LOVED them, so I bought a set of Yokohama Advan S4's.
What a mistake! I've hated these tires from the first day and have regretted the decision every day since! I had such high hopes given the excellent results I had on my Mazda, but it just didn't translate well to the Audi.
The main problem is that on several stretches of interstate highway east of Seattle, these tires cause the car to drift left and right (sometimes violently) as it floats in ruts on the highway. There's a 3-mile stretch of highway on I-90 near my home where I need to move over to the right-hand lane and knock the speed down to about 50 or 55. If I'm in one of the center lanes and am driving "with the flow" at 70 or 75+ MPH, the car handles like I'm being buffeted by 90 MPH winds! I'm not making this up or exaggerating. It seems that the design of these tires is such that certain highway crown shapes combined with my AWD Audi Quattro lead to frightening drifting and floating within the lane. The fear of being pushed left or right into adjacent lanes has totally taken the fun out of driving. Mind you, this doesn't happen everywhere. And after 35K+ miles on these tires, I know know where all the "danger zones" are. But I shouldn't have to keep a mental checklist of sections of highway that require "special treatment".
No doubt these tires perform well on lots of other cars, but if you have a sporty Audi A4 1.8T Quattro like I do, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere unless you want to drive like Granny Smith in the slow lane. I just ordered a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S and can't wait to put the "fun" back in my driving!
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 October 18, 2012
This tire was OEM on my 09 Subie....driven mostly in dry weather, but I travel to snow country several times a year. I was amazed how well the car plowed through the snow and ice with these "low" profile tires. I am replacing them now, although I could probably go another 10K on them, because I travel on the highway away from home alot. If they didn't cost $200 each I would buy them again...I'm going to put the Yoko EnVigors next and see how they do...Oh, BTW my gas milage was excellent on the highway with these tires
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, 500 Miles on Tires October 06, 2012
2003 Lotus - Caterham Super 7 SV, the last (and only) "real" Lotus. These tires are simply perfect for the car. The car is so light (1250 pounds) that it is very difficult to find appropriate road tires. My previous tires were Yokohama Advan 032Rs. They were OK in the dry but super scary in the wet. The Dunlops are fantastic in all conditions! Great grip, razor sharp turn in, mid-corner "pucker" recovery is fantastic, rain is no longer a white knuckle situation. If you need a tire that doesn't require a warm-up period and grips like flypaper, this is a great choice. I couldn't be happier!
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, 15,000 Miles on Tires September 26, 2012
Having previously run the Bridgestone Potenza RE01R and Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07, the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec was a welcome surprise at a much lower price point. With at least as much grip as the RE01Rs but almost as sharp as the AD07, the Direzzas deliver confident carving of precipitous mountain roads. The RE01Rs were irritatingly comfortable with good ultimate grip but much softer turn-in and greasy communication at the limit. The ADVANs were remarkably crisp at turn-in and blissfully responsive through the turning arc but delivered only good ultimate grip. At 50 bucks less, the Direzzas blow the RE01Rs away in everything important to the true sporting driver and shows the ADVANS the door on all but their immediacy. With no number to back this up, I'd bet that lap times would be significantly better on the Direzzas. The RE01Rs ride smoother and softer than the other two, but who cares? Tread life on all three was very good at 15,000 to 18,000 miles with nary an offramp left unattacked. With the others as 7/10ths tires, the Direzzas are easily confident at 8/10ths and recover nicely from 10/10ths. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Direzza Star Specs for everything from really enjoying mountain roads to on-track performance just south of competition tires. In fact, many track day slick-tire pilots are using these as their wet-weather rubber. Very satisfied.
I recently had a customer inquire about whether he should use R-compound Track & Competition DOT tires or if the tires in our Extreme Performance Summer category would be more appropriate. His email question is listed below:
"Gary,
I'm looking for tires for my BMW 335i that I can take to a non-competitive performance driving school to learn track driving skills. This will be my first time on the track in any car so I'm not sure if I should get Extreme Performance Summer tires or actual race tires. I won't be changing tires at the track so I would need something that is streetable, as well. The tire size I'm going to use is 225/45R17. Thanks for any advice you can offer."
I told the customer that tires from the Extreme Performance Summer category would work best for him and suggested the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 and Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 as good options for his vehicle.
These are street tires that can be driven on the track without destroying them and perform reasonably well if driven within their limits. They are much easier for learning on a track and hone your skills. Each tire has more progressive breakaway at the limit compared to R-compound tires, and not nearly as delicate on the street as tires like the Hoosier R6 or BFGoodrich g-Force R1.
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.
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 July 10, 2012
While most of the miles are driving to and from the track and on the track they have been great. Best tire for dry conditions without going to an R compound. Wet traction could be better. This is my second set, I run a 275/305 staggered set up and got 15000 out of the first set that included 5 track days and 32 auto-x events and some other Sunday drive. This car is not my daily driver.
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, 35,000 Miles on Tires July 03, 2012
2003 VW GTI 1.8T I purchased these 225/45R17 Yokohama ADVAN S.4 tires based on reviews and their look. I also liked it's made in Japan. I noticed that they are designed for heavier cars, but decided to try them anyway. The first ride from installer shop was really bumpy and I was frustrated. I thought I made a wrong decision. Then I checked tire pressure and found that it was 40psi (!). I deflated them to 30psi and it was a BIG difference. Now ride was good, with race car feeling. Over time, after some wear, tires got a bit softer too. Driving was really nice experience with excellent cornering. Tires have solid grip and no hydroplaning problem, even now, after 35k miles, when I have to replace them. Snow traction is kind of bad, but it may be because of my really light car and wide tires. I am replacing them at 35k miles not because of complete wear, even with my aggressive driving, I could've put 5-10k more, but I punched to rear tires and fixed them myself, using rubbery plugs and didn't want to rotate to front after that. So front tires are down to thread limit and I decided to get a new set. New set is Continental .... It's softer and I am missing this race car cornering stability feeling, when car stays flat even when you are turning sharp. Next time I will by Yokohama again.
Since the release of the Subaru BRZ and its twin the Scion FR-S, we have been able to get both vehicles to Tire Rack's headquarters for measurements. First indication is that these very capable cars have been very "under tired" from the factory. Despite its excellent poise and impressive skidpad numbers, the BR-Z and FR-S are shod with a narrow 215/45-17 all-season tire from the factory. Such a fitment, although good for fuel efficiency and tread life, severely inhibits the cars' true performance. The wheels also seem a bit too narrow and use a very conservative high offset which makes them appear sunken into the fenders.
Based upon our measurements, these two cars are capable of running a 245 width tire on all four corners -- utilizing anywhere between a 17"-19" wheel. If you're wanting to run a staggered set-up, the rear fender arches can accommodate a width up to 265mm with the correct wheel.
With many tire choices available, as well as a large inventory of wheels from manufacturers like Enkei Racing Series, O.Z. Racing and Sparco, the best way to start looking for your desired set-up is to view our Tire & Wheel Packages.
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, 4,800 Miles on Tires June 03, 2012
I have the pleasure of driving these tires to work each summer weekday (dry & warm asphalt) up one of the twistiest roads in the west (30 miles of 30-50 MPH back-to-back hairpins, no traffic). Weekends allow more spirited speeds on various trans-Sierra highways.
In all endeavors, these 08s are effortless, noiseless, and predictable past cornering traction limits (slow & easy break, gentile recovery). Truely point & shoot!
The 08s took 800 miles to break-in (felt greasy at first), and rears only last my driving style 5,000 miles till bald (fronts last three rears). Wear is even across the tread, with no cupping. Tires balance inside/outside with minimum weights.
Of all the X-Treme Perf brands I have purchased from Tire Rack, these 08s allow my go-cart to perform better than Honda or Newton ever imagined ;)
After what seems to be decades of waiting, the first Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ are beginning to arrive.
Initial vehicle availability will be tight. Here at Tire Rack, we're still waiting to get them in our studio to be photographed. Thanks to the help from our suppliers, we've been able to post a preliminary list of compatible wheels for the FR-S and BRZ (fitment is obviously the same for both). The Original Equipment wheel is 17x7, 5-100 48mm offset. Many drivers will prefer a wider, lightweight wheel with the same offset.
As for tires, I'd go with 225/45-17 sizing to complement the wider wheels. Personally, I prefer the 25" overall diameter better than the slightly larger 25.3" 235/45-17 tires. When making your tire choice, consider the best value Extreme Performance Summer tires discussed in a previous blog post, as well as the Toyo Proxes R1R and Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08.
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 tire is a great tire for an all wheel drive performance street car. I have had plenty of Yokohama/Advan tires on my last few AWD cars, the S-Drives are a lot like an expensive Advan race rack tire for a lot less. Tho the S-Drives are a little harder compound they are a good tire for using your performance AWD cars full potential on the city streets wet or dry. Thanks Yokohama!!
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 bought this tire for my Evo based on reviews, quality, and previous impressions with Yokohama street tires. These tires are superior to any tire I have ever owned. During "spirited" driving these tires are unbelievably stable at high speeds (150+) and grab like none other on the Autocross track. The technical demand on an autocross track is no match for these tires. These tires deliver on hairpins and slaloms and also have excellent acceleration and braking grip. Something else I noticed is there is no give on the side walls so even during the hardest of turns, there is no rolling over and the tread is touching the pavement where it should at all times. I havent noticed any tire noise and they are smooth even after a race when the treads are cupped. I plan to get about 10k miles out of them which is expected with any tire like this. Im actually surprised they are lasting as long as they are. If you track your car or even just like taking curves faster than you should be able to, buy these.
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 April 18, 2012
I use this tire albeit no longer available, on my 2003 Tahoe to pull my boat and racecar. I do not have to drive far as you can see by the milage I have submitted. Roger had asked me to purchase a fifth tire just incase something terrible happened to one of my tires, definitely a good idea when you purchase a tire that will and is no longer being made. You may think that I have not tested this tire on the Tahoe without pulling a trailer...wrong. I tested this tire in the dry and with over 500hp (5.3L supercharged and misc.), truly one of Yokohama's best. Can't understand why they stopped making them and the tire that repaled them, although a good seller, is no Advan S.T. I hear no noise from this tire at any speed and I tow very fast. Tread wear is un-noticable. Ride is exceptionally comfortable. It has an awesome tread pattern that is classic high performance Yokie. I love this tire and expect it too be a favorite in my auto stall. The only chance I had to drive this tire in the rain was when towing my boat. No issues and or problems. Traction was great. What tire will I switch to when these wear out or get too old...only time will tell. I expect to use this tire for the next 5-7 years.
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, 10,000 Miles on Tires March 15, 2012
This tire has totally changed the enjoyment of my car. The test was right on the money. The car now goes exactly where it's pointed. When our group runs through the twists I have never had the slightest slip. When it's time to stop, it's like an anchor was thrown out. I can't hear any tire noise, but a Porsche 911Sc is not a Lexus. The ride is quite comfortable for a tire in this class. I have 10,000 miles on them, and I haven't hit the wear bars yet. I usually only get 8,000 miles to a rear pair, so I'm happy. As to rain, I can't give a good asesment, as I live in the desert, and don't drive it when the monsoons come. I will definitely be buying another set when these wear out.
2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe 4wd
