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Plays_with_Toys
04-12-2006, 06:44 PM
I know, search, but there's just so much information out there, and it changes so rapidly as more tires come out.

I'm looking for an all season tire (yes I know, it won't grip that great in any one condition, but I don't see the point of winter tires when you have a stable car for the winter). I was hoping to have the entire package be $400 or less, and need the tires in 205/55/R16. The guy at discount showed me some yokohama YK420's, and I thought the tread looked pretty grippy, and cruising their site, I also found some BFgoodrich g-force TA KDW's. I know BFG was the shiz on my pickup truck, but I haven't got a clue about yoko or BFG's car tires.

Here's the yokohama: (http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rcz=80521&rc=CONINT&c=1&sw=&cs=205&pc=43603&rd=16&ar=55&tc=KAZHH2)
http://www.discounttire.com/product/tires/yokhhg.ang.jpg

And the BFGoodrich (http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rcz=80521&rc=CONINT&c=1&sw=&cs=205&pc=38994&rd=16&ar=55&tc=KAZHH2)
http://www.discounttire.com/product/tires/mtahzb.ang.jpg

Road noise isn't a big deal to me, my exhaust makes plenty of noise as is, and nothing can be as bad as the 31" BFG AT's I had on my truck. I just want a tire that'll grip decently, wear decently, and grip enough. I may take my car to one or two Auto-X events, but other than that, it'll just see spirited city driving and lots of highway.

Huffer
04-12-2006, 09:52 PM
Are you specifically ONLY choosing between those two tires? Or are you open to suggestions in the sub $400 category?

mr_choung
04-12-2006, 10:20 PM
i like my daytona SR's....i got then for like 100 bucks from a buddy of mines...handles really well in snow and wet conditions...just throwing my .02 at ya :twisted:

EXP1787
04-12-2006, 10:29 PM
I've had good experience with the Dunlop Sport A2. I had them on my first Saab, my EXP, and now on my new set of wheels for the Miata. They are a fairly grippy all-season that wears slowly.

I also had a set of Yokohama A550V on the Taurus. They were fairly sticky, but had a bit more sidewall flex than I like. The Yokohama AVID H4S that I had on my Legacy were the same way.

Plays_with_Toys
04-12-2006, 11:03 PM
Are you specifically ONLY choosing between those two tires? Or are you open to suggestions in the sub $400 category?

I'm open to suggestion, those are the two best looking from reputable companies I've found. I know what the different season tread blocks should look like, so when a tire doesn't exhibit those lines, I'm a bit weary to their all season claims. Suggestions are appreciated though.

Those yoko's seemed to get some pretty nice reviews overall though. Varying reports on snow/rain, probably as a result of some people siping and others not.

Huffer
04-13-2006, 12:38 AM
I know of 3 Subaru owners in Cleveland, OH who are using Falken ZIEX 712's on their cars.

1x 04 STi
1x 03 RS
1x 05 LGT

Some fairly aggressive drivers too.

I also have a set on the girlfriend's 03 Mazda 6i. They came in at under $350 fitted and balanced, and they have a 30,000mile treadwear rating.

A little noisy, but good-enough lateral grip and the resistance to freeway hydroplaning is good. The sidewall is a little squishy.

They are perfectly fine in light slush or snow, but as with most all-seasons they are like skates on ice.

Here's a pic:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2006/04/falhv4ang-1.jpg
205/55/16 @ discounttiredirect.com = $74 w/ free shipping.
vulcantire.com probably has them for less.

Plays_with_Toys
04-13-2006, 12:28 PM
Hmmm... yeah, those just don't look like they'd offer alot in the snow. Colorado gets anywhere from 2-8" in a typical storm. Average is about 3-5", is that considered light snow for you? I guess everyone has different interpretations of "light"

Superu264
04-13-2006, 01:00 PM
PWT: those yokohama's look like what I have, and after 5 months through warm weather and snow, they've been great

blueb3
04-13-2006, 01:01 PM
From personal experience, bfg tires are a little too soft on the sidewalls. (ran those tires on my old dub for winter time) Real nice traction in the snow but just too squishy on the dry.

Huffer
04-13-2006, 01:07 PM
Hmmm... yeah, those just don't look like they'd offer alot in the snow. Colorado gets anywhere from 2-8" in a typical storm. Average is about 3-5", is that considered light snow for you? I guess everyone has different interpretations of "light"

If you're in Colorado, you'd be better off getting some proper snow tires.
The AWD system isn't THAT good.

Strakes
04-14-2006, 08:43 PM
My wife had those yokohamas on her car for a few years and it was a great all around tire. She really liked the tires. The grip was much better than the average all-season. If you want an all-season with a bit of sportiness, then the Yokes are great.

I had the BFG KDWS on my GT. Freakin awesome grip, both wet and dry. Except they wore down super fast. I began to think that they wore sitting still in the garage. I got about 15000 miles on them before they were completely bald...that's with me checking the alignment before and after install. The alignment was within specs during the entire time they were on the car! IMO, the KDWS are barely all-seasons. In the cold weather, they aren't worth much after you've put about 7000 miles on them.

Good luck!

PS Check out tirerack.com, there are a lot of other options and a tire decision guide. Those Yokohama tires are the old Avid T4's rebadged. The newer TRZ has replaced them...maybe the TRZ's newer tech, may make it a better tire for you.

Plays_with_Toys
04-14-2006, 09:35 PM
If you're in Colorado, you'd be better off getting some proper snow tires.
The AWD system isn't THAT good.

I've got snow tires, and they really aren't that much better. The problem is, my all season tires are on the 14" steelies, and the winter tires on my 16" impreza wheels. The all seasons gripped just as well I felt. Discount said they might even buy my 14" tires since the tread is so new. I'm going to price it all out and see where I go.

Wiscon_Mark
04-14-2006, 11:02 PM
Narrower is better in snow, that's why you didn't notice a difference. I'm running 185/65/15s for the winter, it's waaaaaay better than All seasons at the 195/60/15. Your winters aren't as effective compared simply because you're not breaking through all that snow/slush as easily.

Sarra
04-16-2006, 04:36 AM
Kumho KH11's. :p They worked well enough for me in the snow (with brand new fresh tread), and were awesome on dry or wet pavement. Mine wore down quickly, but I also drove on logging roads all summer long. :p

Plays_with_Toys
04-16-2006, 01:22 PM
Actually, I think I've decided on the Continental Extreme Contacts. From the reviews they seem to be quite nice as a winter tire and pretty decent in the summer. Coming from a bunch of WRX owners who are commenting the tires are too squishy and don't offer enough dry traction, I think about how I won't be getting close to the number of g's a wrx can pull, the tires will be plenty good for me. The next closest is the pirelli pzero nero m&s, but that's $40 more. The tread also looks like it'd be suited fine for my occasional offroad jaunt:

http://www.discounttire.com/product/tires/conhv8.ang.jpg

The bad news is it is $500 for all four. I'll see what I can do to get that price lower, but we'll see. I have $300 available now, if I can sell my bridgestones for $100, and my snow tires for $50 then I'll do it. But if I can't get some money back I'll have to wait... as lame as it would be to have to drive with my steelies over summer. :lol:

Perdue
04-16-2006, 06:39 PM
Take a look into the Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S. I'm running them now on my 17s and they've done great. They're standing up to wear pretty well, and they're decently grippy (definately not a summer tire, but no snow tire either). Just be aware that no matter what you choose, although they are both made of frozen water, snow and ice are two different ball games. These tires may grip to get you going, but that doesn't mean ANY tire will grip to help you stop. Anyways, I'm a satisfied pirelli customer...they did me well over the winter.

Plays_with_Toys
04-16-2006, 07:06 PM
yeah, the pirellis I've heard are nice, but not $160 more nice. The conti's are supposed to be really good in the snow, but I also read alot of cold weather flat spots forming and really hit or miss on the tire wear/quality.

Huffer
04-17-2006, 01:43 PM
I think about how I won't be getting close to the number of g's a wrx can pull, the tires will be plenty good for me.

full lock at 50mph is still full lock at 50mph...

jey
04-17-2006, 01:58 PM
Yeah I had a set of used Conti Extreme Contacts and managed to melt away the outer tread blocks with some spirited driving - so try to keep it under control. I wouldn't autoX in them, but that may be more personal preference. Maybe they were just old and needed replacing anyway.

Wiscon_Mark
04-17-2006, 02:12 PM
I think about how I won't be getting close to the number of g's a wrx can pull, the tires will be plenty good for me.

full lock at 50mph is still full lock at 50mph...

precisely. Dan, you don't half-ass anything, which is why I don't understand this thread.

Plays_with_Toys
04-17-2006, 03:00 PM
Considering that I can drive my mothers camry perfectly fine, even in crap conditions on $50 walmart tires, leads me to believe yes, tires definately have a lot to do with how effectively you can maneuver the car, but it also has alot to do with the driver's capabilities to adapt.

Full lock at 50mph isn't the same from car to car. My car has soft suspension compared to a WRX, so the tire will take more of the load of that skid in a WRX compared to mine. I can't say I've ever gotten myself into a situation where I've needed to lock my steering at 50mph... ever. In fact, I've only spun out once, at 5mph in 6" of snow, with my truck, in 4wd. I was turning at a stop sign and did a 270*. Everything else I've recovered fine, or never had a problem to begin with. Now if you don't believe me, go look at road and track and see what the g-forces are for the STi on the skid pad, and an older legacy L. There'll be quite a difference, which points out that the car is only capable of so much before it overloads the tire and it breaks loose. That has to do with the weight of the vehicle, how it rolls, how tall it is off the ground, etc... What I really came to the conclusion is, most any tire will be suitable to me, its quality and longetivity that I have to look for. Yes, I want performance, but the fact of the matter is, in 3 years or so, I will sell this car and buy a much newer car. I need this to last me through college, so why replace tires every year and a half for amazing grip that I can't even use to the utmost potential.

AussieDan
04-17-2006, 10:03 PM
I just replaced a set of ContiExtreme Contacts on my wife's Impreza.

My comments would be that they are an overall good tire. However, the sidewalls are quite soft, which causes soft initial turn-in feel but gives a really nice ride on the highway.

If you leave the car sitting for more than a week or so they will 'flat spot', but after a few miles the sidewalls recover and they're back to normal.

In my opinion the biggest problem with these tires is the road noise increase as they wear. When removed they had not yet hit the wear bars, but had been louder than my Nokian RSis on the highway for at least the last 5k miles.

In fact, I was convinced for a while that the rear wheel bearings or diff were headed for an early grave, until I pulled them off an the noise miraculously went away.

Right now the Impreza is wearing a set of Kumho ASXs (they were cheap), which seem to drive pretty nicely on dry pavement and in the rain. I'm sure the contis would beat them hands down in the snow, but the sidewalls are definitely more conducive to 'spirited' driving.

By all accounts the Pirellis recommended earlier in this thread are a great tire, and I've also heard good things about the Avon Tech M550.