Summer tire decision - go cheap or not?

[Green1995SVX]

Originally Posted by Sean486

I would get Michelin tires if I had the money, but that brand is just way too much. I was also considering a a Bridgestone Potenza Grid. They have a decent special on them right now.

Also I guess I wasn't clear, not that it matters but, these are not going on stock wheels they are going on the 17" 06 STI BBS wheels that I just picked up. My stock wheels will be going on winter duty. HuskeyManiac - thanks for the tip I'm going to check them out.

The potenza grid's are very noisy.

[XT6Wagon]

Tirerack tests are a good way to compare tires.

I'd never buy a chinese tire without that specific tire being tested. The couple of tests I have seen showed they looked like proper performance tires from 10ft away, but instrumented tests showed they were far inferior in actual performance.

Also note that the STi came stock with tires that should have been marked 235 or 245 wide. The 225/45R17 RE070 is .4" narrower than the 255/40R17 version... and thats with a narrower rim used for mesurement.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....oModel=Impreza WRX STI&autoModClar=

So you may want to widen your search in tires so speak as this might cough up some more options. The extra tire diamiter shouldn't be an issue with proper offset rims, as the SVX was designed to safely use real tirechains.

[Sean486]

Well that being the case, is anybody running 235s or 245s with STI Wheels on their SVX?

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Well that being the case, is anybody running 235s or 245s with STI Wheels on their SVX?

For winter tires when I first bought mine I ran 245/45/17, though they were too tall of profile for comfort. they rubbed on occasion if you had heavy weight in the trunk.
I only ran them for 5-6 months, then I put on the sunny summer tires and moved to florida before winter came again.

[XT6Wagon]

currently running 235/40R18 tires that should be 25.5" tall and a section width of 9.6". They don't rub at all even on the bumpstops. Try to find actual tire specs as the sidewall size clearly doesn't mean much as shown by the RE070

[processengr]

Ran 245/40/17 Kumho ESTA MX on this set of gunmetal BBS, no issues other than didnt like color with the Silver car.

[wawazat??]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Well that being the case, is anybody running 235s or 245s with STI Wheels on their SVX?

Yessir. I run 245/40-17 Bridgestone RE-01R for my autoX tires. I alos can say the 225/45-17 Bridgestone RE070 STi tires are a a good fit on the SVX and I've used those for autoX as well.

If you want to take the time to research tires other than Sunny or Nankang (yikes) review the specs on tires you are considering on the TireRack site. They will give you a lot of information (section width, rec'd wheel width, revs per mile, tire height). Much more than you'll get from the local tire monkey who knows cheap and slightly less cheap are his two best sellers.
I always walk away from something that is being pitched to me when the salesman's best close is "I've sold a lot of these" or "A lot of people have bought these from me". So what? Should I really be buying the same tires my aunt might be buying from you for her Mercury Sable??? Be an informed consumer. Try not to be a sheep.

[radarwhiz]

Originally Posted by 92snowmachine

i have some cheap nankang tires on during the summer, no complaints..

There was Nankangs on a Miata I got a while back and that only had 8000 miles on them and within the first 6 months three of them had blown out. I was very gentle with that car too. Ended up getting Kumho somethings. Cheap isn't always good.

[Conn SVX]

I wore out a set of BRIGSTONE Potenzas on my wife's Acura in 7,000 miles . changed to coni and got 40,000

[Lookin4SVX]

Them potenza have got to be the worst tire I ever driven on.
I swear subaru puts them potenzas on the cars so that you fell like you have power when you hammer it on a wet corner and slide...

Replacing the stock potenzas on my RS with conti extreme contacts made it much safer on wet corners.

The tire store wanted to sell me some nankings for my SVX. I went home did some research, then went back and said no thanks ill take the hankook evo's.

[dbarnblatt]

Originally Posted by Lookin4SVX

Them potenza have got to be the worst tire I ever driven on.
I swear subaru puts them potenzas on the cars so that you fell like you have power when you hammer it on a wet corner and slide...

Which Potenza? The RE070's on my STI were some if the best tires I've ever experienced. The RE92's on the WRX were just passenger car tires. So there is a broad spectrum of Potenzas.

[STiLtd683]

Originally Posted by Lookin4SVX

Them potenza have got to be the worst tire I ever driven on.
I swear subaru puts them potenzas on the cars so that you fell like you have power when you hammer it on a wet corner and slide...

Replacing the stock potenzas on my RS with conti extreme contacts made it much safer on wet corners.

The tire store wanted to sell me some nankings for my SVX. I went home did some research, then went back and said no thanks ill take the hankook evo's.

That's because most of the Potenza series are dry performance tires. I swear by my RE01R's and I was a huge fan of my RE070's.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by wawazat??

Much more than you'll get from the local tire monkey who knows cheap and slightly less cheap are his two best sellers.

I always walk away from something that is being pitched to me when the salesman's best close is "I've sold a lot of these" or "A lot of people have bought these from me". So what? Should I really be buying the same tires my aunt might be buying from you for her Mercury Sable??? Be an informed consumer.

My aunt would never drive something as fast and flashy as a Mercury Sable Todd.
Pale yellow Plymouth Duster with a black vinyl bench, slant 6, AM, only,
and pie plates on skinny blackwall 14s!

[B 4 You]

whatever you do, DON'T buy these.

http://www.primewelltires.com/PZ900.php

i bought them cause i was tight on cash and they were $55 a piece at firestone, they lasted about 8 months until they were worn into the tread wall. i thought i had some problem with my suspension and alignment, but my tires were just toast. total waste of money. not to mention i would hydroplane every time i hit a wet spot. they looked nice was all.

[Conn SVX]

Just got Toyo Proxies 4 245X40 X18 on mine only got 150 on them to early to tell