Which of the following tires would you choose for grip?

[NinjaGaiden]

225/45/R16 all around

Toyo T-1S or
Bridgestone® Potenza S03 or
Michelin® Pilot Sport

Don't care about their price. I'm looking for better grip and stiffer sidewalls.

For mountain touge.

[s13speeddrft]

I have the potenza S-03 tire. They are very nice and grip very well however i have never tried any of the other tires beofre so i cant compare them.

[revat619]

I wasnt really impressed with the pilot sports at all. They got "greasy" way too fast. I cant compare them to the others though cuz i've never tried them.

[eyustfu]

I never personally experienced the S03 but i hear they are very grippy tires, pricey though but that's not a problem for you..

If your willing to work with different sizing and a stiffer sidewall you might want to give the Falken Azenis RT215 a try. They also released the new RT615 but i or anyone i know have yet to experience it.

[Yuri]

Personally I'd step up to the Toyo Proxes4. I use these on my Evo, and they perform at about 90% of what the factory Advans do, but last 25000 instead of only 6000 or so.

[wootwoot]

Michelins are frickin beautiful tires, but go towards some of their more performance oriented line if you really want it grippy as f. Pilot Sports are a good daily driver tire that you can still track a little bit. Toyo's are extremly high quality but I have not had any experience with their performance tires. The t1s has a 200 tread wear rating I think so expect them to grip like a bitch but not last to long. A lot of people complain about the s03's being to noisy, I call them pussies. The grip is rather good on them but for the price I would get Michelins over them. I highly recommend Kumho MX's as well if you want to try some lower priced grippy grippy tires

[OptionZero]

From what I understand the Bridgestone S-03's last long, grip tenaciously, have super stiff sidewalls, and are perfectly streetable

Basically as good as it gets without going to R-compounds.

You get what you pay for, and you will definitely pay for these...but you'll go really freakin fast =P

[drift into a curb]

I've driven all of those. I smoke up Pilots for fun. Those chunk like no other. T1S is the better street tire. Good grip for the price. If money isn't a concern and you wanted to remain with 1 of the 3, go with S-03. S-03s are the best out of the selection.

[Dousan_PG]

ive used AD07 Neovas before, amazing tires!
the new falkens, ive heard noting but good things about them

[OptionZero]

aren't those an R-compound, or very nearly an R-compound? i think they come on the fronts of the Lotus Elise sport package.

[vvtisupra]

S0 -3 rocked my socks

[Dousan_PG]

they came on front and rear fof Elise i though. usually they won mix-match tires on cars

they are not R compound

[drift into a curb]

New Falken RT615 suck compared to the old RT215. Maybe for short runs, it might be okay, but initial grip doesn't feel as great nor does it get any better when heating up. I drove a WRX with them and rode in an Evo. Quite disappointed.

[Dousan_PG]

the sponsored falken drivers who drift w/ the new rts went back to ST115 because the RTs were way to sticky, run those up front.

[Var]

Wassup GUUUUUS!!!!

Go with the new Azenis. And from the ones you listed, i think the Michelins are the stickiest.

[OptionZero]

drift into curb:
Grassroots motorsports' test in previous issue results had RT-615 as even grippier and stiffer than RT-215, but retained the heat problem (but reduced it so its a less of an issue, just still there). Of course, they are more expensive.

So basically improved on everything of RT-215 except price and didn't fix heat issues completely

Of course i dont exactly know what your experiences were, just mentioning what they found

Because they're so expensive, i will probably try Kumho MX next, even though i love my RT215's to death...falken had to stop maknig them....bastards

[drift into a curb]

they're sponsored, they can run any tire they want from their manufacture.

[Dousan_PG]

they were sponsored by yokohama and hankook and bf too
staying w/ falken by far, best tires they love it
i love my falkens over any tire too, ive tried a lot
ad07 is the ONLY yoko/advan tire id run for what i do.

[eyustfu]

for the price the Kuhmo MX's are supposed to be very good compared to the other ones in that similar price range. I havn't experienced with the MX's but soon my spare set of MX's will be mounted

[OdessaS13]

anyone have anything good to say about the Yokohoma ES100's,
btw im runnins s-03 on the fronts from last owner and there the best's tires i had so far. cant afford 140/tire though :hammer: so its either bridgestone re950 from cotco or yoko's es100's this time

[OptionZero]

es100 not a performance tire more like a sporty daily driver

grip can't compare to MX, RT-215, probably not even Ventus Z212 or whatever, it would be destroyed by anything in the S-03's range.

But if you never see track time or auto X or hard driving in mountain or whatever ES100 probably good cuz it lasts, its cheap, and comes in many sizes

[wootwoot]

The only thing I liked about ES100's was that they were cheap. Decently grippy but with about 1/4 tread left they were pretty much done; REALLLY slick. If you are going to mod your car, tires are the most important thing. Put the extra dough into them, its worth it. I have bad tires now and its KILLING ME

[wootwoot]

P.S. I JUST NOTICED SOMETHING WEIRD

Why 225/45R16?.......225/50 is a much better size for our cars. If you want to keep the wheels the same overall size and all

[OptionZero]

s13 runs a smaller diameter...i think...

[NinjaGaiden]

P.S. I JUST NOTICED SOMETHING WEIRD

Why 225/45R16?.......225/50 is a much better size for our cars. If you want to keep the wheels the same overall size and all

I'm thinking of running 225/45R16 to reduce sidewall flex

I attached wheel/tire diameter calc through excel

[NinjaGaiden]

Wassup GUUUUUS!!!!

Go with the new Azenis. And from the ones you listed, i think the Michelins are the stickiest.

yooooooooOOoooooo sup? long time no talk.


only thing that sucks about the new azenis is their size selection.

for 16inch wheels, I can only find 205/40...

[Brian]

SOmebody said ES100...
i will NEVER run those tires ever again... unless i have to.

[OptionZero]

yeah, who the hell runs 205/40?
Miata? MR-S?

[wootwoot]

yeah, who the hell runs 205/40?
Miata? MR-S?

Civic and Integras as well, more Integras ofcourse.
But I have an s13 and thats what size I plan to run, I'm not to worried about sidewall flex. I consider more tire more suspension and I want as much travel as possible. I want a "cushy" ride to soak up all the bumps and such

[drift into a curb]

OptionZero, I drove them in the canyons. I felt the tires roll. This is the same size as the RT215 that were previously on the car. They're not stock size wheels either. The WRX had 225/45s and the Evo had 245/40r18s. It didn't have this problem before. Also rode with a friend in his EVO who had the same experience with both sets of falkens. Maybe if you're stretching them so they don't roll over, I suppose that may help.

Anyhow, I was school by the tire companies themselves on what makes their tire stand out. I'm not saying the RT615 is a shitty tire. MY opinion is that the RT215 is/was a better tire. That doesn't mean they're not going to keep improving the rt615 tire.

[OptionZero]

oh, I don't doubt your experience, I'm just pointing out that i hadn't heard anywhere else noting any problem with rt-615. Previously the opinions i heard were rt-615 is better in everything except price.

As I only have rt-215 and plan to go MX next time, i can't comment on the RT615 from personal experience.

But i must say going from Ziex to Azenis....damn, i will never go back. No car i ever own will have anything less than Azenis/Mx level performance, even if my future wife makes me buy a friggin minivan.

2015 Honda Odyssey with Azenis RT-915's....hahahah

[sw20>>s14]

S0-3s last surprisingly long with a 220 treadwear and grip really well...if your looking into the S0-3s why dont you look into the S0-2s? i dont have any personal experience with them, but ive read/heard that theyre better than the S0-3s in some aspects...

as for other tire companies/brands, you should really look into the BFG KDs...im surprised no one has brought them up...if your looking for maximum grip, i would go with those...not the KDW or the KDWS; just straight KDs...thatll do juuuuuuuuust fine...

[sw20>>s14]

nevermind, i just remembered your planned tire size and realized that both of them arent offered in 225/45/16

[NinjaGaiden]

nevermind, i just remembered your planned tire size and realized that both of them arent offered in 225/45/16


still worth mentioning.

I also heard that the S02s were better tires, but I didnt' think S02s were still available......

[drift into a curb]

Yeah I thought the S-02 was discontinued.. S2Ks were known to come with Bridgestone s-02's and then they upgraded and started using s-03's. The owners would complain because the grip wasn't up to par with the s02 and also the tire is pretty expensive, so most would go with other tires.

OptionZero, I actually want to try the MX too. I've ridden in plenty of cars with the MX and it was smooth and gripped nothing but awesome. They're a little bit more expensive than the Azenis right? I'm not sure as those rt615s were hiked up in price, so I maybe wrong.

[ZK]

I ran MXs before. My experience is that they have soft sidewalls and don't grip as good as the RT-215s. I was running a 225/50 on a 16x8 wheel. The ride quality is a lot better than the Azenis but overall grip, the Azenis was a lot better. If you want to trade some grip and sidewall flex for a more comfy ride, the MX will do it for you. Not a bad buy but after running the Azenis, I don't want to go back.

[OptionZero]

My theory is that the 16-inch Azenis is better than the 16inch MX because there's more sidewall in the 16 inch sizes, hence ZK's feeling that the Azenis were better.

orion:s14, who runs full course tracks, lieks the 17inch MX over the 17inch Azenis because of the heat issues on the RT. He has no sidewall issues like ZK noted in his 16 inch sizes.

Phil, i thought your rears were 16x8.5?

but yeah, the MX's are more expensive by about 30 bucks. You might not be able to get the RT-215's either, they are WAAAY low in stock, fkn' Falken.

Oh yeah, many autoXer's say that the 205/55/16 Azenis Sport OUT GRIPS the 225/50/16 Kumho MX.

20mm skinnier and more grip. And it's cheaper.

I'm trying to imagine if the RT-215 came in 225/5016, how much grip would it have...

The Azenis sizing is also underrated, the 205 Azenis is wider than most 205's i gather.

[axiomatik]

I heard a while back that the sidewalls on the RT-215's were a little stiffer than the MX's, but were also ~3 pounds heavier per tire due to the beefed up sidewalls. I have been running MX's for a little over a year and have been very happy with them. I don't have any track experience with them, but they are great for spirited canyon driving.

[OptionZero]

yes, azenis are definitely heavier

[sw20>>s14]

still worth mentioning.

I also heard that the S02s were better tires, but I didnt' think S02s were still available......
Yeah I thought the S-02 was discontinued.. S2Ks were known to come with Bridgestone s-02's and then they upgraded and started using s-03's. The owners would complain because the grip wasn't up to par with the s02 and also the tire is pretty expensive, so most would go with other tires.
yeah, theyre hard to come by now just like the RT215s, but for certain sizes, tirerack still has em...e.g. i was looking for 225/50/16 and they popped up, but if you look up bridgestone for the brand search, they are not listed...

yeah, i was thinking of the s2k example...so its worth looking into...

[OdessaS13]

[QUOTE]SOmebody said ES100...
i will NEVER run those tires ever again... unless i have to.QUOTE]

why not

[sykikchimp]

rt-215's had steel in them.. rt-615's have nylon sidewalls and caps which make them much lighter than the original rt-215.

[Dousan_PG]

es100 f'in suck! i hate those tires
so much
they lose grip so easily when hot
my friendblew one up brand f'in new after 3 laps on the track
i destroy them so fast, fm901s last far longer
they have no grip at all when geting low on tread
and the jus t overall suck
so many better tires for that amoutn of money!

[ZK]

My theory is that the 16-inch Azenis is better than the 16inch MX because there's more sidewall in the 16 inch sizes, hence ZK's feeling that the Azenis were better.

orion:s14, who runs full course tracks, lieks the 17inch MX over the 17inch Azenis because of the heat issues on the RT. He has no sidewall issues like ZK noted in his 16 inch sizes.

Phil, i thought your rears were 16x8.5?

The Azenis sizing is also underrated, the 205 Azenis is wider than most 205's i gather.

I have 16x8 .. and yeah, the 205/55 Azenis is pretty damn wide and blocky and stiff. For example, My Kumho MX in 205/55 never had any rubbing problems on my front fender. Now with the 205/55 Azenis, it rubs all the time under cornering. Different tires will have different sizes even for the same numbers. Its like clothes, just because it says "Medium" doesn't mean it fits all the time. Everyone's "Medium" size is slightly different.

[TurDz]

Yup, width numbers such as 2XX are just approximate. 205 Azenis are basically like 225's of other tires.

Sorry for the OT comment...btw, I would choose the Bridgestones...those are crazy tires.

[BeerBringer]

I run "shitty" Kuhmo 712 Supras. I don't know why but they seam to last for ages even during track use. I have been to 3 track days the last months (about 4 30 min long sessions each) and I can't even see any wear on the tires. ...they dont have mutch gripp tho.
I have been thinking about buying RT215's next time (if the kuhmons ever wear out =) ) but they are fucking expensive in Sweden (about 240$ each!!!!!)

[BRB26]

rt615s ftw
super grippy and pretty cheap

[ThatGuy]

Welcome to last years debate. Check Thread dates from now on!

:lockd: