Trying to select long wearing performance tire

[bimmerdriver]

I currently have Toyo T1-S tires (235/40-17 and 245/40-17) and they need replacing. I'd like to get a long wearing performance tire that's also good in wet conditions. I realize asking for long life will compromise handling. I was going to replace the tires with T1-R, but after reading the C&D tire test, I'm not so sure. The test got me interested in the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, but some of the comments on this board don't seem very favourable.

The main options based on UTQG are the following (in no particular order):


Bridgestone RE750
Goodyear F1 GS-D3
Yokohama AVS ES100
BFGoodrich g-Force T/A® KDW NT

(I'm not interested in Kumho or Hankook.)

Anyone with experience with any of the above tires? If so, please post it.

Thanks.

[elh0102]

I don't know if I can help, but since you have received no other responses, here goes. I have not used any of the tires you mention. Long wearing and performance have, in my experience, been mutually exclusive. But, I guess you mean long wearing relative to other performance tires.

A friend has a set of Toyo T1-Rs on his M5, and does not like them; said he would not buy again. He mentioned squirmy cornering. I have also heard similar comments on the Goodyear GS-D3. But, you can find reviews that are totally contradictory to both. So, go figure....

I have recently put a set of Falken Azenis RT615s on my E46 M3 for street use. So far, I am very favorably impressed. The grip seems nearly comparable to the Dunlop R compounds they replaced. The tread wear rating is 200, but my guess is that's optimistic. It might be worth your consideration.

[nickmpower]

I have the T1r's on my e30 and i think they are great. I might be felling a little bit of the squirmy cornering but i think thats probably because they only have a couple hundred miles and i went from 17's to 15's. Their grip in the wet seems to not be too far their grip in the dry.

[EEEEeeee36]

Well there is an oxymoron; long wearing performance tire...

Do you work for Military Intelligence by chance? :D

I think what you need to decide is....where is the line? Like mentioned above, if you get a harder compound tire that will last longer, you'll lose performance (hence the squirmy performance of elh0102's friend with the M5). If you get a softer tire with more grip (like the Yokohama AVS ES100 - awesome tires btw) then they will not last as long, unless you are driving on them conservatively - doesn't sound like you will be because you want 'performance'. I think what you need to find out is how MUCH performance you want, and how LONG they NEED to last. Decide which is most important and then come to realize you will lose one for importance of the other - if they last longer they won't perform as well. Don't get me wrong, tire compounds are getting better and better every MONTH! It's just that the scale does slide between performance and longevity, so decide which way you want to slide.

I would recommend Pirelli P-Zeros. They've been recommended to me by more than just one tire shop and I live in the PNW (wet roads 8 solid months out of the year - mostly wet for 10 months). They've also been reviewed to have awesome wet traction. They are aggressive, but they are not the most aggressive of tires out there so you may get a little more life out of them; of course that'll be relative to how you drive.

If I were to pick from your list, I'd go with the Yokohama AVS ES100s. I've personally owned 3 different sets of Yokos on three different cars and they've always held really well. Tire life? Eh, again that's relative, but the AVS ES100 is also known for really good wet traction.

Good luck!

[DeanP]

Some other factors to consider that will help extend tire life. Avoid a staggered set-up, then you can rotate your tires front to rear to extend tire life. If you can find a good non-directional tire it will give you more options when rotating. After 20 or 30K on the tires you can flip them on the rim to even out the wear. I rotate every 5 thousand miles. The rears go straight forward and the fronts go to back and switch sides. And of course monitor your tire pressure and keep them maintained, along with regularly balancing them. I currently have 37k miles on what is now my summer tires. They are not a performance tire, more of an all season, but they work OK for me.

[mikeo]

The Falken rt-615 is a GREAT max performance tire, but I doubt it will meet your wear criteria. However, the Falken St-115 is getting great reviews, is Ultra High Performance (one notch below Max), and has a wear factor of 360. This may be a satisfactory compromise.

[Mekihead]

From personal experience the GS-D3's were a good tire, but wore a little too quickly from what I was expecting. This summer, I plan to run Nitto NT555 and see how they go. I've been told by several Mustang owners as well as a couple tire places that they tend to last longer because of their wear rating.

[WytLytnyn]

Michelin Pilot PS2's pwns all of the mentioned tires. They aren't cheap but they wear well and when they're really hot, they grip like a slick. They're rain grip is excellent as well....

I got 11K miles out of some PZeroes and they do not grip nearly as well as PS1's or PS2's. I'm replacing my first set of PS2's with 18.5K miles tomorrow with another set.

[GatorMech]

Tires.com currently has 235/40/17 Pilot sports (NOT PS2) on sale for $132/tire. At that price, they are probably the best tire for you. They don't perform as good as the newer tires (PS2, SO3, etc.), but IMO are a great compromise of performance versus wear.
I barely got 18k out of my T1-S versus about 25k out the the pilots, and they were much quieter.
I doubt the es100's would fare any better than the T1-S for mileage

later,
Robert

[Daved]

Well there is an oxymoron; long wearing performance tire...

Do you work for Military Intelligence by chance? :D
:lol :rofl :biglaughb

Long wearing and performance don't mix... they're like water and oil. I was explaining this same thing to a guy a couple hours ago, he said that he was looking for some performance tires that last 50K miles.

[dinans3m3]

pirelli pzero nero m/s
good in the rain, supposedly snow, and great on dry pavement also. they are long lasting.

[Keechy E36]

pirelli pzero nero m/s
good in the rain, supposedly snow, and great on dry pavement also. they are long lasting.
thats what i was gonna post :D i think the wear is like 400 or something, i just think they dont have the best traction

[dinans3m3]

i ran them all summer. Traction was actually good, not the greatest, but in the rain these performed extremely well. i didnt experience any hydroplaning which is typical of a high performance tire. then again i was running these on 18s, which shouldnt make a difference.

[bimmerdriver]

I realize that long-wearing and good performance are mutually exclusive. I'm just trying to find a tire that's a reasonable compromise between the two. Good performance in the wet is also important because it rains so much where I live. A counter example would be the S03, which handles well, but also wears out quickly from what I've heard.

[Jim@tirerack]

I have used the RE750 on my 3 Series for 2 years and when I took them off to put on my snow tires they still looked new. They have a treadwear rating of 340 and the handling has been very good in wet and dry. I do drive the car hard and they have performed well. They are not up to the S03, PS2 tires but I think you would be happy with the performance.
If I can help let me know.

[bimmerdriver]

I have used the RE750 on my 3 Series for 2 years and when I took them off to put on my snow tires they still looked new. They have a treadwear rating of 340 and the handling has been very good in wet and dry. I do drive the car hard and they have performed well. They are not up to the S03, PS2 tires but I think you would be happy with the performance.
If I can help let me know.Thanks for the reply. What's the prefered way for me to take this offline, email?

[Jim@tirerack]

You can either enter the order on the web through the forum or you can give me a call. If you order through the forum link I will get a copy and get the tires on the way.

[SleepRM3]

P-Zero Nero

[SleepRM3]

How is the noise level with these Falken RT615s? I'm considering these once the 235/40-17s are released? My M3/4 is a weekend car for autocross, fun runs down twisty roads, and an occasional BMW CCA driver's school.
I have recently put a set of Falken Azenis RT615s on my E46 M3 for street use. So far, I am very favorably impressed. The grip seems nearly comparable to the Dunlop R compounds they replaced. The tread wear rating is 200, but my guess is that's optimistic. It might be worth your consideration.