Philly's car thread | Time for new tires - Post #128

[YSSMAN]

He WHAT!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (Remind me to never autocross mine... until after I get that understeer out of its system.)

I blame the following for his lack of awesome:

1. Inability to drive a car properly
2. Being the size of a North Pole Elf
3. Working on his own car when there clearly is nothing wrong with it
4. Modding his car because he thinks it needs to be "more cool"
5. General douchebaggery

Example: He pulled the engine out of the car a week or so ago because the origional was apparently having some issues with the valves. So, he replaced it with a newer one, and while it was out of there, he decided that he "needed to rebuild the transmission." Come to find out, not only did he "rebuild" the transmission improperly, he also forgot to drop a gear back in there. So, he has been driving around for the past two weeks without a first gear.

This, in addition to his destruction of three clutches since he bought the car due to misuse and improper installation, not to mention the FAIL that was his choice to do this in the interior:

Not only does it look like crap, it rarely works properly, and actually has made it incredibly easy to steal his car. Which my friends have done twice.

....Aaaaah, we're taking this waaaaay off topic....

 

[Eric.]

Do go on...What the hell are all of the switches for?

 

[Duke]

How about going on in some other thread? Or maybe privately, since you're referring to a specific member?

 

[Philly]

On electronic throttles: Wouldn't some people who are, shall we say, less educated about the inner workings of a car, wonder why their car isn't accelerating the way it should? Let me give you an (probably horrid) example.

Car goes to take off from a stoplight where there's a bit of loose gravel. TCS kicks in, and the car doesn't accelerate the way it normally does, even if the driver pushes the pedal more. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, what if it all becomes TOO seamless?

I think what the car companies are trying to get at is smoothly trying to keep you from doing something dangerous. If you're frustrated because you're trying to take off on gravel and you can't figure out why your car isn't accelerating faster, and the no traction light is flashing in your face, that's definitely a problem with the driver.

It actually makes sense because the system is preventing the driver from doing something unsafe, and I'm sure the driver would prefer his car keep itself within its performance limits smoothly than loudly announcing that you're driving like a moron and making the throttle all skippy and whatnot. In some cases, the lurch of the electronics bringing the car back under control is annoying. Every now and then in the GTI I'm having a little fun with it (exiting corners under power or maybe getting a little slidy) and the stability control jumps in and swings the car right back into line. And it's pretty disappointing when that happens.

Do go on...What the hell are all of the switches for?

I bet each one adds three horsepower and makes the car 10 pounds lighter.

 

[YSSMAN]

Or maybe privately, since you're referring to a specific member?

Nope, he isn't a member. A friend of mine from here in Grand Rapids.

Still, he's had more problems with that car than any VW I've ever owned, likely all created by him, in the interest of making his car "more sporty" or "more cool" or whatever it is that kids do these days when they have money to blow and don't know what they're doing.

Because, honestly, a ZX2 shouldn't be having this many problems. No, they're not the best cars, but they're supposed to have a better reputation than your average compact.

 

[///M-Spec]

Maybe it's the young and eager driver in me, but having an "off" switch for the stability control still isn't good enough for me. I can't figure out why they need all that stuff anyway when cars have been and still are tuned from the factory for safe but boring whopper understeer.

Sounds normal to me. I felt the same way when I was your age. And even today I still refuse to purchase a personal car that doesn't have a fully deflatable ASC system.

I'm just saying there is actually a reason for this feature. Whether or not everyone likes it is another debate entirely, probably best for another thread...

..not that many people here on GTP will actually come out and say "OMFG ASC IS SO EPIC WIN!!111!!1!!!"


M

 

[Eric.]

Sounds normal to me. I felt the same way when I was your age. And even today I still refuse to purchase a personal car that doesn't have a fully deflatable ASC system.

I'm just saying there is actually a reason for this feature. Whether or not everyone likes it is another debate entirely, probably best for another thread...

..not that many people here on GTP will actually come out and say "OMFG ASC IS SO EPIC WIN!!111!!1!!!"


M

There is a weekly thread on 8thCivic about someone complaining about the ASM system and how when they turned it off the car magically shifts easier, has less rev hang, and VTEC pulls harder. They don't believe its a placebo, but that's all it is. And then there's a group that says that ASM system gets in the way on a daily basis...Which suggests they don't know how to drive, how the system works, or that they drive like pricks all of the time. Hate to break it to them, but a Civic Si does not just peel the tires slick without popping the clutch or hitting VTEC in the rain.

 

[Philly]

So our ContiProContacts are about done and it's time to replace the rubber. We're going to try some more summer oriented tires this time around. The GTI isn't exactly a good snow car and it would get snow tires if it was going ot be driven in the snow so I might as well get some tires that don't sacrifice wet/dry performance for snow. Just checking to see if all of you guys have any input. Something relatively inexpensive (less than $150 per tire) and with decent tread life (more than 20k miles) would be preferred.

What I've found so far:

Bridgestone Potenza RE760
$140 a piece with a 340 tread wear rating. Seems like a pretty good budget tire and is pretty close behind the more expensive Michelin Exalto PE2 in terms of performance. Plus the Bridgestone Potenza line is one that I know about and trust to build quality tires.

Fuzion ZRi
I've never heard of these guys. Golfmkv.com recommends this tire as a good budget tire for the GTI. But going with something I've never heard of is a little iffy I think. But for $98 per tire you get some 320 treadwear tires that Tire Rack seems to like. Golfmkv also really liked the tire and was pretty surprised by how good it is.

Kumho SPT
This is another tire from golfmkv.com. It also won the comparo that included the tire above and below this. Also about the same price as the Kumho at $100 per tire. Golfmkv says its a pretty good softer version of the MX.

Yokohama S-Drive
I heard about these through Discount, where we'll probably get the tires mounted and installed. It seems like a pretty popular tire in this category. It doesn't seem bad at $122 per tire and a 300 treadwear rating.

Also, are more expensive tires like the Pilot Sport PS2 worth it? They're $175 a tire and have a treadwear rating of 220. I know they're more premium, but what do you get for the extra price?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

These should be worth it given the price and how they're acting on the 6. Excellent ride and grip.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...WR8HTRPL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Then again I've only driven a 6 on worn out Michelins of some sort (MVX4 I think) and fresh Cooper CS4s.

 

[Keef]

Bridgestone Potenza RE760

Fuzion ZRi.

Kumho SPT.

Yokohama S-Drive.

I wouldn't worry about individual treadwear ratings. They're company-specific, and so they're not always in perfect relation to each other. It's useful to gauge about how long a certain class of tire will last, but that's about it. You can bet all the tires you've mentioned will last you at least 2 driving seasons, even if you toss some track time in there. They're all going to have noticeably better wet and dry performance during the summer. The only thing I would suggest is to toss out the S.Drive. The Fuzion is a better performing tire than that, and you shouldn't be worried about it. This isn't the 50s anymore, so as long as you don't buy something from China that looks made of plastic you can be sure it'll tackle a pothole or two without blowing up.

Also, are more expensive tires like the Pilot Sport PS2 worth it? They're $175 a tire and have a treadwear rating of 220. I know they're more premium, but what do you get for the extra price?

Not in a size like yours that price isn't worth it. Michelin suckers exotic car buyers into paying prices like that because very few tires are made in sizes large enough for those types of cars. They're good, but not that good.

 

[Joey D]

Especially since Fuzion tires are made by Bridgestone.

What size tires are you looking for?

 

[Philly]

These are going to be 225/45R-17s.

Also, I'm not sure if Discount carries all these tires. Would it be worth it to buy them from Tire Rack and have them shipped and installed at Discount?

Also, the reviews I read put both tires a little above 10,000 miles of driving. Should I be expecting better mileage? I'll want to have these on all year, basically replacing all seasons.

 

[Keef]

Also, the reviews I read put both tires a little above 10,000 miles of driving. Should I be expecting better mileage? I'll want to have these on all year, basically replacing all seasons.

I had my Azenis tires on for about 20,000 miles total. It was their time by then, but you should be able to get better than that from any tire you posted.

Also, what do you mean by "all year"? You do realize these will be absolutely useless in snow, and not very confidence-inspiring in a cold winter rain, right? You better get snow tires if you're getting summer tires. That means you'll be able to get at least 2 driving seasons out of these.

 

[Joey D]

These are going to be 225/45R-17s.

Also, I'm not sure if Discount carries all these tires. Would it be worth it to buy them from Tire Rack and have them shipped and installed at Discount?

Also, the reviews I read put both tires a little above 10,000 miles of driving. Should I be expecting better mileage? I'll want to have these on all year, basically replacing all seasons.

Unless you are going to put the tires on yourself I see no reason to buy from TireRack. After you factor in the shipping cost they are pretty much the exact same price as Discount Tire. Some might be a couple bucks cheaper but not much. I only use TireRack to figure out what to buy and then go to Discount, and they will pretty much order anything for you from the brands they sell (which is just about everything).

 

[Slicks]

I would toss out the Bridgestone and the Yokohama.

The Fuzion and Kumho are both well proven tires.
I'd lean towards the Kumho, myself - It's got a higher load rating (94 vs 91, meaning the sidewall will likely be a bit stiffer) and a better traction rating (AA vs. A).

Both are competent tires, though.

Two other potential tires would be from BFGoodrich - The G-Force Sport (340/AA-A/$109) and the G-Force T/A KDW2 (300/AA-A/$127).

 

[Keef]

The G-Force Sport spits all over the trendy, overpriced, under performing KDW2. It's a good tire. Perfect Balance and Speed Junkie both have experience with them.

I can personally tell you the Kumho SPT is a great tire as I've driven on them quite a bit before. Solid in wet and dry, but pretty much useless in snow as all of them would be.

 

[Joey D]

After looking, I've come to the conclusion your tires are super expensive. Anyway, I'm going to throw out a suggestion.

I'm considering the Continental ExtremeContact DW for my car when it comes spring time, they seem like they are like the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 but not as expensive.

 

[Philly]

Also, what do you mean by "all year"? You do realize these will be absolutely useless in snow, and not very confidence-inspiring in a cold winter rain, right? You better get snow tires if you're getting summer tires. That means you'll be able to get at least 2 driving seasons out of these.

So you think they'll be pretty awful in the Seattle rain that happens all winter every year? Much worse than the worn all seasons I have no now? I just wanted a tire that I could use like the all seasons I have now but don't have their wet/dry traction compromised because they had been designed for use in the snow as well.

As for snow, I had a lot of issues driving the GTI in the snow (a combination of driver skill and the car I think) so I'd definitely want snow tires on it in Michigan where I know I'd be doing a lot of snow driving. Especially because it would be my first winter driving in the snow.

Unless you are going to put the tires on yourself I see no reason to buy from TireRack. After you factor in the shipping cost they are pretty much the exact same price as Discount Tire. Some might be a couple bucks cheaper but not much. I only use TireRack to figure out what to buy and then go to Discount, and they will pretty much order anything for you from the brands they sell (which is just about everything).

That helps. Thanks! 👍

I would toss out the Bridgestone and the Yokohama.

The Fuzion and Kumho are both well proven tires.
I'd lean towards the Kumho, myself - It's got a higher load rating (94 vs 91, meaning the sidewall will likely be a bit stiffer) and a better traction rating (AA vs. A).

Even for all year performance? I had thought these two would be the more performance oriented of the bunch, but maybe that's just because of the branding.

After looking, I've come to the conclusion your tires are super expensive. Anyway, I'm going to throw out a suggestion.

I'm considering the Continental ExtremeContact DW for my car when it comes spring time, they seem like they are like the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 but not as expensive.

Those actually look pretty good. Great wet performance, which is a bit of a priority, and pretty impressive with how well they keep up with the PS2 for being significantly cheaper. I overlooked Continental after how not-so-great the current tires are, but I might look further into these.

 

[Slicks]

All of the summer tires you're looking at should be alright for year-round use in Seattle.

I live in Victoria, we've got pretty similar climates.



Summer tires lose a good portion of their traction when it gets close to freezing - Be mindful of this when it gets down below 38 or 40 degrees.
Everything you're looking at should have good wet performance. Only once you get into the max performance summer tires (Azenis, Ecsta MX/XS/ Direzza Star Spec/ RE-11) do you compromise wet traction, and not even consistently. The Azenis are just fine if they've got appropriate tread depth, but the newest Ecsta XS is known to have poor wet performance.

Essentially, unless there is snow or ice on the ground, you'll be fine. I wouldn't have any issue rocking summer tires all year if it weren't for two reasons: Wear (I'll save mine for when I'm racing and leave them on April - October) and snow (I'm a skier, so the car does go up to the mountains, plus when it does drop the occasional bit of snow around here I go out to play in it).