I have to second the Kuhmo's. I have had them for about a year and they are wonderful rain tires and I think would make great summer tires alos. Tire rack has them for 74 a piece in the 17's. I dont know the price on the 16's.

 

Just for clarification, a summer tire can be a rain tire. Summer tires are basically not rated for snow.

In general the Kumho 712 feels like it has pretty good traction characteristics for someone who does not have a lot of experience with high performance tires. They're a good "starter" tire if you're getting into autocrossing or road racing because they have progressive handling characteristics but their limits are reachable enough to learn how to handle at the limit. Usually when people step up to something nicer than the 712's they realize how much better the new tires are, but having started out with the 712 they understand how the car is supposed to handle at the limit. Not to say that you have to start out on a set of 712's, but it's sometimes a good idea to use less than the absolute stickiest tire out there if you plan on easing yourself into true "high performance driving."

Now my recommendations for people who are not going to be on a track, and want the stickiest tires possible. Right.

GSR96 - In 205/45-16 I would get the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. These are considered "maximum performance" tires by tirerack and will provide really really good dry wet traction. Tires like the Sumitomo HTR-Z and Yoko Parada have harder rubber compounds which will provide longer tread life in exchange for a bit less dry grip.

WiLL - the Azenis are not as good in the wet as they are in the dry, but they are by no means dangerous. The rubber compound does a good job of sticking to the road but the tread doesn't provide a lot of hydroplane resistance.

For 98Integra - The Kumho MX is a great tire, it's very similar to the Bridgestone S-03 in terms of its balance of wet and dry performance. They're a good bit cheaper than the S-03 also.

 

thanks...good post.

put yourself in my shoes. if you had to get a set of 205-50-15 tires, which would you go for? with my first choice being the falkens, my budget is really slim. i may go up to $80 for each.

i want a good dry tire, but at the same time i want to make sure it is also safe in the rain.

"but they are by no means dangerous.." i understand that, but i also understand, "the tread doesn't provide a lot of hydroplane resistance."

i dont really have a lot of knowledge on tires. the stock michelins werent "that bad" to me. and im pretty happy with my cheap ZIEX tires in the rain. so if the dry and wet characteristics of the azenis are better than the stock michelin or ZIEX, i will be satified.

thanks again.

 

MrFatBooty - Thanks for the input. I am in a similar position to Will, with the exception that I have up to $130 a tire.

I have a 98 GSR with Eibach ProKt and Koni Yellows. I have been happy enough with SP9000 and SO3s, but I am always looking to better my handling without going broke.

The Tire rack has SO3 195/50/15 for 79 and the Kumho MX 205/15/15 for 78. If they are equal tires, I would prefer to have the 205, but if the SO3 is really a better tire, I will settle for 195.

 

if you are planning to order online, tires.com is offering free ground shipping. however, i cant find the Kumho MX on there in 205-50-15.

 

My recommendation are for the Bridgestone Potenza RE950's.

The tires provide excellent traction in both the wet and dry as I have proven over and over on my daily driver ('91 Integra). I can truthfully vouche that the RE950's work well on cars that are in the same weight class. Cost is about $110/tire.

Past experience includes first hand knowledge with Yokohama A008, AVS Intermediate and Sport, Bridgestone SO-3, and Toyo Proxes. I also have experience with R-compound tires, but that is another story.

 

I have the yoko parada spec-2 and I must say they are much better than the Kumho 712s I had before. They grip well on both dry and wet pavement and are relatively priced well @ $89/tire from tirerack.com

 

in case you're still deciding what to buy, i personally feel that the falken azenis aren't that bad in the rain. i had a set in arizona and loved them. the so3's aren't worth the money, they'll be gone in 7-10k miles.

 

Toyo T1S I got 4 of them brand new 205/50/15

 

I might go with the Spec 2's. I am having a hard time dishing out more than $100 a tire considering the fact that I go through them in less than a year and I don't even drive fast or spin tire a lot. I had the 712s and they were shot after 3 months. I do beleive you get what you pay for but then again I did pay $124 each for Pilot XGT V4's that lastest less than a year.

BTW: The higher the UTQG number the faster it wears? or slower?

Would a 280 wear faster than a 340?