Tire size and brand recommendation for 18X8 and 19X10

Hey guys, my wheels will be done soon . I need to shop for tires now. Need tire size recommendation and brand for a set of 18X8 and 19X10. Thanks!

Bat™

The sizes you need are 215/35-18 and 275/30-19. The Pirelli PZero Nero is the best tire (by far) available in those sizes. (Note - this is their summer tire, called the PZero Nero; do not confuse this with their all-season tire, called the PZero Nero M+S.) You can also find less expensive tires in those sizes - of which the best value is the Avon Tech M500 - but the performance is a big step down from the Pirelli.

I have the Kumho SPTs on my 18/19 set and they seem to work pretty well. . .then again they probably aren't great track tires but thats what I have the stock sized wheels for! I got them real cheap (~$640 for the whole set after that mail-in rebate) :biggrin:

nsxtasy said:

The sizes you need are 215/35-18 and 275/30-19. The Pirelli PZero Nero is the best tire (by far) available in those sizes. (Note - this is their summer tire, called the PZero Nero; do not confuse this with their all-season tire, called the PZero Nero M+S.) You can also find less expensive tires in those sizes - of which the best value is the Avon Tech M500 - but the performance is a big step down from the Pirelli.

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I assume their all season tire is just as good?

Bat™

Depends on what you value... looks or performance?

The nsx is my daily, so performance is important.

Bat™

All-season tires are designed to provide okay performance in snow and frigid cold. If you must use these tires in these conditions in winter, at least occasionally, as well as in moderate to warm temperatures the rest of the year, then it makes sense to use all-season tires. In which case, the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S (and also Kumho Ecsta ASX) are among the best all-season tires on the market.

However, the downside with all-season tires is that, in exchange for that flexibility in weather conditions, they don't perform as well as summer tires (most high-performance tires are summer tires). So if you don't drive your car in snow or frigid cold, you don't need all-season tires, and will get better performance from summer tires.

If you drive your NSX in winter conditions, another possibility is to get an extra set of wheels with winter tires for winter use. That gives you the best of both worlds - winter tires with better performance in winter conditions, and summer tires with better performance the rest of the year.

Some people mistakenly believe that all-season tires are needed for rain and wet roads. They're not. Most good summer tires are excellent and better than all-season tires in rain as well as on dry pavement.

So, to answer your question - no, the performance of the Pirelli all-season tire (PZero Nero M+S) is nowhere near as good as that of the Pirelli summer tire (PZero Nero). Except in snow and frigid cold. If you don't use your car in these winter conditions, don't get all-seasons.

The Kumho SPT mentioned above does not perform as well as the Pirelli PZero Nero. The PZero Nero is Pirelli's top-of-the-line summer tire. The SPT is a "budget performance tire", suitable for those who are looking for inexpensive tires with decent performance. I don't think it's a good trade-off to buy a high-performance car like an NSX and then use inexpensive tires that will degrade that performance. But if you're willing to make that trade-off, I advise getting the Avon Tech M500 rather than the SPT; the M500 performs slightly better than the SPT, and in the sizes we're talking about, the M500 is cheaper, too. Which is why I previously mentioned it as a better value.

So how does the F1-GSD compare to the Nero? I thought the GSD was the best in those sizes?

Veleno said:

So how does the F1-GSD compare to the Nero? I thought the GSD was the best in those sizes?

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The F1-GSD3 is better than the PZero Nero, IMHO, but is not available in the 215/35-18 front size you need to be sure to avoid rubbing.

I live in San Diego, so winters arent cold, we get rain once in a while, thats about it .

Bat™

nsxtasy said:

The F1-GSD3 is better than the PZero Nero, IMHO, but is not available in the 215/35-18 front size you need to be sure to avoid rubbing.

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I noticed that as well. I hear only good things about the F1 tires.

Bat™

My mistake I was wondering why is wasn't available in the sizes mentioned and forgot it's a 215/35/18 and not a 225/35/18. If you get the 225/35/18 then for sure get the GSD3. I have seen other cars running with the 225 setup and as long as the offset is perfect then there shouldn't be any rubbing.

I've had 5 sets of GSD3 F1's with zero complaints. Tire Rack is usually cheaper than Discount tire but I'll print a copy of the online quote and Discount matches it. I do this so I can get the road hazard warranty and free lifetime balance. Yoiu can't go wrong with the F1's.:smile:

Veleno said:

My mistake I was wondering why is wasn't available in the sizes mentioned and forgot it's a 215/35/18 and not a 225/35/18. If you get the 225/35/18 then for sure get the GSD3. I have seen other cars running with the 225 setup and as long as the offset is perfect then there shouldn't be any rubbing.

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I dont wanna risk it and have any rubbing issues.

Bat™

Veleno said:

I have seen other cars running with the 225 setup and as long as the offset is perfect then there shouldn't be any rubbing.

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Some cars rub with that size; others don't. There are a variety of possible reasons. But you can avoid it with the 215/35-18, which is closer to the stock outer diameter anyway.

davidf said:

Tire Rack is usually cheaper than Discount tire

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Discount Tire's mail order division offers free ground shipping, whereas the Tire Rack charges for shipping, typically $9-12 per tire. After adjusting for this, the bottom line is usually similar between the two, with either one sometimes coming out better than the other, depending on the tire and size.

You've been a big help, thanks. We havent gotten alot of rain the last few seasons here in SoCal. Will the PZero's work ok in the rain it being a summer tire. Or would you recommend I get the M500's?

Bat™

Blue Batmobile said:

You've been a big help, thanks. We havent gotten alot of rain the last few seasons here in SoCal. Will the PZero's work ok in the rain it being a summer tire. Or would you recommend I get the M500's?

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The PZero works fine in the rain as well as on dry pavement. Stick with the PZero. (Both the PZero and the Tech M500 are summer tires; the PZero is a premium, top-of-the-line summer performance tire, whereas the Tech M500 is more of a budget/value-oriented summer performance tire.)

Some people mistakenly think you need an all-season tire for rain. You don't. The difference between summer tires and all-season tires is that the latter are designed to handle snow and frigid cold, as well as moderate to warm temperatures. Most summer tires do extremely well, and better than most all-season tires, in rain as well as on dry pavement.

I went ahead and ordered the Avon M500's. I figured I'd save $400 for now and use them 'till they wear. Then go with the Pirelli's next time around.

Bat™