Best 18/19 tires for NSX

[Jason C]

Does anybody have any info on which Brand and Model No. of tires have the best traction for Dry, and which are best for Wet roads ? And, what is the best tires for compromise on both (go-between) ?

I have a problem of drifting at 60-80 mph while turning on dry road, and worse when wet. I can't do anything on the understeer but I need to change the tires fast before the unthinkable happens !

Which tires should I change to ?
Appreciate all the well-informed replies and Merry Xmas,

Thanx

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Well I looked at 215-35-18 and 265-30-19 just to start, and noticed the KDW2's have you tried them?


9.3 rating dry, and 8.7 wet, which is VERY good.

 

[Jason C]

Thanks for your sugg. That rating sounds very impressive, are you ising them ? I have never been informed about BF-Goodrich tires so I'm not familiar with any from their factory. Is there any other good recommendations other than these ..?

Thx.

 

[Shumdit]

Get the latest Car and Driver (Shock and Awe Viper/Z06 cover). It has a tire test that will likely help you with your decision.

 

[Jason C]

Thanx, read the article you recom. So if their test result plus review is highly accurate, then what they said is basically go for GOODYEAR's Eagle F1 GS-D3 for Wet + Dry traction.

I dunno, still I hope their test results apply as a rule everywhere else.

 

[CarCrazed4Life]

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3 in 225/35/18 up front and 275/30/19 out back. Talk to RP-M and he should be able to hook you up with those.

TR's list price is $188/$305 each respectively...

 

[nsxtasy]

Well I looked at 215-35-18 and 265-30-19 just to start, and noticed the KDW2's

The KDW2 is BFG's budget performance tire, same kind of tire as the Yokohama AVS ES100. It is not their top-of-the-line tire; their top performance tire is the g-Force T/A KD, which came in tenth out of eleven tires in the Car and Driver test. And those numbers you mention are user survey ratings, which are highly biased based on which cars people buy them for, and what their expectations are for them. People who buy them may not have expectations as high as, for example, the Yokohama ES100, which receives a lot more notice as having great "bang for the buck".

That being said, this BFG tire, or the Kumho Ecsta SPT which is also similar in performance to the ES100, are about the best you can do for 18"/19" wheels. None of the top-of-the-line tires come in the best 18"/19" sizes for the NSX, which are 215/35-18 front and 275/30-19 (or 265/30-19) rear. If you go any wider, such as 225/35-18 in front, you are going to have a pretty good chance of rubbing (many folks here have reported rubbing with that size, although some others haven't). When you get 18"/19" wheels, you are limiting your tire availability (as well as risking damage from potholes and such). So these are your best options, and again, neither of them is going to perform as well as other tires which are available for smaller wheel sizes (such as 17"/18"):

Kumho Ecsta SPT
215/35-18 $103
265/30-19 $205

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2
215/35-18 $159
275/30-19 $241

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Holy cow! Thanks for coming back Ken! Seriously, I as well as many others value your inputs in these technical threads.

 

[Jason C]

Ken thanx for the PM reply and apprec all you guys out here for all the helpful data. :wink:

 

[WestPalmBeachNSX]

I have been happy with the dry / wet performance of my Falken 451 GR betas. 215-35/18 and 275-30/19s. Very good stick in the pouring FL rains that come & go. And great dry hook up. Can't comment on track use as my car is more daily driver. Hard to beat especially for the price. I'd buy another set.

 

[KingsCourt]

Indeed, nice to see you back, KEN.

 

[Jason C]

How much in $$ does the Falken compare with the Ecsta SPT ?

 

[KingsCourt]

I'm looking around for tires in the 18/19 combo currently, and the selection is very limited. The main limiting factor are the fronts (215/35/18). From what I'm finding, the only tire coming up are the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, available in 215/35/18 for the front, AND both 265/30/19 and 275/30/19 for the rear. The rear sizes are easy to find, with a large selection, but the fronts, not so much. Is anyone aware of options that I might be missing?

 

[centerpunch]

Is anyone aware of options that I might be missing?

Not sure why you wouldn’t get the great Michelins, but 60 seconds at tire rack found this.
.

 

[KingsCourt]

Yes, I did find this after my previous post, also. I think I originally didn't scroll down far enough, or something. But I appreciate the response and information. So it looks like I have 2 options.

Whao, I just realized that this thread had been dead ... no comments since 2005.

 

[Honcho]

Yes, I did find this after my previous post, also. I think I originally didn't scroll down far enough, or something. But I appreciate the response and information. So it looks like I have 2 options.

Whao, I just realized that this thread had been dead ... no comments since 2005.

Zombie thread bump!

The Flevas are really good tires too if you don't track the car.

 

[stuntman]

The Michelin PS4S is arguably the best tire in the segment from a ride quality, low noise, and wet/dry performance standpoint. They come in 215/35-18 and 275/30-19.

If you get the wider downforce front fenders, you can get away with 245/35-18 which opens up tons of options including the Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 and ExtremeContact Force tires, to the Yokohama AD09.

...and an use 295/30-19s.