Comparison S-03 and RE 050A

[goldNSX]

Hi

I've seen that both tires are in my size 265/35/18. As most of us know the S-03 wears out very quickly. What do you think about the RE 050A (asymetric) concerning performance in dry conditions comfort, noise and tire wear?

Greetings,
Thomas

 

[nsxtasy]

As most of us know the S-03 wears out very quickly.

To the contrary, most of the reports here on NSXprime have indicated that the S-03 lasts quite a long time. Of course, on the NSX, "long" is relative - but longer than many other tires.

Since the treadwear rating on the S-03 is 220, and the treadwear rating on the RE050A is 140, you can expect the S-03 to last 57 percent longer (in miles) than the RE050A in comparable conditions and usage.

There is a comparison test of the RE050 against several other tires on the Tire Rack website, and another comparison test of the S-03 against the same tires. In both tests, the Bridgestone came in third overall, behind the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 and the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. All of these are very good top-of-the-line tires, though.

 

[ryneen]

I have at least 6k miles on my S03's with about 4 hard driven canyon runs. They show almost no wear. I would imagine I have at least 75% of the tread left. I know that the Goodyear's and Michelin's scored better on the Tire Rack's site, but it's almost hard to believe any tire could handle better than these S03's. They are phenominal! I've never taken them to the track, because I have dedicated R compound Victoracer's for that, but I bet the S03's are impressive on the track as well.
Ryan

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Since the treadwear rating on the S-03 is 220, and the treadwear rating on the RE050A is 140, you can expect the S-03 to last 57 percent longer

(I chose to pick on Ken again) It does not necessary play out this way on the nsx or any lowered cars. I guess the above statement is assuming both tires side wall stiffness is the same and the tread design is close enough...

I used to run Dunlop SP9000 (not on the nsx), it had a 280 rating, but it wears out (inside) relatively quickly since the tire tread design was not as square as the other ultra high performace tires and the side wall is pretty soft. When I threw away those tires, the middle and outside had noticeably more rubber than the inside. It looks like I had a bad alignment problem, but it doesn't do that on other tires I tried.

 

[nsxtasy]

It does not necessary play out this way on the nsx or any lowered cars.

Sure it does. All things being equal, the treadwear patterns will indeed indicate how long the tires will last, in normal usage, including proper alignment, proper inflation, etc. You apparently had a problem that caused uneven wear, and sure, that can cause problems and differences among tires. But that is not normal usage. While treadwear rating is not a guarantee that one tire will last a long time, it is a useful indicator of how long a tire will last, compared with other tires from the same manufacturer, in normal conditions.

I used to run Dunlop SP9000 (not on the nsx), it had a 280 rating, but it wears out (inside) relatively quickly

I had the SP9000 on another car, too. They lasted an incredibly long time (and did not have an usual wear pattern). In fact, I wasn't impressed with those tires at all; they lasted far longer than I would have liked. But their longevity was consistent with their treadwear rating.

Of course, a 280 rating on a Dunlop tire has nothing to do with the above treadwear ratings, since treadwear ratings can only be compared within the same brand, such as the S-03 vs the RE050A.

You can read more about treadwear ratings, and how they are established for a given tire, in the FAQ, here.

The simple fact remains: On a properly-aligned NSX, with normal usage and all else held constant, a tire with a treadwear rating of 220 will last 57 percent longer than a tire of the same brand with a treadwear rating of 140.

 

[goldNSX]

The simple fact remains: On a properly-aligned NSX, with normal usage and all else held constant, a tire with a treadwear rating of 220 will last 57 percent longer than a tire of the same brand with a treadwear rating of 140.

I got with the 255/40/17 S-03 (stock setup) 7000 miles. Then I changed to Eibach/Bilstein/Alignment ending with 4000 miles on the second set. I then buyed Michelins which lasted 6000 miles. Then I changed the wheels to 265/35/18 again with S-03 which are worn after 2500 miles to 4 mm! So it was a good idea to realign the car to a more conservative toe setting: -2,5 mm front and -3,0 mm rear. I can't say if it really helps me out of the excessive tires wear. I'm not sure if the alignment (when Eibach was installed) or the Eibachs themself are the problem(too soft spring rate on the rear). I had less traktion lights coming up with stock setup than with Eibachs in slow corners.
Driving didn't change over the whole distance. Actually I'm driving very carefully (sunday driver) with some few 2th gears revs sometimes.

So what I can read the RE050A are definetly not a better choice than the S-03 concerning tire wear.