Looking for a better tire

[jet3000gt]

thanks nsxtasy. those are what came on the car when i got it. i use my nsx just to pick up my son at daycare and sometimes go to houston and texarkana. i dont really drive my car hard or really need performance. just want a tire that will last more than an oil change for the rears. i dont drive the nsx in the winter and or rain. i have pull me over yellow. you know what i mean. thanks

 

[angus]

thanks nsxtasy. those are what came on the car when i got it. i use my nsx just to pick up my son at daycare and sometimes go to houston and texarkana. i dont really drive my car hard or really need performance. just want a tire that will last more than an oil change for the rears. i dont drive the nsx in the winter and or rain. i have pull me over yellow. you know what i mean. thanks

I say go for the BFG KDW - they last REALLY long if you are willing to sacrifice a little performance (THEY ARE NOT THAT BAD!) and a little more road noise.

I had these on my nsx once and didn't hate them, there are better tires but they do last really long and that is what you asked for.

BTW - they will BLOW away the falken 512 and 452 in every way.

 

[jet3000gt]

thanks angus. i just want a tire that will last long. i dont drive fast. like i say i got pull me over yellow

 

[Cap'n Carl]

Wow, what a mess. You're doing a lot of things wrong.

First, decide whether you want all-season tires or summer tires. All-season tires are designed for those who need to use the same tire in occasional snow and bitter cold in the winter as they do in moderate to warm temperatures the rest of the year. They are "compromise tires"; they don't grip as well as winter tires in winter, and they don't grip as well as summer tires in moderate to warm temperatures. People sometimes mistakenly think that you need all-season tires for rain, but summer tires grip better than all-seasons in rain as well as dry weather. Most NSX owners don't drive their cars in winter conditions, either because they live in a warmer climate where it never or rarely snows, or because they have another car they use in winter weather, so most NSX owners use summer tires. The few who drive their cars in winter conditions usually have a separate set of winter tires for that type of weather. For these reasons, most NSX owners do not use all-season tires.

You should NOT mix different kinds of tires on the same car. Using all-season tires (such as the Falken Ziex ZE-512) on the same car as summer tires (such as the Falken FK-452) is a prescription for disaster! In moderate to warm temperatures, the summer tires are going to have a whole lot more grip than the all-seasons, and your handling is going to be unpredictable and horrible. All four tires should be the same type of tire, and in most cases the same make and model, so that your handling doesn't suffer.

Also, your handling will suffer with the sizes you mention, due to the excessive "stagger" (the difference of 60 mm in width, front vs rear). 215/40-17 is fine in the front, but you are MUCH better off with either 255/35-18 or 265/35-18 in the rear. 265/35-18 is a better fit for the TCS on the '91-93 NSX, 255/35-18 is a better fit on the '94-05. For your '97, stick with 255/35-18.

There is no such tire brand as "BF Goodwrench". There is a tire company called BFGoodrich, and GM brands its dealer service departments as "Mr. Goodwrench".

As for recommendations, I'll assume you don't want all-season tires because you don't drive on snow (or you have separate winter tires), so don't get the BFGoodrich KDWS, which is an all-season. I'll also assume you don't want to degrade the performance of your NSX by using inexpensive summer tires more suitable for a sport compact economy car, so don't get the Yokohama S.drive. And I'll assume you're going to get rid of all four of the crappy Falken tires that are on your car now.

Now the question for you is, do you want the very best grip/performance you can have in moderate to warm temperatures, so that you're less concerned with treadlife (how long your tires last)? Or is value a factor for you, so that you want very good grip/performance but you're willing to settle for a bit less performance if you can have the tires last considerably longer?

Here are actual recommendations; prices are per tire, from the Tire Rack.

If you want the very best grip/performance you can get in a street tire, and you don't care about treadlife, get one of these:

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec 215/40-17 $134 and 255/35-18 $240
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 215/40-17 $157 and 255/35-18 $256 (less $40 rebate)

If you care about treadlife but you still want very good grip/performance, get these:

Continental ExtremeContact DW 215/40-17 $124 and 255/35-18 $226

All of these are summer tires and should not be used on snow or in bitter cold.

You will be amazed at how much better your NSX will handle and grip the road with any of these tires, compared with the ones that are on your car now.

As usual, lots of good advice there. But his back rims are 10" wide. I think a 265 is about as narrow as you'd want, and will expose the rim to curbs more than a 275 would.

 

[nsxtasy]

Would it be ok to go with 205/45/16 front, 255/40/17 rear on the factory 16/17 wheels? The 245/40/17 appears to be out of stock for the Continental EC DW. I'm thinking of even going with the Bridgestone Potenza RE760s as well. I don't track my car, but go for a spirited drive now and then.

They can be mounted on the wheels. I think the handling is better with 245/40 but yes you could go 255/40, especially on a '91-93.

just want a tire that will last more than an oil change for the rears.

The Continental is a very good choice. It will last longer than the "extreme performance" tires. (It's better than the BFG KDW, and will last longer, too.)

As usual, lots of good advice there. But his back rims are 10" wide. I think a 265 is about as narrow as you'd want, and will expose the rim to curbs more than a 275 would.

255/35-18 can be mounted on 18x10 rims. And you shouldn't have to depend on your tires to protect your rims. Just don't rub up against curbs and you'll be fine.

 

[MoogieBoogie]

They can be mounted on the wheels. I think the handling is better with 245/40 but yes you could go 255/40, especially on a '91-93.

Thanks Ken. I'm going to give the Continental EC DW a shot.

 

[Tony Montoya]

Will the Yoko AD08 be as good as the OEM Yokos? I mostly drive in warm dry weather. The Acura salesman tells me the car is not made of sugar.
I have one pair of new Yokos left and my fronts are good for another 12k KM.

 

[BATMANs]

Thanks Ken. I'm going to give the Continental EC DW a shot.

I have these. Decent tires, but nothing compared to the Dunlop Z1.

 

[BATMANs]

Will the Yoko AD08 be as good as the OEM Yokos? I mostly drive in warm dry weather. The Acura salesman tells me the car is not made of sugar.
I have one pair of new Yokos left and my fronts are good for another 12k KM.

The new AD08 are WAAAAY better.

A few classes up in wet and dry.

 

[KyleMo]

I had Goodyear Eagle F1, 255/35R18 with AA traction, A temp and 260 treadwear. I got like 7500miles out of them and I was pretty hard on them. But they felt like ten times stickier than the Falkens I had before, and lasted about the same (Falkens had 340 treadwear)

 

[nsxtasy]

Will the Yoko AD08 be as good as the OEM Yokos? I mostly drive in warm dry weather. The Acura salesman tells me the car is not made of sugar.
I have one pair of new Yokos left and my fronts are good for another 12k KM.

The AD08 will give you more traction in most situations, but the OEM Yokos will give you a more precise handling "feel".

If I had tires sitting around and I was reasonably happy with them, I would use up what I had before considering replacements.

I have these. Decent tires, but nothing compared to the Dunlop Z1.

They are different tires for different priorities. The Star Spec gives better traction. The ExtremeContact DW gives longer treadlife (and still decent traction). Someone who uses his NSX on street tires in an occasional autocross or track event is probably more concerned about traction. Someone who uses his NSX for daily driving is probably more concerned about treadlife. That's why they make different kinds of tires.

I had Goodyear Eagle F1, 255/35R18 with AA traction, A temp and 260 treadwear. I got like 7500miles out of them and I was pretty hard on them. But they felt like ten times stickier than the Falkens I had before, and lasted about the same (Falkens had 340 treadwear)

Goodyear makes a lot of different tires with the "Eagle F1" name, everything from "max performance summer tires" that will give you a lot of grip, to all-seasons that sacrifice grip for the ability to be driven in light snow. Similarly, Falken makes a lot of different tires, including sticky summer tires, cheap summer tires, and crappy all-seasons. Unless you refer to the specific tire model, it's not clear which tire you're talking about in either case.

 

[KyleMo]

Falken Ziex 512 vs Eagle F1 GS-D3

 

[nsxtasy]

Falken Ziex 512 vs Eagle F1 GS-D3

In moderate to warm temperatures, summer tires grip a lot better than all-season tires. And you're comparing one of the cheapest, lowest-performance all-seasons (the Falken) with one of the best summer tires.

 

[pgilliam1]

I run Goodyear Eagle F1 (280 tread wear) and they stick well, have low noise and give good feedback wet or dry. No street tires I've found hold up to track duty as far as wear goes. I have a set of AD08 waiting for the F1's to wear out. If they do as well, I'll be satisfied. I had a set of Khumo's before the F1's and they didn't stick at all (fun to drift though).
Happy Motoring!

 

[BATMANs]

.....Someone who uses his NSX for daily driving is probably more concerned about treadlife.....

I daily drive and weekend warrior my NSX. I have no intention for taking it on the track.

I'm concerned about DOT legal absolute traction (dry for summer and for winter, more emphasis for rain). I like to be prepared for occasional "encounters" that I may have with cars on the wide open freeway.....