-
Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.
Looking for a better tire
- Thread starter Funnyboneman
- Start date
The comparison up front was the DZ101 215-50-16 vs. the Conti 205-50-16
the discussion was between yourself and FXMDBilly and it was buried in another tread- i am sure you can dig it up if it is important to you, i never had Star Specs so i could be wrong, hence my 'hearsay' comment.
the point i was making was that Conti DW has a lot going for itself but its tread design (optimised for water channeling as in Dry/Wet DW) is its downfall by completely killing the steering feedback- the 'rubber rings' are way to squirmy on initial turn-in and the 'on center' feedback is completely gone, nonexistant. I wish there was an option to buy this tire in 'Dry' configuration of tread pattern. there are other tires with similar specifications (as you point out) that feature traditional tread pattern that will not sacrifice the feedback. this is not about comparison of grip / stickiness- DW has plenty of grip and the ride is great, it just makes the steering feel like crap which is kinda of an insult to car's capabilities- few posters pointed out before that this tire was designed for sporty cars and performance saloons not for such a touchy beast as our ride. if you are trying to save $150 on a set of tires then it may not be really worth it. to me it was a mistake and if someone else also cares about the feedback, then maybe he will take my opinion seriously- i almost cried when i drove the car for the first time although it got better as miles went by.
just to ask again- have you had either the Conti DW or Star Spec on your NSX? what was the mileage you got?
Last edited by a moderator:
He was saying that the Continental ExtremeContact DW will give him better grip than the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 (which it will). He was not saying that the Continental ExtremeContact DW will give him better grip than the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec (which it won't).
Last edited:
I'm not familiar with the DZ101 (too many "D"s "Z"s names and numbers in the Dunlop lineup) so I'll take you word for it. I assumed Starspec but you're probably right. Thanks for the clarification.
NSXTASY,
i don't doubt your general tire knowledge but please clarify if you had any of these tires on your nsx and the actual mileage you were able to get. what you read in a writeup does not always translate to real life experience. thank you.
Last edited by a moderator:
The Dunlop Direzza DZ101 is an inexpensive summer tire that the Tire Rack puts in its "ultra high performance summer tire" category. That category includes tires like the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport (very good, but a bit pricey), Yokohama S.drive and Fuzion ZRi (also very good), and a couple of tires that are a bit lower in price and slightly down in performance from the others in the category (the DZ101 as well as the General Exclaim UHP). These summer tires are often good choices for economical sporty cars like Integras or Civics, but they're a significant step down in performance from the "maximum performance summer tires" like the Continental ExtremeContact DW (which is why they aren't usually the best choice for an NSX). And those max performance tires are a significant step down in performance from the "extreme performance summer tires" like the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec.
Yes, it's confusing that Dunlop puts the Direzza name on both these tires. But a lot of companies put a name on a variety of different tires - Goodyear "Eagle", Kumho "Ecsta", Bridgestone "Potenza", etc. So there's a lot of confusion out there.
I haven't had these on my NSX. I've had some on my other cars, and others I've driven and ridden on in my students' cars at the track, and compared experiences with them. I've also discussed many of these with my friends at the Tire Rack, who drive in many of our track events around the Midwest.
Last edited:
Right, but you're changing the rear tires to the same tire too correct?
So you are running 215F/245R in tire "X" (I don't remember the tire names in discussion). You want to switch to 205F/245R with tire "Y". The "Y" tire stagger will push more than tire "X" stagger. As long as front and rear tires are the same tire make and model.
Hope that came out right...
I drive 25K miles/year in my '01 NSX. Loved the handling with the stock Bridgestones RE-010 but was going through a set every 6 to 7 months. I have now been through 4 sets of Dunlop Direzzas. They do last longer, but the drop off in handling and especially turn-in response is significant. Since I only track the car once a year, I live with the Dunlops performance to benefit from the better wear rating. While I really miss the sharp turn in response of the Bridgestones, you learn to adapt your driving to the Dunlops.
Bridgestone RE-10s ~ 10 to 12 K before replacement
Dunlop Direzza 101 ~ 22 to 25 K before replacement
However I recently bent a rear wheel and I'm using that as an excuse to get 17"/18" rims and try some new tires. Thanks for everyone's comments on the other tire options out there for the larger rims.
Bridgestone RE-10s ~ 10 to 12 K before replacement
Dunlop Direzza 101 ~ 22 to 25 K before replacement
However I recently bent a rear wheel and I'm using that as an excuse to get 17"/18" rims and try some new tires. Thanks for everyone's comments on the other tire options out there for the larger rims.
As a prospective NSX buyer, I am amazed at the lack of tire choices for the NSX. I was going to say the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 as it is a phenominal tire in my experience, but it's not available for the NSX at all unless one goes to a non-standard NSX rim size. And I have no idea what that combination would be.
The Ps2 is a great tire, comfortable , decent wear and world class performance - I use it extensively and even on one of my 18/19 NSX setups.
BUT
The thing a lot of people do not consider when choosing tires for the NSX is that the OEM tires were (a) semi race tires and (b) made specifically for the NSX.
This means that something like 90% of the tire choices for the NSX (oem sizes or not) are a downgrade from OEM.
Tires like the direzza star spec and RE-11 etc. and especially the RA-1 and R888 BLOW the michelin PS2 away. While they may sacrifice comfort, noise and maybe wet traction, they are closer to what the factory intended for the car.
So yes, the tire choices are limited, but I think there are sufficient choices for every owner to get what (he) wants out of the car.
Example: say the owner wants a longer lasting tire, at the expense of ultimate traction, or wants a tire better in rain at the expense of dry traction, so on and so forth...
Bridgestone RE-10s ~ 10 to 12 K before replacement
Dunlop Direzza 101 ~ 22 to 25 K before replacement
All my experience is with the Direzza 101, have not tried the Star Spec.
Dunlop Direzza 101 ~ 22 to 25 K before replacement
All my experience is with the Direzza 101, have not tried the Star Spec.
i didnt even have to let them break in to notice a noise difference between these and the dunlops i replaced them with.
these are great tires but they are noisy!
How interesting that Tirerack also puts the A022H0 and RE010 in the "ultra high performance summer tire" category. Nice to know "These summer tires are often good choices for economical sporty cars like Integras or Civics."
Evidently we should be looking for something better than the tires Honda specifically had designed for use with the NSX.
The A022 and RE010 never belonged in the ultra-high performance summer tire category, as they out-performed all the other tires in that category. They should have been placed in the extreme performance summer tire category, except that the Tire Rack did not start using that category until about ten years after those tires were introduced.
Tirerack should be informed of their mistake of several years. Surely someone here who knows more about tires than they do can set them straight. Such blatant miscategorization puts doubt on all of their tests, reviews, and ratings.
It is not as if people were going to buy those tires for the family cavalier...
Probably not, as they seem to be better suited for Integras and Civics.
Based upon my direct experience, the A022 performed on par with the BFG KDW2 and could not keep up with the Kumho XS. Certainly not unexpected that a modern tire outperforms those with near 20 year old design. I'm inclined to believe Tirerack has them in the correct category.
Based upon my direct experience, the A022 performed on par with the BFG KDW2 and could not keep up with the Kumho XS. Certainly not unexpected that a modern tire outperforms those with near 20 year old design. I'm inclined to believe Tirerack has them in the correct category.
Based on my direct experience, the BFG KDW is nowhere near as good as the OEM tires, wet or dry. The Kumho XS is very good on dry pavement on the street and on the track, but it's downright scary in the rain; I was instructing a student earlier this year, and man... trust me, don't get them if you think you're going to have to drive them in the rain.
Last edited:
Well it is no surprise that the XS is no good in the wet by looking at the tread design, I doubt they had rain in mind when they made it.
As far as the KDW being better than the A022 - maybe if the 022's were old and were low on tread and dry too...
I'm siding with Ken here, mark this day in your diary.
As far as the KDW being better than the A022 - maybe if the 022's were old and were low on tread and dry too...
I'm siding with Ken here, mark this day in your diary.
True. But other extreme performance tires, like the Bridgestone RE-11, Dunlop Star Spec, and Yoko AD08, all do just as well as the XS on dry pavement, and are much better in rain, despite having large tread blocks like the XS.
hi guys would like some advice on tires for my 97 nsx. i currently have falkens 512s and 452s. i have a 17x8 and 18x10 and im torn between yokohoma s drives and bf goodwrench kdws. the size will be 215/40 17 and 275/35 18. i have the yokohoma on my s2k and are good for s2k. and my buddy has bf goodwrench on 2 of his s2ks. and all other vehicles they have. they live by bf goodwrench. which is better. thanks
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.
Last edited:
- Joined
- 7 April 2006
- Messages
- 420
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.
Similar threads
