Ecsta XS is in stock as well for $598 in stock 16/17 sizes. I just got a set of these (although with a 255 rear) and I'm loving them.
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New tires
- Thread starter nigel
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Why did you choose the Kumhos over the Goodrichs? I have to make the same decision, and I don't know anything other than what tire rack says about either one.
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- 11 June 2010
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Just replaced the OEM Bridgestones on my '05 with Kumho Ecsta tires. I do not have a lot of miles on the new tires yet but so far I have been very happy. It seems like they give up a little bit in terms of handling but have a more comfortable ride and are a little quieter. Cost about $650 installed at Source One. These were the tires that Brian recommended.
Compared with other extreme performance tires, the downside of the Kumho Ecsta XS is that they don't do as well on wet pavement; their advantage is that they are less expensive than most other such tires.
they were in stock, the Rivals weren't. I wanted to get new tires asap to enjoy the last few weeks of nice weather this year. I probably would have been happy with either with the type of driving I do (spirited street, no rain, no track).
I will say the XSs are way quieter than the star specs I have on my other car.
NSXTASY, I'd add that an advantage of the XS is that they're one of the 2 extreme performance summer tires available in stock 16/17 sizes, (1 of 4 if you include 205 fronts).
That's probably because the new XS's are new and have full tread depth, and the Star Specs are somewhat worn. With both at new tread depth, most folks find the XS to be louder than the Star Specs.
Obviously you can only compare tires that are available in sizes for your wheels. There are actually six extreme performance tires available for 16"/17" wheels, three with 215 fronts (Kumho Ecsta XS, BFGoodrich g-Force Rival, Falken Azenis RT-615K) and three with 205 fronts (Toyo Proxes R1R, Hankook Ventus R-S3 Version 2, Bridgestone Potenza RE-11).
How do the XS & Rival compare? Would the RE-11 be the top dog of the 6 tires?
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I haven't driven or ridden on the Rival; it's relatively new on the market. That being said, the extreme performance segment is quite competitive, and differences between tire models are relatively minor (with the possible exception of differences in price and in wet traction). It's pretty darn difficult to say any one of these is the "top dog", especially when (a) some tires are a little better at some things, not quite as good at others, and vice versa, and (b) you're always limited to whatever tires are available for your wheel sizes.
To get a better idea of what some of these tires are like and just how small those differences are, check out these side-by-side comparison tests:
Tire Rack, May 2009 - This test included the Kumho Ecsta XS against the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, and Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
Tire Rack, June 2013 - This test included the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival against the recently-introduced successors to three tires used in the 2009 test: the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, Dunlop Direzza ZII (which has been succeeded by the ZII Star Spec), and Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R.
I'd prefer the RE-11 over the XS, R1R, and RT-615K; I haven't tried the Rival or the Hankook. If I had an NSX with 16"/17" wheels and were looking to buy tires (and didn't care about price), I'd consider giving the Rival a try.
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