Hi Gents,

Just wondering if anyone out there has used any of the below tire brands/models. I am looking to upgrade to either 18" or 19" wheels depending on what the costs look like without flaking out on a cheap set of tires. But I am a bit of a novice when it come to what tires would be best suited to what I use them for. My car is a 2008 mkII SR sedan (factory gas) so not really concerned too much about a tire that can withstand high performance, more after something that is going to have little road noise and has a reasonably good lifespan. This is what I have looked at/been recommended so far.

- Dunlop SP Sport 3000 (Simply thought of these because they were OEM fitted to BA xr's)
- Kumo KU19 Ecsta Asymetric
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric

If anyone can shed any light on these three tires (or suggest something better) it would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

I would scrap those and go for a Falken ZE912. Good quality, low road noise for the price range. all these are around the $200 a tyre price. A bit less if you have a contact.

I have run most of those as well as some Yokies and continentals, I rated the Falkens very highly in the price range.

Thanks for that,

What size wheels do you have them on? And do the falkens go alright in the wet?

I would agree with dc_todd. Falkens are a great tyre.

Also if your on a buget I've used sumitomo's in the past and would recommend them as a good cheap tyre (well cheaper...). I'm running Toyo Teo plus atm which i think are the best tyres i've ever had, except when i had some pirelli p-zero's but you can buy a set of tyres for the price of one of them!

I'm running 235/40/18 on 18x8.

Cheers Paul.

I just got a set of Kumho KU19's and they are great, they stick really well in wet and dry. I went from a set of Kumho KU31's and i think the 19's are better. I got mine for $240 each 235/35/19

This thread should help

gearbox-suspension-brake-driveline-f4/el-xr6-tires-what-should-i-be-looking-for-t103726.html

My mate just put on some Falken-451 so will see how he goes with them and report back

Last edited by MICKYYYY on Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s on both my XR6s in 235/45/17 - and they are amazing. They stick like chewing gum to a woolly blanket, unbeatable in the wet, average ride and noise, but seem to wander a bit cruising at highway speeds. According to the tests I've seen, the F1 Assymetric is even better. Both of these tyres are effectively superceded by the Asymmetric '2', but are still available, so you may be able to get run-out prices on them if you shop around. And they are available in 19" sizes. I got the 235/45/17 GSD3s for my AU last month for the equivalent of A$150 each, installed and balanced.

I while back, I bought a set of mags that came with directional GT Radials on them. I had thought of them as "budget" tyres and expected them to be crap, but I was seriously pleasantly surprised. They aren't the quietest tyre in the world, but the grip is excellent for the money, they are good in the wet, and the turn-in and directional stability are fantastic. They were so good, I bought GT Radial HPZs when they needed replacing, and loved them. It looks like the HPZ has been superceded by the HPY - an asymmetric tread pattern - but I would expect the performance to be as good as or better. These would give you a good performance/cost ratio.

Just some ideas for you.

Driving on Falken ZE912 on the front and SP3000 on the rear. Haven't lost the front end yet and reasonable amount of grip. Road noise was reduced but has increased a little since new. Done maybe 6000km on them (wild guess). Feels much better than the SP3000.

When I need to, I will change the rears to the Falken ZE912 as well.

Probably try Khumo's after these and see how they go...but that won't be for a while since I only average 10000km a year at this rate.

I run Pirelli P Zeros/Potenza RE050A. Not cheap, but both are fantastic in the wet and dry.

I paid $230 each for the P Zeros in 235/45/17 fitted. I got the Potenza's second hand in close to new condition, but I believe they are around $400 each for 255/40/17. Short of getting another bargain will probably run 235/45 P Zeros in the future.

I've got Federal 595SS Rear and Khumo KU36 front. Will be putting 36's on all 4 corners when the 595's are dead. 13000k's on the fronts now, still got 15k left on them. Would be better with a proper alignment......

Go find yourself a set of Nitto Invo's. they review well and will be my next set of tyres.

Thanks for the input guys much appreciated.

Everywhere I look it the Falken tyre seems to keep popping up for its value for money, both for road noise and reliable performance.

Anyone have a rough idea of the km lifespan for either the FK452's or the ZE912's?

My mate just fitted Falken-451 as he told his tyre shop he needs to get at least 40,000kms out of them, but there thinking he will get closer to 50,000kms going from his last set of nexen...

My 912's got a hard time and I saw 40,000+ out of them.

Nexens are s**t though. I had the N3000 (from memory) on a set of wheels when I bought them...did not feel very confident in the wet at all.