Re: A discriminating reading of Tire Rack tests and customer reviews could yield some options.

A friend of mine has a 2001 Boxster non-S w/18" wheels. He is more interested in ride comfort, price, and longevity than top-notch performance. He does have separate dedicated wheels so all-season is not necessary.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

But these:

[www.tirerack.com]

Which i put on my Audi S6 Avant, are startlingly good. 330 treadwear. Ride nicely. Stood up to 3 days at VIR, 2 days at Pocono and still wore evenly. Good in wet. Cheap (relatively).

I am duly impressed.

did i mention cheap?

I plan to try the Rivals on my boxster for the track.

BFG is Michelin's other brand.

Khumo STs are OK ( i have them, meh, wear ok, softish)

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

On my way back from BRBS I bought 4 Sumitomo HTR Z III tires for my 987 for less than $460.

They are quiet, handles great and performs very well. Price performance according to Tire Rack was ranched 14 out of 26 beating other brands like Goodyear, Pirelli P zero and Bridgestone Potenzas .. pretty hard to beat.

I second the Sumitomo HTR Z III. Put them on a few years ago and they've been great. After putting 2,000+ miles on the car to/from BRBS, I'm probably up for a new set soon.

I'm a comfort and longevity tire guy. I just installed my second set of Bridgestone RE 760s. I considered Bridgestone RE970As and Hankook Ventus S1s as alternatives but went with the tire I knew instead.

I have the Sumitomo HTRZ III - 18" on a '99 and would not buy again.
While not too many miles, I find the same problem as on my BMW E46 (17") which I drove 30k+; namely not so good in rain. I bought both on price, so "guilty" in that respect. Not sure what matters, but they are "one directional" which means the swept back sipes will point forward on one side of the car. I found that on cornering in the rain, they would suddenly give away - same on the Boxster as well. Now, I don't intentionally drive so often in the rain, but still.
Sorting Tirerack for price, my Sumitomo set comes out @ $526.
However, sorting by customer satisfaction, Bridgestone SO-4 comes out second (and nicely in tests) @ $688 while if better wear is needed, the Conti Extreme Contact DW @ $650. I would be partial to the SO-4's as my SO-3's on the Boxster were fantastic. Also, my son just bought the same brand 19" for his BMW 535xi Wagon; though no report back yet; he's unusually through (anal) in any such search so he seldom goes wrong.

Appreciate this just another point of view, but the Bridgestones and Contis now much more reasonably priced than earlier so I'd spring for the extra $150.
Nils

PS: Nice to hear you find the Sumi's quiet as that enforces my view that the rear end noise is the left wheel-bearing which I'm planning to change. Cheaper than a new set of tires......

Had the earlier version on a 987 and they were very close PS2 in performance at a substantially lower price. Long wearing, supple ride, decent handling and terrific in the wet. The new version is better and comes as one of the stock tires on the 981.
Added bonus--GY currently has a $80 rebate program going making a set in 986 18" sizes cost under $600.

I've been pretty happy with them, although even when new, hitting an inch or so of water at speed caused more resistance than I expected along with some steering wheel tug. (The "μ-split steering torque recommendation" probably mitigated this.) The Mxx3s that were on my 01 were better at this.

Quote
Laz
I've been pretty happy with them, although even when new, hitting an inch or so of water at speed caused more resistance than I expected along with some steering wheel tug. (The "μ-split steering torque recommendation" probably mitigated this.) The Mxx3s xthat were on my 01 were better at this.

I wish they still made the Mxx3s-- we had them as OE on our 99 and
They were a great dry traction tire; perfect for doing a DE and then driving home on them.

going forward on one side of the car, then your installer installed them incorrectly on you rims. They should mount each side with the sipes facing the rear, I would imagine any good installer would know this as the tire is clearly labeled the direction of tire rotation when on the car...

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

looking at my Boxster's Pirelli tires. I had thought at least one tire was installed in the wrong direction. The tires can be installed in either direction but there is an outside sidewall that can only be or should only be installed facing out.

I've been running these for the past 25,000miles or so.... Fronts still loads of tread. Been through 2 sets of rears... I had alignment issues causing some scrubbing I believe. (I think the Toe was way off)

Happy with them. Don't know how good the ride is... this is my 1st car with 35 series tires.

Did one dry track day with them. No issues for my level of driving....

Peter

Agreed. These are great tires.

It looks like I'm recommending the BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2, which edged out an also-good tire Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2. The former has a much better treadwear rating (340 vs 300).

since i may get their gym-rat brothers in the near future.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

I like the Sumitomos and also Kumho Ecstas. Reasons? Price is right, and feel is enhanced. While they don't have the outright handling capability of OEM tires (particularly Michelins), they're more communicative via sidewall flex, progressive slide characteristics, and sound.

... it's good to see you here, on PB.
Welcome to the club.
Happy Porscheing
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

And they are an OK tire. Bu they have flaws and i would not use them again.

1. They are slightly out of round. Not quite smooth at hgiher speeds.
2. they have no sidewall rigidity
3. they have minimal grip, even compared to street tires liek Michelin PS-rib . Laughable compared to quasi-track tires such as Yoko AD-08s etc.
4. They chnk under really hard use
5. They dont feel nearly as stable nor give detaield feedback compared to hgiher performacne tires

Are they ok for GT use? Probabyl. But there are better chocies for as little money. The Sumi HTR-Z-III si certainly better, although nto perffect. The BFGs i noted are vastly better.

I'm also coming to the conclusion that tires are a lousy place to save money on an inherently expensive hobby/possession.

Darm BFG only seels the new Rivals through the Square Tire Rack*. Euro Tire can't get them direct. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Grant

* the place that sent me 9 out of round tires and pointed fingers at the installer until we sent them Hunter RFB data, that they made me pay for ( and finally refunded)

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Quote
grant


I'm also coming to the conclusion that tires are a lousy place to save money on an inherently expensive hobby/possession.

My sentiments exactly, on tires.

Pretty amazed about the 9 out of round tires getting shipped to you.

... Kumhos, but they kept discontinuing my favorite compounds, so I switched brand.
I now use the Hankook Ventus V12 as my street tire.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Not great in wet. Not awesome for wear in easy driving. But near-track grip, good wear, nice tire.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Bridgestones and Goodyears.

Years earlier they shipped me something like 6 OOR continentials.

I simply cannot put up with the Tire Rack. When i said"coould you guys just spin them before you ship them?" they said"nah, too much trouble.

%$#@-off, TR.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2013 04:48PM by grant. (view changes)