Hankook, Yokohama or Michelins as replacements for sport package
 

I never take my car on a track and I don't drive it in winter conditions. I like hitting up back roads and digging into some turns, but that's about as extreme as I get. So, that being said...

I didn't hate the OEM Bridgestones, but I thought they were super noisy, the reviews of that tire are so~so and it looks like lots of Z owners weren't crazy about them. So as replacements I'm considering Hankook V12 evo's, Yokohama S.drive's and Michelin PS2's.

Any recommendations between those 3???

V12s will be perfect for your application.

umm...if you can afford PS2 get them...if you want something a little cheaper and IMO better, RE-11's. If you just want something relatively sporty and quieter...V12's or Invos.

You shouldn't have the V12's in even the same universe as the PS2...

Yeah, I kind of assumed the V12's and S.drives aren't up to snuff with the PS2's...but the PS2's are obviously a lot more expensive. I just didn't know if I needed the PS2's since I'm not really an extreme driver.

This review is a bit dated, but perhaps it will help nonetheless...

Tire Test: Nine Affordable Summer Tires Take On the Michelin PS2 - Comparison Tests - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

Thanks, that was a good article!

Another good Max Performance summer tire to take a look at is the Continental ExtremeContact DW. I think that's what I'm going with for my street setup

Thanks Steve!

re11 are nice!

It looks like lots of people like the RE 11's, but they don't come in the stock size. So if I'd go that route, what would be the recommended size?

i just got hankook v12s for my new rims, gonna see how i like them. Pretty much same use as you, daily driving with some fun

I've had the V12's for about 3 months already. I like them a lot. They provide much better grip than the stockers, they ride good, and they are quiet. Those were just pluses because I don't really care if they ride good or if they are quiet. I wasn't expecting them to feel so "smooth." I'm thinking of getting the RE-11's next just to see the difference. But at the price that the Hankooks are at, they are hard to beat for the performance you get with the comfort of casual driving.

If you don't race the car, 265/35/19 and 285/35/19. If you do, 285/35/19 all around.

Just curious, why wouldn't you recommend a 275/35 and 285/35? It looks like the 275/35 would result in less speedometer error.

Thanks!!

The RE-11 is not available in 275/35.

my Z's 19's will be wrapped with RE050A Pole Positions when the stock RE050A's are done. love them on my G35C. :p

How do they match up against the Hankook's? I see they have a better wear rating, but since wear ratings aren't equivalent across different companies, that doesn't mean much on it's own.

Honestly I don't know. They haven't really been put up against the V12s. I've done some research and the rank very well against the PS2s.

I would venture to guess they are probably a better summer tire than the V12s. The Hankooks have nice grip for a Max Performance summer but the feel is on the sloppy side compared to the RE050s, PZeros, and PS2s of the world.

The RE050A PP is another tire I'm considering.

Interesting. I'm still a long while away from needing new tires for the 19's, so I won't have to worry about it for a while. I'll be getting RE-11's for my track dedicated 18's.

DOH! Well, what sizes would you guys recommend for a DD regardless of brand?

And flashburn, how do you like the V12's compared to stock? I am considering those myself.

Thanks!!

Basically an OEM height (or within a few tenths of an inch) tire that falls between the minimum/maximum widths for the rim size. Each tire manufacturer lists a min-max rim width for the size of the tire.

OEM sizes are pretty good and should be adequate for the vast majority of street drivers.

They are pretty good, but other than being slightly quieter, I don't find them any better than stock. They grip about as well, but the sidewall is a good deal softer.

I will say though, that they stood up great against my first track day. They were very predictable and had no issues with heat. Since they stayed predictable, the soft sidewall wasn't a big deal since you get use to how it feels. Although it wasn't a hot day (around 65), so I don't know how they would hold up on a hotter Summer day on the track. I've read complaints that they get slick when they heat up quite a bit. However, none of this will matter unless you are tracking the car. If you aren't tracking it, they are very good substitutes for the stock tires and a ton cheaper.

Awesome, thanks man!!

/thread-jack off

:iagree: I have them on my 370Z Nismo wheels.

yah, the response/feedback through the steering is excellent. perfect for street imho. :)

I have 265/285 setup now, my speedo is more accurate now than with stock tires. The stock tires feel downright scary compare to the RE11. I have the V12s on my Prius, I found them to be overrated in terms of grip. THey weren't much better than the fuel economy tires that the car had stock.

Yeah they don't offer 35 series tires in 275. 275/30 would be too short.

I have the v12s 255/285 setup and love them. I am in the same driving as the op a few mtn runs a year. I havent done any hard driving yet but they feel nice. I wanted the RE11s but with a wife in school I couldn't justify the price.

I bought the DWS instead of DW because the tread wear rating is 540 (last at least 50k miles). Either one will be much better and cheaper than the stock tires. I am very happy with these new tires - they are smoother, quieter, & cheaper.

Much better in terms of treadwear, sure. But the DWS will have no where near the dry weather performance of the RE050As. Of course if you're primary concern is treadwear I'm sure that's not a big deal. The DWS is probably the best all-weather tire as it has some light snow capability.

Totally agree. DWS can't match other high peformance summer tires on performance.
For non-extreme/track drivers, DWS has high rating on all categories which are well suited for all road conditions.

255/40/19 f & 285/35/19 r?

Does any tires offer these size?

I know that 285/35/19 r & 265/35/19 f do offer this size.

My only concern the quality ride of the front tire height is reduce from 40 to 35.

So i'm trying to make the width increase by 10.

Hankook Ventus V12 Evo Tire Experience
 

How many miles have you put on those Hankook Ventus V12 Evo?

Go to DiscountTireDirect.com and TireRack.com and read some tests.

I think when you do, you will opt for a different tire than you have listed here. The Michelin was the best at one time, but no more. The Evo is a good tire as is the Yoky (love Yoky's, have run them since the A008R semi-slick days) but for a much better summer tire, look here:

Continental ExtremeContact DW

The Continental ExtremeContact DW will be my next tire when my Yokohomas finally give in.

I decided to go with a set of ExtremeContact DW in the stock size. I got a great deal on them through a local dealership so I'm going to give them a try. I'll probably have them put on near the end of the month/beginning of March. I'll give some feedback after I've had them on for a month or two.

Update: I have about 1,000 miles on the ExtremeContact DW's now and my initial input is its a great tire for every day driving. As everyone on here is saying, the sidewall is definitely softer than that of the stock Bridgestones, and I definitely noticed a softer feel in the steering wheel. That being said, they do have great grip in turns and even though they feel a little softer, they still feel confident and consistent in the corners. Plus the temps here in PA are still pretty chilly (40's and 50's) so I haven't had a chance to drive them in warm conditions yet.

I don't track my car, so I'm not going to pretend that I have any kind of valuable input on how these would be for a track tire. But if you're like me and your Z is your every day driver and you just like hitting some turns with speed every now and then, I think its a great tire. The ride is much better than the stock Bridgestones and the road noise is significantly reduced. Also, since installing I drove through 2 heavy rainstorms, and they were excellent in the rain. They plowed through standing water and never felt like they were getting ready to hydroplane.

So if you're looking for the most extreme dry summer handling tire and don't care about anything else, this probably isn't your tire. I'm guessing the PS2's or RE11's would be the way to go based on what others are saying. But for daily driving I would recommend it, especially for the price.

I'll give another update after a few 1000 miles of wear as to how they're holding up.

I have been researching these after seeing your post and I think I have found the tire I will be going with on the sport package Rays I am picking up Friday. Great reviews, tire test results, and are reasonably priced to boot!

yah, it's pretty good imho. nice complaince to our roads here. i have a set of the conti extcontact DW's on my car and im pretty happy with them.

they dont look nearly as cool as the Bridgestones though. :D

Do you think they outperform the Bridgestones? They compare favorably after reading Tirerack but as always, it is nice to see what fellow enthusiasts think. :tup:

i donno know yet because my set isn't fully broken in and temps were low here and outside summer tire range. but even so they gripped pretty well.

i had 38psi when i drove it around last time and they felt good. (usually i run 37psi). current ET38 front 19x9 / ET15 rear 19x10.5 ... setup for straight line stability. i got no understeer when i drove it around last time though. :tup: nicely balanced.