15" AS tires - Sumitomo vs Firestone

[92saturnsl2]

I'm picking up a set of 15" tires for my 96 Maxima from Tirerack's distribution center tomorrow.

I'm considering two, and wondered if you guys have any input or real world experience to help me decide.

Candidate 1- 215/65/15: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp...romCompare1=yes

Candidate 2- 195/65/15: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp...romCompare1=yes

Oem size is 205/65/15, but the firestone is only available in 195. Sumitomo is only in Stock in the 215 size.

Car is a daily commuter, just looking for a decent tire under $60 to get me 40k and be good in dry and wet weather. These two seem to fit the requirement nicely. Not interested in snow performance as I have other vehicles for that occasion.

 

[faramir9]

No personal experience with either, but the Firestone in 195/65R15 does not meet the OE load rating. Tire shop lawyers and real-world lawyers would not approve, unless 195/65 is listed as an acceptable alternate size on the door jamb or in the owner's manual.

For a Maxima I might look at 215/60R15. When I had a Chevy (Malibu) Classic with 15"x6" wheels there were some good performance-leaning all-seasons in that size. But on my Chevy they would have been wasted....

 

[Wolf359]

Normally if you have to go up or down a size, you increase or decrease the aspect ratio by 5. So either a 215/60/15 or a 195/70/15. Otherwise your speedometer will be off by a little bit.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

I had the previous version of the Sumitomo ( HTR A/S P01 ) and found them fairly loud when they were new and it just got louder as things went along. At 25K miles it was close to a full on roar on any kind of pavement. My understanding is that this newer version suffers from the same problem...so if you're sensitive to noisy tires I would probably go with something else.

I found the Sumitomos were decent tires from a performance perspective but everything was overshadowed by the noise level.

No experience with Firestone tires other than OE tires that were quickly replaced.

 

[KingCake]

sumitomos i've had i've liked better than the firestones. cheaper and seem to wear better/less age cracking than the firestones.

 

[mattwithcats]

General RT43's in "H" speed rating,
600 A traction, A temperature
RT43

$67.25

 

[skyactiv]

You really should get the OEM tire size if your using the factory wheels. There are other choices than the two you came up with.
Since you don't need a snow rating, you'd be better off getting something in the touring category which will provide a quieter ride
at high speeds. Those particular Sumitumos are known for being louder than the average passenger car tire. But I would choose them over the
Firestones for the proper size alone.

 

[SF0059]

The challenge here lies in the under $60/ea. For that price, I think that you are looking at tires that perform very similarly.

I agree with whoever suggest going to a tire with a +1 profile, I think you will have more choices then.

If you want to stay with the OEM size I would look at Cooper CS3s which are available with those specs.
https://simpletire.com/cooper-205-65r15-90000002585-tires

 

[EdwardC]

Of the two, I would probably go with the Sumitomos based on the size and load rating alone. If I had a choice, I'd go with a taller sidewall than stock sidewall over a shorter than stock.

Why not wait for the Sumitomo tires to be back in stock in the OEM size? You'd be guaranteed a fresh set of tires too!

Just looking through TireRack's options, for a little bit more cash, you could get the Kumho Solus TA11, has good user reviews and I like that it's more of a touring tire vs performance tire (like the Sumitomo) for your application.

 

[555]

I would also take into account the weight of the tire. This can be found by clicking on specs when you select a tire TireRack. Higher weight is harder on shocks and brakes but I would be more concerned about the ride.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I have a 96 I30 and use the Falken Ziex ZE950 in the OEM size 205/65-15, and they are awesome. About $60-70 each at Walmart. The only W-rated tire I know of in the size 205/65-15.

The Falken Ziex ZE950 is very similar to the Sumitomo HTR AS P02 (siping is slightly different). Sumitomo is the parent company of Falken.

Also, DTD has the Cooper CS5 with some crazy rebates. $86 each before rebate, but there is a $50 rebate from DT *and* a $70 rebate from Cooper. After rebates, it comes out to $56 per tire, for one of the Official Tires of BITOG. Free shipping too

 

[92saturnsl2]

I gave a lot of thought to the tire size and weight rating, a 91H tire would be more than sufficient for this light vehicle. That said, I went with the 215/65 Sumitomo for many of the aforementioned reasons- weight rating, look on the vehicle (195/65 might appear a bit small for the car.)

So far, so good. Picked them up from the TR distribution center in Denver, had them installed the same afternoon. Tire place didn't balk at the different size- They do look a bit larger than the oem size, but look nice on the vehicle.

Coming from Michelin MXV4's, these don't appear to be noticeably noisier, but I've yet to travel at true highway speeds. I want grip and wet performance, noise takes a back seat to performance and price, this is a 21 year old car with 230k after all. I considered a touring tire, but I value grip over longevity, and the reviews suggested these ride fairly comfortably, perhaps with a bit more noise than a touring tire. I like them; I'll report back if I experience anything negative on my first initial drives.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog

Also, DTD has the Cooper CS5 with some crazy rebates. $86 each before rebate, but there is a $50 rebate from DT *and* a $70 rebate from Cooper. After rebates, it comes out to $56 per tire, for one of the Official Tires of BITOG. Free shipping too

I couldn't seem to get a 50$ rebate to come up, even though I received an email touting that promotion. Only the $70 mail in rebate, which still made them a fair bit more expensive than my other two options. Otherwise I was considering the Cooper, but the fact that I can pick up TR tires at their distribution center with no shipping (DTD free shipping is buried in the cost of the tire) and only 2.9% colorado state tax, sealed the deal.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Glad you like the Sumitomos you bought. I hope you enjoy them

Mine aren't noisy at highway speeds at all, so you shouldn't have a problem with them either. The Falken ZE950/Sumitomo P02 is a good tire, great price/performance ratio!