Tires for my wife's Grand National

[Jarlaxle]

This is gonna be pricey.

Size is 275/40R17 front, 315/35R17 rear, currently GY Eagle F1's, pretty worn. Not wanting to drop $1600+ on Eagles if she doesn't have to...anyone have any experience with the Nitto NT555, the Kumho Ecsta XS or the Sumitomo HTR Z?

 

[SrDriver]

Have you checked Cooper Tires? Not sure if they have one in your size or not?

 

[Astro14]

Sumitomo HTR Z III are on my MB - (245/45R18), while I have not put a lot of miles on them, first impressions are good; reasonable ride, good grip in corners, low noise...

The MB overpowers them if I get on the gas in 1st or 2nd, but I think that's the nature of the car (493 HP, 590 lbft of torque @ 1800 RPM)...not the tires' fault...

 

[aquariuscsm]

Does kumho make tires that'll fit her gn? Those are the cheapest brand that will fit on my z,and at the same time much smoother than the expensive yokohamas that i had before.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
This is gonna be pricey.

Size is 275/40R17 front, 315/35R17 rear, currently GY Eagle F1's, pretty worn. Not wanting to drop $1600+ on Eagles if she doesn't have to...anyone have any experience with the Nitto NT555, the Kumho Ecsta XS or the Sumitomo HTR Z?


I can't even believe you would consider Kumhos/Nittos on that car. F1's are only good if the pavement is warm and dry, otherwise they stink, too.

Check out Hankook Ventus V12 if you want an inexpensive summer tire that ranks in the top 3.

You won't like my number one recommendation...

 

[Clevy]

I've used the nitto's on my mustang as well as the sumi's.
The nitto's lasted longer and stuck really well however I liquify the tires as often as I can so mileage isn't really relevant to me.
I have the sumi's on the rear of my mustang right now. They stick really well for a budget tire but you can time their lifespan on a stopwatch.

 

[RF Overlord]

I have Nitto 555s on the rear and 420s on the front of my supercharged Mercury Marauder. So far, so good, but I don't drive it in really bad weather or snow.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
This is gonna be pricey.

Size is 275/40R17 front, 315/35R17 rear, currently GY Eagle F1's, pretty worn. Not wanting to drop $1600+ on Eagles if she doesn't have to...anyone have any experience with the Nitto NT555, the Kumho Ecsta XS or the Sumitomo HTR Z?


I can't even believe you would consider Kumhos/Nittos on that car. F1's are only good if the pavement is warm and dry, otherwise they stink, too.


They're OK in the rain, but not worth the staggering price. What, exactly, is wrong with the Kumho or Nitto tires?

Didn't see the Ventus in a 315/35R17.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
This is gonna be pricey.

Size is 275/40R17 front, 315/35R17 rear, currently GY Eagle F1's, pretty worn. Not wanting to drop $1600+ on Eagles if she doesn't have to...anyone have any experience with the Nitto NT555, the Kumho Ecsta XS or the Sumitomo HTR Z?


I can't even believe you would consider Kumhos/Nittos on that car. F1's are only good if the pavement is warm and dry, otherwise they stink, too.


They're OK in the rain, but not worth the staggering price. What, exactly, is wrong with the Kumho or Nitto tires?

Didn't see the Ventus in a 315/35R17.


I'm wondering the same thing. Talk down on Nitto and Kumho, then recommend a different budget-priced Korean-made tire?

Anyhow, I've had experience with the Ecsta XS. When it comes down to it, it's intended for street-tire autocross classes and HPDEs, along the same lines as the Bridgestone RE-11 and Yoko ADVAN Neova. Incredibly low treadwear rating and large tread blocks with thin tread depth. Don't expect them to last long and fully expect suspect handling during anything more the moderate rain.

For a daily driver, I would not recommend. I used them on my Miata for, you guessed it, autocross. A reasonably competitive tire at a fraction of the RE-11's cost. I wouldn't expect to win any national or even divisional events on them, but they were good enough to compete with the locals.

Ended up using them for two seasons (about 10 events) before I sold the car. They probably had another half season worth of tread left. That was on a Miata though, not a 3,500 lb. G-body, that saw minimal street miles. I did get stuck in the rain once, driving back from an event about 3 hours away. Between the sketchy handling and constantly fogging windows, it took an extra hour to make the trip home.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I used both Kumho and Nitto on mine and my son's track rat Vettes. They were marginal. IMO they are cheap and serviceable, but far from good.

The Ventus V12 almost won the last comparo in C&D, look here for their well written article:

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/...omparison-tests

As an owner of a similarly configured larger RWD sedan with a bit of torque I can tell you that they are very surprisingly sophisticated. Nice ride and excellent handling with outrageous wet traction. Decent wear but I'm not expecting much there.

I found out about them on the BMW boards. They are recommended by many there.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Sumitomo HTR Z III are on my MB - (245/45R18), while I have not put a lot of miles on them, first impressions are good; reasonable ride, good grip in corners, low noise...

The MB overpowers them if I get on the gas in 1st or 2nd, but I think that's the nature of the car (493 HP, 590 lbft of torque @ 1800 RPM)...not the tires' fault...


Missed this...thanks. How are the HTR's in the rain? That's my #1 concern; this car is a commuter for 8-9 months a year!

Her car will overpower the Eagle F1's, too...but then again, hers put 750HP down at the wheels. Hey, it's just a V6!