I had a flat this weekend and was in the market for new tires...Copied and pasted from another forum...

We have broken down tires into several categories and here is a short list of what we experienced in our testing. Now remember, we do not have every single tire line in the world so if your particular favorite is not in this list it is probably because we haven't tested it.

Extreme Performance:
You want extreme dry street performance and are willing to trade some comfort and hydroplaning resistance to get it.

Not intended to be driven in snow or on ice, or at high speeds in deep standing water, these specially tuned tires combine big-block tread designs with aggressive tread compounds and reinforced internal constructions to emphasize dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities for serious driving enthusiasts.

These are all fantastic to push to the limits but they also have their own set of compromises mostly related to ride quality, road noise, and wet traction.

1.) Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (Super Glue sticky)
2.) Bridgestone Potenza RE11 (more forgiving than the AD08, all around great tire)
3.) Hankook RS3 (the new entry and might move up)
4.) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec (bigger footprint than most and also noisier but a fun tire to track)
5.) Kumho Ecsta XS (stupid fast but scary in the wet)

Maximum Performance:
These are great performing tires which offer great steering response and wet/dry traction (not for use in the snow!!!).

1.) Michelin Pilot Super Sport (the new Big Dawg that pushes the envelope)
2.) Continental Extreme Contact DW
3.) Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
4.) Hankook Ventus V12 EVO (the bang for the buck winner in this group)
5.) Potenza S-04 Pole Position (new entry that will make some waves)

Ultra High Performance:
A step down from the Max tires but still exceptional performance which fits most applications for a street tire that can be driven very aggressively.

1.) Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport (one of my personal favs)
2.) Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2
3.) Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500
4.) Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
5.) BFGoodrich G-Force KDW2 (killer grip! killer noise though)


Ultra High Performance All Season:
Performance tires which are capable of going through the snow.

1.) Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus (best year round traction and steering feel)
2.) Continental Extreme Contact DWS (strongest for winter traction)
3.) Potenza RE960 Pole Position (strongest for 3-season traction)
4.) Pirelli P-Zero Nero AS (awesome grip, bad wear)
5.) Yokohama ADVAN S.4 (great dry grip and responsiveness)

Budget Performance Tires:
Summer performance with a cost effective tire when your budget is a concern and some tires which are very cost effective are also listed in other classes (based on performance not cost).

1.) Sumitomo HTR Z III
2.) Kumho Ecsta SPT
3.) Yokohama S-Drive
4.) Dunlop Direzza DZ101
5.) Fuzion ZRi
6.) Sumitomo HTR Z II

 

I went with the Conti DW and I still really like them.

 

With the STR size and even a 285, 295 series, I'd be curious to see the contact patch %...Or I could get it over with and weld my the rear end...

 

I went with the Hankook. Very satisfied with the handling, quiet and a bargain which satifies my cheap pr*ck persona...

 

I was going to go with the Hankoooks, but I was reading a lot of reviews that said after ~15k miles the tires were junk. How are yours holding up?

 

Only put 2k on them last year. My STR is under its blankee for the winter. Don't know where ya got your reviews from but I have used TireRack for years and trust their surveys.

Hankook*Ventus V12 evo K110

 

I was looking at the BMW forums. A lot of guys there run them, but to be fair, I am sure they are more hard on a set of tires than a typical STR driver.

 

The ultimate test is autoXing...Tires have known to shoot off chunks due to the extreme heat...That might have a lot to do with reviews since why else buy a performance tire?

 

Because they look good....

 

Jaysus I been found out...

 

I have the conti contact DWs now and really like them. I run the hankook RS3 on my vette and love them! Stupid sticky! I have been thinking about a set for the rear of the jag but they are just so so in the wet. I think I will stick with DWs and just go up to a 285 in the rear.

 

The Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Positions are gone, they've been replaced with the RE970AS Pole Positions, which are what I am running. I ran the 960AS Pole Positions on my Mercedes, and the 970s do everything the 960s did just better. They've been great in bad weather, superb for dry performance, and they get me by in the snow; although they do have issues with anything more than 2-3" of snow especially on inclines. Next winter I will either get Bridgestone Blizzaks (dedicated snow tire) or a beater car for winter duty. Just for reference, I ran the Bridgestone Potenza RE-01Rs and RE-11s on my M3, and it was nearly impossible to lose grip on dry pavement. They also had great tread life for such a sticky tire.

 

I just installed a set of Sumitomo HTR Z II, this is second car I've had these tires on...Tirerack sells them for just under $600 shipped (prices change all the time), I got the 285s which were cheaper than 275s...For a little bit more you can get the HTR Z IIIs but I like the look of the II's tread design better...

I had to communicate with 7 different shops until I found an installer who could install 35 series tire, a size larger than stock and at less than $100 (I had two places quote $50/tire) Every chain franchise like Pepboys wouldn't install a non-stock size tire...If someone is having trouble finding a shop, try an used tire shop, my local one let me watch them work and charged $15/tire...

 

Also I have to say the Conti DW in the rain are awesome. I was worried because of the tread pattern that they wouldn't do well, but I was wrong.