Best Performance tires for X-Type
 

Well first off i was going to switch from my 17inch wheels up to 18's...so i was going to keep the 17's for my winter tires and rims, but i want to put performance tires on the 18's. So i was either looking at Continental Extreme Contact DW or the stock for 18's which are Pirelli PZero Neros but im not sure since the Conti's are so much cheaper and look like their better built tires, any other suggestions would be great.
Thanks

Neither of those would be considered performance tires in my book. It all depends on what you want. Going with a larger rim almost always decreases your handling as it is a larger unsprung weight. I think Motortrend or Car and Driver did a study a few years back and basically concluded that 16-17s provided the best performance. You'll also have a better ride to. If looking for summer performance tires, I love my Kuhmo XS that I have on the TVR but they also suck royally in the rain, are noisey as heck and will be shot in 7k.

What are you looking for in a tire?

Well i want the 18's cause they look alot better, and im not really sure what i want out of the tires...i want something cheap, more sporty than contiprocontact on my 17's, but i want tires that will last a few years...so im not really sure.

Truly a great performance summer tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. I've currently got the Conti Extreme Contact DWS in 225/40/18 and really pleased with them so the DW may be just as good AND a lot less costly than the Michelins.

If you find it let me know. Sporty and long lasting are mutually exclusive statements. To get longevity, you move to a firmer compound or thicker treads (which leads to that not so settled feeling like riding a dirt bike with knobbies on the road). I like myKuhmo ASXs on my X type more then the contis that it came with. They lack a little in the high speed cornering for my tasted but overall they're not bad in any area. A solid 7.5 performer year round and should last 30k or so. Good luck on your search!

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star-Spec tires are supposed to be the best bang for the buck.
They are rated at extreme performance summer tires, but still perform decently in the rain.

Bridgestone RE-11's are also very good but much more expensive than the star specs.

I have also heard good things about Falken Azenis, but I don't know much about them.

Two of my friends have had the Dunlop Star Spec's on their cars which they have tracked.
They both said the tire provided tons of grip, but one of them recently switched over to the Kuhmo Ecsta tire which was supposed to be stickier.

Our X-Type came with new Hercules Raptis WR1's and I am very happy with them. Not a lot of noise on dry roads, good traction in rain even decent traction in light snow even though they are not all season tires.

http://www.herculestire.com/catalogH...sRaptisWR1.asp

Food for thought.

Paul

I forgot, Very good traction on dry roads. I set the cruise at 55 all the way to work on twisty back roads. I LOVE this car.

Sorry but I can't edit yet.
Paul

There is a good chart based on customer reviews here:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=EP

This is a religion and as such the opinions will vary dramatically if you ask carte blanche what tire is the best.

X 2

Next up is what type of oil is better, synthetic or dino...endless debate ensues...

Thanks for the help everyone!!!!

I LOVE tires! :)

I'm thinking about Goodyear Eagles GTs on an X-Type sport. Living is southern Arizona we get no snow, and very little ice on the roads, if ever. However , the heat is a killer. It's hot and dry half the year. 100F +. Other than that, I've looked at Kuhmos which are only a little less expensive, but only a 7000 mile tire. Eagles seem a better choice for only $25 more per tire on TireRack.

Any thoughts?

I had a set on my X for a few months before I got rid of it, I did keep the tires for mounting on the Saab down the road.

I'm not a big Goodyear fan, but for the money I was very happy with the Eagle GT's. Good grip in dry and wet, fairly quiet. Can't really speak to wear since they only have a thousand miles on them or so.

You wont beat Bridgestone Potenzas, grip well in ALL weathers, last well and are a pretty solid tyre.
I always go with them now, find it pointless even considering other tyres these days.

You can find plenty of cheap tires that will last longer than you'd want them on the car. Just look for the mileage guarentees, that's a dead give-away. Good handling and traction can only be attained by better engineering using softer, stickier compounds which means they don't last as long. On the upside, they may save your life.

Exactly. Everyone has a different opinion on handling and affordability.

I have Potenzas on my summer rims and have to admit they leave me feeling like there must be better out there. I bought the car with worn out PZero's so I can't compare them to much. I'll put it this way... My Winter Dunlops handle every bit as well as the Potenza's and that's comparing 16's to 18's too.

Yeah I've tried goodyears best, avons, various other makes... these grip just as well as as any other tyre in the dry, but always give excellent grip in the wet too. I do lots of miles so need trustworthy solid tyres.. if its good enough for aston martin it will do on my motor lol

...Today I went with the High Performance All-Season Kumho Ecsta AST XL: 225/45R17. They will get to me, from the Tire Rack, in 3 days - UPS Ground.

In choosing these, I read many conflicting reviews about every tire. ...Eagles, Falkenz, Potenzas, Michelin Pilots, etc... that I'm going to hearken back to the "breaking in period" of a new tire. During the first 500 miles I will drive slow and smooth, as recommended.

I'm starting to think that the way you break it in, influences how the tire performs long term. Why would there be so many conflicting reviews for the same tire on similar compact cars? The mfg. talks about the slime coat left on the tire from the molding process that needs to wear off slowly and evenly during the first 500 miles. Hey, whatever, I'm with it!
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