Time for new tires. Currently running Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Positions (18" option).

I would appreciate opinions on tires members are using

Thanks

 

A few thoughts:

Most of us do not drive anywhere near the capability of these cars.

OEM speed rated tires are very expensive and do not last very long.

In my opinion a tremendous waste of money.

Evaluate the mileage rating of the lower speed rated tires. I just ordered a set that have a 540 rating. You can buy tires with a 180 rating for twice the money.

 

18" Bridgestone's on my street car (140-A-A rating) were pretty much worn out @ 23,000 miles. I don't consider them to be a good value @ $250-300 each. Few people use the speed capabilities of a 188 mph tire.

After reading Tire Rack's road tests and reading customer evaluations, I settled on ZR rated Goodyear GT all season tires at $125 & $145 (front/rear). The improvement in wet weather handling was dramatic, and they feel much better than the sticky OEM Bridgestone highway tires in every respect.

Brand new 245-50-17" Pirelli P7's came with my XK8 when recently purchased, and I cannot say they feel like a $245 tire. Relatively few tires are available in this size, however.

 

I bought some Continental ExtremeContact DWS's about 10,000 miles ago and I love them. I can turn off the traction control and still not spin the tires (they're sticky). After 10,000 miles I cannot detect any wear whatsoever. When I was searching for tires on tirerack.com the DWS's seemed like the best value. They were reasonably priced and they had very good users reviews. The Michelins that I removed were very noisy. These are so much quieter.

By the way... Continental is owned by Michelin.

 

I'm running Riken Raptor ZR. They are a good combination of grip, wear, and price. My tire guy was skeptical, but I've been impressed by them.

Here's some info on them: https://www.tiresavings.com/tireShop...season=Regular

 

Ditto - 10K miles so far - smooth, with road force balance, little wear showing, quiet and very sticky! daled

 

When I bought my '98 XK8 in Dec of '06 I had to replace the dry rotted perellis. I think they were the originals with 31,000 on them. I didn't want to spend $1000+ for new Perellis. Local tire guy could only find over size (255x45x17) Kuhmo's for under $100 a piece to fit my rims. I put over 60,000 miles on them and there is still plenty of rubber left. I think they ride a little hard and you get a little more road noise them the Generals I put on my '07 X-Type. Jack

 

I replaced my XKR tires with Hankook V-12 EVO and I`m happy with them. I bought them online from TireRack.com and brought them to the dealer for mounting. Cost was $758 including shipping for 285/30ZR -20 rear and 255/35ZR -20 front. No problems and a great price for the 20inchers. The original Michelin Pilot Sports would have been twice the cost...

 

I was going to get my tires from tirerack, but I went to Discount Tires and they offered me the exact same tires for less than the ones from tirerack when you add in the shipping. Use tirerack or tirebuyer to pick your tires, but once you've decided which tires you want, go to a local place and see if they'll sell you the same tires for less (don't forget to take shipping costs into consideration).

 

+++1 on the Conti Extremes (my choice too). +++1 on going for balance in the tire choice. Wet weather ability and longevity are primo for what, IMHO, are where most drivers of our margue dial in. Most of us have too much to lose to take our cars to the limit. Enjoy the cat with sure-footed traction in real life road conditions. Look at the ratings and chose intelligently.

 

I GOT THE NUMBER 10 ON HER LIST. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR HER TELL ME ABOUT IT.

YouTube - AutoRepairHelp101's Channel

I'LL PICK YOU UP WITH THE JAGUAR.




THE WOMEN NOT THE TIRES

 

I have Conti Pro Contacts. They have a good wear rating. They are quiet, and don't tram-line. They are H Speed rated. Got them from Tire Rack. I like them fine but have not been in a heavy rain yet.

 

I use BF Goodrich G-Force TA KDW 2 - use them by necessity, got the rear sliced by some debris on the highway. Discount Tire only had that one for my size. They replaced the OE Pirelli system.

Surprisingly the ride is better, not as harsh. It does tend to be somewhat noisier. Matt had a write up a while back, I think he recommended Hankooks - which is also the Car and Driver #2 summer tires of choice. When I am done with these BFG, I'll either go with Hankooks or find a set of all-seasons like what Rev did.

 

I've had KDWs on two different cars and was very happy with them. I *think* they're being phased out, though.....which means a person might find some "clearance bargains" but perhaps won't be able to find replacements in the future if one or two tires might be needed.

Cheers
DD

 

That's actually good results from a "140" rated tire. I would've expected something more like 10k miles.

It's true that "performance" tire often have low tread life....as tread life simply isn't a primary consideration when designing the tire.

On my XJR I downsized wheels and went to a more conventional all-season tire, although still with a "V" speed rating, simply because I couldn't afford to replace 4 tires every 11 months!

Cheers
DD

 

Bob, you are correct. I am still very pleased with my Hancook Ventus EVO v12s (just replaced the fronts 2 weeks ago), although their prices have gone up with their popularity over the last couple years (still the 2nd cheapest tire for our 19-inch size) at $175 each; I find it the best value for the type of tire it is...a performance summer tire. I think I documented 25,500 miles on the front, replaced more because the sloppy right front control arm bushings led to extreme toe out and chewed up my inner edge badly. I believe I could have gotten 30,000 miles if not for that condition, on a 280 AA rated tire.

 

Thanks to all who replied. I appreciate the input and opinions put forth.

 

...

 

pulled the trigger today and ordered Conti extreme contact DWS. bought from tire dealer, out of stock at T-rack. not a great difference in price anyway.

 

I changed the Potenza's for Bridgestone Turanza's W/Serenity because I wanted longer lasting tires and more comfort. 245/45R18 on front, 255/45R18 on rear, 32K miles on them and lots more left. Read good things about the Conti's, too.