It was raining yesterday morning. I was driving pretty easy around a curve to the left I've travelled a thousand times. The backend started to fish-tail to the right. I turned into it and thought I could get it back, but somehow ended up going backwards into the on-coming lane, then over the curb and into the grass below, missing a utility pole by 2 feet.

I got out, admired my feat, and decided to drive down this long grassy field to a parking lot below. Absolutely no damage to my car. Wow! It was my lucky day!

My Hankook Ventus V12's had NO TRACTION on the wet road. These are summer tires with 15,000 miles on them. The tread has worn down to about half of new. Sorry, don't have the tread measurements handy.

So my question to all my experts here: What are your favorite tires for our cars? I won't be driving in snow or ice, but I will need to drive on wet roads over 35 degrees F. Mostly summer driving though.

The Jag dealer recommends Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.
TireRack.com has great reviews on Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position.

I appreciate your advice!
Steve

 

I still have the Pirelli P-Zeros that came with the car. The fronts are a little overdue, but the rears seem to have more tread left, so I'm gonna ride the fronts a little longer because I want to replace all 4 at the same time.

I haven't done much searching, but I know I want an all-weather tire. I'm seriously considering the Pilot Sports. I have them on my KX8 and I was really happy with them so I may get the appropriate ones for my XKR. I still haven't decided.

I want a little wider though, and I know I should start my own thread, but anyone know how wide I can go front/rears? Can I go wider than 255/285s?

 

I switched from Pirelli's to Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They are a much better tire. They seem stickier and less noise. I would recommend them.

 

I agree the Michelin's stick better, but mine are bit noisy, of course with a convertible, all tires are noisy to a degree.

 

Bridgestone Potenza RE-960-AS Pole Position...like glue wet or dry. These are the best tires I have found bar none. Very quiet, excellent road feel and excellent cornering and traction. I had Yokohama Advan S4 tires previously and while they were good they couldn't touch the Bridgestone Potenzas.

 

I really like my General AS-3 set I put on about 14 months ago. Winter in the northwet is, well, wet. I've gotten away with things that I shouldn't have with this 4000 pound car in a driving rain at (too fast) mph. They are an inexpensive tire but since I drive mostly freeway I'm only half through them at 29k miles. These are unidirectional, I have the 17" wheels, and went one size taller with a 235/55 section (I wanted a smoother ride). YMMV.
Mike

 

I really like our 2006 XK8's Yokohama YK580 tires. Rears were installed in mid-April and fronts were installed a month ago. Smooth ride, quiet, great wet traction, solid cornering, and the V-rated version carries a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty. By far the best bang-for-the-buck all-season tires I could find - I did my research from November 2011 to March 2012. Only available at Discount Tire. Be sure you have them Hunter Road Force Balanced, and rotate them at least every 6,000 miles (they are NOT directional)....

Warning: Do NOT buy the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus. Pilot Sport A/S is fine, just do not get the "Plus" model. They are dangerous - search for them by name here on the forum and you'll quickly learn why....

 

i hate mich pilot sport a/s's.(rain tire) they wear out down the middle in the rain groove while the inner and outer portions of tread remain deep. many think this is overinflation. its not. this tire wears that way. when Im the one that only works on the cars withem and air them correctly and watch them ALL do this. it a TIRE, nothing else. I never recommend them just for this reason

 

Thanks for the comments, Brutal. I don't buy Michelin (and haven't for at least 15 years now) because several other manufacturers offer as-good or better tires with better warranties for half the cost of the equivalent Michelin model....

 

Bridgestones or Pirelli's all season tyres.......never used a summer tyre, maybe thats the key?

They stick wet or dry and when pushed to the limit, they break away progressively with plenty of warning.

I've seen what the OP describes over here many times, usually when someone is running ultra cheap Chinese rubber........they should be outlawed over here.....just plain dangerous and the cause of many accidents / fatalities.

Do a search for yourself and as well as size, load ratings, speed ratings etc, be sure to also check the temp rating / treadwear rating and traction rating for good indications of what to buy.

All the above factors combine to determine how good / bad a tyre is in certain conditions

 

I chose Kumho Ecsta SPT tires for wet autocross conditions on my RX8. Exceptional wet traction; some have gotten results better than even the Hoosier Wets. They might be too noisy/extreme for an XK8.

 

I too have had Kuhmo Ectsa's, they came brand new with a set of alloys I bought for my A6.

Although classed as an upper mid range tyre it certainly competes well with the "premium" brands for much cheapness

Continental are a brand I have bought for many vehicles over many years and they've never let me down, but at £1200 for a set of 4 in 19" guise they're a lot of money!

Barum Bravuris2 are also an upper mid range budget tyre that happens to be made by Continental in Czech Republic in the same factory where they make Conti's

The treadwear, temp & traction ratings are all on a par.......If anything they wear slightly better but offer slightly less grip but only £600 for the set................I'm doing more research and am considering them when the time comes as a possible maybe.

 

Tire Rack has Kumho Ecsta 4X for a low price (similar to the General's), rated as an all season tire. I just got a pair for my front to replace worn out Pirellis. So far, so good. I don't autocross, so won't be really testing them until my first accident-avoidance move. Will replace my back tires soon, because the Pirellis flat spot every night, and the first couple of miles in the AM feels like a flat.

 

There are numerous models of tire under the "Kumho Ecsta" label. The SPT I mentioned is a summer tire, and I don't have much experience with their other street tires (Had a set of Kumho MX, not good in wet conditions, on the other hand, survived 6 sessions at Laguna Seca, unlike my brakes). Used Kumho DOT-R race tires for years, though.

 

Brutal, thanks for your opinion on the Michelins. I've heard others complain about the wear on these tires. Which tires would you recommend?

 

I do trust Tire Rack's, data they gather on their tires. Did you see the comparison between four (4) of the tires in the same 'category' as the Hankook Ventus Evo V12s? Look under the TESTS tab.

Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110



I was planning on changing to the Sumitomo HTR z III next time I do 4 tires on mine.

BTW, had it been awhile since it rained in your area? I'm only asking because after long dry spells, the first rain (whether downpour or sprinkle) brings oils other contaminants deposited on road surfaces "alive". Or was this a typical moderate rainfall event?

 

Hey Matt, this definitely had something to do with it. This was the first rain in several weeks. It was sprinkling for several hours, not a downpour by any means. I'm sure the road had some oil buildup on it.

Based on what I've read so far here and other research, I've decided to go with the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position from TireRack.com. This time, I'm having them shipped to my Jag dealer. Last time, I tried NTB. Never again with NTB! They scratched my wheels during the mounting.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

Yep a light rain on a road that has not been rained on for quite some time is a slippery road.

I also learned, back in the seventies when I had my first car with some wide tires that though they hold a dry road a lot better than normal tires, once the road is wet that extra width really works against you and they are far more slippery than normal tires as the contact patch is much larger. I learned to drive that car much more cautiously than any other car I had had after a couple of incidents.

 

I didn't want to spend a fortune on a '01, so I put Nexen N 7000 All season 18" tires. So far I'm happy about 2 months now.

 

Hey Steve I have used KC Trends for mounting my tires (Bridgestone’s) over the years with great results. I even had them replace a trim ring on my Detroit wheels this year. Talk to Felix and tell him Bill Doll sent you. You can have them drop shipped there too as they are on Tire Racks installer list. I use the South store on 135th st.