Hello all,
Have not been on here for a while. I have a 1992 c4 Black Rose. Believe it or not still have original Good Year Eagles on it.
I'm pushing my luck so in the market for new tires. I did some research but would like to hear what the forum thinks

Thanks,
Dan

 

What's most important to you: Grip, cost, Treadwear, trueness, appearance?

I got nitto motivos, 50k mileage, let off the wheel and the car stays straight as it can. Grip is better than an old tire. I'm on my second set. If they still made them, id get a 3rd. They cost around $1g but I run staggered 17s 275/315. Not horrible.

Hopefully others will chime in

 

I just got my second set of Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02. I like them. Dan

 

Dan,

I only cruise my 96 LT4. No track days. Occasional hooning or on ramp blasts.

I run the Nitto NT555 G2. No complaints. They run pretty quiet down the road. Grip seems good. Good luck.

 

As post #2 noted, we really need to know how you use the car and in what conditions. Do you drive in snow or ice, when it's 20F or below outside? Do you drive in the rain?

If you aren't worried about performance and just cruise around on the street, my go-to rec has always been the Riken Raptor ZR A/S. They are good quality with decent performance at a steal of a price. They are much cheaper and better quality than Nitto and Toyo options (Nittos and Toyos are from the same parent company, and they are bad tires). Problem is, suddenly they appear to not be available in the size you need (275/40/17). They used to be, so you could look around ebay and other sites to see if you could buy a set of four.

If you don't drive in snow/ice or below 20F, the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 is a killer tire in both quality and three-season performance. It has lots of grip in dry conditions, and it's one of the best rain tires there is. It's fine to drive it down to freezing at least, or a little below. For a great all-season, go with the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4, which comes stock on base-model C8s. But you really don't an all-season unless you truly drive in winter conditions.

 

This thread has some good info and discussion in it. (It also has a lot of fluff and off topic.)

I have a 1992 Coupe, that at the time of the thread was a project that I wasn't sure I was going to keep around. I chose Sumitomo HTR Z5. It is almost 3 years later, I've put 30,000 miles on them, they will last another 10,000 miles at most. I'm pleased. They have not exhibited any undesirable traits, particularly when cold (can't say the same for the Nittos that were on my ZR-1), and most importantly don't loose air pressure or attract road hazards. I've had no trouble with them. If in about another 12 months they are still available, I fully intend to get another set when these wear out. And they were inexpensive compared to some of the other choices.

Check out that thread.

 

I went with Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 tires this year. No complaints.

 

I'll put my 2c opinion out here. I don't know why someone comes out and just says Nittos and Toyos are "bad tires". Based on what? Real evidence, first-hand experience, hearsay? There are many owners out there that like those and strongly recommend them. After looking at many reviews, I just purchased a staggered set of Toyo Extensa HP II's for my '90 ZR-1 and they meet every expectation I had of a high performance good quality tire. They have an amazing grip, are silent on the road, no noise at all, balanced with no problem, and the price was incredibly good compared to others that are similar. They come with a 45,000 mi. treadwear warranty, but that is half for my staggered tires which can't be rotated. I got them from Tire Rack and the shipping was free and incredibly fast, delivered to the shop that refurbished my wheels. I highly recommend them from my personal experience. And no, I am not getting paid or this endorsement, I just like these tires and would buy them again if I ever wear these out.

 

Thanks for the feedback.
I should have stated I use car spring, summer fall no winter driving no track just tooling around. She is snug as a bug in a rug during winter.
So with that I would say a summer tire with a decent price good quality and looks good.
I looked at these
FALKEN AZENIS FR460 A/S 50,000 Mi.
COOPER ZEON RS3-C1 A/S 50,000 Mi.
Also looked at the Continental extreme sport 02, and the Michelin Pilot Sport both more money than above.
These are going to be my xmas present to self

 

Yes,. based on testing evidence and first-hand experience as well as the experience of a good friend who is a tire retailer and installer specializing in track and autocross use (but he sells lots of street-use installations too). I have owned Nitto 555s (basically a Toyo) and Riken Raptors, and I track and autocross my cars since the late 1980s. I've also owned many sets of Continentals and the Michelin PS 4S as well as Toyo 888R competition tires and many others. The bottom line is this: if you just drive around streets and don't have experience in some form of driving that routinely involves approaching and even exceeding the grip limits of a car, then you aren't in a position to evaluate the performance of a tire.

I haven't driven the Toyo Extensa, but that's an all-season and the OP doesn't need that. But have you actually read the Tire Rack testing report for that tire, including the charts? It did not fare well against the competition, especially in wet or winter conditions. Toyos and Nittos are generally poor quality and often go out of round. They often develop belt shift and wear unevenly. They don't perform well. And they aren't priced as a budget tire generally (the Extensa kind of is at the moment) but rather like a mid-tier tire, which they are not. The Riken (if/when available) is a much better quality tire that performs similarly for a less money. There are good high-performance all-season options from Sumitomo and General in the OP's size that are priced similarly and are better quality tires with better objective performance. But again, the OP doesn't need an all-season tire, so let's look at summer tires.


So the Falken and Cooper you mention above are both all-season tires. They are decent ones, but I see no reason for you to compromise the performance and handling qualities for all-seasons. So let's look at what Tire Rack offers in those:

• The Sumitomo HTR Z-5 and the General G-Max RS are your budget options here at $180 and $188 respectively. At those prices, both are viable options. The Sumi is good quality, and IHBD has had a good experience with them. The General will be the better performer and is at least equal quality. Either is fine, but I'd go with the General.
• There is a mid tier with the Firestone Indy 500 at $225 and the Falken FK510 at $231. Of these, the Firestone is likely a little more performance-oriented. They are a Bridgestone subsidiary, so I have no concerns about their quality. Falken always makes solid tires. The Nitto 555 G2 in the same price range just makes no sense at all.
• In the top tier is the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 at $250. It's a better performer in all aspects than any of the other. In the wet or on a cool road, it is leagues better. We actually use these in street classes of autocrossing as rain tires - that's how good they are. They are excellent quality, too. And they will handle track abuse on a hot,dry day too. Although they aren't razor sharp in handling feel, they are forgiving and objectively allow higher cornering speeds. For the extra money, you get a big step up in quality and performance.

I encourage you to weigh your budget and needs and wants. Let's be honest: any new tire will be a big step up from 33-year-old Gooodyears (holy ****!). But you have good options at three price levels, and you might as well make your choice count as much as it can.

 

I got the Toyo Extensa HP tires which are different than the other Toyo Extensas.
According to the web --
The main difference is that
the Toyo Extensa is a general all-season tire (Extensa A-S II) focused on comfort and long tread life, while the Toyo Extensa HP (Extensa HP II) is a high-performance all-season tire that prioritizes sportier handling, responsiveness, and better wet braking. The Extensa HP II has a more aggressive tread pattern and features like single- and double-cut tapers for enhanced braking.
Also,
The Toyo Extensa HP 2 is a high-performance all-season tire that's designed for thrilling performance, without sacrificing tread life or value. The Extensa HP II features wide shoulder blocks and a solid center rib for responsive handling and strong forward traction.

Take all that for what it's worth, but it's just another tire to add to the mix.

And no one has even mentioned the supposedly highest rated tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport AS. It is also the most expensive but who's counting the dollars when you want the best for your car?
Whether the tire is rated AS or not is material as to where you live, as a strict winter vs summer tire has a different rubber compound to adapt to that climate, while an AS will accommodate both extremes. But none of us ever drive in the snow if we can help it, and that's not really what an AS tire is designed for.

 

I'm using BF Goodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus all season on my 95 and really like their performance both in dry and wet conditions.

 

Right, and the HP II version as tested by Tire Rack is what I commented on. I'm sure it's a serviceable tire. I just there are better options for the money, and especially in this case since the OP doesn't need an all-season tire.

I did (see post #5), specifically the current AS 4 version. I even mentioned that it comes stock on base C8s. That and the Conti DWS are the two best high-performance all-seasons on the market, no question. But the OP doesn't need an all-season.

I agree to an extent. And if the Conti EC Sport 02 (or the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S except it's not made in this size) weren't available, there would be a valid case for using all-seasons for cold-but-no-precip weather. However, the EC Sport 02 is available, and it is the best-performing rain tire there is, and it works great to below-freezing temps. I believe the Firehawk would be less good in the wet but similarly good in cold weather. It's possible the Sumi and General would take a bigger hit in grip in cold weather just because their tread compounds aren't going to be as close to the state of the art, but they will still be perfectly serviceable down to freezing at least. Since the OP has already tucked his car away for winter, there's just no good reason for him to go with all-seasons.


I agree that these are a great mid-tier high-performance all-season option. They are a subsidiary of Michelin and from what I've heard and seen, they probably use a Michelin compound. It's just that in this case, the OP doesn't need all-seasons and therefore I don't think they are the best option for his needs.

 

Wow! MatthewMiller That is an extensive reply with a ton of information, and I do appreciate it. All I do is drive and enjoy the car. Boring to a lot of you I'm sure
I was actually looking at BFGoodrich G-Force today. I'll probably go with those.
BFGoodrich has been around forever and report on Tire Rack looks good.
Thanks

 

I hear ya I have been running the NT555G2s for years, it's just a street ride for the money not a bad tire yet if ya let your VET sit for a long time the tires flat spot takes about 5- miles to smooth out .I ran around COTA yep that one in my 04 Z 555 HP at the rear wheels with the 555G2 all around hit 155 in the front stretch driving it hard , for a street tire I didn't see a problem then this A/C on drove back to Houston ,Am sure there are way better tires out there but if just want a everyday tire or want to go put in on the track just for fun ,these are not bad tires ..

 

WOOP dar it is .. LOL

 

+1 for the BFG G-Force Comp 2 A/S+.

I believe I saw them mentioned earlier in the thread. I just replaced the fronts on the '91 with these to get rid of the off brand old tires with the tread separating from the carcass that came with the car.

Previous owner had put them on the rears, car drives much better with fresh tires on both ends.

 

I'll second that!

 

I'm running Toyo Extreme HP... staggered. 275/40-17 up front with 315/35-17 for the rear. She needs that extra meat on the ground. A cruiser not a bruiser. Though she is pressing 475 H.P. so....