I've got almost 40k on my WRX and it's nearly time to replace the stock tires. According to everything I've read on the i-club, the RE-92's really suck all around (snow/mud/rain/dry). With that said, I'm pretty eager to give some new meats a try.

I'm on a budget, so what I'm shopping around for is a really good, bang-for-the-buck, performance tire. I don't need top of the line, but I do want some marked improvement over the RE-92's.

I also want them to be really good in the rain.

Soooo.... Whaddya guys have for me?

 

if you are upgrading your tires you might as well upsize to a 17" wheel.

 

I replaced my RE92's after only a coupe hundred miles - went to Rota Tarmac IIs in 17x7.5" with Yokohama AVS ES100s and absolutely love them. The car feels more stable in the rain and dry, and more predictable too.

Worth every penny. You can probably get close to the same feel on the stockers, but I wanted larger and wider wheels.

 

i hear the ES100's wear fast and get loud when they start wearing out. any thoughts?

 

I got the Michelin Pilot Sport a/s in 225/50-16 wider than stock, but still the same diameter. They rule.

I had the Bridgstone RE-950's before that and those were nice, too.

 

For some reason the 225/45-17 AVS-ES100's are loud as hell even when newer. I had a set on my WRX that showed minimal wear after about 15k miles and 2 track events (sears and laguna). I have another set (205/60-14) on my Celica I use on the track and they have lasted over a year and about 20k miles with probably just under 800 - 1000 track miles (and countless smoky burnouts, donuts, 4 wheel drifts, hard trips up/down 9). They should be replaced soon and are looking pretty worn on the edges. GREAT tire for the money though even though some people will talk down on them for some reason. In comparison, the Kumho ECSTA Supra tires were absolute trash after seeing 2 friends wear through them in no time with pretty normal driving.

On the street, the AVS-ES100's are more than adequate. On the track they are predictable and forgiving, and very audible at the limit which would be very good for a beginner looking for a little more grip.

 

They are a bit loud. Not excessive at highway speeds, but louder than I'd like when rolling along at 25-30MPH. I have my stereo on al the time in the car, so it never annoys me, and they are never lous enough that I can't hold a comfortable conversation with a passenger.

As for wear rate - they certainly wear faster than something like the RE92's, but I don't feel that they wear significantly faster than most performance tires. I'm expecting to get about 20-22K out of them.

My next tire may be the Falken ST115, as its supposed to be pretty darn quiet, have a good wear rating and reasonable autoX performance. However, the ES100's are a known quantity for me, and are a great tire all around.

 

Ready for a huge improvement? Upgrade to 17" X 7.5" in the lightest, strongest wheel you can find/afford. Stick some Kumho Ecsta MX 225 45 17 on them. Traction AA, Treadwear 220 (same as SO3's). If you got 40K off of the stockers then you drive like I do and will probably get 30K off of the MXs. Not for use in snow but great in the rain. I wrote a detailed review of this tire in the Reviews section....MX s are $129 per tire @ Tire Rack, last time looked.

 

I guess you missed the line where I said "I'm on a budget".

But really, I like the 16's. I've driven a friend's car with 17's and wasn't impressed. Heavier steering and more unsprung weight.

 

The AVON Tech M500 is a very good performance street tire; they stick reasonably well, are fairly quiet and give good feedback. They are very good in the rain, probably the best tire I've used. I had Falken Azenis Sports before the AVON's. The Falkens ride was much harsher, with a little better grip on clean dry surfaces than the AVON's. In the wet the Falkens were scarry. The AVON's are a much better everyday tire. There are better tires, but for the price the AVON's are hard to beat.

 

https://www.i-club.com/forums/norcal-classifieds-96/tire-group-buy-fremont-ca-95385/

 

spelk3 - I'll look into those AVONs - they seem to have good reviews...

 

What are the cheapest tires in that group buy that will fit my OEM 16" wheels?

(I'm assuming all of them are pretty good)

 

Well, none really because most of them are 17" tires. However, for sheer cost, I know that the ES100's come in a size that will fit your OEM 16", and $471 blanaced & mounted is pretty good.

 

I know a lot of you guys go through wheels like crazy. And you might have enough $$crill to make that ok. But the guy's asking for moderatly priced tires...so that's about $400 or so? And he 'might as well' spend another $600+ on wheels? Hmmm....