hey guys, i wanted to change my tires but i'm kinda torn if i will keep the oem Bridgestone RE070 or get Michelin Pilot Exalto...do you guys have any preferrence with these 225/45/r17's??? any other brand recommendations and where to get them? i'm looking for better comfort, handling, and longevity....thanks!

 

KDW...that is all

 

Guess I better say this before someone else chimes in and starts going...the tire you choose will depend on what you want to do with it...

I have not had the opportunity to race in the 1/4 or at SCCA...so, my experience with the tires I've had will be based on going over the Pali/Likelike/H3 rain or shine as my daily driver...

Bridgestone RE750's...quiet, long lasting, good grip in wet or dry....been a pretty nice tire...they also have a rim protector built onto the tire...it helps save your rims from curbing...

Had Falken ST-115's...suppose to last a long time...(driving like a granny or something...shrug) Mine didn't last too long...not as grippy or quiet as the Bridgestone's...grrr...no curb protection...but much cheaper.

Stock tires wear way to fast as a daily driver and get noisy to boot...they are pretty grippy on dry/warm roads though...

I think I will be picking up some KDW2's as my next tires...235's or 245's...300 Threadwear rating...so should last pretty good (320 on RE750's)...grippy in wet or dry...aggressive tread...I like the look.

 

Kumho MX's on sale at the TireRack and there is a $40 rebate going on.
I like em so far
Great price

 

I too have ran RE750 on a STI and would suggest these tires to anybody when it comes time for new rubber on my current car they are what I'm getting. I only used them for street use but like Island style said excellent dry/wet grip.

 

^^^Same here....actually, literally the same tires as Jeremiah.

They're excellent tires and have a long treadlife.

 

thanks for the recommendations guys...i'm now looking into the re750 or the kdw2...

 

Another vote for the Bridgestone RE750. These tires are great all-around, daily-driven tires. Like the others have been saying-quiet, grip in wet or dry, and long wearing. The OEM Bridgestone RE070 is a great tire, I use mine in autocross. It is a summer tire, but works well in full on rain if driven responsibly. but because of the 140 treadwear, it wont last too long as a daily driver. The RE750 is a 340 treadwear, so it'll last. Highly reccomended by Tire Rack expert for even treadwear. I had Yokohama ES100...cupped like crazy on my 04 STi even with stock suspension.

 

Costco use to carry the Bridgestone line...but SAM's has it now...

Here are a few links:

BFGoodrich KDW**
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...=5&item=192493

Bridgestone RE750
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...=5&item=331800

You have to special order most likely (sometimes you get lucky...) but it is pretty cheap, especially mounting and balancing/warranty.

You may want to go wider as well...problem is, sometimes there isn't the right combination of width vs. Height...you want to try and keep the same diameter...

Here is a link to where you can plug in your original size 225/45/17 and alternate sizes to see how they compare...

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Good luck...I am in the same situation...

 

thanks, brent. yeah, they are fairly hard to find. i went to servco yesterday and they only have toyo's. i tried costco but they only carry michelin's. not even firestone/bridgestone have them in stock! i also went online with tirerack.com but with shipping and installation, and balancing, it's much cheaper to go with costco or sams. i almost gave up and ordered via costco. good thing i'm also a sam's club member...

 

I would actually recommend the Kumho MXs. They have better dry grip than the KDWs and the Potenzas and are decent in the rain. How much does the treadwear matter to you? The KDWs are good for an everyday tire, has great wet traction, but the dry grip leaves something to be desired. If you can get your hands on a set of Falken Azenis RT-615s, that would be great. They might not last too long, but the grip is awesome!

 

better handling and longer tread wear are the main reasons why i want to change my tires since i use it as DD...i'm gonna save my RE070 as spares...already ordered my RE750's thru Sam's Club...the only thing is that I'll have to wait 4-6 weeks! but i guess it's worth the wait...thx!

 

They say 4-6 weeks...but sometimes it takes only a week...depending on the shipment dates...

So which size did you end up getting? I have the RE750's in 225/40/18 on my 18x8 wheels...they fit nice...but seem a bit stretched...I want to go with 255/35/18's...but anytime you go into the 35 series profiles...it's big $$$...I'll probably end up going with 235/40/18's for the price point...

 

It is...it really is....good choice!

 

Hey Brent,
That's good to know that they could come in earlier...I just got the stock size with my gold bbs...225/45/17's...although i am considering going to 18's eventually...thx!