Have any of you heard of
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...87#post5958887
I work for Les Schwab, one of the companies that retails alot of Federal products. They are all fairly low ball construction with the exception of the SS595. It gets sticky (not greasy) when warmed up which is in direct contrast to anything but an R compound tire in my experience.
They grip as well as a Toyo T1S (personal experience). They wear longer (maybe 5000 miles, harder compounding), have stiffer sidewalls, and carry a sidewall bead guard. This is in case you get a little close to a curb and rather than tear into your new rims, they brush the 1/4" extended sidewall near the bead lip.
Disadvantages-
They arent predictable in my opinion. Their breakaway point isnt as consistent as some tires that I have tried in the past. While they do last longer than T1S's (which they somewhat resemble), they still dont last much more than 25K.
They DO NOT LIKE water, even on an AWD car. They get very loose with anything more than mild rain/dampness. Because of the tread pattern (very pronounced arrow shape) they dont shed water very effectively and tend to hydroplane sooner than most other tires in my experience.
They grip as well as a Toyo T1S (personal experience). They wear longer (maybe 5000 miles, harder compounding), have stiffer sidewalls, and carry a sidewall bead guard. This is in case you get a little close to a curb and rather than tear into your new rims, they brush the 1/4" extended sidewall near the bead lip.
Disadvantages-
They arent predictable in my opinion. Their breakaway point isnt as consistent as some tires that I have tried in the past. While they do last longer than T1S's (which they somewhat resemble), they still dont last much more than 25K.
They DO NOT LIKE water, even on an AWD car. They get very loose with anything more than mild rain/dampness. Because of the tread pattern (very pronounced arrow shape) they dont shed water very effectively and tend to hydroplane sooner than most other tires in my experience.
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Originally Posted by sireatalot
they cost too much.. and besides, I'm not going to any races anytime soon 
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HEy Ban how come you say they are the best street, i think they handle better then most competition tires. Also the S-03's handle superbly in the wet. i don't know much when it comes to tires but i made a little comparison according to Tirerack (thanks luke) and i find s-03 comapred to even other comp tires still are better tires although mainly only for street.
i think they are just THE best tires, how much versatility can you get!
i think they are just THE best tires, how much versatility can you get!
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You can't compare TireRack's ratings to tires in other categories. A 10/10 in dry handling for a typical All-Season will not hold a candle to the worst rated Competition tire. Anyways, I've owned 3 sets of S03s, one set of GSD3s (which Tire Rack prefers, but I have my reasons) and driven a couple cars on RA1s or other "R-compounds." When I say S03s are the best "street" tire, it means they're the best tire I'd put on a "street" car. If I was driving any distance, I wouldn't want a softer, grippier tire because I'd be wasting my money wearing them down. conversely, S03s are perfectly capable of going around a racetrack all day long, for several trackdays, but if I was racing, I'd go for something stickier. Just my $.02
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^^ I'll take BAns word on that one...so which other tires would you go racing in? Oh how did you license plate thing work out, did u get to keep it?
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I didn't go for it again. It's hazardous to my health up here in the Sierras. 
If I could only have one set of wheels and tires, and I wanted to go racing, I'd take the S03s. Azenis are cheaper and just as sticky, but hte wet weather capabilities of the S03s are far superior.
Since I don't have to have only one set, however, I'm still trying to decide.
For my street tires, I'm thinking Falken Azenis ST115s. They're long-lasting, quiet, and they're what sponsored Falken D! drivers use. If I ever get a bug to go drifting, I'll use those.
I have dunlop WinterSport M2 snow tires on right now. Great winter tires, and I need them up here.
For autocross, I'm still deciding between Falken Azenis Sports (not sure if I want the old or new ones) or RE070s, or BFG KDs.
For track and Solo I use, I'm leaning towards Yokohama A032Rs, A048s, or Pirelli Corsas. That's as sticky as I'm willing to go, since I want to be able to make the set last all year.
If I could only have one set of wheels and tires, and I wanted to go racing, I'd take the S03s. Azenis are cheaper and just as sticky, but hte wet weather capabilities of the S03s are far superior.
Since I don't have to have only one set, however, I'm still trying to decide.
For my street tires, I'm thinking Falken Azenis ST115s. They're long-lasting, quiet, and they're what sponsored Falken D! drivers use.
If I ever get a bug to go drifting, I'll use those.I have dunlop WinterSport M2 snow tires on right now. Great winter tires, and I need them up here.
For autocross, I'm still deciding between Falken Azenis Sports (not sure if I want the old or new ones) or RE070s, or BFG KDs.
For track and Solo I use, I'm leaning towards Yokohama A032Rs, A048s, or Pirelli Corsas. That's as sticky as I'm willing to go, since I want to be able to make the set last all year.
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