Hi Guys,

Looking to find out what brand/model tire people are using and satisfaction levels. I'm on my second pair of Sumitomo HTR Z III. Someone posted a good review on Tirerack of the various tires he's tried on his XFR. Just wondering how satisfied other people are with their tires. I'm trying to figure out if the vibration I'm feeling in the seats is the tires or a bent rim or balancing issue.

Here's the review from TireRack with regards to the Sumitomo's:

So I decided to give the affordable entry a chance. This is the fourth set of tires for the car (68,900 miles) total. Previously, it has had Dunlop SP Sport Maxx (OE), Hankook Ventus V12 Evo and Michelin Pilot Super Sports. I find traction to be pretty good both in the wet and dry. If it is not quite on the same level as the Super Sports it's pretty close. By the seat of the pants, I find the it better than the Hankooks, very close to the Dunlops, slightly below that of the Michelins in terms of grip. The tire tracks well, and transmits road feel quite precisely. If you are looking for accurate handling these will deliver.The downside is that ride quality is the worst of all the aforementioned tires. The side walls must be extra stiff -- stiffer than even the Pilot Super Sports... no kidding. It is almost as if the car has gotten overly firm shocks. The Super Sports deliver marginally better grip with a notably better ride quality without any loss in precision. Maybe that's how they justify the $1300 price tag for a set over the $660 range for the HTR Z IIIs. I do find that under inflating them a bit helps with the ride whereas over inflating them makes what's uncomfortable borderline unbearable.

 

Try Bridgestone S-04's. Good blend of everything for money. Go PSS's if you have the money as everyone who's had them likes them.

 

Thanks for the heads up...

 

That's why we're here

 

I put a set of S-04s on a couple of years ago, very happy with them, great grip wet and dry, low noise and good ride. My mate Kyanite above got his set based on my recommendation! But the rears wore out a few months ago (fronts still going strong), so I replaced them with guess what, Sumitomo HTR Z 111! I only got them because they were going cheap and as an interim measure until the front S-04s wear out, and then I will get another full set of S-04s. Not real impressed with them so far, good ride and low noise but a lot less grip in a straight line than the S-04s. I have to be real careful when where and how I hit the loud pedal otherwise the rear end kicks out then the DSC lights up and cuts the power, all the way through to 80 mph. And that's on perfectly dry roads, I haven't been game to see what happens in the wet! The S-04s were nowhere near as bad and it took a real prod of the go pedal to light up the DSC with them.

 

Yes, my twin brother, you and Patrick813 both swayed me toward the Bridgestones!

 

Another vote for the S-04's - would have liked to go PSS as I had on my S4 but seemed like Michelin weren't keeping stock of the XFR sizes anywhere - even Tire Rack was out in favour of the PS3 or whatever seems they want to replace it with....

 

Trying to find more reviews on the Kumho PS91, it's supposed to be a PSS competitor (even looks like them), but a bit cheaper like the S-04. I may just bite the bullet and get a set of them when my wheels are finished getting painted.

 

The Pilot Super Sports are a phenomenal tire but the extra $400 or so per set is hard to swallow when the S04 Pole Positions perform nearly as well as the Super Sports!

 

Wow that sounds familiar. Having the backend break lose and dsc kick in is killing me. I have to turn it off as it's more than annoying with these Sumi's. I'm going to change over soon. Perhaps the vibration issue will go away as well. Thanks again. Not seeing too many people with continentals.

 

Yeah I'll need to start some high speed Ubering just to buy tires.

 

I just put on 4 Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 on my XFR and like them so far - better road grip than my old ones.

 

I am also a big fan of the Hankooks. Probably not as good as PSS, but at the price point, I can easily ignore the minor differences

 

Dealer recommended and installed. $1K out the door w/ alignment.

 

+1 Lots of people confuse these with the original V12 evo. The V12 evo2 is a much improved tire with a stiffer sidewall and better treadwear rating. You get about 90% of the performance of the PSS and they are several hundred dollars cheaper. They currently have a $100 rebate going on them too. My car is not the XFR, but I saved about $300 by picking up the Hankooks vs the PSS.

 

Maybe the complaints I had with the original Evo's have been corrected, but turn in was slow and vague, traction was not great and treadwear wasn't impressive. Ride and noise were great though. They were a good Grand Touring tire, but not performance oriented enough for fast wearing summer tires.

 

The Evo2 are definitely a big improvement over the originals. It's not quite up there with the top performers, but very close. Here is a tire rack review comparing them to the Potenza S-04, Conti DW, and Pirelli P-Zero Nero GT:

Tire Test Results : Testing Max Performance Summer Tires: In Search of What Fits Your Needs

 

I'm swapping my Sumitomo's for Bridgestone S04's based on feedback here. I've never had a tire develop such bad flat spots sitting overnight. The vibration is subtle but I'm now convinced it's the tire. This afternoon the pavement was much hotter than usual and I had next to no vibration but ride quality I find is harsh/poor. The Sumi's perform much better when it is around 70F or above.

It's a challenge finding a tire that delivers ride quality and performance. Hopefully someone who has owned both the Hankook's and Bridgestone on our cars will chime in with their impressions especially around ride quality and traction, cornering ability. Reviews of the same tire on different size rims / tire profiles, can provide very different impressions.

 

My money is in the Michelin PSS. Cannot beat it. Best tire out there. One of the best parts about it is the bead around the edge that protects your rims from curb rash. That alone makes it worth the extra cash. I have had to turn my rims twice before switching to the PSS. Haven't had issues with curb rash ever since. I usually replace two rears every six months or so.

 

Aside from price availability seems to be an issue. Not sure if Michelin is phasing in a replacement.