Which tires for performance

[afterglow]

I need to replace my front tires (rear wheel drive car). These are the candidates:

Bridgestone Potenza AR10
Goodyear Assurance FuelMax
Michelin XM1
Pirelli P6
Yokohama C.Drive2
Dunlop LM703

I'm looking for wet/dry traction and cornering stability. Which one do I get?

[ghosthunter]

why not choose the same tire brand/model as the ones used for your rear?

[afterglow]

Broken size mags. 15x6 fronts, 15x8 rears

[ghosthunter]

Broken size mags. 15x6 fronts, 15x8 rears

Again... why not choose the same tire brand/model as the ones used for your rear?

[afterglow]

The company that makes my rear tires didn't have the foresight to make one in a size that'll work for my fronts.

[ghosthunter]

The company that makes my rear tires didn't have the foresight to make one in a size that'll work for my fronts.

Oh..bummer.

And what brand/model tires you have at the rear?

[afterglow]

Nitto NT555R drag radials.

[ghosthunter]

I need to replace my front tires (rear wheel drive car). These are the candidates:

Bridgestone Potenza AR10
Goodyear Assurance FuelMax
Michelin XM1
Pirelli P6
Yokohama C.Drive2
Dunlop LM703

I'm looking for wet/dry traction and cornering stability. Which one do I get?

I have tried the Dunlop LM703 before. Great in the dry. Average in the wet. Progressive grip at the limit in cornering. Has a rim guard which helps protect expensive alloy wheels.

Yokohama C Drive 2 is great in dry and good in wet. Progressive grip at the limit in cornering. Downside, wears out a bit faster.

[niky]

Drag radials? On the road? Ought to replace all four tires and use the radials for the track... sayang.

Bridgestone Potenza AR10 - No experience
Goodyear Assurance FuelMax - Won't balance with the drag radials... these are economy tires.
Michelin XM1 - Avoid like the plague. Terrible braking, wet or dry
Pirelli P6 - Too expensive for what you get
Yokohama C.Drive2 - Good tires
Dunlop LM703 - Prefer C-Drives, but not bad

If you want something that will balance the grip of your rear tires, Advan Neova AD08s may do, but cost a lot. Also consider Federal 595 RS (not SS or Evo) as these are R-comp tires (cheaper than the Neovas, but treadwear isn't great) and should balance the drag tires well.

[afterglow]

Nitto 555R's are one of the few drag radials that actually have decent treadlife. Reports say that 15,000 miles isn't unusual. I'm willing to spend but unfortunately, the size I'm looking for (205/65 R15) doesn't have much of a selection. I'd get the Advan Neova in a heartbeat but walang size. Where are the Federal's available??

[afterglow]

Let me clarify my needs a bit. I'm looking for 205/65 R15 tires. The list above represents tires I have found that may suit my needs.

I have a rwd car and these will be used for the fronts in good weather (November-June maybe?). I have my current set of street radials for foul weather. Since my car is rwd, these tires won't be tasked with launches. They won't spend much time at highway speeds. Basically stoplight to stoplight duties only. I guess it's not really traction I'm looking for but more of braking performance. Yung cornering stability, wish list lang.....not really necessary....

[Wh1stl3r]

XM-1 and AR10 are entry level tires so expect them to be built for mileage more than grip. XM-1 has a very soft sidewall, grip is so-so for me, but much better than Yokohama Aspecs. P6 has had bad reviews abroad, enough to scare me into not trying them.

[niky]

Ah. If it's braking that's a priority... again, don't get the cheap tires. Most "fuel saving" tires suck under braking, and the XM1 is probably one of the worst I've ever experienced in this regard. I have a full set on one car... Want to get rid of them, but tread life is too good... Michelin Energy Savers have terrible braking grip.

On your list, the LM and C-Drive will fill out your needs nicely. Federals are available in lots of places, and are really cheap. I had 595 SSs before and hated them, but the new ones feel better (I've driven a friend's car on them) and will do for spirited driving, decent grip, firm sidewalls. You can also try Kumho Ecsta SPTs... as they're quite grippy for the price. The only problem is a soft sidewall... which is not great for track use... but if you ever need to do that, you can simply just pump them up.

[afterglow]

Thanks everyone for the opinions. I tried looking for Federal and Kumho in my size. No luck, unfortunately. I ended up getting the Yokohamas this afternoon. I was leaning towards them even before I posted AND the dealer just received a shipment in my size yesterday AND Yokohama announced a price increase for next week AND the dealer gave me a great price. I hope they meet my needs.....

[Wh1stl3r]

Ah. If it's braking that's a priority... again, don't get the cheap tires. Most "fuel saving" tires suck under braking, and the XM1 is probably one of the worst I've ever experienced in this regard. I have a full set on one car... Want to get rid of them, but tread life is too good... Michelin Energy Savers have terrible braking grip.

Patay, just got a set of XM-1s for our Innova. Are they that bad from new or do they get progressively worse? Steering and handling seems vague but braking is still much better than the stock Yoko Aspecs.

[AG4]

Car: Ford Focus 1.6 Trend MT
OEM Tires: V-rated 195/65R15 Goodyear Eagle NCT5

I'm looking for good affordable replacement tires (hopefully not much more expensive than the P4K OEM Goodyear Eagle NCT5.)

For now these are the two options I have:
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max (est P4.2K)
Yokohama C.Drive 2 (est P3.8K)

Any recommended Tire Dealers? etc.

PS: Out of curiosity, are there any dealers here selling Continental tires? The Focus' little brother, the Fiesta has them as OEM tires.

[Wh1stl3r]

I think Tireboy has Continental tires. You could also try Yokohama S.Drive, better grip than C.Drive but wears out faster. I get mine from the dealer in C. Raymundo, Pasig.