whitemax21

I first posted this in the tire section and didn't much action. I then posted in the 5th gen. I wanted to post here also to get as many opionions and suggestions as possible.

I have a stock 2000 SE with 17s. It's time to buy some tires and I just wanted some opinions for a good all-seaon tire. I haven't had this car too long, so this will be the first set since I've owned it. I live in Kentucky, so, we don't get a great deal of snow here but we do get some(usually couple of inches max). I was looking for an all-season tire with the following:

- comfortable ride
- quiet
- performs and handles good
- good wet traction
- 45,000 mile warranty or better
- under $150/tire

I have read good things about Toyo's and Yokohamas, but each seem to have drawbacks. I have read that the Toyos aren't that great in snow. Even though we don't get much here, it would still be nice to have a reliable tire just in case. And I have read that there may be a problem with hydroplaning with the Yokohamas. Anyone with experience with these tires or others that fit the descriptions above, please comment. I don't think I would be interested in the Continental's as I have read that they seem to be noisy and are better snow tires than anything. Also, curious to know if anyone has the Sumitomo's and what kind of luck you've had with them. Thanks in advance.

96blackmaxSE

iTrader: (30)

BF goodrich Traction T/A's....nice price, good tire

I have them on my 2003 17s and on my 15 in sawblades...

whitemax21

I didn't think they offered that tire in the 225/50/17. Are you using a different tire and if so, will that affect anything.

isawyou

I just got BFG Traction T/As also, and love 'em. Don't know if they come in your size, mine are 205/60/15 on stock '95 SE rims. Those tires are great on snow and corner well.

96blackmaxSE

iTrader: (30)

Yeah, they are 225/55 they are a little wider but really not a big deal.

Bobo

I was going to buy the BFG Traction TAs (H-rated), but ended up getting the Yokohama Avid H4S at a bargan-basement price.

I don't drive my car in the snow and haven't seen any this winter.

The BFG handles well enough for me and are quieter and lighter than the Traction TAs.

I'm still running 15" sawblades.

BigLou93SE

iTrader: (10)

I have nothing but good things to say about my Toyo TPT's. They handle decent in the snow - but that's me comparing to the bald tires I was on last winter. Look in the tire forums, I just created a thread about the TPT's since I wanted to see how many other people enjoy them, seeing as I don't have that much experience driving on different brands of tires. When I was purchasing my tires - I was advised against BFG T/A's for some reason or another.

whitemax21

I have a couple questions. How long have you been running on the 225/55/17? Since they have a slightly taller sidewall, do you get a smoother ride? Also, does the difference in sidewall lessen the appearance of the fender gap? Thanks.

whitemax21

yeah, i checked out that post before i posted. current considerations include toyo tpt's, yokohama avid v4s, and possibly kumhos. i also have a 97 max that i run the bf goodrich t/a's and i am happy with those. however, i think the closest size is a 225/55/17 and i'm not sure if it would be safe to replace a 225/50/17 with anything other that that. it seems like the ride would be smoother, considering the sidewall is thicker. i don't know much about tires though and i'm not sure how reliable or safe it would be to replace with anything other than oem.

96blackmaxSE

iTrader: (30)

Hard to tell really...since Im already lowered you cant really tell if its a smoother ride or not. The wider/taller sidewall doesnt make that much of a difference. I only had them on for about two months then I put them on my dads 350z. Yes, the difference does make the fender gap smaller BUT your gorund clearance will be raised. Also, since you have a 5th gen, If you are not lowered with anything then your front fender gap will still look massive. I would advise you to get a set os TEIN s techs and your car would look A+ with any tire on your 17s.

North

My farther has Continental Contact Extremes (i think thats the name) He likes them a lot on his 540i, and he is deffinitly a confort and noise sort of guy, he also commented that he liked the performance as well.

clive

I've had a set of Kumhos (boring 769's) on my Sentra for quite a while and I've been very pleased with them. You'll probably want a more aggressive (stickier) tyre than the 769 and Kumho offer quite a few alternatives.

MaximaSE96

iTrader: (8)

Toyo Proxes TA-1s or my Favorite Kumho Ecsta MXs

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

Here are some important tradeoffs to understand:
- good snow performance usually trades off with good rain perf and quietness
- good 'peformance' = high dry and wet traction which trades off with long life. Generally, the longer the mileage warranty the more cruddy the performance. Also, wet and snow performance usually degrade as the tread gets shallower from wear. So a crappy quality tire with new tread will outperform a worn high quality tire in wet or snow. (Assuming you're comparing roughly similar tire designs)
- Speed rating is a tradeoff with comfort. Higher rated tires are stiffer and thus transmit more bump.

Out of all of this, I suggest looking at tires that fall into Tire Racks' "Ultra-High Performance All-Season" or "High Perf All-Season" category. When reading reviews, remember that for every tire, good or bad, you'll find a wide variety of opinions about it. So that's why I find the average ratings most helpful.

You need to compare actual tire models. Most brands have a full range of tire models for all conditions. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Again, I recommend tire rack or another internet tire store to choose a few models which suit your needs. Then find out what your local tire retailer can get for you for a reasonable price. Also watch out for places like NTB, which have their own models made by big brand names, but are only sold at their stores. There is no way to assess the quality, performance, or pricing since nobody else stocks them. I avoid these shops simply to avoid the uncertainty.

As for size, I would stay with the proper size unless it's a really strange size. And then the only size I would flex is width, by 10mm only. The reason is speedometer accuracy. So I would consider a 235/55R17 instead of 225/55R17, but nothing else.

Dave

SVI30

Here are the calculated diamter for 17 inch against the standard 15 inch size on my I30. Percentage is the amount of over or under size. They are not checked for fit:

Width Aspect Whl Tire
------ Ratio Dia -- Dia
mm percent inch mm inch
Standard
205 65 15 647.5 --- 25.49

195 55 17 646.3 0% 25.44
215 50 17 646.8 0% 25.46
235 45 17 643.3 -1% 25.33

The wider tires are not good in the rain or snow due to lower contact patch PSI. Likely the 215/50/17 will be the best trade off for side wall height and width. I use 15 inch Michelin MVX+ on my I30 and have a 2nd set of 16 inch wheels from a 2K I30 that haven't been mounted yet. Thinking about another set of MVX+ or Michelin Primacy. Never had any problems with Michelins.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

Goodyear american eagles are pretty good.

justchillin9720

I have Toy's on my maxi and i live in northern alabama where no snow gets there but it does get icy occasionally and i haven't had any problems with traction but then again i'm not one for the best advice in snow conditions....as far as the rest of the ride goes i like it alot with good quite perfromance...you can go wrong

SVI30

225 50 17 656.8mm 25.86 inch 1% overspeed
This is a std for 5th gen SE

clive

My car dealer friend in the UK refers to the 'Goodyear Gripless" and the "Firestone Fairweathers"