I'm curious why there hasn't been more discussion regarding these GY's. I know most people dont like GY in general (I'm not a true fan either), but these tires received an awesome rating at TireRack - 2nd only to the Pilot Sports . The only drawback is a 280 treadwear - but still better than the Craptenzas. They're no good in the snow - but that's what my Hakkapalittas are for. They're running $148 and are AA Traction and A Temperature.

Anyone running them on their Max?

 

I love my F1s!!!!

 

I've never had them, but they're among my top 5 considerations for my next tire...

 

Goodyear makes my Dunlops and I have liked them so far.

 

Thanks Fellas - I'm surprised there isn't more talk about them. They seem to review as well as the Pilots at with a 25% discount on the price. Treadwear is listed as 280 which beats the listed 160 for the Craptenzas by a mile.

TsingTsaoNYC - are they noisy at all? Not that the Craptenzas were quiet but I need to cart the kids around in the Max too. Also, are they twitchy at all? I test drove a 99 Max a while back with an agressive tread pattern and if you sneezed the car would shift two feet...I don't want anything that sensitive.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Pang,

They are really quiet for a Z-rated performance tire. I went from the Bridgestones RE730s, they were loud as ****! That was one of the first things I noticed when I first put them on, how quiet they were.

As you know, with any wide low-profile Z-rated or performance oriented tire, they are going to track "road crowns" and "grooves" more than regular passenger tires, just due to their inherent aggressive tread pattern. They are not to the point if u move the steering wheel a little bit, they are going to jump 2 ft. Not really bothersome at all!

I highly recommend these tires. The biggest plus besides the awesome rain handling is that they are VERY predictably. When they do give, they do so in a while that is very gradual and in a controllable manner.

I'm def. buying again!

 

Thanks Tsing. Unless I cheap out at the last minute and gamble with the 512's, I think I'm going the F1 route.

TireRack has them for $148 each - if you don't mind me asking, did you get yours for close to that?

 

I got them from Discount Tire for 209/each in a 235/40ZR18 size.

 

The thing is, most people on here are cheap bastards. You'll see tons of Kumho, and crap like that. Very few are willing to invest in top of the line tires.

 

The problem is that there are no in between choices. It's either cheapos or overpriced tires (what does the RE92 go for?). At $150-$225 per premium tire, they should throw in a BJ every time you rotate and balance.

As for the F1s, I doub't they are the answer to our prayers as the VW R32 (the F1 GS D3s are OEM in them) guys are complaining about the soft side walls that get bubbled very easily. That's GY to you. The R32 is a heavy car considering its size, but max is still heavier.

 

I was among the cheap bastards , I had Kumho KH11 in 225/50/17 and I will never go that cheap again. I just put Toyo TPTs on my max and really like them. I hope people don't lump Toyo in the "cheap" tire category, they are really quality tires (I had some FZ4s on a prelude) and these also cost $150/tire. I know cost doesn't necessarily equal quality, but in tires it does sometimes.

 

With a 400 Treadwear rating I'm starting to consider the TPT's. Are they loud at all? How are they in the rain? I'm assuming you got them in the OEM 225/50/17 size.

Thanks.

 

Based on this review, I think the f1's are are pretty decent tire.

http://zr1netregistry.com/F1G3D3.htm

 

Nailed numerous "Manhattan specials" with my 40s sidewall. No bubbling, tires are perfect.

 

My advice, if you go the F1 GS D3 route, is buy Road Hazard. About half of R32 owners have had bubbles, but there isn't a clear pattern why some get them and some don't. One theory is poor QC on GY part.

 

Pang, I was also impressed with the Goodyear GS D3s ratings on Tire Rack. I spent hours reading the road tests, customer surveys and comments on the many various tires offered. I also wanted a quiet tire to accompany the quiet muffler (stock 5th Gen) for my '91 max. What I found during my review of the many tires offerings, was that a tire with higher handling ratings generally had worse noise ratings (along with a higher price). I was not willing to choose a lower handling tire with better noise ratings, because they do not match well with my driving style. I had narrowed the field down to two tires which seemed to offer great handling and low noise, the GS D3s and the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2.

I bought the Goodyear GS D3s which should arrive today. I selected the GYs over the Michelins because I liked the tread pattern and higher tread rating (280 vs 240). And in that class of a good handling "summer" tire, 280 treadwear is the highest rating I saw. You can get a better treadwear rating on a all-season tire, but you will lose some handling capability. In tires, everthing is a trade-off. But somehow, the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3 pulled it off with good handling in a quiet tire. And in everything I've read so far, I'm looking forward to finding out for myself.

And I was concerned about a "soft" sidewall and didn't want the flex on hard cornering. I also lowered my tire profile from 65 to 45 and was concerned about damage to the wheel with less rubber between my wheels and the potholes. Goodyear offers "some" of the GS D3 tire sizes in XL load, meaning they have a stiffer sidewall and can carry more weight. Instead of 225-50-17 size, I bought the 225-45-17 size in XL. It will throw off your speedometer and odometer by 3.4%, but I can live with that. It only means that when the Max says 60mph, I'm really going only 58mph. But, the handling will INCREASE with 45 profile tires compared to 50 profile, I'm all over that. Here's a tire size calculator to try out yourself: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I swore off of Goodyears ten years ago, but these were too impressive to pass up.

 

Not "only". It also means when your odo shows 30K miles, you cheated yourself over 1000, since you really traveled 28.9K... Try selling a car with
60K miles compared to the same car with 58K miles and see which gets a better price.

 

Okay, I guess I won't be selling my car to you. Don't plan on selling my Maxima anyway, I love it too much.

As for a car's selling value, the experts don't agree with you. Kelly Blue Book places the same value on my car with either 190,000 miles or 199,000 miles (it currently has 150k). Kelly Blue Book also places the same value on YOUR car with either 80,000 or 84,000 miles.

It's not gonna make a difference to most (if not all) buyers. The options and car's conditions will affect the price, plus any SIGNIFICANT mileage difference. To me, handling is what you buy tires for. It's the only connection we have between our Maximas and the road.

IMHO a car with 45 profile tires would be more attractive to a buyer than the same car with 50 profile tires, and would ADD buyer's value to the car.

 

If it didn't make a difference, stores would round prices up, instead of using the "$9.99 " psychology. Proven fact and the same applies to cars' mileage.

As for the lower profile tires, 45 profiles are more attractive, provided the wheel gap is taken care of. No drop, and the 4x4 look is just dumb.

 

Did you get the F1's yet? I'm curious as to how YOU like them. Post back once you take them 'round the block a few times.

 

Pang, these tires are so popular that they were stolen from my apartment garage before I ever got them on my Maxima. (Insert prohibited .Org words here) Will definately let you know about the ride quality when I get through the insurance claim and save up the $$$ lost on the deductible to replace the tires. I hate thieves, but I'm really lucky that I didn't catch them 'cause they'd be dead and I'd be in jail now. It took me four hours to get my pulse below 100. Did I mention that I really hate thieves? (Insert more prohibited words here)

I still am looking forward to getting the GYs. And yes, the (more words) thieves would probably have stolen any brand of tires I had there. It still (word)s.

 

MD - that TOTALLY sucks!!! Plus you now have to suck up the deductable - so much for saving on the on-line purchase. I'm really considering having mine drop shipped straight to the installer when I get them. Hope all works out for you. We'll all have to keep an eye on eBay for them to show up. I can't imagine it's too easy to hide four new GY F1's - try spreading the word around to local tire shops. They may see them come in.

 

WOW I cant wait to try the f1's out on my 04...Ill have them on by early next week. So if it bubbles, they will replace it. I have no choice but to go with GY due to the RSA problem. If I could pick ANY tire I wanted id prob go for the BF Goodrich T/A g-force KDW-2. Better value, and better reviews. But I still have very high hopes for these F1's, they will prob. be more than I need.

 

Well Pang, I got the stolen Goodyear Eagle F1's replaced and mounted directly onto my car (direct ship from Tire Rack to the installer). Really took them through their paces last night, on exit ramps and winding roads my Pirelli P6000s were already familar with. It's just the first day, but probably the best time to compare them while the memory of the P6000s is fresh in my mind. The Pirellis aren't even worn down to half tread, and were still performing excellently before removed.

I know my work route pretty well, and apply maximum g-force to my tires on the s-curve exit ramp every day. The P6000s break (side skip) at the same place in the ramp, and at a very predictable break point. I tried taking the F1's at a higher speed through the ramp, and couldn't get them to skip out, they felt great. I looped around to the same ramp and inched up the speed, and still no break. I kept this up until the F1's finally squeeled, but they still gripped great. I never did get them to break, and finally gave up trying to, 'cause I was going nearly highway speed throughout the ramp at the last try. These things just never let go of the road.

I know that the P6000s aren't in the same class as the Eagle F1's, so it wasn't much of a test. I also switched from 15" to 17" wheels, so that is another variable that affected my road feel. I'm not much of a high speed guy, and never get into triple digit speed. My road thrills come on the curves, and for me, this higher class of tire is much better match for my driving style. The P6000s would be great if I just slowed down on the curves, but that's not me. They would be more than enough for a lot of drivers, and actually seem more stable than the Eagle F1's in the straightaways. The F1's were very quiet, though, and their unidirectional design by nature won't be as stable as straight treads IMO. The F1's also reacted more noticeable when going over some repaved rumble strips ("wake up" grooves) than the P6000s.

The Goodrich T/A g-Force KDW-2's that 04BlackMaxx referred to also looked to be an excellent gripping tire, but from all the reviews I read, they were extremely noisy. Quiet was a priority for me, and the Eagle F1's were indeed quiet.

And fortunately for the issue of this report, it rained hard this morning. The Eagle F1's stuck to the road very well, which was expected for the high rain ratings of this tire. I'll update when I get more significant mileage on these tires, but at first report, they are the best rubber I've even rode on.

Hope this helps. Sorry so long.

 

Thanks, the review helps a lot. How are the F1's on the straightaway? Hard to keep the Max straight or no? I drive 80 with one hand on the wheel as the Craptenzas at least keep the car in a straight line. I don't want anything so agressive that they jump side to side.

Thanks again for the input.

PS - I'm actually considering the Avon 550's now for the reason above.

 

Just ordered mine today! 255/35-19. I was contemplating going with the continental Conti Sport II ($159 TireRack special) but upon reading all the great maxima reviews in the "review" section I decided to switch and go with the GoodYears. The overall scores were higher in the ratings charts too. So for $224 each I just spent more on my tires than on my rims! Oh Well, I sure hope they are worth it!

 

These are the tires I will put on hopefully in a month. Looking to by 18x8.5 Konig Imagine rims and do either a 235/40/18 or 245/40/18 GY F1 setup. They are awesome on my cousin's R32, stick like crazy in the rain. He did have an issue with bubbling on one tire, don't know if the weight of his car is the cause. Either way, my 4th gen is about 400 lbs lighter than the R32.

 

I picked up a set in 225/45/17 size and I love them. They're comfortable, quiet, and perform beyond expectation. I took them to the track and could launch at 1800rpms (brake torquing) without chirping; they hook up instantly. My car also handles infinitely better than when I had the RE92s. Would I buy them again? In a heartbeat.

~THT

 

To answer your question, Pang, the Goodyear Eagle F1s are just fine on the straightaways and very quiet MOST of the time. In most every road condition, they are great. But whenever the tire rolls over regularly-spaced grooves in the road, the handling changes noticeably.

The worst handling for these tires is on grooved concrete highways. Those roads are not everywhere (thankfully), but on one stretch of highway we have around here the ride is terrible. I actually pulled over and stopped on the shoulder to see if I had a flat tire (or two). The noise gets very loud, and the steering wheel vibrates considerably unless a firm grip is held to steady it. I wouldn't say it was hard to keep it straight, just hard to keep it from vibrating. But that poor handling is ONLY on grooved highways.

The angular unidirectional design works great on any other road surface, smooth or rough, paved or concrete, wet or dry. But that angular tread design does not roll well over another angular tread design, such as rumble strips or grooved highways.

So for 98% of the time, I love the tires. 2% of the time I hate them. Would I buy them again? I would look at the other brand options available, but would definately consider these again. If I lived in an area without any grooved highways, I would likely do these again.

 

I've had these tires on for almost a month now and they are fantastic!! The dry grip is incredible and the wet grip is fantastic as well. I've gone through some large puddles and heavy rain with no sign of hydroplaning or pulling. I haven't noticed any road noise either, so I'd have to say noise is minimal. They are however VERY stickey and can hear ALOT more crap getting thrown up into the fender wells. Oh well, I can live with the last one. My size increase (255/35-19) does cause some hunting over grooved pavement, but that can be expected due to +2 sizing. So far these tires are worth every penny of the $224/tire I paid through Tire Rack.

 

Great Thread!

Anymore feedback on these tires???

I am looking to get some summer only tires for my rx7 rims.
The reviews on this tire sound great!

So it is better to get the XL load model? What sizes does this come in? I looked on the web site and cannot seem to find any info on this??

I was planning on getting 225/50/16s for the Rx7 rims. Should I consider 245/45/16 instead? They are more money for that size. I do not think these tires come in that size either.

FYI, my stockers are 215/55/16. I am not too worried about putting more miles on my boosted max than it would realy be getting, as I never plan to sell it if i got a weird size. Although having the speedo say the right speed is always a good idea. :>

 

I put mine back on last month and have a bit more to report. For one thing, the GS-D3s hook up a lot better than my Dunlop Winter Sport M3 rubber that I had on for the winter. On a dry surface, I can launch at about 1,500 rpms on the street and hook up with ease. The first to second shift yields a slight chirp (when I wrote my first post, I was an auto)...with the M3s, the tires would scream when I shifted hard from first to second. They M3s would also chirp going from second to third...the GS-D3s hold just fine.

As for wet traction, I have found that I cannot start in first with more than 20% throttle or else I get wheel hop. So when it's wet out, I typically start in second to avoid that.

As for treadwear, I've got about 10K miles on them so far and they've got alot of tread left. I don't think I'm even close to halfway through them.

Are these still the best tire I've ever had on my car? Yes! Will I still buy them again? Yes!

 

i like these tires,, seems everybody has had nothing but good exp. with them.. one question though, tires.com has them for 250.00 for 235/40/18s anybody know where i can get them cheaper?

 

Did you check tirerack.com?

 

checked them and they were 50.00 bucks cheaper, thanks i had forgot about tire rack..

 

This is the reason I will NOT get these tires again. I have way too many roads in my area like this.

 

This is good to know. Maybe I'll look for an alternative.

 

I cant even drive on the roads 30 miles south of me where I like to spend my time. Car is all over the road, combined with a loose steering wheel it is very dangerous incase anyone else wants to drive my car.

 

Love my F-1's