SteVTEC

My Dunlop SP Sport A2's are shot, so it's time to replace. I have a mixed judgement on the Dunlops so I'm looking around and it's down to these four.

215/55/R16 on my 1999 Max.

FINALISTS:
- Yokohama Avid V4S (60k mile war, 500/AA/A)
- BFGoodrich Traction T/A H (60k mile war, 440/AA/A)
- Dunlop SP Sport A2 Plus (50k mile war, 460/AA/A)
- Kumho ECSTA HP4 714/716 (50k mile war, 360/A/A)

NEED:
- Good handling, decent treadwear (lots of long distance driving)
- Snow traction (not bothering with dedicated snows)
- Reasonable ride/comfort

Snow traction rules out Potenza RE950's and Sumitomo SRIXON4 which I was also looking at. Those have gotten pretty cruddy reviews for snow traction on TireRack.com. The thing I didn't like about my Dunlops the most was the quick wearing tread. The "Plus" version they have out now is supposedly better in treadwear so I'm considering it again. Kumhos are the cheapest but the lowest treadwear. I'd probably need to replace them again before selling the car, so that would suck, but they supposedly have the best ride.

Thoughts?

southeast_first

iTrader: (3)

the yokohama's are excellent. i have about 6000 miles on mine and i don't have any complaints. i can't vouch for their ability in the snow, but they've served just fine in all kinds of florida weather.

LeX

iTrader: (14)

i have the BF Goodrich's . Great grip. Haven't had them on long enough to say much more but they do great in the wet

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

there's a tire forum

Mr.Duck

iTrader: (8)

yea! and your a moderator right? shame on you! hehe im just playing around

i actually dont have any experience with anyof these, im still on the stock tires...

SteVTEC

slizan99

iTrader: (1)

Kuhmo Ecsta ASX 420/AA/A only a 30,000 mile tread life warranty, but an ultra high performance all season tire.


I had them on my Maxima, now I have them on my Subaru. they're an excellent tire for the money.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

SteVTEC

^ at that rate I'd need to get tires again by winter.

Bobo

I have a 95SE, 5-speed, and I'm in need of tires in about 5 or 6K. I have been leaning towards either the BF Goodrich Traction TAs (H) or the Yokohama Avid H4S. However, you now have me wondering about the V4S. Which would last longer the H4S or the V4S or would it be a tossup?

The Traction TA in a H-rating seems to be a better bet than in the V-series from what I can glean from the tirerack survey.

Snow and ice isn't particularly a consideration for me, but rain certainly is.

The BF Goodrich Traction TAs are superior in traction under all weather conditions and are superior in cornering/handling, whereas the Yokohamas outperform in road noise and comfort ratings.

For me, its practically a tossup but I never considered the Yokohama Avid V4S until now, just the H-rated.

Of these 4 tires which would likely last the longest: Traction TA - H or V, Avid H4S or V4S?

SteVTEC

Well it was easy for me, because the H4S isn't available in my 215/55/R16 size, only the V4S was. If your 95 has the 15" wheels (205/65/R15 I think) then you can get either. I thought I read somewhere that higher speed rated tires aren't as good in the winter due to being more heat resistant for the higher speeds. So they don't work as good in colder temperatures. Not sure how true that is, but I'm never going to be going anywhere close to even 130 mph, so 149 V-rated would be a waste, along with having to deal with whatever drawbacks there are.

With that in mind, decided on the BFG's - getting them on tomorrow morning. Similar ride and noise levels as my Dunlops, but slightly better handling, and hopefully better treadwear. Since they're uni-directional, hopefully they'll be a lot better in the wet too.

Edit: That reminds me. Way back when I got this car (used) it had I think the factory Toyo Proxes in the back, and Dunlop SP Sport W10's up front. I assume they were W-rated (168 mph). The Dunlops were great in dry and wet, but absolutely useless in the snow. I made sure the Toyos were up front in the winter at all times and then rotated back and forth to keep it even during spring, summer and fall. Not sure if that means anything, but just a general observation.

TIRE.PRO

To Your Question, The Dunlop SP A2 Sport was the original Dunlop tire with a 50,000 mile warranty. Dunlop has discontinued this tire due to not bad traction or benefits of performance but short on mileage. The new Dunlop Sport A2 Plus not only has a jointless nylon overlay (great for ride disturbance issues) but has additional reinforced plys for the reinforced traction and extended mileage (50,000 miles). I recommend you call 800)321-2136 Goodyear/Dunlop/Kelly customer service. To set-up appointment to check your tires at a local retailer for mileage warranty proration (credit for unused mileage) it's worth to you for new tire purchase.
TIRE.PRO

TIRE.PRO

SteVTEC,
If your looking for triple zone traction and an all around great mileage warranty you can't beat the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread available in an upgraded 225/50R16 with an incredible 80,000 mile warranty check www.goodyear.com for additional info. I have personally test driven this particular tire in a Test And Drive at Sebring, Florida Raceway. Against the Michelin,Toyo,Bridgestone and even the Kumho and nothing held on to the wet 90 degree pit turn like the Tripletread. By the way I was driving a Mercedes CLK Class (stock) but fun.
Later Guy

Bobo

My tires are 215-60R-15 as my 95 Maxima is an SE. I could find the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred in this size on the site provided above. However, I could not find them in 215-55R-16 for your car SteVTEC, nor could I find them for either car on Tirerack. The Goodyear site had a Assurance Comfort Tred in 215-55R-16. I may inquire more at a Goodyear dealer. Absent that I think I am back to the tossup between the BF Goodrich Traction TA (H-rated) and the Yokohama Avid H4S. Apart from what I stated about each tire above and given that snow and ice isn't a consideration, I like the fact that the Yokohama tires are 4 pounds lighter (each) than the BF Goodrich.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

I don't know about the Dunlop A2 Plus directly, but had their precursor D60 A2s on a Civic once and they were horrid on snow. Those were considerably worse than the RE92 OEMs on the Civic, and that is pretty bad.

Bobo

I did some more research on Tirerack. Both the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred and Comfor Tred are passenger all-seasons, not high-performance all-seasons. The Triple Tred is only T-rated, but the Comfor Tred is H-rated. They both seem to perform quite well in ice and snow, but both are more costly than either the Traction TAs or Avids. The Triple Tred rated higher in all categories on the survey than the Traction TAs and the Comfor Tred rated higher in most categories. However, these ratings are based on drivers' tastes for high-performance and passenger all-season tires, respectively.

I wouldn't buy a T-rated tire. So I am back to where I started - a coin-toss, lol!

SteVTEC

You do NOT want to put standard passenger all-season tires like Goodyear ComforTred or TirpleTreds on a car that comes with and is designed for high performance all-season tires like the Maxima.

You could probably get away with it if you drive like a granny and take 25 mph curves in a 45 mph zone at 25 mph or less (instead of ripping through them at a full 45 mph). But beyond that, forget it. I still wouldn't recommend a tire like that because if you make an emergency maneuver you may avoid whatever you were trying to miss, but the car could get so unsettled from the floppy sidewalls swaying back and forth that you could easily lose control of the car and wreck anyways. The factory suspension expects a certain amount of sidewall stiffness to function properly as a system, and with that type of tire it just won't have it.

For a softer more comfy tire on this car you could probably get away with a Grand Touring all-season (the Kumho Ecsta HP4 is actually a GTAS tire that's almost up to HPAS level which is why I was considering it), but I wouldn't go all the way down to a regular all-season.

BTW, beware of tirerack user reviews, especially when a tire is BRAND new. It's skewed on the very positive side because obviously when you get a tire it'll perform at its best compared to the old worn tires. And don't be fooled either. The best regular passenger all-season tires will not hold a candle to even the worst ranked HPAS tire when it comes to handling. People are obviously ranking things with vastly different standards and criterias and cars.

Bobo

Well said, SteVTEC! Basically that's what I was getting at. Please provide an update of your impressions of the BF Goodrich Traction TA tires. I am particularly interested in hearing what your impressions are of road noise and comfort. I have seen some comments on Tirerack that they adversely affect fuel economy, but I have seen similar comments on umpteen tires. I suspect people have a tendency to drive a little faster on new tires then when they were pushing the envelope with worn-out tires.

I live at sea level on the west coast of British Columbia and we have mild winters here. My car has seldom been exposed to ice and snow and I don't drive the car to Whistler to go skiing. I have another daily driver.

Where do you live that would cause ice and snow to be a factor?

SteVTEC

In my view snow driving is 33% car, 33% tire type, and 33% driver. So if you have an AWD SUV with snow tires but you're brain dead, you can still wreck. A Civic is so light that unless you have extremely skinny tires, they just won't have the ground pressure to cut through snow and slush. I saw lots of Civics having trouble in bad weather. 4th gen Maximas aren't too hot either. It only weighs 3000-3100 lbs and the SE has 215 tires. My Accord was much better - 3300 lbs and only 205 tires, and it actually had traction control.

But yeah, the Dunlops definitely weren't the best in snow. But I still managed to get through the winter and a few bad storms with them >80% worn. I made up for the poor car setup (for snow) and the not-the-greatest tires with driver skill. I actually know how to drive in the snow so I can get by with less.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

So, since 67% of the variables stayed constant (i.e., the Civic and me), I can honestly state that it was the other 33%... Those tires were much worse in snow than the OEM RE92s (both sets were the same size too, 195/60R15 IIRC).

SteVTEC

I live in both Minnesota and Illinois and go back and forth a lot, so lots of highway miles over the bumpy roads out here, including snow and slush. It snows enough that it might be worth it to get dedicated snow tires, but with all the highway driving I do they'd just get burned up in a hurry. Plowing is pretty good out here anyways.

Yeah I'm going to keep an eye out for the ride and noise too. I wanted to improve on the Dunlops but the BFG's actually go in the opposite direction. For a smooth riding and quiet HPAS tire, it doesn't get much better than the Dunlops. But they wear out fast and wet traction is pretty bad once worn so those were out. Even if the "Plus" version does give better tread life, it's still the same tread pattern so it'd still run into the same problem once worn. I think this particular car just really needs a uni-directional tread for good wet traction. In 70k miles since I've gotten the car, the only tires I've had on this car that had pretty good wet traction even worn were the Dunlop SP Sport W10s, which were uni-directional. So no non-directionals this time around. That dropped the A2's and the Kumho off the list and left the BFG and Yoko.

Between those two, the Yoko is supposed to ride a litte better, but the BFG is supposed to be a bit quieter, so about the same. Dry handling is about the same, but the BFG(H) handles WAY better than the V4S(V) does in the wet. (they don't make an H4S in my size so I had to cross compare). All of these tires handle good enough for me in the dry. It's lost performance in the wet that I'm mostly concerned about. With VQ torque + short gearing and relatively wide tires vs the light weight, this car needs all the help it can get with wet traction, and we get a good bit of rain in Illinois. I just got used to starting in 2nd gear in the wet with my SP A2's, lol. So wet traction is where the BFG won me over vs the Yoko. The Yokos were pretty bad in the testing (pay no attention to user reviews). The BFGs did nearly as good in the wet as the RE950's which are supposed to be an EXCELLENT tire except for snow traction (which ruled that out for me).

So that sealed the deal on BFGs for me, along with the 60k treadwear warranty. At 113k miles, hopefully these will be the last tires I have to put on the car. And hopefully I'll be able to use 1st gear when it rains now.

Bobo

Well, given I live on the "wet" coast of British Columbia where we have a pretty healthy monsoon season from late October to April, punctuated by the occasional period of high pressure in between I may opt for the BF Goodrich Traction TA. Ice and snow would be a bigger consideration if I lived 200 miles or so inland where its colder or if I drove to Whistler.

Costco had the BFGs on sale until May 15th, but I'm still good for another 5 or 6K which should take me to the fall/winter and hopefully another sale.

I'm still running the original OEM Goodyear Eagle RSAs on stock 15" sawblades as I am a died-in-the-wool 4x4 er, lol!

SteVTEC

If you want a very good tire especially for wet conditions and don't have to deal with snow, consider the Bridgestone Potenza RE950. It's ranked #6 overall in the TireRack HPAS charts, and that's pretty damn good considering it has 16 million miles worth of reviews. It's a well-proven tire. The only thing is that it's on the pricey side and only a 40k mile treadwear warranty.

The BFG and Yokos are #1 & 2, but with only around 1 million miles of reviews apiece they're more on the unknown side. They could wear like crap and totally tank in the ratings over time. The way I read those charts is if a tire has TONS of miles of reviews (> 10 million) and it still does pretty good in the ratings, then it's a sign that it's a good tire. The ones with low miles of reviews are too heavily weighted on "they're teh best!!!" initial reports and skewed higher. I bought the BFG's, but not because they're ranked #1 or 2 on those charts. So we'll see. Can't wait for it to rain.

Bobo

A 4th Gen owner, in our local chapter, has the Traction TAs and quite likes them. However, I've never been in his car. I have also talked to 3 or 4 local tire shops who are quite high on them and one in particular likes them over the Yokohama H4S and sells both. Granted the Traction TAs have only been on the market for a year or so.

I suspect the effects on acceleration of the Traction TA being a 4lb. heavier tire would be practically imperceptible.

If I drove an autotragic GLE I might consider the RE950, but I have an SE, 5-speed. I have added a FSTB and am contemplating an RSB after I get new tires. I like to go faster than the posted speed limit through some corners when I drive the Whistler higway in fair weather or head into the Interior of BC in the summer and I think the Traction TAs would outperform the RE950 in those conditions.

SteVTEC

Sounds like the BFG's might be for you then. So far I don't have any complaints, but I just got them today. Subscribe to this thread and I'll bump it in a few weeks after I have some mileage on them, or just send me a PM.

A 4lb difference would be subtle and just "barely" noticeable. Using the 8:1 rule, that would "feel like" 128 lbs of static weight. Yup, my wife + some groceries - I can just barely feel that. If you're fighting for every last tenth at the track then get the lighter one. I wouldn't get the Yokos though because the TR test results showed them to be much worse in the wet than the BFGs or 950s.

BigFly_2K2SE

iTrader: (1)

SteVTEC, is there any reason you didn't consider the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Vs??

SteVTEC

They don't come in 215/55R16. I'd have to plus-0 to 225/50. Plus the LS-V's don't have a treadwear warranty. The LS-H comes in the right size (and has a 50k treadwear warranty), but I wouldn't have bought it anyways. It's $50 more per tire than the Kumhos (both are GTAS tires) and even if it is better than the Kumhos, I doubt it's $50 per tire better.

TIRE.PRO

SteVTEC,
Don't sell yourself short. Your misinformed or just not read the information right. 225/50R16
The Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread has 80,000 mile warranty
H Speed Rated (139 MPH) continuous speed
Sidewall Duraply Rim Flange Protection (for accidental curb damage)
Not to mention triple all traction ice,wet,dry zones
Even 30 Day test drive on tires/you don't like them take them back
www.goodyeartire.com
If your not sold then try the Eagle F1 GS-D3 Y Speed Rated (179 MPH)
continuous speed. Can you feel it!!!!!
If you got the game then try Dunlop Sport Maxx
Available in 215/55R16 & 225/50R16
www.dunloptire.com
Don't forget to check your local Goodyear & Dunlop Retailer for proration credit on your old Dunlop Sport A2 tires or call 800)321-2136
That's right BE LIKE NIKE AND JUST DO IT!!!!

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

TIRE.PRO since you seem to somehow know so much about Goodyear, can you answer this? Why are the RSAs on the current Maxima so horrific? EVERYONE is getting sidewall splits. I did w/in 7500 miles and they were finally bad enough at 10k miles for Goodyear to break down and give me any tire I wanted for replacement.

MSRP is about $250 and they are only High Perf. All Season. My only choice (no other ultra all season w/in the co.) was Dunlop SP5000: ULTRA High Perf. All Seas. with a higher speed rating. Yet they retail roughly $100 less than the RSA. So you think GY gave Nissan and unheard of low bid on these crap tires to sell them? I mean their price is close to Pilot A/S and P-Zero Nero M+S yet ratings by consumers are shameful.

Bobo

Despite the constant flaming the Goodyear Eagle RSAs have been subjected to on the .org, I must confess I'm still running them at 58,400 miles and they've been on the car for going on 11 years. The only bad experience I had was the sidewall blew out of one a couple of years or so ago.

I find they wear like iron, but the new ones aren't necessarily the same quality as what they used to make.

SteVTEC

I just explained to you precisely why the tires you're recommending would be horrible on a Maxima SE and the only thing you can do is call me "misinformed" and then repeat info from the brochure. Lame. And the last time I checked, H-rated tires were 130 mph. 15 years in the auto (tire) industry and you don't even know that?? I'd have to assume you "missed" the 0 and hit 9 instead because nobody could be that stupid.

As for your Goodyear Assurance Comfortred Tripletread whatevertred tires....








ALREADY HAD THEM ON THE DAMNED CAR AND THEY SUCKED NO THANK YOU!!

I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/stevte.../goodyear1.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/stevte.../goodyear2.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/stevte.../goodyear3.jpg

So the story goes...

Despite being a co-admin here at Maxima.org I haven't really been active in months due to being incredibly involved at work and also due to all of my travel between IL and MN. My Dunlops were bald, 1st and 2nd gears were useless whenever it rained, that's how bad they were. I was in Sears one day and the Goodyears caught my eyes. Figured the long treadlife and "comfortred" would be good for all of the highway driving I do and smooth the rough ride out. They were expensive as hell at Sears though so no thanks. A week later when it was also raining I nearly rear-ended somebody because I couldn't stop on the bald Dunlops. THAT day I went online, saw Tire Rack had the Goodyears I saw the week earlier for like $40/tire cheaper and just ordered them. I knew I didn't want Dunlops again, but didn't know what else to try and frankly didn't have the time to research either. But I saw the 30 day test drive and figured what the hell.

Ordered the tires on a Tuesday, they were here Wednesday, and on a Saturday they were on the car. Took them for a test drive and got on the highway. Yep, very niiiiiice and smooth ride and very quiet, that's for sure. After a few miles I hit the brakes to make a u-turn and that's when I noticed that "something wasn't quite right". Hmmm.... there was some gravel in the u-turn area so maybe it was that, or so I thought. Well, off to some local roads for twisty driving.

HOLY SHXXXT!!!! Houston, we have a problem. These things are MARSHMALLOWS

I took a turn that I can normally take at 55 mph in the Dunlops without breaking a sweat. I took the same turn at only 45 mph in the Goodyear Assurance ComforTreds and nearly wrecked! I turned the wheel and nothing happened. The next thing I know I still wasn't turning but the front-end dipped. That was from the FLIMSY standard all-season sidewalls flopping over on their sides. That upset the balance of the car, but THEN after that the car finally started to turn. Next the back followed, but not in the usual fashion. Instead of keeping the car cornering flat, the ComforTreds on the back ALSO flopped over on their sidewalls and shifted the weight around too and THEN turned. It was the UGLIEST turn ever. The whole car got out of shape and the steering response was flat out LOUSY!

It goes like this...

1) Turn wheel.
2) Pause (nothing happens)
3) Front end dips as sidewalls flop over upsetting balance.
4) As sidewalls stop giving (and they give quite a lot), car FINALLY starts to turn.
5) Pause.
6) the whole back end shifts as the rear sidwalls flop over on their sides
7) after getting squirly, back end starts following the turn.

Mid-turn the car is pure mush, and if you exit the turn abruptly the whole car sways back and forth like you're on a friggin boat! Emergency maneuvers? I tired it on an empty and wide stretch of road. Holy hell what a mess. The Dunlops I could jerk over to the adjacent lane and the car would remain perfectly composed. The ComforTreds, like I said, even if you avoid what you were trying to miss, they could cause a MAXIMA SE to get so out of shape that you might lose control of the car and wreck anyways!!

So I went to my MN home going the speed limit and nothing more because I knew these were pure marshmallows with horrid steering response that were going all over the road. I got on Tire Rack.com and only then did I realize my mistake that these were standard passenger all-season tires and not high-performance all season that the Maxima SE was designed for!

It was too late to do anything that weekend since I had to go back to IL so I put up with them for a few days, this time did my damned homework, and finally got the BFGoodrich Traction T/A's on yesterday which are the proper tire type for this car and they are MUCH better. Handling is secure, cornering is flat, steering response is where it should be, and they don't flop all over the god damn place. Your beloved Goodyears are getting RMA stickers put on them as we speak, and they're also sitting by the door so that I can load them in my car tomorrow morning and drop their sorry butts off at UPS to go back to Tire Rack.

Thank GOD for the 30 day test drive!

So not only have I given you, a 15 year professional in the "auto industry", an in-depth explanation as to why you would not want to put these Buick Century tires on a Maxima SE, but I have also given you MY personal experience with them also on a MAXIMA SE (this is Maxima.org afterall). Maybe they're okay in lower profiles where the sidewall is actually stiff enough to give some responsiveness, but at least in 55 series they FLAT OUT SUCK ON THIS CAR. Geez, and that was with just me in the car. Now imagine if you have passengers!

Yeah, I'm "misinformed" and "selling myself short." ROFLMAO.


Oh yeah that makes sense. If the floppy Buick Century tires aren't good enough then just get a Max Performance Summer Only tire which would be more appropriate on a Corvette. Funny how you didn't mention the Goodyear Eagle RS-A or the GT-HR, both of which are actually the proper class of tire for this car.

Oh that was original. Here's one... How bout you make like a tree and "leave".


Again, the Assurance ComforTred/TripleTred tires are FINE if you drive as one would expect a retiree in a Buick Century to drive. But they are NOT appropriate on and are FAR out of OE spec for a MAXIMA SE. The car will not handle properly and they are UNSAFE. Period.


Good intentioned or not, honestly trying to help or not, working for Goodyear or not, your advice stinks.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Damn. When Stev owns, HE OWNS WITH AUTHORITY!!!!!!!!!! Damn, we should archive this thread

Bobo

SteVTEC's da man! You certainly know how to mince your words. I'd like to know how you really feel, lol! I have visions of smoke coming out of your ears as you were pounding the keyboard.

I'll stay tuned to your rainy-day impressions of the Traction TAs.

Make like a tree and leave, LMFAO - I haven't heard that one for years! I guess its slightly more subtle than don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

durnit. no you scared him away. How could (dare) he respond to a post like that? Now I won't find out fron a "Pro" why my oem suck.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

These were EXACTLY my complaints on the overly hyped Falken Ziex ZE-512s.

We should archive or at least sticky this thread!

SteVTEC

Hey "TIRE.PRO", are you going to reply to this thread like a man or not? You're whoring up every other thread here except this one. Why is that?

Bobo

Obviously you've intimidated him SteVTEC and he's lowered himself to hurling insults at you and questioning your intelligence. Don't let him bother you. He obviously doesn't own a Maxima, may never have driven one, and keeps on recommending tires better suited for an Oldsmobile Alero.

SteVTEC

Anyways, it rained today! Not much, just a brief isolated thunder storm and it was gone as quick as it came. But I ran outside and took the Max with the Traction T/A's out for a spin. It's not really fair to compare bald Dunlops to new tires, and there really wasn't a lot of water on the ground, but my car is usable in the wet again!

Pulling away from a light in 1st, I could get on it pretty hard and it held traction. WOT it would still light them up though, but I wasn't expecting anything different. I also did some fast lane changes on a 3 lane (in each direction) empty road. Very secure feeling, almost like it was dry. In defense of the Dunlops, they still maintained good wet cornering even when worn too, it was just wet straight acceleration that they were completely horrible and useless at after about maybe 15k miles. So if the treadlife on the SP Sport A2 "Plus" is better, it would be 20-25k miles until they're useless in the wet.

I think the BFGs are definitely a bit firmer feeling than the Dunlops as reported in the Tire Rack data, but not by much. They do feel a bit squishier in turns and steering response than the Dunlops too, but again that's new BFGs with full tread (more flex) vs worn Dunlops with almost nothing on them.

This really wasn't a good wet test, but they felt damn good so far. I think the uni-directional tread pattern will really help. Can't comment on noise yet either, but I know exactly where I can test them. There's a stretch of Interstate west of Madison, WI where the Dunlops would wail and the Goodyear ComforTreds were silent. So I'll test them out there.

SteVTEC

from the other thread...

When it comes down to those two and you mentioned you have a lot of wet weather to deal with, I'd definitely go with the BFGoodrich. If you look at the detailed test report on TireRack, the BFGs were clearly superior to the Yokos in the wet. The Yokos were even worse than the baseline Goodyear Eagle RS-As, and worse than the SP Sport A2. If the difference is that clear when new, it's only going to get worse as they wear. The tread pattern on the Yokos just doesn't seem to do too well in the wet. Consumer Reports also tested the previous version of these tires, the H4 (no S), and they were rated poor in the wet also. I don't think the little bit of extra ride comfort the Yokos gives you makes up for all of their other rather significant drawbacks.

I know the TR user reviews rate the Yoko H4S practically the same as the BFGs, but there's a lot of noise and skewing in those initial low mileage surveys. I think I know how and why some of the tires are skewed in the surveys, but you'll have to send me a PM if you want to hear more.

Bobo

I've settled on the BF Goodrich Traction TAs. I just threw the Yokohama name out to let the TIRE.WHO know that I've had considered two tires already, but not the 2 he most recently mentioned.

Both of the above tires outrate the Goodyear Eagle RSAs I been subjected to for going on 11 years, so it will be interesting to see what the Traction TAs are like. Then I'll probably buy a RSB to complement my FSTB.

I'll stay tuned for furthe impressions of your new tires.

TIRE.PRO

What type of tires did you replace them with? Very important then I'll answer your query.