whitemax21

I posted this in the tire section, but I thought I would have better luck posting here also.

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.

MadMaxNH

iTrader: (1)

Toyo Proxes 4 or Toyo TPTs. While it is very true that these tires aren't the best in snow I am sure they are more than fine to handle your KY winters. Just stay off the brakes and remember gas to save your ***. Point the tires and mat it.

Dry weather handling on either of those tires should blow your gourd. As in the Toyos. I have never dealt with Yokos but I have a buddy that went from Michelin Pilots on his 97 Max and changed to my used Toyo TPTs on my stock 17s. I had just got the T1s. Not only does he hands down swear by their traction and grip he tried to burn the tires up before winter and he is pissed off that there is plenty of tread for another go in the summer. Also in wet weather the siping on the Toyos is great. I barely change the way I drive in wet weather. Collected water might make me slow down but hard rain I just rip it.

jjj

gosh, when I asked this question here last week, some losers had a **** fit and whined about it not being in the right section.

Anyway, I got yokahama avid v4s for $108 each free shipping on all in stock tires--best price i found. they seem like good tires too!

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...85&rd=17&ar=50

AustinTrophy

I've got about 6,000 miles on my Avon Tech M500's that I got from TireRack and I love them. Great grip in both wet and dry, quiet comfortable ride...waaaaaay better than the OEM Bridgestones. They also make an M550 A/S all season tire. Here's the link: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ech+M550+A%2FS

SuperStock03

I just put the Avon M550 A/S about 600 miles ago and absolutely love them. They were $133 each with shipping. It should be a little cheaper on shipping if you buy them all at once. I got mine one at a time.

bvenvert

I just put new rubber on my 03 Max and went with the Kumho ASX, All Season Xtreme, on my stock TE 17" wheels. I couldn't be happier. I went to a 235 width instead of the 225 OEM size just for a little extra rubber on the road. These tires handle great and are smooth and quiet at highway speeds and beyond. Great wet wheather traction but not much help in the snow. I dropped $112.00 each from Discount Tire, but they had to order them from Kumho. I have logged about 2K miles in the last 6 weeks and they are holding up nicely. They are rated at 50K miles, so I hope I get most of that out of them. At this point, I would buy them again and in general they got great reviews from a variety of car owners on tirerack's site.

Bezzle01

^^^ I had Khumo ASXs on my last car(mazda3 2.3 5spd). Replaced my goodyear RS-As and it was a huge difference. I'de definatly go Khumo again. Cheap and great performance.

Tennisjon2002

yes! great tires, have them on the TL and love them. Without a doubt get the Avons

whitemax21

I have read, seems like on tire rack, that once these tires get some mileage on them(10,000 +) they seem to get noisy. Anyone have 10,000 miles+ on their avons?

whitemax21

I also had another question. Is it recommended to stay with the stock tire size or would they hold up just the same if I changed? I have read that some people are using 235/45/17. Since I am on stock springs, I wouldn't want to increase the fender gap. Is it possible to go to 55's instead, and, perhaps get a more comfortable ride. I have heard that more sidewall=softer ride. Just curious what options are available for the stock 17" rims without causing possible damage. Thanks again for the replies.

dansmax2003

iTrader: (7)

This is the wrong forum/section, but oh well....

I had Avon's 500 for 10k miles+ .... they were very nice in dry and wet but they are HEAVY tires. Very heavy. 30lbs each. This DOES make a difference.

I had Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ($195/each) - did not like them because of NOISE and so-so wet traction

I had Falken 512s - they felt cheap. Never buy them again.

Currently, i have Bridgestone Turanza LS-V. Love them. I Put 3k+ miles on them and so far they are GREAT in wet and dry. Very quiet. Very smooth and very easy to control tires. A lot of comfort.
I paid $149 each. They are worth the money and they will last a long time.

03maxima1

iTrader: (13)

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

Dust N Bones

iTrader: (1)

You can read tire reviews from users on tirerack.com. Also with the size of tires used for the 17" wheels on Maxima's you won't find a tire that is really good in the snow unless you get a dedicated snow tire. Although you should be fine if you only get 2"-3" of snow.

I used Yokohama's for a while and they were nice and quiet but I did have the hydroplaning problem at highway speeds in heavy rain.

whitemax21

Thanks for your input. I have checked out tirerack.com and everywhere else I can think of and I'm just not sure which tire I would be willing to take my chances on. I also have a 97 max with BF Goodrich T/A's. They don't offer that tire in the 225/50/17. Has anyone used a 225/55/17? Just curious if it would be safe. Seems like the ride would be more comfortable with the increased sidewall.

jafo2com

Couple of things regarding the Avon tires (or tyres):

* Read up on any reviews offered at Consumer Reports as CR offers unbiased scientific reviews
* Disregard most reviews at TireRack as they mostly only offer passionate responses based mostly on first time impressions from the general consumer who for the most part have not done any formal testing
* Avon M500's - Summer tire
* Avon M550's - All Season
* Again, base your opinion on reviews from CR, not TR

That said, here is my little tidbit on M550's (which can also be seen in other A/S responses of mine). I'm at around 6-7k miles on them and have now experienced them in all weather conditions. Snowfall amounts were only two times at 5" and 1". Imho these tires should NOT be considered all-season. In dry and wet conditions, they are quite admirable. In snow they are like driving with slicks on ice. I know that is an exaggeration, but if you look at the grooves in the tread you will notice that the tires tend to not release the snow once it is packed in, resulting in a slick-style tire. Were they worth the money spent? Most definitely, as they are much better than the stock Potenzas (and much cheaper as a replacement), and for the fact that I rarely have to deal with driving in snow.

Note: The reason I am trying emphasize reading the CR reviews as opposed to those over at TR (and even here for that matter) is because I didn't, and have been kicking myself ever since.

Note#2: Imho there are several variations on snowfall, and tires act different to each accordingly. I would say you have wet which can easily be compacted (ie perfect for snowballs), dry which is more flakey (falls apart as you try to make a snowball), and ice can be on the bottom or top or throughout (ie via compression). So just as an fyi and more accurate driving comparison, the snow I experienced both times above would be considered wet as the initial fall and eventually formed up to icey patches in the areas where it didn't melt away during the day. Hope that helps clarify my snow driving experience some.

Oh yeah, one more time: Base your opinions off of reviews at Consumer Reports, not TireRack.

Bones45

I agree with the Turanza LSV's

Costco--$149----

grateful1

iTrader: (1)

Ditto on the LS-Vs. Great tire, great ride, great price from Costco.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

Can you comment on the sidewall stiffness of these tires??

Thanks,
gr