Tire Recommendations - 225/50/16 & 245/45/16

[ajmarton]

My 81 928S (manual) finally needs new tires - front and rear. I am in LA and Globe Tire has Bridgestone Potenza RE750s, Continental Contisportcontacts and Sumitomo HTR Z in both sizes. Installed w/tax the Bridgestones are $760 and the Sumitomos are around $540. The Conti's are $880. I am leaning toward the Bridgestones. Anyone have any comments /reviews or suggestions on another tire or tire shop with better prices. TIA Andrew

[Danglerb]

My car came with a nice set of Kumho Extsa tires on it, which seem fine so far with no issues. I tend to shop www.TireRack.com and look at their list of local installers.

A non snow tire, which should fit SoCal, the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 is well liked, and many are into the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. If you are a low mileage max performance driver, it isn't totally unreasonable to use a DOT approved racing tire, Kumho Ecsta V710, or a drag radial like the Nitto 555.

Something to consider is that not all brands and tires are easy to find in all 16" sizes, I see for example the D3 in 245/50/16, not 245/45/16.

*** What are you looking for in a tire?

[ajmarton]

The 928 does not get heavy usage but I like to go on spirited drives when I do take it out. Mostly freeway use. So I do not need a racing tire - just something that compliments the car when pushing 100.

[Danglerb]

81 with a US motor and stock wheels, I would run 225 on all four wheels, 245 only if you have the S4 8" rims on the back.

Watch out for noisy tires, or tread patterns that follow grooves in the road.

Kumho or Avon on the cheap end, D3 or Pilot on the high end.

RandyV does have a point though, going to a 17 or 18 wheel does look like the future, and its not real hard to find a set with decent tires for about the cost of the tires.

[ajmarton]

According to the sticker on the gas cap cover the recommended size is 225/50/16 is the recommended size all the way around. Is there a problem with 245/45/16 in the rears (what the PO had) and 225/50/16 in the fronts?

[Danglerb]

225 will have a bit better wet traction, 245 won't be available in all types of tires, and generally 245 presents no advantage on your car and your driving style and will cost a bit more.

245 fills more of the wheel well, some like that, but it isn't stock.

Noise, ride quality, tracking road grooves all I think will make more real difference for most normal drivers than tire width, except really wide tires on a wet road tend to hydroplane a lot more.

[rhjames]

Just make sure the tire you purchase is rated for the speed you want to run.

I run Toyo TR1 Proxes size 235/35/19 front and 315/25/19 rear.

They are a little noisy on concrete (dry), but perform very well in the rain for such wide tires--very little hydroplane.

The Toyo's are rated for near 200 MPH, although I probably would never get close to that.....

If you are looking at $800 plus for tires, I suggest you put some more $$$ with it and step up to 18's or 19's.

Carlos @ Wheel Dynamics (in LA) can help you with reasonable tire/wheel packages.

Good luck-----

[DanielDudley]

I would go with the Bridgestones over the Contis. I would skip the Sumis as well. Lots of people seem happy with Avons, and the Tire Rack seems to like to sell them as the tire of choice for 245/45/16.


I am very happy with the 16s on my OB, esp for the roads I drive. If I were still running an S4, I would look to go to 18s and 245s up front. They will carry the extra weight much better and give a much crisper response. 225/50s don't cut it on an S4 up front IMO, from personal experience.

I am running Dunlop Sport 8000s on some of my cars, and I really like them in hot weather. You can get them in 245s, but they are pricey and hard to find, not to mention old school cutting edge. I may switch to Avons when the time comes.

I think some of us should keep buying these tires just to ensure a continued production. I don't think the Avons will wear as well as the Bridgestones, esp at the rear, but I think they will be a beter responding tire, if a little less touring. LOL

[ajmarton]

Thanks for all the advice. I decided to go with the Bridgestones. I found a local shop that sold the set (225 / 245) for $550 plus tax. Not a bad deal. Here is the trick I stumbled across in the process of checking out tire reviews, etc. on www.tirerack.com - select an installer then call and see if they can match the tirerack price. I happen to call the installer to see if I could direct ship the tires and he asked what I was going to get and then matched the price (if you include shipping). There is the extra cost of tax but I did it anyway.

[DanielDudley]

Let us know how you like them.