Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Wheels & Tires Rate your tires ...

On the old ride, I'd rate my stock Firehawk GTA's as terrible in every category.

New ride:

OEM Regal Pacesetter's on 14" steelies = spin like nobody's business. They were quiet, comfortable, didn't stick to the road at all under stress, but they were very predictable. I liked 'em, they were comfy. Then somebody stole 'em from my buddy's house. Reckon they'll be real pissed when they try to put 'em on their Civic.

Yeah they steelies, but I keeps 'em clean.


Kumho Ecsta 711 Not Supra's, those are 712's; let's not get these two confused, k? 205/40/27 on my big rims. They handled well in dry or wet conditions. I think I ran 'em in the snow once, but that was just for fun. Hydro resistance is good. Cornering stability is good. These tires took a trip through Deal's Gap on a nice summer day and performed well. I can't rate these particular tires very high, however, due to their size. They were practcally rubber bands around the rims. No sidewall meant no comfort and loud highway noise. Had they been the correct size, 215/45, they would have been much better for me. They were fun though; and wore pretty well. I'd say I got about 11,000-13,000 miles out of 'em before they started falling apart; note: one did fall apart, but it was well worn out already. These are absolutely great tires; especially for the money. If I needed a set of tires right away and for cheap, these would be my new shoes.

No sidewall and the wheels are wider, but the very low profile caused the wheels to be mistaken for 18"s or larger on several occasions.



Kumho Ecsta ASX 225/45/17 current shoes. These tires are good (not high, but better than average) performance all season tires. They stick to wet roads almost as well as dry roads. These tires have seen Deal's Gap several times; most recently in dry weather, and once in a light rain. They hold the road very well; especially considering they are all season tires. The larger size (over my old Kumho's) makes them infinitly more quiet, comfortable, and stable. In a head to head comparison, I'd get the Ecsta 711 an advantage to the ASX in dry weather, but the other way 'round in the rain. These are smooth, comfortable, and they'll snap you around a corner if you make 'em. They give very good feedback as to their traction. I've driven other cars that'll either hold the road or skid; no in between, no feedback before they slip. The ASX get loud when they're under serious stress. When they do let go, they slide very smooth and predictable. No jerks in the steering wheel (other than the one behind it ), just a smooth slide until they can grip again. On top of all of this, these tires have a 420 treadwear rating. I've had them for 3-4,000 miles now (I think, I'll search back to be sure) and I've only rotated them once; because the fronts wear slightly faster than the rears. They are in very good shape; even after a weekend at Deal's Gap.

My current rubbers:



Hopefully my next set of tires in 195/70/13




Edit: Ok, I was way off, I've had these current tires for right on 10,000 miles.

Current tires:

Kumho Ecsta MX (225/45/17)
Good dry and wet grip, but the sidewalls are a little soft so turn in suffers a little. Treadwear and price are decent for a dedicated summer tire. Overall I've been happy with them and will likely buy another set.

Kumho Ecsta V700 (225/45/17)
Dry grip is good, but they overheat when run too long on hot days. OK in the damp but I wouldn't use them in standing water. They held up through 1 1/2 autox seasons before becoming heatcycled to death. I liked them as a first r-comp, but I'm looking to the 710 as a replacement provided the start making my size.

Continental ContiExtreme Contact (225/60/16)
Decent dry grip and good wet traction. Faired pretty good in the snow. I like them as a year round tire.

Hankook Ventus HRII M+S 215/45/17

Out of 5
Dry grip - 4.5
Dry Traction - 4.5
(Lack of)Road Noise - 5
Wear and Tear - 4 (lots o' tread left)
Curb Protection - 1
Wet Grip - 4
Wet Traction - 3.5
Hydroplane - rarely
Good for Winter - 2.5
Cost - 3.5


OVERALL : First Tire I've ever bought, glad I did, but wouldn't get it again to save my rims.

Has anyone had any luck with a good winter tire?
All season just doesnt cut it.

check tirerack fro blizzak ws-50's if you have the loot, if not go with the winterforce brand they're much cheaper, direction and very good! They hold a 20psi turbo rwd car down I think a tour will be ok.

compaired to my stock firehawk tires which i could smoke all the way down the street . these yokohamas will smoke but not anywhere in the same ball park off the firehawks.
the yokohama AVS ES100's have little if any smoke while roasting the tires, wheel hop is increased a lot. the yokohamas create 1/3 of the smoke i could cause with the firehawks.

the yokohamas are on another level of performance ! they will hang in the corners the firehawks will not.

firehawk- 215-50-16

yokohama- 225-45-16

Pirelli P-7000 Super Sports

235-25-ZR17

Very HARD tire. They suck when they are cold, but as soon as they warm up, REAL sticky. Awesome wet traction, very nice tread pattern. Has a concept like the goodyear Assurance. Very hard center channel for great wet and icy traction, very firm side walls, and unique tread pattern to part water quickly. Only drawback, I here they wear quickly. But, oh well.