ok i posted this in tire section but i wanted the Mid-A's opinion too..seeing how others might not know our plight of horrid unpredictable weather here lol :

OK, i have in mind these tires so far from tire rack:

Bridgestone RE050A Pole position - $656 (price for 4)

Bridgestone RE01-R - $758

Eagle F1 GS-D3 - $672

Dunlop Direzza star spec -$564

now, I hear good things about the RE01-R's but the price compared to the new dunlops is staggering..and apparently the dunlops are great too and some vouch its even better than the RE01-R's. at that price they might be right lol but seriously all ive driven on my MY06 has been the stock original RE050's it came with. ( this is the first time im getting new tires for the car smile.gif ) maybe you arent but im excited lol.

ok lets say i dont get the max performance ones..and go choose between the RE050A PP's and the Eagle F1's. which one is better in your opinions? ive had a set of the Eage F1s on another car previously and loved them. also the PS2's but theyre crazy expensive IMO.

so i guess im looking for 2 opinions in the end. 1st is whats best overall between all 4 of them, and 2nd if it was between the:

Bridgestone RE01-R vs. dunlop star specs.
and
Bridgestone RE050A PP's vs. Eagle F1's.

Right now i think the dunlops are coming on top with price and just performance i hear about it. i think the tread pattern is a bit weird looking lol (thats just opinion aesthetic opinion though) tongue.gif

**** oh yeah, i have the swift front sway bar and spoon X brace in my car, do you think going to 225/45's in the front would be better or worse than the 215/45 stock size? opinions! please!


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HOLY CRAP I JUST REALIZED I FINALLY HAVE A MID A BADGE! omg..finally the day has come *praise the heavens* lol

 

Sumitomo HTR ZIII

They outperform the RE050A PP's in TireRack's test and that's why I bought them. The grip is phenomenal and I absolutely love them.

I would go with 225/255 because of the sway bar.

It'll cost you $398 for all 4

 

Starting on April 15th, there will be a $100 MIR on the RE050A PP's, but not on the RE01-Rs.

There's currently a $50 MIR on the Direzza Z1 Star Specs, I just bought them and they're arriving today. If the original Z1s are any indication of the Star Spec's performance (and they should be considering the only difference is the compound has been reformulated for optimal grip with a higher temperature range, in other words, it reaches optimal temperature quicker), they should be almost as good if not better then the RE01-Rs in the dry and better overall in the wet. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/chartD...ay.jsp?ttid=100

Personally I chose the 215/255 to try to keep as close are possible to the stock stagger, but the sway bar may make you choose differently.

The HTR Z III's are also supposed to be very good, and would be a great choice for the money I think.

 

I looked into the Sumitomo's..they look great and theyre cheap. I dont mind paying more as long as i believe its a better tire. i think so far how it seems , ive narrowed it down between 3 tires. the Dunlop direzza star spec, the Goodyear Eagle F1's GS-D3, and the Sumitomo HTR ZIII. they are put up as following:

Sumitomo HTR ZIII - $398 (price for all 4) max performance

Eagle F1 GS-D3 - $672 max performance

Dunlop Direzza star spec -$564 (not including the $50 MIR or Ipod shuffle)
^------Extreme performance
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Tread Rating Tread Depth

Sumitomo: 300 10/32''

Eagle F1's: 280 11/32''

Dunlops 200 10/32''

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if you've had any of these tires on your wheels before please say something as to how well they handled in dry, wet, any slippage issues, confidence while driving in wet and dry/ and cornering, treadwear and how many miles you ticked before you had to replace fronts or rears. anything will help.


Also on another note. does anyone know whats up with the ASA AR2's on Tirerack? i really love those wheels but theres no info on them or pricing or specs..just says available in 17,18,and 19's.. if someone can give me more insight on those wheels it would be great too.ASA AR2's

 

I haven't gotten a chance to drive a car on the Star Specs yet but my friend switched from RE050A to RE01-R on his M3 and ther eis a bit of a difference. I really like the RE01-Rs but they're rather expensive.

OP: Have you looked at Kumho ECSTA MX at all? They're real grippy for street tires and people like to use them for ST class autocross (or did until the Neova came out). They're also rather cheap in price.