Best Mid-Priced Tires

[jut703]

installed gt champiro sx2 sa car ko. so far ok naman tahimik din and sobra kapit. treadwear is 200 vs 140 na stock re05a na bridgestone. was supposed to get toyo drb pero mura yun champiro comparable daw sa potenza re11 sa performance. ganda din ng tread design laki ng treadblocks

Bro how are your GT Champiro SX2s?

I'm coming from Achilles 2233 and they're not very good for track use, but they're great for daily use.

I will only track the car about 2-3 times a year, and will drive it through 20,000 km of highways and provincial roads every year. No doubt the SX2 is a great track tire but I'm wondering how well it performs as a street tire.

Currently being offered 225/40R18 for 5.2k each (2014 mfg date). I don't mind the older tires since I'll definitely wear them out before 2020. If you know any shops that have stocks for my size, please let me know.


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[Egan101]

*jut703 - I have read from other sites that they use Achilles 123S for track use. Have you tried that? Anyway, you can opt for Federal 595EVO or the more aggressive 595RSR. I know a dealer in Sucat where you can get them at a discounted price. He also carries GT tires.

[jut703]

*jut703 - I have read from other sites that they use Achilles 123S for track use. Have you tried that? Anyway, you can opt for Federal 595EVO or the more aggressive 595RSR. I know a dealer in Sucat where you can get them at a discounted price. He also carries GT tires.

The 123S is great for a few laps on the track, but heats up easily and thus loses grip after a while. On the road, completely awful as it wears out very quickly. Most people use the GT SX2 nowadays for track use, or the cheaper Westlake RSR.

My concern is that the people who have them use them for low-mileage, high track-use cars. On the contrary, I use my car extensively on the highway and provincial roads, while I would only track it a few times a year.

I'm also thinking of the 595 Evo but it's just like the SX2 - a high-performance street tire with a 200 tread wear rating, so it might not do so well for daily use.

In any case, what's the name and number of the dealer in Sucat? I'll give them a call. Thanks! [emoji4]


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[Egan101]

*jut703 - Sent you in PM the contact details. I got my 595EVO from that dealer. He offered me 4.2k each for the 225/45/R17 tires I used on my old Accord.

How about the Kumho Ecsta XS KU36? A neighbor offered me (at a bargain) those tires after he used it for a month. It was so grippy but it only lasted just over a year on my old Accord.

[jut703]

*jut703 - Sent you in PM the contact details. I got my 595EVO from that dealer. He offered me 4.2k each for the 225/45/R17 tires I used on my old Accord.

How about the Kumho Ecsta XS KU36? A neighbor offered me (at a bargain) those tires after he used it for a month. It was so grippy but it only lasted just over a year on my old Accord.

How was the wear on your 595 Evo? It's a 280 UTQG tire but they say that the GT Champiro SX2 (200 UTQG) lasts longer even if it's a softer tire.

The KU36 even softer as it's a 140 UTQG tire. Am surprised you got a whole year out of them.





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[jut703]

I've narrowed my choices to two tires:

1. Yokohama A.Drive R1 - not to be confused with the pedestrian A.Drive (OEM for the Civic FD), the A.Drive R1 has a more aggressive tread pattern which supposedly makes it grippier. Still not a track tire, but at least it has a tread wear rating of 300 so it should last at least 30,000 km.



2. GT Champiro SX2 - the king of affordable track tires, it's a very grippy tire that's also durable, at least compared to all other tires with tread wear ratings of 200. However, even if it's durable compared to its competitors, I doubt it can last as long as a street tire like the R1.



Price is pretty close for the 2 tires, since I can get the Yokohama at a discount. So the question is - [b]Street tire or track tire?[b]


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[Egan101]

How was the wear on your 595 Evo? It's a 280 UTQG tire but they say that the GT Champiro SX2 (200 UTQG) lasts longer even if it's a softer tire.

The KU36 even softer as it's a 140 UTQG tire. Am surprised you got a whole year out of them.

I only used the 595EVO for 6 months before I sold my Accord. There was not much wear for the duration I have used it. It offers an ample amount of grip if used for a daily car. 30k KM will a good estimate for them unless you run them hard on a track.

I got about 15k km for the KU36 even though I got them used. The texture on its rubber is grainy, much like a fine sandpaper.

Choosing between the Yoko R1 or the GT SX2, the SX2 looks grippier. The SX2's thread pattern looks similar to the Potenza.

[jut703]

Choosing between the Yoko R1 or the GT SX2, the SX2 looks grippier. The SX2's thread pattern looks similar to the Potenza.

No doubt the SX2 is grippier. But my car is still first and foremost, a workhorse. So while I can get good track times with the SX2, I only track a few times a year. For the rest of the year, the SX2 wears out faster than the R1.

Whenever I'm on the track, my main objective isn't to be the fastest anyway - it's just to be faster than my previous time. Kinda unfair to shave 3 seconds off my time just because I used better tires, even without improving my skills.

This is why I'm leaning more towards the R1 for now. But I may be downplaying the SX2's durability too much, I don't know. Noone who uses them as daily tires racks up as many kilometers as I do, so I can't really tell. If it was a weekend car, no doubt the SX2 would be my first choice. But since it's a workhorse, I'm kinda iffy... [emoji53]


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[jut703]

Aww bad news, no more stock of the R1. Guess it's the SX2 then, hopefully it lasts!


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[Egan101]

Aww bad news, no more stock of the R1. Guess it's the SX2 then, hopefully it lasts!

If you're getting a set of 4, maybe your SX2 dealer will give a better discount. Nothing wrong in asking for a better deal. Hehehe

[lowslowbenz]

What's ok for size 17 rims?

265/70R17

Brand?

Preferably MT (Mud Terrain), or AT (All Terrain)

[jut703]

If you're getting a set of 4, maybe your SX2 dealer will give a better discount. Nothing wrong in asking for a better deal. Hehehe

My Yokohama dealer/friend is offering me the Blu Earth Ace AE50 instead. It's a pretty new tire so not much reviews about it.

But it's certainly no sporting tire. It's essentially the replacement for the C.Drive 2, which is more comfort oriented. Better handling than most other ordinary street tires, but of course not as good as the SX2.

Basically I'm faced with the choice of just forgoing any track day records by getting a good all-around tire, or going all out with a track tire that might not even last me a year of daily driving.


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[Wh1stl3r2]

What's ok for size 17 rims?

265/70R17

Brand?

Preferably MT (Mud Terrain), or AT (All Terrain)

Pirelli Scorpion ATR is my favorite all terrain tire. Quiet on the highway, grippy on and off road. Treadwear is fantastic. P rated sizes are very comfy.

BFG used to be good but I rarely see them anywhere now.

[Wh1stl3r2]

My Yokohama dealer/friend is offering me the Blu Earth Ace AE50 instead. It's a pretty new tire so not much reviews about it.

But it's certainly no sporting tire. It's essentially the replacement for the C.Drive 2, which is more comfort oriented. Better handling than most other ordinary street tires, but of course not as good as the SX2.

Basically I'm faced with the choice of just forgoing any track day records by getting a good all-around tire, or going all out with a track tire that might not even last me a year of daily driving.


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How about the S.drive jut? My cousin really likes it on his Altis. I'd also look at Toyo.

[vinj]

What's ok for size 17 rims?

265/70R17

Brand?

Preferably MT (Mud Terrain), or AT (All Terrain)

BF Goodrich

[jut703]

How about the S.drive jut? My cousin really likes it on his Altis. I'd also look at Toyo.

No more S.Drive stocks anymore. So it's either the BluEarth or the Neova AD08, which are certainly out of budget (16k each).

What particular Toyo model do you recommend bro?

Other alternative street tires I've looked at:

1. Kumho Ecsta KU39 - supposedly a sport performance tire (280 tread wear); wear is like a sporty tire but grip is not necessarily better than the regular tires. Reasonably priced at 5.6k each.

2. Federal 595 Evo - generally okay feedback, but longevity is awful and doesn't seem to be higher than the SX2, so might as well go full-track tire with the SX2. 260 treadwear. Some say it's not progressive at the limit. Cheap at 4.6k each.

3. Bridgestone Potenza RE003 - great tires but waaaay too pricey at 9k each. Durability not stellar but its a worthy tradeoff for the extra grip.

4. Achilles 2233 - my existing tires. Great longevity as it lasted 40,000 km of spirited driving. 400 tread wear rating but not really better than the usual street tire with 320TW. Not so great at the track, but livable. Really cheap at 3.3k each.

The BluEarth Ace seems to be an upgrade from the 2233, but definitely not as grippy as real sport performance tires, much less the track-oriented SX2.

Subjectively, I just consider the Yokies because they're from Japan. [emoji23][emoji627]


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[Wh1stl3r2]

I think they were Toyo DRB's. Can't vouch for them personally, but my cousin who is suffering from withdrawal from his big bike days only uses DRB's or Yoko S.drives. Too bad S.drive is out of stock.

Potenzas are really expensive. But they do have MY02 which should be cheaper. Sidewall seems soft for a "sporty" tire.

For the Taiwanese brands I only know Nankang NS2-r, but these are semi slicks only for dry track use. My friend's sponsored drifting team uses them.

I don't blame you for considering Japanese brands bro. They make some good tires. the Toyos should be cheaper than BS or Yoko. Dunlop I avoid like the plague, sidewalls are really soft and tread gets too many punctures.

[jut703]

I think they were Toyo DRB's. Can't vouch for them personally, but my cousin who is suffering from withdrawal from his big bike days only uses DRB's or Yoko S.drives. Too bad S.drive is out of stock.

Potenzas are really expensive. But they do have MY02 which should be cheaper. Sidewall seems soft for a "sporty" tire.

For the Taiwanese brands I only know Nankang NS2-r, but these are semi slicks only for dry track use. My friend's sponsored drifting team uses them.

I don't blame you for considering Japanese brands bro. They make some good tires. the Toyos should be cheaper than BS or Yoko. Dunlop I avoid like the plague, sidewalls are really soft and tread gets too many punctures.

I just checked, di pala out of stock, Yokohama PH really doesn't offer the S.Drive in 225/40 R18. The only 18" S.Drive they have is 255/35 which is way too wide for me. Other nice tires, like the Advan V105 and Advan Fleva, don't come in 225/40R18 too. [emoji22]

The Toyo DRB is more or less the same level as the BluEarth Ace AE50, one tier higher than the entry level (Toyo H08 and BluEarth AE01 respectively). Nowhere near track tires, but good enough for daily use with some spirited driving.

Thanks for the tip bro, will call some shops for pricing of Toyo tires tomorrow. The problem with tire shops is that they carry different brands so you really don't know what models are available. When I call, I just tell them to give me their entire catalogue of 225/40R18 tires. [emoji23]




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[Wh1stl3r2]

Your tires are big pala. I think that is already UHP territory. Yoko AE50 has good reviews in a UK site I saw. The local version might be different though. Other decently priced options could be Falken and Hankook.

Your post on your track day got me jealous. A back injury keeps me away from the fun stuff. Strictly touring tires for me now.

[jut703]

Bummer! I checked S&R Tire Center today and turns out they don't carry low profile tires for my size. Broad selection pa naman - Toyo DRB, Yoko BluEarth, Continental ContiComfort Contact, etc. All of them were in more pedestrian sizes.

Your tires are big pala. I think that is already UHP territory. Yoko AE50 has good reviews in a UK site I saw. The local version might be different though. Other decently priced options could be Falken and Hankook.

Your post on your track day got me jealous. A back injury keeps me away from the fun stuff. Strictly touring tires for me now.

Thanks bro, been reading about the Falken Ziex and Azenis, as well as the Hankook Ventus. Thing is, there are still a lot of variants of Ziex/Azenis/Ventus so it's quite tricky. Limited availability too as most tire shops focus on carrying budget brands.

It gets a bit confusing too as some touring tires perform better than some UHPs, then there are some Extreme performance tires that wear better than UHPs. So while these classifications are good general guidelines (Touring < UHP < Extreme < Semislick), it still helps to research about the specific tire model to be sure.

You should try joining one of the track days bro, not too intense naman. Join the time attack instead of the grid race so you can run at your own pace. The next one is in March I think.



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