08 STi needs new tires

[samurai chef]

My STi is my DD and i don't race it. that being said, I need some decent all weather tires. I didn't see a post that covered this topic, so....Whatcha got, guys? Suggestions?

[Hondafan]

Don't you get some pretty wicked ice in Arkansas? I would still run a set of winter tires separate from summer tires if so. I'm a fan of the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1's and it's important to get the Z1's. Those aren't really an all season, but neither were your original stock tires. I will absolutely be getting Direzza Sport Z1's again when I get tires for my STi. I got them on my WRX and they were a very welcome upgrade. Everyone I have heard from that owns or has owned them is a huge fan.

[RcrsWetDream]

I second the Star Spec's.... Mine come from Tire Rack today....

But, if you do insist on all-weather tires, I've heard good things about the Continental Extreme Contact DWS.

I'm going to put a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS's on my wifes car, but it's a Corolla. If she had anything better she'd be getting Star Spec's.

[pzr2874]

You would be lucky to get 25K out of the star specs.

I've had luck with the Eagle GT's in the past and present for all seasons... Great in the wet and nice in the heat.

[RcrsWetDream]

Originally Posted by pzr2874

You would be lucky to get 25K out of the star specs.

I've had luck with the Eagle GT's in the past and present for all seasons... Great in the wet and nice in the heat.

I only had 20k on my SP01's and they had maybe a season left. Sold them, but I would have gotten maybe 25-27k miles on them. Star Spec's I'm expecting two seasons out of them, that's all I ask.

[pzr2874]

Don't they have a treadwear of 200?

I had a set on my 07wrx and they lasted all of 16K with auto-x

[RcrsWetDream]

Yep treadwear is 200. That's why I'm only expecting two seasons out of them... For me that's usually mid-March through October, maybe 8k miles per season. SP01's were good for three seasons.

[man show]

I had a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Pluses (225/45/17 on stock 17x7 WRX wheels) from October 2009 (~40k mi.) to December 2010 (~68k mi.) and they met my needs for my daily driven 07 WRX. I got rid of them because of an unfortunate parking incident - I got a little too close to a metal storm drain edge which punctured a triangular hole in the sidewall of one of them, but I would have kept them on for a few thousand more miles since they all still had about 7-8/32" of tread left.

I currently have a set of Dunlop Winter Sport 3D (205/50/17) winter tires mounted on my stock 17x7 WRX wheels and a brand new set of 17x9 wheels on their way with Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec (245/40/17) summer tires which I'll be installing probably within the next month or so. I still don't have the complete summer/winter tire experience under my belt yet, but I can say for sure that the winter tires performed superbly through a variety of conditions this past winter in Maryland including several multi-inch/foot snow storms.

As far as comparing the Ultra High Performance All Season Michelins to the Performance Winter Dunlops in winter, it's actually pretty close as far as what I noticed from a daily driven car which I occasionally drove spitiredly when the situation permitted. The All Seasons did seem a little stiffer in the snow and they were easier to break free, but when the wheel speed slowed down, they did grab pretty well in slick conditions. The winter tires seemed to grab pretty well all the time and they were a bit more difficult to break loose. To sum it up in one sentence, the Performance Winter tires definitely provided more predictability in winter conditions than the All Seasons and they probably wore a bit better because of the different rubber compound.

It's always exciting getting a fresh set of tires, so buy the best you can afford and tell us how you like them.

[RcrsWetDream]

You should start a thread on your new wheels, I'm curious what you got. 17x9's I would have gone 255's though

Back on topic sorry.