Yeah another tire thread...

I got the gift of money for tires for Christmas....yes! So here's the deal:

I have $525 to spent TOTAL
I'm looking for opinions for a 540 sport owner only please, preferrably 6-speeds due to the suspension camber effects and peel out factor inevitable.

I've read ALL the posts and tirerack articles and I'm quite familiar with all the ratings and characteristics of tires. I've used many different kinds but have usually gotten them used and mixed and matched....Pilot Spots, Proxies, Dunlops, Bridgestone, PZero, Contis....What I really need from you guys is owner opinions on what you have actually used. There is just so much to choose from. I have not used other lesser-know brands but I have heard/read good things about Fusion ZRi in particular amongst those. What gets me is 2 tires that have the same overall ratings in all categories but one is more than twice the cost of the other. Is it wasted $ or am I just helping pay for Forumla 1 team budgets?

To help you help me, here's my criteria just as tirerack asks:

Tread life is #1 (no more auto-x for me)
Handling is #2
Noise/comfort is #3
I'm in FL...so no snow, but lots of rain.

I WAS going to get 2 good michelins or such on the rears and get fronts later OR I can go the more frugal route and get all 4 (I can chip in a little extra to get 4 if needed...lets say $600 total then)

Because of the 540's less-than-forgiving wear patterns and the above, what brand do you think? (255 rear, 245 front, 17")

Thanks a lot.

Guess I am first to chime in here. I have the aforementioned car and settled on the Goodyear F1 GS-D3. Many times rated as one of the best rain tires and almost as good in the dry. I find these ratings true to the extent of my experience with them so far. I have about 15k on them and I believe they are about 40% to 50% worn on the rear and about 30% on the front. They remain quiet and have gained responsiveness due to a shallower tread. My single biggest complaint has been their weight. There is a slight loss in acceleration because of it. My guess is that they have a very robust sidewall, which is added weight. They are made in Germany and were designed for cars like ours. Overall very happy with them but I will try for a lighter tire next time.

Thanks. Yeah so far from everything I can put together (I have read a TON of threads and user reviews), I have narrowed it down to:

Higher price:

Pilot Sport 2
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3



"low" price:

Fuzion ZRi
Kumho 712, MX, or SPT

I think for about $110 each shipped, the ZRi might be my best option. With the $525 I have, that's full set + road hazzard in my budget. I'm not racing so why pay twice the amount for the same mileage and nearly if not "close" to the same handling?

If I could afford it, I'd get the Goodyears.

Any other opinions please chime in.

Have you considered:

Falken Ziex ZE-512

Goodyear Assurance Tripletread

Tires are one of the biggest places where you pay for a name. I've not put tires on my 540 yet, but when I do they will likely be Falkens or Kumhos. I've run Kumho 712's for years on other cars and have no complaints.

Thanks. Yeah the Kumho 712s got pretty good reviews from the 540 crowd. Also considering the Kumho MX or SPT

Tires are one of the biggest places where you pay for a name. I've not put tires on my 540 yet, but when I do they will likely be Falkens or Kumhos. I've run Kumho 712's for years on other cars and have no complaints.

Dave, what kind of miles do you get out of your Kumho 712? I've been very disappointed with Kumho ECSTA ASX I put on last spring and swore I'd never buy Kumho again since I only got about 9000 miles out of them on the rear.

A good friend of mine gave me a really good report on Eagle F1 GS-D3 handling and he's gotten 24k for 2 3-seasons. I saw they could at least go another round next year. I'm hoping you could paint a comparable picture with the 712's.

Have you considered:

Falken Ziex ZE-512

Goodyear Assurance Tripletread

I've purchased the Falken Ziex ZE tires and have really liked them so far. I've not had them long enough to personaly comment on the miles you'll get out of them.

You can get a pretty good deal at edge racing http://www.edgeracing.com/tires/2653518/ (http://www.edgeracing.com/tires/2653518/)
"Good treadlife without sacrificing much performance. A set of tires to have all year round (decent snow/ice traction) The Falken Ziex 512 received first place in a comparison test done by a leading consumer magazine. One of our best sellers due to its high treadwear (360), 30,000 mile warranty, all-season capability and great value. The Ziex 512 also helps reduce un-sprung weight due to its lightness."

I just noticed your sig. sizes and...

It appears they don't make the 245mm width you want for the front. If you put 235s on the front you are okay ($73).
https://www.edgeracing.com/tires/2354517/

Rears are ($88).
https://www.edgeracing.com/tires/2554017/

Dave, what kind of miles do you get out of your Kumho 712? I've been very disappointed with Kumho ECSTA ASX I put on last spring and swore I'd never buy Kumho again since I only got about 9000 miles out of them on the rear.

A good friend of mine gave me a really good report on Eagle F1 GS-D3 handling and he's gotten 24k for 2 3-seasons. I saw they could at least go another round next year. I'm hoping you could paint a comparable picture with the 712's.

I was getting about 30K miles out of a set, and that's with aggressive driving and aggressive alignment settings (2 degrees of camber, 1/8" of toe out). On the other hand, it was a 2200# car, so the weight was pretty forgiving for any tire. On my wife's cars, with normal alignments and a normal driver, it was closer to 40K miles.

That said, the ASX is a more aggressive tire I believe, and would have a softer compound. On my CRX I generally didn't bother with a high performance tire, because it handled so good that even a middle of the road tire like the 712 had limits way over what anyone should be doing on the street. I suspect I'll have to reconsider that on the 540, since it is twice as heavy, has a fair bit of body roll, and has McStruts rather than the SLA double wishbone that the CRX had.

update:

Just ordered Fuzion Zri 4 x 245/40/17 from Tire rack. Total shipped WITH road hazzard warranty is $466. Drop shipped to Tire Kingdom.
Didn't want to go staggered so I can rotate fron to back and get more life maybe.

I'll post an update and review once they get rollin.