I have an 2003 Acura CL Type S and I am looking to buy new tires. I currently have Yokohama Avid V4S, but they did not hold up to my driving style.
I drive my car hard, fast, and through some very twisty canyons. On my road to work every morning, there is a 4-5 mile stretch where it is nothing but switch backs (the longest straight away is about 200 feet). The average posted speed says 15 MPH. However, in a CL Type-S, I can do some of the turns at nearly 40 MPH. Thank god this car handles fantastic even with bad tires. The Yokohama's on my car have lost the treads on the sides, which means the tires scream as I turn corners. Even on straight aways, they screech from a standstill. I need a tire that will glue this car to the ground, handle the curves on my road to work, be comfortable on freeway driving, and be an all around good tire. I never drive in the snow, but wet and dry tractions are extremely important. Assuming price is not an issue, what would you recommend for these kinds of driving conditions? A list of the top three would be very useful. Thanks for taking the time to help out a fellow CL driver improve the handling on his car.

 

I don't think you can do much better than the Michelin Pilot Sport AS in the 235 45 17 size.

They are expensive though!

2003 CLS six speed
Comptech Icebox

 

My tire size is 215/50-17 according to Tirerack.com.
Is it safe to put on different tire sizes?

 

Hey Dave
Thanks for the advice.
Is it safe to put on tires of this size? According to Tirerack.com, my OEM size is 215/50-17, which limits some of my tire choices. If I can go with other sizes, then perhaps I have more options. How will a different size affect the performance of my car?
Thanks
Herschel

 

Glad to offer my opinion. I have owned two Acura CLS vehicles and have put that size tire on the stock rims on both (upgraded from the stock 215 50 17). I did not have any problems and my handling really improved.

I have had Sumitomo HTR+ 235 45 17 and Toyo Proxes 4 235 45 17; again using the stock rims.

A key point is to maintain the tire's diameter, and the 235 45 17 is identical to the 215 50 17. Another option is to go with 225 45 17 with the stock rim.

I am sure you will hear from other owners, but I think the concensus is that 235 45 17 is a good choice for our cars, especially if you select a high quality tire.

 

i have 225/45/17 ps2. wonderful tires. worth every penny imo. they have lasted about 35k miles so far and still have pretty good tread on them. i had sumitomo htzr2 tires. i did not like them at all. way too noisy and they did not make good traction for me.

 

Dave,
I talked to an Acura dealer about the tire size 235 45 17 and he asked me to find out if there has ever been a problem with the tire rubbing when you turn the wheel all the way left or right. A 235 45 17 tire is .79" wider, which may cause a problem. Have you had any negative experiences? The tire will also produce a harder rider, but increase handling. How is the car at freeway speeds with 235 45 17 tires?
Thanks for you time
Herschel

 

Thanks for the reply. What is a kind of tire is a "ps2"?
Also, what do your 225 45 17 tires feel like at freeway speeds?
Do you have any problems with them being a wider tire in terms of rubbing when you chuck your steering wheel all the way left or right?
Thanks
Herschel

 

I currently run 235/45/17 Toyo Proxes 4 on stockers and they're very good on dry and wet. Only thing I don't like is they're pretty stiff and follow the grooves in the road (gotta hold on to wheel all the time). I dunno about wear yet, had them only 15,000kms. But according to 1010tires.com 245 reviews the wear is pretty good (4.2 out of 5 points).