neuronbob

I am going to be pulling the trigger on the A-Spec suspension and wheels shortly. I plan on purchasing from Hondacuraworld because the only eBay auction (which costs $50 less shipped) with the combination has "platinum" (e.g. non-ebony chrome) wheels and I'd like the ebony chrome. EDIT: I meant the "platinum" was the ebony chrome. Sorry for the confusion!

Next are tires. I have searched through most of these posts and found that the only constants are the Pirelli Nero Zero M/S and the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. I drive in Cleveland and the Pilots are simply too expensive--I pop about a tire a year and need low replacement costs. Further, I have always used all-seasons (more recently, "ultra-high performance all-season") tires and have been able to get away with it in snowy Cleveland.

My choices for the A-Spec rims are:

Avon 550 M/S (highly ranked in snow on Tire Rack, and relatively inexpensive)
Pirelli Nero Zero M/S
Continental ContiExtreme
Dunlop SP 5000 sport (owned these on my 2002 TL, loved them in the snow and on dry weather, and they were QUIET)
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS (currently top dog of UHPAS tires at Tire Rack, reportedly quiet)
Toyo Proxes 4 (highly regarded and very popular on the TL side of our site, and come in RL A-Spec size.

Other than the Pirellis, what have people used and what is their experience? Must make decision quickly as car will be A-Spec-ized soon.

Based on the experience over on the TL side, the Toyos are winning so far, and are relatively inexpensive. The Bridgestones and Avons are close second and third.

gbriank

Bob:

What are you looking for in a tire? Performance, quiet or all-season capability? I've had the Pirellis (think I was one of the first on this board talking about them more than a year ago) and they still look new/have quite a bit of tread left (14000 miles on them). They do well extremely well in our Texas downpours. Not a bad tire!

1. Avons - rate very well, but not available everywhere
2. Continentals - very good tire on snow, but have a low drone and tramline (had them on a 2001 SAAB)
3. Dunlops - ?
4. Bridgestones - have heard they have a softer sidewall and heel over (on the sidewall) taking corners fast.
5. Toyos - have heard they're good. Readily available at NTB, Sears and Discount Tire

I don't think you could go wrong with either the Toyos or the Pirellis...and just remember, ANY REPLACEMENT TIRE will be better than the Michelin's you've currently got. There will be a definite change in how the how quiet the car is and reaction time after the tires are changed.

Kickbucket1

I also wanted the high performance mud and snow capable Perelli Nero Zeros for my new non A-Spec aftermarket wheels but they are on backorder for the 245/45 18 size. Another member of this forum, "427", who was very helpful to me in my final wheel decision had Toyo Proxes T1Rs so I took a look at them. I thought the sidewalls were a little too stiff for my taste so my eyes wandered over to the Toyo Proxes 4 and I was bitten. $76 per tire less than Pilot Sports, $50 per tire less than Zero Neros. If you look at the manufacturers catalog at the tire dealership, you will find it listed as the direct competitive equivilant to the Nero Zeros. Plus you get a 500 mile/45 day trial with the tires. If during that time you don't like them, send them back to the dealer and get a full refund or exchange. Now that's a no brainer. I have had less than a day with them but they are quiet, responsive and look good. I noticed that they also have a wheel rim protector incorporated into the sidewall to protect against curb rash just like the offroad tires on my 4X4. High performance, low profile, all weather, M+S rated and nice price. These should work well in Clevelend from what I saw of the roads around the Cleveland Clinic while attending a Neuro seminar there earlier this month. My A-Spec suspension goes on tomorrow and then I'll take it on a spin down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur. Hope my comments help.

neuronbob

Thanks for the comments so far. Keep them coming! Haven't made a final decision yet.

So far, I'm leaning toward the Toyo Proxes. When I chose tires for the Ronjons I had on my TL, it was between the Proxes and the Kumho Ecsta ASX, and the Kumhos won by a hair, mostly because of lower replacement cost. However, the Kumhos are not available in the A-Spec rim size, and the Toyos are.

jftjr

I could never bring myself to purchase a product called "Kumho." It just sounds....dirty.

Touge

I vote for the proxes 4, have a few friends with them and they are very satisfied.

slawek65

I have proxes 4 on my 2-nd car ( lexus GS ) and I like them but I never use them in winter.

UW RL

Bob, did you ask the ebay seller what exactly was the "platinum" finish? You sure it's the chrome, and not the black chrome? I had my eyes set on those.

neuronbob

I called and asked.

Hehehehehe....uh, dude, get your mind out of the gutter!

Are you a physician/neurologist as well? And what you saw around the Cleveland Clinic were GOOD roads (e.g. only a few potholes). Most surface streets around here are crap from the heavy salting they get during the winter.

I am looking for performance and all-season capability. The tire doesn't have to be quiet. The Falken ZIEX 512ZE I had on my TL's 17" stockers were howlers, but they stuck like glue and were very good in light-moderate snow. This endeared them to me despite their noise.

The stock Michelins on the RL have no such redeeming factors, as I read on this board.

neuronbob

I looked around on our site for pics. This is what the "platinum" looks like.



Here's the thread with those wheels on a Celestial Silver, like mine except with the A-Spec body kit. https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759 Thanks, Atlantic!

I pulled the trigger on the suspension/wheel kit from Curry Acura today, so it's not available on eBay for now. Looking forward to putting this on my RL!

UW RL

Hey Bob, the photo that you posted is Black Chrome. The Chrome version is highly reflective (bling-bling) while the "black chrome" is not. The black chrome looks similar to "gun metal" except it's lighter in shade. Please correct me if I am wrong.

neuronbob

One of the big problems in looking at the A-Spec rims for the RL is that everybody uses different terminology. Curry Acura used "Platinum" for the non-chrome wheels. Others use "ebony chrome" or "hyper black" for the same.

I went to the Acura eStore. The official name for these wheels are the "18" Aluminum Alloy High Performance Wheel". The official color names for the two wheels available are "Ebony Silver" and "Chrome Look". Pictures of the two are found in another thread from which I've cribbed the pictures. Yes, they are TL wheels but the colors are about the same for the RL.

Chrome-Look:



Ebony Silver:



PS: Still choosing rubber. I'm now between the Toyo Proxes 4 and the Avons. Will be buying Monday in hopes of an A-Spec install in the next ten days. Woohoo!

gbriank

Bob:

If its between the Toyos and Avons, i'd go with the Toyos....just in the fact if you blow a tire, they are readily available at most tire shops. Are you planning to stick to the 245/45R18 size?

As for the rims, an excellent choice (same as mine). I had a run-in with debris dropped of the back of a Wal-Mart truck. It blew from front left tire and had to drive about a block to get off a busy Dallas road. Took the car to the dealership the next day for a replacement tire and a check-up...luckily no suspension issues at all (not even an alignment problem and the rim wasn't even bent or scratched...the RL is built like a tank!). Can't say the same for my TL when I accidentally rubbed a tire on a curb and needed several suspension components replaced. What a difference!

neuronbob

Not so in Cleveland. I'd have to order online to get Toyos in that size. The Avons I'd have in 48 hours as the South Bend distribution center for Tire Rack is roughly 3.5 hours from my house. I've gotten next day delivery on tires ordered from there when I order early enough.

For me, the final choice may depend on longevity. I've read reviews from those who've had the Avons for over 15k miles on Tire Rack and while those tires last a long time, they are very noisy, sounding like truck tires. Even so, there's one guy with 50k miles on them and hes totally happy with them.

There are far fewer reviews on the Toyos, and I'm depending heavily on what I read over in the TL forum, which has more people with the Toyos on and who are happy with them.

Treblig

I know they are pricey, but I have had great luck with both the Michelin PS2's (on my '05 TL) and the Eagle F1 GS D3's (currently on my RL). They are both quiet and smooth riding tires and they stick like all get out! I take them off during the winter (they are horrible in the snow) so I can effectively get two to three seasons out of them.

neuronbob

The Michies in particular are good tires, but they violate my low replacement cost requirement. Remember, on these bad Cleveland roads I pop a tire a year on average.

jcb-memphis

See my photos for the Pirelli Pzero Nero M&S in the photo gallery (Lakshore ... thread).

Avon....if you read the Tire Rack reviews seems to have issues once worn..... I looked at these hard, but for the few bucks more I could not say no the the Pirellis.

Pzeros are often noted to be quiet when old. I have had them on multiple cars (Audi A6, S4, Saab 9-5, now my RL). The Acura dealer found them and matched the Tire Rack's price in under 24 hours....fyi. Hunter 9700'd them and if he scratched the wheel...he bought the wheel. I would suck it up and use the dealer on this one if he matches the Rack...

My theory is that chevron tires promote noise more....and they clearly are more of a PITA if you do rotations.

Many on the Audi board just stopped rotating tires.....many reasons. Not sure at this point if on an AWD if it is worth it.....


JB

neuronbob

The Pirellis are on perennial back order in the RL's size at Tire Rack, one of the things that prompted this thread. They are at the border of my low replacement cost, tolerable.

Has anyone used 255s on the A-Spec wheels? (e.g. 255/45-18) This changes the speedo only 1.6% and increases the width only 0.4 inch.

neuronbob

Called Tire Rack today to ask how long it would take for the Pirellis to come off of back order. The operator indicated that they are expecting no shipment in that size for THREE MONTHS.

Bummer. I'm going with the Toyos. I wanted to like the Avons but there are too many complaints about them, while the guys on the TL side are loving their Toyo Proxes 4 still after 15-20k miles outside of the tramlining they are prone to.

dwboston

I ordered the Pirellis on Friday from Tire Rack for my A-Spec rims. They showed as "Low Stock" on Friday for the first time in a while after being backordered. They now appear as "In Stock." Really looking forward to getting these as the reviews are great and I just couldn't spend $300 a tire plus installation for the Pilot Sport A/S.