matt19hsc

I am looking for the best tire in performance and value for my car. I hate the stock tires that the car comes with. So what is y'alls opinion on the best tire out there to fit the factory rims?

Chet03TL-S

Check tirerack.com? They have review from drivers for specific tires. Ppl here like the Yoko's, I hear Continental ExtremeContacts are good, so are Falken's and if you can live with a summer tire year round and don't mind if it wears fast the Bridgestone Expedia S-03 are excellent.

hemants

Believe it or not, the stock tire for the Pontiac Vibe is 215/50/17 Dunlop SP9000M (same as the 9000). It is a great tire at it's normal selling price.

Once in a while, Tirerack gets a surplus of these and sells them at ridiculous prices. Also you may want to call your local pontiac dealers to see if some loser traded them in for all seasons

yield2s

SUMITOMOS!!!!!!!!!!!just got the htr+ this week and WOW! there great and one of the least expensive tire you can get in our size.less than 100 each out the door. they have the highest speed rating adv.which mean you're getting stiffer sidewalls=very good high speed reaction time and cornering.they're all season also so youll be good during those heavy rains out there in NC.

MY 2CENT=BEST BANG 4 BUCK

Twenty03 Type-S

yes, this is off-topic but... yield2S... how true your signature... especially in So Cali...

bartolo

Best tire for the $$$ is the Sumitomo HTR+

slick88

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hemants
[B]Believe it or not, the stock tire for the Pontiac Vibe is 215/50/17 Dunlop SP9000M (same as the 9000). It is a great tire at it's normal selling price.


I put the SP9000 (Z-rated) on my TL-S and they ride very nicely. No noise or squealing like the stock Michelins.

greenpelikan

No squealing from your stock Dunlap Zs? Has anyone here really taken off on a left turn and not hear a little squealing? We've got 260 under the hood. I've got Y rated tires and still can get a little noise taking off if I wanted to.

fsttyms1

HTR+'s put over 40,000k on them. they are VERY GOOD tires. i would highly recomend them

JaDia4

How is the road noise on the HTR's compared to the stock michelins?

yield2s

noise level seems lower with sumi's. but I'm always listening to music so ?????

bartolo

Sumi's sound good ...no more roas noise than any other ultrahigh performance all season tire

fsttyms1

tey are pretty quiet. they are better than the stock tires

bloo_tls02

I got 4 new Sumi HTR's from tirerack.com. I think they are way better than the stocks, then again, anything > stock Mich's.

hemants

For what it's worth there isn't a tire made that this car won't squeel in first gear off the line!

But that's not the tires fault

yield2s

"I put the SP9000 (Z-rated) on my TL-S and they ride very nicely. No noise or squealing like the stock Michelins"

I think this one went over your heads.I'm pretty sure slick88 meant was that they're quieter on the sharp turns, you know those one that the stock michelen hated.

Ray_Khan

I am trying out Falken FB 451 this time around. I was pretty happey with the performance, noise and life of my 225/45/17 kumhos. They are a gret tire for the money, but not quite up to AutoX and real raod course track events. Ny new rubber will be 235/40/18 Falkens. These are supposed to have some nice grip, but won't last like the kumhos. I paid about $130 a tire from EdgeRacing. It seems that ER has specials on a tires all the time. Great customer service there too.

Ruski

Ray_Khan - did you hear anything about Falken ST-115?

http://carsound.com/reviews/performa...NIS_ST115.html

hatzq68

I know someone who worked for Sumitomo corporate. He told me that Sumi makes Dunlop and that the sumis are dunlops with their name. He is very reliable. Just my 2 cents.

Donny

UW RL

he's totally correct. just following the link and click on tires. it will take you to the dunlop tires

http://www.sumitomorubber.co.jp/menu.html

Ray_Khan

Ruski....I just saw my wheels today...I actually got the ST-115's. I actually originally ordered the Kumhos, but they were back ordered in 235, so they gave me the Falkens instead. I thought I was getting the 451's. From what I read, the 451's are an "ultra performance" tire. The ST-115's are probably a little les grippy. The reviews I read by just doing a google search were pretty good. Most people said the tires were dead silent for a performance tire. So they sound like a comprimise for a perforamnce tired with some comfort. Not really what I wanted, but I'll give em a try. If they are as grippy as the Kumhos, then I'll be happy enough. One thing I noticed is that they have 2 wter channels, so I am hoping they are as good or better than the Kumhos in the rain. I thought the Kumhos were pretty good in the rain.

I just read that review you posted....it seems to affirm what I have read already. So you if you want more performance, get teh 451's, if you want to trade performance for a little more comfort, get the ST-115. they are about the same price in 235/40/18 which I have.

Bear2Day

TOYO Proxes T1-S
225/45ZR17

Edward'TLS

I'm with you on this. I'm using 18" Michelin Pilot tires which are one of the stickiest street legal tires around, and they still squeal under both hard right and left turns. But the turns can be taken at a much, much higher speed than the stock MXM4's. I think with the VSA or traction control turned off, they will be squealing and smoking like crazy under full throttle.

fsttyms1

the pilots are the best tire out there, BUT they are very pricey!

dtmb

I have the Falken ST-115's on my '03 TL-S and they provide both great performance and quiet comfort. Kinda the best of both worlds from a tire and these are an "ultra performance" tire. All I can say, is they are a great improvement compared to the stock Michelins with a lot better all around handling without the road noise. It's nice to be able to cruise on the highway and be able to listen to the sounds without the high volumes to dround the road noise. I only had 8,000 miles on my original Michelins before replacing them - I couldn't stand it any longer. It's amazing that such an expensive tire is just crap in all categories.

2003 tl-s

It seems like 225/45R17 is the widest tire people put on the stock Type S rims. How is the ride quality? Any rubbing? Anyone put a wider tire than 225 on the stock 17" rim?