Hokie D

Ok, I'm ready to toss these horrible Falken ZE-512 tires. They had the worst road noise ever and the car always pulled to the right no matter how many alignments I had. So, now I'm thinking of these two....

Yokohama YK520 - appx. $128
Kumho Ecsta SPT - appx. $112

Anyone have either of these? What's your experience with them?

MikePA

You might have better luck getting an answer in the Tires, Wheels & Suspension forum.

Hokie D

Yeah, just saw that section - been a while since I've been on here.

Can an admin move this thread to the proper section? Thanks.

Billy Sacco

Don't get the YK520. From what I hear they are not that good. Are you going to get them at Discount Tire cuz I thought the YK520 was a discount tire exclusive. I use the Yokohama Avid V4s. Cheaper then the YK520 and an awesome tire. Meets or exceeds all the ratings of the stock tire and has lots of tread so should last a while. Been running on them about a year and a half and I highly recommend them!

Hokie D

Thanks Billy. I've been reading some other threads. Looks like people are having good luck with the Avids and they're cheaper than the YK520's anyway. I'll order a set this week and give 'em a go.

ps - I wanted to try a different side load rating (matches OEM) and see if that helps the pulling on the passenger side. Could just be that the ZE-512's were horrible tires.

derrick

This has been discussed several times. Anyway ... taking a quick look at Tirerack:

Avon Tech M500 - $102
Yokohama AVID V4S - $110
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S - $147
Bridgestone Potenza G 009 - $121
Fuzion ZRi - $96

Some other candidates:

Toyo Proxies T1R - $___

JCVTLS

I was looking for the AVID V4S but instead went with the AS 430's and cant be happier. They are good tires.

martinb

I just (last Friday) put a set of Pilot Sport A/S tires (225/50-17) on my '02 TL-S. I like them - much firmer than the OEM Michelins (but not unreasonable) and lots more grip. It's too soon to say much more...

fsttyms1

i had the A/S and loved them. Got good mileage out of them, tons of grip. Then i stoped running allseason and went to dedicated snows and summer only tires. Much better choices of tires to use and way more grip in any driving

SK2003TypeS

My OEMs are finally ready to be replaced after almost 4 years and a whopping 29,000 miles.

I'm leaning towards the Yokohama AVID V4S. Sumitomo HTRs are my second option.

Hokie D

Ok, just ordered a set of Avid V4S tires. I got them for $460 shipped from Discount Tire Direct (not including stems).

Gray03

Good choice.

CJITTY

I disagree! I have the YK520's and they are a very good tire! The Avid's are good too though.

Luke7

I have the Avids/Yokohama's on my 99 TL and don't like em at all. They are not nearly as smooth as the original Michs'. I've had them rebalanced and they just plain stink on the highway compared to the Michelins. They are inconsistant, sometimes smooth and sometimes just beating the pavement. I woudn't recommend them or buy them again, even though I bought them after reading about them here and saw that people were raving about em. Also the original Michelins were much quieter in general. Perhaps it's just my keen hearing but the Yoko's have a high pitched whine that I hate. Awesome handling on curves and living in the Mountains of WNC they do handle great on the back roads. Just can't hack the un smoothness on the highway.

reloaded

In for the Avid V4s . So much better than stock...wait..everything is better than the stock haha.

Billy Sacco

On the freeway I have this whine you are speaking of but I also got it with the stock michelins too. I just figured it was something that could not be avoided. I might try a different brand when I get new tires but the avids have been working great for me and price is right.

Hokie D

Got the Avids mounted and balanced. It's interesting that now the car pulls to the left instead of the right (not near as bad as the old tires). I'm making an appointment to get an alignment very soon. I took it on the highway and I couldn't hear any whining. Of course, they're brand new and who knows what they will sound like 5000 miles from now. Plus, most of the time I have the stereo on so I can't hear much of anything.

I really can tell a difference with the stiffer sidewall (similar to OEM) and the car feels night and day different than those crappy Falkens. So far, I live the Avids.