So, I pull out my Toyo Proxes 4 from last season and realize “Hey, these are shot!”
I didn’t like them much and they weren’t very good in the rain almost causing me to die a few times…
I have been doing some reading and still am not drawn towards one tire or another!
I’m looking for a 225/45/18 tire that is summer only
I didn’t auto-x or track the car last year and I’m doubting I will this year. I’m just looking for a great handling street performer. Prices range significantly between tires and they all look decent enough to buy!
Help me choose What else did people buy this year?
I really enjoyed my Falken Azenis RT-615 a couple of years ago but as with the Toyo Proxes 4, they only lasted one summer.
Azenis RT-615 - $174.00 each
I saw that others said they liked the Falken FK 452 and with it’s price, it seems decent.
Falken FK 452 - $138.00 each
Then, The Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec has been mentioned A LOT on NYSpeed.
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec - $186.00 each
Having to go back to the car’s stock tire size of 215/45/18 I can also get the Kumho SPT
Kumho Ecsta SPT - $135.00 each (discounttiredirect)
I’m leaning towards the cheaper tire, however, I drive it like I stole it when I’m out on the streets. If it rains I do axis-spins in parking lots and I over-throttle to break the tires loose on corners. On ramps seem to be my playground, so perhaps the cheaper tire isn’t a good choice. Or, perhaps it will still be O.K. for what I need…
I was pleased with the kumho ecsta spt’s (sp?) on the speed6. Quiet, handled great until they wore down, and relatively cheap, lasted decently.
Are you on the stock 7" wheels? I’m just wondering why 225 and not the stock 215…
I had terribly uneven wear on my front tires with that car. The outer 2" would be bald when the rest of the tire was 75%+. Big fan of those adjustable camber ball joints if you haven’t looked into them. They make the front tires last twice as long.
Yep, stockers. They cannot hold a 235/40/18 tire and when I was looking I couldn’t find the SPT tire in a 225/45/18 size.
The speed6 is known for awful front tire tread wear on the outside corners. I was thinking of investing in some of those aftermarket adjustable ball joints, unsure if they will actually help the summer tire wear. I am kinda sick of every summer wearing out a set of expensive tires…
I REALLY like my Azenis 615… I am sticking with them. Im on my second set this summer. I also ran Proxes 4 before, and they were too mushy for my liking.
The Azenis are very similar to the Bridgestone RE070 that comes stock on the Suby, but for about $100 less. I stick with what works and just expect to get a new set each summer.
RT615’s are great…Toyo Proxes 4… aren’t those like all seasons? i had FZ4 Toyo’s before and they fucking sucked… i would never buy them or anything that looked like them again.
If you could put your front tires at -.75deg to -1 deg camber, you would pretty much eliminate uneven front tire wear (also increase handling). The problem is the stock setup is non adjustable for front camber, so unless you do a couple things, lower the car or get the adjustable ball joints, nothing will help. The dealer tried all kinds of toe in for mine, nothing helped.
I just ask about the stock wheels because 225’s could make the car less responsive and aren’t really recommended for a 7" wheel, but it’s basically splitting hairs.
Here they are $125 each on tire rack. I got mine cheaper somewhere else but I forgot where.
Yea, the Proxes 4 were all season. They did feel very soft and shitty and I regretted buying them. I got them for less than $80 each at the time through some online deal.
I want my stiff ride again like I had with the RT-615, but I don’t want to have to pay almost $200/tire!
Are there any other tires out there that will not suck like the Proxes4 but will be decent like the RT615?
I was thinking of the stock 215/45/18 and how people are putting 225 and 235 width on their cars. Some people say that going from 215 to 225 they didn’t feel any difference at all. Did the SPT tires feel stiff and agile? I do not care how loud a tire is, or the treadwear. I just want it to be a good performer
At $125 each it will definitely be added to the list, regardless if I have to go down in size.
look at the hankook rs2 great in the rain and almost as good as an rt-615 in the dry. i used mine at the glen they did not get greasy. i got much more use out of these then the set of rt-215 (old azenis) i had before
They felt great when they were new, but after a few summer months they started to fall off. Definitely on the economy end of the performance tire spectrum. You mentioned cheaper though which is why I thought of them…
Looking at all of these tires closer, I have realized that through reading that the Mazdaspeed 6 needs a 93+ speed rating XL tire!
NONE of those are both 93+ and XL. Most of them, like the RT-615 are 91. The FK-452 is higher than 93 but doesn’t have an XL rating.
Does that stuff really matter THAT much? There are tons of people on the speed6 forums talking about how much they love the tires, but they aren’t rating for the car. They don’t have any issues… should I just ignore the 93 requirement and get a 91 weight rating tire?
Garick, I’m essentially looking for a good grip, cheaper solution which will last more than one season. If it only lasts one season, they need to be cheap(er) than $150 each.
I am leaning towards the Falken FK 452 for it’s price. They have decent reviews as well.
If someone can give me a like-priced <$150 tire that I should get instead, I am all ears!
Only problem is that I can get the <$150 for $550 shipped. The Z1 will cost me almost $300 extra.
I will be fine on either I’d imagine, so where is that extra $300 going? I mean, I survived on Toyo Proxes 4 last summer… any tire I’ve mentioned here is better, regardless if it is the 452 which wears horribly or the expensive Z1 Star Spec or RT-615.
If I had the extra $$$ I’d totally just buy the Z1’s. Everyone seems to love them. I want to spend that extra $300 for the camber adjustable ball joints to help tire wear this summer as well as for mounting, balance and an alignment
Only problem is that I can get the <$150 for $550 shipped. The Z1 will cost me almost $300 extra.
I will be fine on either I’d imagine, so where is that extra $300 going? I mean, I survived on Toyo Proxes 4 last summer… any tire I’ve mentioned here is better, regardless if it is the 452 which wears horribly or the expensive Z1 Star Spec or RT-615.
If I had the extra $$$ I’d totally just buy the Z1’s. Everyone seems to love them. I want to spend that extra $300 for the camber adjustable ball joints to help tire wear this summer as well as for mounting, balance and an alignment
