US STi: Which tires to replace RE70's?

maybe something from Kumho. You can get some good ideas from

. Sometimes a local tire shop might even be able to match TR's price for you and you'd be supporting a local business.

carl

Hi Philip,

My WRX has the BF Goodridge G-Force Profiler and I like them a lot better than the Bridgestone original tires.

Wear is more on the surface which is a big plus, since the BS were getting slippery near the end of their lifes.

Karl.

The Yokahama Advan Neova may be the best in the world of street tires. Or the Yokohama Advan- A-06 that comes standard on the Evo will probably make you smile. A lot of people like the Goodyear f1, but complain about the compromise in steering response. The incredible tires on cars like yours is the main reason they post such supercar stats in handling and braking. Hey, your Brembo brakes are nice in all respects, but put your wheels and tires on a low-end impreza and it will post comparable numbers in braking.

Thing is, if you like the tires you have which are stiff and sticky which is reflected in the harsh ride, near go kart handling, you got to pay the bucks. I think it is worth the cost. Without great tires nothing else is worth a good damn on a car.

I got a cheap set of tires once and had a real spare with the best of my worn out old Pirelli cn37's on it. I got a flat on the right front and put the Pirelli on. On the way home in the rain I went around a left hander and the three new cheap Michelins broke loose and pivoted on the Pirelli which kept me on the road. Right then I realized that I would rather have great tires that cost more and wear out quicker that leave the extra few bucks to my kids in my will.

Be Well

Michael

I agree fully, Michael.

I live in the deep snow belt. Many years ago a very smart person said: "Snow tires may only let you stop a few feet shorter than all-season tires, but imagine how critical a few feet might be, one day!"

Oh, how true!

I was after suggestions to improve the handling, particularly in the wet (where the stock RE70's are not at thier best). It's obvious that I didn't make that clear enough. Sorry!

What I want is the best balance of dry and wet performance and I'm willing to trade non-essentials like noise, wear and ride softness. The comparisons I've seen show the KDW to be an excellent all around tire, but these comparisons never list the RE70. I suppose only STi owners are aware of it?

The (excellent) Tire Rack site shows owner reports that put the RE70 in the middle of the pack, but it's a heck of a solid pack between the RE70's and the #1 tire. I know the RE70 was developed for the STi and it may be that they work so well on that one car that even a tire that averages better across a wide range of cars (like the KDW) can't touch it on the STi. That's why I asked a bunch of Subie nuts.

$800 is a heck of alot of money to use to buy the wrong tire! If I get one I hate, I'm gonna live with it until it wears out. In other words, I'd best make the most educated choice I can, it'll be 25,000 miles until I get another chance!

Thanks for your answer!

Philip

I got Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S.. the performance was mind-boggling, but because the sidewalls were much mushier than I was used to with the RE070s, I found that top-speed racing the vehicle was nerve-wracking. The PZero Rossos are the harder sidewall summers that I haven't tried personally, but I have heard good things about them. Plus they're slightly less expensive than the Michelins, but still end up performing better head-to-head.

These were excellent tires in the rain as well, and had treads that channelled water superbly. Large puddles didn't jerk the steering wheel around at all like the RE070s did.

Pirelli in general I've found to be superior tires for my WRXen and STi.

Way to answer questions he didn't even ask.

Plus, you're wrong re: braking numbers.