Hi,
I've just bought a 91 Miata NA, in Silverstone. She's a lovely car, and her tires are certainly 'ok'; but, I'm thinking I'd like to replace them for something a bit more performance oriented, and hopefully also something a bit smoother. Does anyone have any good suggestions?
Oh, oh... someone's trying to start the dreaded tire thread, that's almost as bad as the dreaded oil thread!
There's been a fair amount of discussion here about tires, go back through the archives to see what others are using along with their recommendations.
It's probably easier to search the archives on Google, go to http:\\groups.google.com and enter the name of the group in the "Find a group" window, then enter "tires" in the search window on the new page that comes up. You should probably click on the sort by date button so you'll see the more recent posts. Road and Track did a test on tires but they used the 17" sizes on the newer MX5s
There is a tire reviews section on miata.net. If you want people here to make meaningful suggestions, you may want to tell us what you have on there right now, and at what tire pressure. Also, more performance usually comes at the costs of reduced tire life and much reduced performance on snow and ice.
Leon
It would help to know a few things about you first. Where do you live? How many miles per year will you drive? Will you drive the Miata in snow without dedicated snow tires? Do you autocross or attend track days? Do you like to slide around corners on the street? What's the highest-performance tire you've ever owned? Which matter most to you (pick two): price, performance, comfort, or treadwear? Are you willing to buy 15" wheels to expand your tire choices? Do you have a fixed budget ceiling, or are you like the rest of us benighted zoom-zoom addicts, willing to skip as many meals as necessary to get The Good Stuff?
There are lots of choices, usually at least one good tire for every situation. Once we know your situation, then the REAL arguments can begin! :-)
If you can get them in the US, Goodyear Eagle F1 (GSD2 for 14", GSD3 for
15") are pretty much unbeatable for summer and general use. They aren't at their best below 5 deg C and they're hopeless in snow.
...arguments?
Lanny, I thought they were just lively discussions!
- L
'97 STO, "Chouki"
// Change TEJAS to TX to reply via eMail //
Yes they are sold here and I think they won the C&D shootout mentioned (or a recent one on 3 series Beemer). They are what I would consider the choice if you go with Lanny's "performance" and "treadwear" two options. They might be considered a bit harsh (I would say at least for my 16's) and a bit pricey but, they are probably better than any street tire need be. Almost too good, I like to slide around a bit and that's rare now.
Good luck, Chris
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