IwannaSportSedan Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Bridgestone (I know... RE92... this is different) has released a new UHP All-season tire, Potenza RE960 A/S Pole Position (and all the associated acronyms for techical jargon...) http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bridgestone/bs_potz_re960as_pole_ci2_l.jpghttp://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bridgestone/bs_potz_re960as_pole_ci1_l.jpg When I get my legacy, the first order of business is going to be tires. Depending on when I get it (season) and what model (OE Wheel diameter) is going to be getting it shod with proper tires. I am probably going to attempt to get the RE92s bought back by the dealer, in favor of snows, or performance all seasons for the other three seasons in the midwest (rain, wind, and scorching heat.) I had considered RE950s, which are the all-season alternative to summer-only RE750s. I have Dueler AT Revos for my truck, and other than some tire roar on certain pavement types... I am REALLY happy with them. And I keep hearing that Bridgestone's OE tires are marginal/passable, and their top end aftermarket tires are genuinely very good, both motorcycle and passenger car lines. SO, I am wondering if anyone has considered these, or have mounted a set of them on a car, and have some experience. They look really good, and are brand new. If they do what they are supposed to, like the Dueler Revos do, I think I would be impressed. The RE960 designation means it is a newer version than the 950, and Pole Position I would think would incinuate a higher level of performance, considering that was almost exclusively used for the SO3 before. I wonder how they compare in performance and livability to other tires in their class, Like P-Zero Nero MS, Avon Tech M550, Dunlop SP Sport 4000/5000, Conti ExtremeContacts, PilotSport MS, BFG KDWS, and Toyo Proxes 4s. I am hoping they are really performance oriented, and capable, while not being track-only harsh or wear like a pencil eraser. Quiet and smooth on the highway, and capable of being driven in November and March in the midwest would be great, especially with the off chance of some snow. Mid-Nov to March would be full-snow-tire season, though. I never thought an off-road-capable All-terrain tire would be quiet, smooth, and well wearing on the highway, either. But the Dueler AT revos actually are, and good in the snow. If Bridgestone can pull off so many positive attributes in one tire, hopefully they can do it again for a sporty car that needs to eat miles fairly comfortably. And I don't mind paying for a tire that does so much... it just seems ironic that they supply the OE tires on the Legacy GT and others, that are so comparatively limited. I don't have any affiliation with Bridgestone/Firestone, other than being a satisfied customer with one of their aftermarket products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinlsb Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 A tire that tries to everything(all season) is a camel. And a camel is a race horse designed by a committee! "Belief does not make truth. Evidence makes truth. And belief does not make evidence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAC17 Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I just got a set of Kumho ECSTA ASX's; I'll let you know in the next few days how they work in the dry and wet (hopefully, no snow!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDW25gt Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 A tire that tries to everything(all season) is a camel. And a camel is a race horse designed by a committee! Committee or not a camel will out run/walk/live a race horse in the desert. Right? I think the R92's are not as bad as some would portray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 OMG...you are debating tires for a car that you haven't bought or planned to buy yet? I smell a marketing plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 OMG...you are debating tires for a car that you haven't bought or planned to buy yet? I smell a marketing plant. :lol: This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 A tire that tries to everything(all season) is a camel. And a camel is a race horse designed by a committee! Exactly!! Or...It doesn't matter how much you spend to buy an axe, you still wouldnt use it in place of a scalpel for surgery. All-season tires are "no-season tires". For three-season use, summer tires are the only way to go. If you have two sets of rims (which, IMHO, everyone should have), the is absolutely no need to compromise on the two sets of tires. Winter tires handle one season, and good-quality summer tires handle the other three seasons. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 As I'm sure you know all-season tires are really all-temperature tires. And, contrary to popular belief, there are uses for'em. Take the DC area, for example. It gets too cold in the winter for summers and it does snow some. But, it doesn't snow anywhere near as much as the northeast, Canada, etc - snow tires really aren't needed, and they suck outside of snow/ice. All-seasons are, IMO, the best compromise for DC winters. That said, if you drive aggresively it's still worth getting summers for the summer. But summers & all-seasons are the right sets to have, not summers & winters. Another example is the situation I'm in now. I live in the bay area now, where snow and below-freezing temperatures are pretty much unheard of. But I also snowboard many weekends during ski season (why I bought the LGT). During ski season I need tires that will get me past chain control w/o chains and that'll actually get me through the snow. Yet at the same time I'd go nuts during the week if they were as bad as (traditional) snow tires are outside of snow. Changing wheels or tires every weekend isn't an option. That said, I'm probably gonna try Dunlop M3s next season. Everything I've read about them says they're just about comparable to traditional snows in the snow (tho not so great in the ice, but still usable), and actually better than most OEM allseasons outside of snow. For the rest of this season and this summer I'm gonna stuck with the RE92's though. W/ 17k miles on'em they don't have any value left, so I'll just get the M3s at the start of next season and summers at the end. The M3s would work will for DC winters too for that matter, but I think you'd be better off still with a set of high-performance all-seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I just ran an autocross today on my Dunlop Wintersport M3's. No, they weren't great, but they def did a superb job considering it was 75 degrees and two of the tires had huge bubbles in them from nailing a pothole last week. I've got Toyo T1R's for summer and next winter I'm buying a new set of M3's to replace the set I damaged this season. The M3's won't leave you wanting more as far as dry road handling goes. My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I am hoping they are really performance oriented, and capable, while not being track-only harsh or wear like a pencil eraser. Quiet and smooth on the highway, and capable of being driven in November and March in the midwest would be great, especially with the off chance of some snow. Mid-Nov to March would be full-snow-tire season, though. If you want to run an UHP AS tire for 3 seasons, and a hardcore studded winter tire for the winter season, that is one way to fly. The UHP AS tire would work well in the transition months of Nov and March. Or you could use UHP summer tires for 3 seasons, and use "performance winters" (such as Blizzak LM25) to cover the transition months of Nov and March. I have taken the latter approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwannaSportSedan Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 No marketing plant here. I am going to try to pull hard for the dealer to buy back the RE92s, and get different tires put on for DAY 1. I want to know what I am going to plan for before I set foot on the lot with down payment in hand. If the Legacy I buy has OE 17"s I may trade for Nokians or Dunlop M3s right away, to prepare for next winter (will probably buy in the early fall) and save through next march for aftermarket 18"s and uhp tires. But if it comes with an 18" wheel, I will put the UHP All-seasons on, and try to save for a set of inexpensive or OE take-off winter wheels and the snow tires by december. I am trying to figure out if I can save for that on top of the impending down payment. My wife is already nervous about me talking about spending this kind of money right after buying a new car. I want to be confident that the said car will stick to the ground when I drive responsibly. I am not going to buy a new performance car with compromized or "Just OK" tires. They are the only thing touching the ground, and just about everything in normal operation of the car depends on the tires. Starting, Stopping, Turning... in all temperatures and road conditions. Not asking more of these bridgestones than I would out of the Proxes 4, or GS-D3s. I am probably going to go with performance winters in the winter months, but something that will handle two or three inches of packed snow, or 3-5 inches of unplowed powder. I am not expecting a three-season tire to compromize THAT much. I am also shopping for new tires for the Miata this month, which I briefly considered these new bridgestones for, as well, which brought them to my attention, and prompted me to ask about them for the Legacy. but I think I am going to go with Toyo T1-Rs for full summer performance in the Miata, and change them earlier in the fall, and later in the spring. I have cheaped-out on mediocre tires before, and regretted it. both by over-driving them, and by the tires not handling inclement road conditions when I wasn't over driving them. I am determined not to do that again, especially if the Legacy is going to be my 4-season commuting, and family traveling vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Spec B has 18's Legacy GT has 17's Legacy 2.5i has 16's My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Spec B has 18's Legacy GT has 17's Legacy 2.5i has 16's O RLY?? Might want to doublecheck your 411 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 am I off on the 16's? My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 yes. '06+ 2.5i gets the LGT 17" wheels and Advan A/S (better handling than the RE92's but a lower speed rating, go figure) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edvig Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Legacy 2.5i has 16's btw: The 2006 2.5i comes with 17in wheels now. Depending on how you drive and where you live, I don't believe you need specific season tires. Since the Legacy is an AWD car, depending on where you live and how much snow you get during the winter, you can certainly get by with a good set of all-season tires. Don't get trapped by the LGT mentailty that an all-season tire is a zero seaon tire. I run summer tires on my WRX and all-season tires on them during the cold months. My Legacy 2.5i gets all-season tires all years long. I live in southern NY and have driven through blizzards with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godwhomismike Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I vowed never to ever own or buy another Bridgestone tire after my piss poor RE-92 experiences. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 +1 RE92's Kill Bunnies My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wukindada Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I had a set of S03 Pole position tires on my S4....Really liked them;) That being said my T1R's are a Much Much better when the rain starts to fall:) Toyota 6EATS .........SUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edvig Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 yea...RE-92s are the poop. Unless you drive like my Mom. LOL Mike...keep in mind that not all the Bridgestone tires are crap. They make the SO3 which is a great tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipper Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 What do you think is the best tire for Atlanta area? 2005 2.5GTL sedan auto OB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 btw: The 2006 2.5i comes with 17in wheels now. Depending on how you drive and where you live, I don't believe you need specific season tires. Since the Legacy is an AWD car, depending on where you live and how much snow you get during the winter, you can certainly get by with a good set of all-season tires. Don't get trapped by the LGT mentailty that an all-season tire is a zero seaon tire. Sorry, this isn't "LGT mentality", this is common across every car list I'm currently on, as well as the lists I used to be on. If you want good handling, and especially if you do track days, a/s tires don't cut it. With a few exceptions (like KDs that are dry weather-only, or A032s that are basically track tires), summerony tires are FAR better in the wet than a/s tires. Even with slush, wet roads, and not a lot of snow, winter tires blow away any a/s tire, be it on FWD, RWD, or AWD. Good winter tires, as well as good summer tires, help dry and wet braking performance better tha any a/s tire. The issue is getting the performance out of the vehicle 365 days a year. Going to three season + winter tires does that. Running a/s tires all year compromises everything. You have tires that excel at nothing. Oh, and the "Ultra high perfermance" rating by Tire Rack generally refers to the speed rating of the tires, not how they perform on the road. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I vowed never to ever own or buy another Bridgestone tire after my piss poor RE-92 experiences. . Well, they make other good tires. I am leery of any tire that is OEM on low-midlevel cars. The RE92 has been around FOREVER. They were std (exact same tire) on my wife's '95 Del Sol, and they sucked on that car. Same with Goodyear RSAs. They were standard on a number of Ford & GM performance sedans, and they sucked like the RE92s. It was easy to see why Ford & GM used them, though. They were Z-rated all-season tires that were quite lightweight. Really, these are probably the same reasons that Subaru uses the RE92. In general, you have to get farther up the food chain in cars before you start getting good OEM tires Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMtnGT Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 It all depends on where you live. I run snows in the winter and "ultra high performance all seasons" the rest of the year. With a climate like Colorado's where you can see snow storms during just about any month, "summer" tires just won't cut it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 It all depends on where you live. I run snows in the winter and "ultra high performance all seasons" the rest of the year. With a climate like Colorado's where you can see snow storms during just about any month, "summer" tires just won't cut it. The one thing to keep in mind is that "summer" tires have more to do with the tire compound. Most summer tires turn into rocks under 40 degrees or so. All that a/s tires have is a different compound that works throughout a wider temperature range. Plus, the M&S (Mud & Snow) designation has to do with the open versus solid tread area of the tire. I believe that Tire Rack has an explanation of this. If you have to deal with an occasional cold spell in June with snow, your combo probably works fine for you. Everything is a compromise. If you are willing to sacrifice good weather performance for an occasional bad spell, that's your choice. In reality most folks who don't do track events nor drive at 9/10s on curvey roads will not use good summer tires to their advantage. For the rest of us, compromised tires are not acceptable. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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