t0ad Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 So, today started off kind of odd. Shortly after pulling out of the driveway I start to hear a small, repeating, thunking sound coming from my left rear area. I dismiss it as a chunk of gravel in the tread and go on my way to work. I bust my balls all day at work (which is quite odd for my rather laid back IT position) up until it's time to leave. I get to the car and start to drive off only to hear a rather loud and pronounced thunking from the left rear tire. Yep, somewhere along the way I got a nice large woodscrew embedded in my tire. I'm taking this as a sign from above that it's finally time to get rid of my RE92s. I've read through a hojillion threads on tires and I've boiled it down to 2 choices for my situation: 1. 'spirited' driving (who doesnt in this thing?) 2. all season (we've been known to get the random large snowfall here in WV) 3. decent treadlife 4. won't make my wallet cry So, I'm thinking either Kumho Ecsta ASX's or ContiExtremeContacts. I dont think I saw a thread where these two were really compared with each other. Basically I want the most grip that I can get in the dry and wet without sacrificing the snow traction (thus Pzero Neros are out). Any opinions..? I'm kinda leaning towards the Contis (though the reports of the 'uneven-ness' of them worry me), but the mail in rebate on the Kumho's is also appealing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waxiboy Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Falken ZE512 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordJim Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 The Bridgestone RE960 A/S is getting rave reviews, both here and on Tire Rack. - Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacejunkiehsv Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 A few years ago when I wore out the first set of tires on my 03 WRX, I got the ContiExtremes. They did grip better and improved my autocross times. However, I could tell that the sidewalls were a bit softer than the tires that came on the WRX from the factory. They didn't make me feel comfortable taking a curve going REALLY fast. They did have really good grip though. I sold the WRX before they wore out. So, I can't really comment on treadwear. I thought I read something about them changing the design of the ContiExtremes though, second generation of something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 The RE960 is pretty new, so I haven't heard any snow reports yet, but my buddy had the predecessor the the RE960 and said they did well on snow. He recommended them as a good All-season tire for Minnesota winters (typically 50-60" snow per year). I would put my choice between the ContiExtreme and the RE960. For better pricing on Bridgestone products, try calling a Firestone shop and see if they can do better. I won't say exactly what the deal is because I don't know if I'm just getting the inside deal from my buddy or not, but when I asked for tires for my ex-girlfriends car (2nd trip in) he thanked me for the business. Basically, I saved $200 on my LM-25 after factoring in the road hazard program and mounting, etc. and I'm getting the G009 for the same price as on TireRack with free mounting and balancing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawGT Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 The Bridgestone RE960 A/S is getting rave reviews, both here and on Tire Rack. - Jim + 1000. I own them and they are excellent in all respects. Look at the tire rack ice test (where the 960 accelerated from a standstill on ice almost as quickly as a blizzak lm-25) and the road and track article re tire upgrades for a miata in the 225/45/17 size. The 960's were excellent performers. They are also amazing (for an AS tire) in the snow... i drove 3 hours in sleet, ice, and blizzard snow conditions and the tires were abolutely amazing. not a slide, fishtail, bobble, nothing. I was supremely confident. i'll post a more complete review on snow performace in the Compendium sticky. Oh, and for pricing, I got them at $150 per tire, 225/45/17's on stock tims from discoutntire. they price matched the TR price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Pimp Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Plug your old tire and keep truckin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Plug your old tire and keep truckin better to patch it than plug it. a patch wont leak in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsquish Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 t0ad, I was in your shoes a couple months ago except I somehow picked up a golf course green groomer thingy (two holes very close together in the sidewall). I ended up with the 960?s, but I would lean towards the Kumho?s between the two you listed. From the bazillion articles and threads it seems like the Conti?s have some problems. I?m not saying it?s a bad tire, but I originally bought Avon?s and fought them for a month then shipped them back as defective, which can be a problem with them. I learned not to take a chance because I might have been stuck with unbalanceable tires which can be a problem with the Avon?s. So all of the babble says I wouldn?t take my chances with a tire that might have troubles. And yes I almost bought the Conti?s, but chose the Avon?s instead. Just my .05 ________ Motorcycle tires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0ad Posted December 2, 2006 Author Share Posted December 2, 2006 Well I ended up going for the Kumhos .. I couldnt justify the price difference in my head. the 960's sound nice, but they're almost twice as much. If i get a little more than half the treadlife and enjoyment out of the ASX's as I would with the 960's, I'll be happy 372 shipped with new valve stems .. and a $40 rebate soon to come. Thanks for the input though, guys. Maybe next time when I'm actually expecting to buy tires I'll set aside extra for them. On a side note, Sears wants 10 bucks a tire for mounting and 8.99 each for balancing they continue to amaze me with their crappy prices. I'll get it done by a local shop I trust for far less than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsquish Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 You got ot love Sears....... Post what your thoughts are of the tires after you run them a bit. I almost bought them. ________ Vehicle insurance advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NutBucket Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I liked those Kumhos on my Honda. Almost got them again when I too had replace my 92's due to road debris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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