Tire Suggestions: 225/45/16?

[fretburnr]

10lb a corner + gearing advantage? It will feel like a sports car.

why the tall snows? I went with narrow, normalish height rally style.

[Fidhle007]

They were free. :) My shop works on a lot of e46s and the stock size for them is 205/55/16 so we always have something lying around that a customer didn't want to deal with. Most are shit but with snows I figured it would be worth it. I just cranked my coils up all the way and that solved most of the fender rub.

[fretburnr]

fair enough. free takes precedence over a lot of things :)

[Fidhle007]

Well wait, a 205/55 snow is going to be a lot heavier than a 215/45 Azenis, and my BBS RXs are nearly 21lbs (according to tire rack) vs. the 11.5 pounds on the SSR Comps (according to the shipping scale at work)... Sweet!

[Mystikal]

My advice: the 215/45/16 RT-615 will be more responsive and faster in the dry than any of the 225/45/16 tires offered. The KDW will be pretty damn close in the dry and slightly better in the wet though, although it is NOISY. For the record I have the 225/50/15 R-S2s and have experience with 3 different sizes of RT-615s...even the 195 Falkens offer more responsive handling and lateral grip. I wouldn't go with the Hankook again. Oh, and there is no white lettering.

Bottom line: For dry AND wet, the KDW is a badass tire. If you want all-out dry performance, the RT-615 will blow your mind.

Jay

[fretburnr]

Good to know about the lettering - edgeracing lists only that size as having outlined white lettering. Other places don't say.

[Mystikal]

Yeah, mistake on their part. My friend's 16x8 Rotas have the RT-615s on them, I think it's the best setup for the money one could buy.

Jay

[nando]

My advice: the 215/45/16 RT-615 will be more responsive and faster in the dry than any of the 225/45/16 tires offered. The KDW will be pretty damn close in the dry and slightly better in the wet though, although it is NOISY. For the record I have the 225/50/15 R-S2s and have experience with 3 different sizes of RT-615s...even the 195 Falkens offer more responsive handling and lateral grip. I wouldn't go with the Hankook again. Oh, and there is no white lettering.

Bottom line: For dry AND wet, the KDW is a badass tire. If you want all-out dry performance, the RT-615 will blow your mind.

Jay

the KDW is becoming one of my fave all around tires.. the Azenis have an edge in the dry, but I've been pretty competitive with them and I kill everyone when it's wet. it's the perfect tire for an autox "slush" season, esp. since I can just drive up and add a few PSI instead of changing my tires in the cold wind and rain. :)

[Mystikal]

Absolutely. Also, it should be noted that the KDW actually gets pretty good treadwear (in reality, not the BS ratings manufacturers give), better than most other UHP tires. This offsets their higher initial cost.

Jay

[Fidhle007]

Ok, so final answer: Lots of daily driving, some more spirited than others; occasional driving schools/autoxs and *gasp* a few stints at the drag strip: KDWs? Or Azenis if I want to be baller...? On the KDWs would you recommend going with a 225 or would a 215 or 205/50 be better?

[matt]

My advice: the 215/45/16 RT-615 will be more responsive and faster in the dry than any of the 225/45/16 tires offered.

Agreed. I really like that size.

[Mystikal]

Ok, so final answer: Lots of daily driving, some more spirited than others; occasional driving schools/autoxs and *gasp* a few stints at the drag strip: KDWs? Or Azenis if I want to be baller...? On the KDWs would you recommend going with a 225 or would a 215 or 205/50 be better?

I'm thinking KDW for your application, but I'll let you decide:

KDW advantages:
Better hydroplaning resistance
Better wet traction
Longer life

RT-615 advantages:
Slightly better dry traction
Slightly more responsive handling
Much quieter

Both are very fun tires, I usually tell people to get the Falken over other tires if they drive hard and attend driving events, but that KDW is an excellent choice for 10/10ths driving.

Go with the 225/45/16 KDW if you choose that route. I'm assuming you have the ET35 16x7 Comps with the Tirerack 10mm spacer making them ET25, is that correct?

Jay

[nando]

I haven't noticed my KDWs being all that noisy? maybe I'm just deaf. :p

[Mystikal]

lol, when Consumer Reports tested them they made like 3 seperate notes as to just how LOUD they were. Here's one:

We subjectively rate tire noise on smooth and rough asphalt and concrete surfaces. This year, we found two tires to be particularly noisy, the Toyo Proxes 4 and BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW2. The KDW2 was so noisy, it's only suited for hard-core enthusiasts.

Then again, I wouldn't mind fitting into that category. :p

Jay

[Fidhle007]

I'm thinking KDW for your application, but I'll let you decide:

KDW advantages:
Better hydroplaning resistance
Better wet traction
Longer life

RT-615 advantages:
Slightly better dry traction
Slightly more responsive handling
Much quieter

Both are very fun tires, I usually tell people to get the Falken over other tires if they drive hard and attend driving events, but that KDW is an excellent choice for 10/10ths driving.

Go with the 225/45/16 KDW if you choose that route. I'm assuming you have the ET35 16x7 Comps with the Tirerack 10mm spacer making them ET25, is that correct?

Jay

That's exactly what I have. Based on what you say about each tire I think I might have to go with the Falkens just because of the price advantage. I blew through my Falken 451s in a matter of months last year and imagine it will be even worse this year so if I have to buy a second set to finish the season I'd rather save the $200 initially.