new tire recommendations

[runawayjim1977]

In March of ’06, I bought my first Porsche, an ’01 Boxster with an extremely low 18k miles on it. The tires looked to have 50% treadlife remaining on the Kumho Ecsta AST on Porsche Sport Classic II OEM rims. At the time it didn’t bother me much, but I wondered if they were the original tires, just halfway through their treadlife span but 5 years old already. Since I purchased the car, I have spun out in wet weather twice, one time doing an entire 360. I am NOT an aggressive driver, and I feel very unsafe in the rain, to the point where I take turns at 3mph and get honked at by those behind me. The dealer inspected the car over the weekend, and I found out that the rear tires were in worse shape than I thought – and that there was no way a dealership would sell a new Porsche with those tires on them so they must not have been original equipment. When I went to look up new tires for the vehicle, I discovered that the Kumhos I have are about the cheapest tires you can buy to fit my rims.

In short, I would hate to think that the car is intrinsically horrible in the rain (when driving slowly and as safely as possible). I prefer to think that my horrible traction is due to the tires. What kind of tires to you guys use on your vehicle, specifically for wet weather traction?

Thanks for any info.

[mikefocke]

We use about a dozen Brands and types of tires....

And everyone has their opinions and biases.

It is hard to get good comparison information about tires. And people who have opinions (like me) are frequently comparing old, used tires like yours with new tires newly balanced and possibly with a new allignment. And self justifying the wisdom of their purchase...it is human nature.

I'll bet most of your problem is worn tires and allignment. And any tire you buy will be better. Never even slid in the rain in the Boxster unles I meant to .... and I don't drive 3 MPH and I know how to control a slide.

I've had 3 brands on Boxsters. All were used when I got them, 2 because of car purchases and one because I bought some wheels and they were on them. So I have experience in driving worn tires and comparing them to worn tires.

1. Pirelli Russo and Asymetrico were on my first Boxster. Good tires. Good grip. Quiet.

2. Yokohama AVS ES100 were on my second Boxster. Fabulous grip wet and dry. Noisy to the point where I couldn't wait to get rid of them.

3. Michelin Pilot Sport Ribs were on the set of wheels I bought, no idea how many miles on them when I bought them. I've driven 8k miles on them and they have another 8k left on the rear. More on the front. Very good grip wet and dry. Quiet. Expensive.

Another tire I've heard good things about recently is a Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. Very agressive tread. Cheaper than the Michelin.

I'll confess to a bias for Michelin tires, probably bought (or influenced the buying of) 25 sets for family cars over the last 35 years. 5 family cars have them now.

Also note I live in the DC area and don't drive the Boxster in the snow so I only have summer tires. Your needs could vary.

go to www.tirerack.com which is a great place to research reviews and prices. Many buy through them and use their recommended mounting shops to ship them to and have them mounted.

[runawayjim1977]

We use about a dozen Brands and types of tires....

And everyone has their opinions and biases.

It is hard to get good comparison information about tires. And people who have opinions (like me) are frequently comparing old, used tires like yours with new tires newly balanced and possibly with a new allignment. And self justifying the wisdom of their purchase...it is human nature.

I'll bet most of your problem is worn tires and allignment. And any tire you buy will be better. Never even slid in the rain in the Boxster unles I meant to .... and I don't drive 3 MPH and I know how to control a slide.

I've had 3 brands on Boxsters. All were used when I got them, 2 because of car purchases and one because I bought some wheels and they were on them. So I have experience in driving worn tires and comparing them to worn tires.

1. Pirelli Russo and Asymetrico were on my first Boxster. Good tires. Good grip. Quiet.

2. Yokohama AVS ES100 were on my second Boxster. Fabulous grip wet and dry. Noisy to the point where I couldn't wait to get rid of them.

3. Michelin Pilot Sport Ribs were on the set of wheels I bought, no idea how many miles on them when I bought them. I've driven 8k miles on them and they have another 8k left on the rear. More on the front. Very good grip wet and dry. Quiet. Expensive.

Another tire I've heard good things about recently is a Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. Very agressive tread. Cheaper than the Michelin.

I'll confess to a bias for Michelin tires, probably bought (or influenced the buying of) 25 sets for family cars over the last 35 years. 5 family cars have them now.

Also note I live in the DC area and don't drive the Boxster in the snow so I only have summer tires. Your needs could vary.

go to www.tirerack.com which is a great place to research reviews and prices. Many buy through them and use their recommended mounting shops to ship them to and have them mounted.

Thanks for your thoughts. Tirerack.com is exactly where I started. My only problem was that most often the tires reviewed were for different vehicles than a Boxster, and I was interested to hear responses on my exact vehicle. Based on what I have read on customer reviews, the Pirelli's wear down extremely quickly. Other tires were extemely loud, some didn't grip, etc. It almost seems like no matter which brand you choose, you are making a compromise: if it grips, it wears down quickly - if it's quiet, you pay double - if it's got long treadlife, it's a noisy tire.

My main concerns (out of price/noise/grip/treadlife) are grip and treadlife. I'll gladly spend more to keep from replacing them in 10k miles as some have asserted the Pirelli's will require. But my rain traction in the Kumho's is horrendous.

[Topless]

In March of ’06, I bought my first Porsche, an ’01 Boxster with an extremely low 18k miles on it. The tires looked to have 50% treadlife remaining on the Kumho Ecsta AST on Porsche Sport Classic II OEM rims. At the time it didn’t bother me much, but I wondered if they were the original tires, just halfway through their treadlife span but 5 years old already. Since I purchased the car, I have spun out in wet weather twice, one time doing an entire 360. I am NOT an aggressive driver, and I feel very unsafe in the rain, to the point where I take turns at 3mph and get honked at by those behind me. The dealer inspected the car over the weekend, and I found out that the rear tires were in worse shape than I thought – and that there was no way a dealership would sell a new Porsche with those tires on them so they must not have been original equipment. When I went to look up new tires for the vehicle, I discovered that the Kumhos I have are about the cheapest tires you can buy to fit my rims.

In short, I would hate to think that the car is intrinsically horrible in the rain (when driving slowly and as safely as possible). I prefer to think that my horrible traction is due to the tires. What kind of tires to you guys use on your vehicle, specifically for wet weather traction?

Thanks for any info.

I am running Goodyear Eagle HP 16" Very satisfied wet or dry in Calif. I am known to be a "spirited" driver and my Boxter is a joyride only, not a daily driver.

Remember to check your tire pressure often. Traction goes out the window with too much air in the tires.

Edited July 5, 2006 by Topless

[DANNOV]

I just bought Michelin PS2 tires for my 2003 Boxster S. They get very high ratings by TireRack for both dry and wet traction. A lot of people I know just love these tires. The Pilot Sport PS2 are OEM tires on the new Cayman S, Boxster 987 and 997, and Carrera GT.

But they are not cheap. 225/45x17 on the front and 255/40x17 on the rear cost me $884 after installation and taxes at TireRack. TireRack has an excellant review dated 11-11-05 comparing the Bridgestone RE050A and S-03, and the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3, and the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. This review helped me to make my decision. If you have 17" wheels you might consider going from the 205 tire up to the 225 on the front, this works if you have a 7" front rim.

I have not been on the track yet or in heavy rain so I can't give you a first hand opinion, but I will say that these are very quiet tires which is a plus in the Boxster.

[Chris_in_NH]

jim,

while some tires will grip 'better' in the wet, i think that you could spin this car even with the most expensive tires out there. :drive:

i've had a number of different tires. Bridgestones, Falkens, Kumhos, so far. and i've spun out in the wet with all of them.

a number of factors will cause the car to lose traction. braking in a turn will transfer weight to the front of the car, allowing the rear wheels to lose grip. shifting can have this effect as well. or perhaps you just took the corner too tight and/or too fast to begin with.

i recently spun out in a wet turn. what i first thought was a 270-degree spin was actually a 630-degree spin. i was so disoriented that i couldn't remember how many times i spun. but after careful recollection i figured out that it was 1 and 3/4 spins. i wasn't even going *that* fast, but due to the physics of the boxster (and ok - user error) i ended up hitting the guard rail and scraping up the front bumper. (it was going to be replaced anyway, thank god.) but think of an ice skater when they are doing a spin. as they pull their arms in, they spin faster. the boxster has this same effect and will spin like a top once started.

...after that, i did the same as you - took corners at granny speeds for a while, much to the dismay of the drivers behind me. i was also a little anxious even when driving straight at speed (70-80mph) when wet. an episode like that really shakes you up.

but on the subject of tire quality, i think Kumhos are good tires. sure they're cheap (ahem, less expensive), but i don't necessarily buy into the more expensive=better equation all the time. the question is 'how much better' are tires that are 2 or 3 times the price of Kumhos? but as others have said, make sure the tires you have are in good condition, have plenty of tread, are properly inflated, balanced and aligned.

i've considered doing a local PCA DE (driver's education) just to learn to drive the car better. all the first-hand accounts from people that have done it say that it's the best thing you can do for yourself in terms of driving the car safely, knowing the limits, and reacting appropriately when you push those limits and end up in trouble. it will also help you to drive the car faster, launch better, shift better, etc.

maybe you should think about it too. ;)

be careful out there!

[macsak]

kumho ast's are DEFINETELY not OEM

archive searches on this site, babblers.org, or ppbb.com should show lots of comparisons between all the different tire choices

my preference when it comes to replace my tires will be with my stock michelin ps ii's or the previously mentioned goodyear f1-gs-d3

aloha

steve

[atmorris]

When I bought my MY03, the dealer was nice enough to put on a brand new set of Pirelli P-zeros, and I love 'em. Excellent dry and wet traction and, although I have seen others say they are noisy, I don't consider them noisy at all. A bit on the expensive side, but it IS a Porsche after all.

I have been considering trying out a set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02 A when these wear out. The S-02's seem to be VERY highly rated by other Porsche owners who drive, shall we say, "spirited" like I do.

It sounds to me like a: your tires are dog crap, and B: there are other contributing factors playing into those spins. Could be tire pressures; or alignment; or the PSM is not working (if you have PSM); suspension issues; or it may just be that your cornering technique is REALLY bad, because normally, I don't think there is any way a self-described "non-agressive" driver should be coming even close to flipping a 986 around so easily. The car's limits are almost certainly FAR higher than your limits are. I have driven B-Gas drag cars, Formula F's, sprint cars and modifieds, so I tend to be a very aggressive driver, and I push my Boxster h-a-r-d when I am playing with it - and I do that on north Jersey roads that are curved like pretzels. The only time I ever even came close to flipping it around on the street, I felt the PSM working to "correct" my error. Even then, the car was stable as hell - never even a twitch - just the PSM bringing you back inside the car's envelope. I'm sure I probably could spin it on a track pushing hard in the rain, but normally, highly unlikely. The thing is simply welded to the road. I've had mine over a hundred in a hard rain and it felt like I was still on dry road.

Start with new tires and an alignment. While they are doing the tires, take a look at the suspension for leaks and any wear indications. Then try some mild corners, the car should be stuck like glue, if not either you or the car have other issues.

Edited July 6, 2006 by Andy_M

[DANNOV]

When I bought my MY03, the dealer was nice enough to put on a brand new set of Pirelli P-zeros, and I love 'em. Excellent dry and wet traction and, although I have seen others say they are noisy, I don't consider them noisy at all. A bit on the expensive side, but it IS a Porsche after all.

I have been considering trying out a set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02 A when these wear out. The S-02's seem to be VERY highly rated by other Porsche owners who drive, shall we say, "spirited" like I do.

I just replaced the Bridgestone S-O2A tires on my Boxster S with the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. I thought the SO-2A were good tires but they wore very down quickly on the track, especially the fronts. But other than the wear, I had no problem with the Bridgestones in the dry or the wet. If you check the wear rating on the Bridgestones it is relatively low, if I remember correctly it is about 110 AAA while the PS2 is at 220 AAA. The TireRack website spec sheets and test results are a good source of info on tires, generally quite accurate.

[RascalRuss]

Hi Guys,

Quick question, notice a few of you have mentioned the cheap and cheerful "Falkens" tyres.

What are your experieces with these??

Many thanks

Russ

[atmorris]

When I bought my MY03, the dealer was nice enough to put on a brand new set of Pirelli P-zeros, and I love 'em. Excellent dry and wet traction and, although I have seen others say they are noisy, I don't consider them noisy at all. A bit on the expensive side, but it IS a Porsche after all.

I have been considering trying out a set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02 A when these wear out. The S-02's seem to be VERY highly rated by other Porsche owners who drive, shall we say, "spirited" like I do.

I just replaced the Bridgestone S-O2A tires on my Boxster S with the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. I thought the SO-2A were good tires but they wore very down quickly on the track, especially the fronts. But other than the wear, I had no problem with the Bridgestones in the dry or the wet. If you check the wear rating on the Bridgestones it is relatively low, if I remember correctly it is about 110 AAA while the PS2 is at 220 AAA. The TireRack website spec sheets and test results are a good source of info on tires, generally quite accurate.

How do they feel comparatively ?...sidewall flex etc...

[atmorris]

Hi Guys,

Quick question, notice a few of you have mentioned the cheap and cheerful "Falkens" tyres.

What are your experieces with these??

Many thanks

Russ

Russ, I don't know about these particular tires but.....

no offense guys, but I know I'm not strappin my butt in any car capable of over 150mph, thats outfitted with $29.95 J.C.Penny tires (or the equivilent). I agree that price doesn't necessarily = performance, but don't you think that if Porsche thought for one minute that they could get the same performance out of a $60 tire that they could a $200 tire, they would be outfitting the car with the $60 tires and increasing their profit margins....I do.

One way or another....you always get what you pay for.

[DANNOV]

How do they feel comparatively ?...sidewall flex etc...

Too early for me to tell. I am going to Gingerman Raceway in early Aug and that will be the first real test of the PS2 vs the Bridgestones

[RascalRuss]

Hey Guys,

After some advice while on this subject.

I have the chance to buy a set of Dunlop SP Sport 9000 tyres for the front of my boxster S (225/40 R18) for £115. They are part worn and have 5 - 6mm of tread left, or for slight more (about £150) I could get some cheap brand new tyres, such as, Kumho ECSTA 711, Centurio, Nankang, Linglong, or Falken (all of similar value of around £70 per tyre)

What do you recommend I do??

Many thanks

Russ

[roger_mck]

In March of ’06, I bought my first Porsche, an ’01 Boxster with an extremely low 18k miles on it. The tires looked to have 50% treadlife remaining on the Kumho Ecsta AST on Porsche Sport Classic II OEM rims. At the time it didn’t bother me much, but I wondered if they were the original tires, just halfway through their treadlife span but 5 years old already. Since I purchased the car, I have spun out in wet weather twice, one time doing an entire 360. I am NOT an aggressive driver, and I feel very unsafe in the rain, to the point where I take turns at 3mph and get honked at by those behind me. The dealer inspected the car over the weekend, and I found out that the rear tires were in worse shape than I thought – and that there was no way a dealership would sell a new Porsche with those tires on them so they must not have been original equipment. When I went to look up new tires for the vehicle, I discovered that the Kumhos I have are about the cheapest tires you can buy to fit my rims.

In short, I would hate to think that the car is intrinsically horrible in the rain (when driving slowly and as safely as possible). I prefer to think that my horrible traction is due to the tires. What kind of tires to you guys use on your vehicle, specifically for wet weather traction?

Thanks for any info.

I just bought four of the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's and they're performing great for me in both wet and dry conditions. Much better than my old Conti's. Check out the tread pattern on these and you will see why they do so well on wet roads. Tread life is rated at 280 which is very good for a performance tire.

[oversteerdawg]

Hi Guys,

Quick question, notice a few of you have mentioned the cheap and cheerful "Falkens" tyres.

What are your experieces with these??

Many thanks

Russ

Russ, I don't know about these particular tires but.....

no offense guys, but I know I'm not strappin my butt in any car capable of over 150mph, thats outfitted with $29.95 J.C.Penny tires (or the equivilent). I agree that price doesn't necessarily = performance, but don't you think that if Porsche thought for one minute that they could get the same performance out of a $60 tire that they could a $200 tire, they would be outfitting the car with the $60 tires and increasing their profit margins....I do.

One way or another....you always get what you pay for.

The Falken Azenis RT-615 (and the previous generation RT-215) are some of the best performance tires you can buy. Rediculously sticky (as sticky or stickier than PS2's) and progressive at the limit. They are loud and they wear fast. Those who have never tried this tire please don't comment with your misinformation. These are among the best tires you can buy if you want a street/track setup. Until the Yokohama Advan Neovas, the falkens were the hot ticket in SCCA street tire classes.

[Glyn]

GSD3s all round, excellent Dry, very good wet, Crap snow - not safe even at walking pace

Glyn