Hey all,

So right now I am in the marked for a very cheap 17in summer tire. One of the best fits I have found is the Sumitomo HTRZII. While this is categorized as a UHP tire on the tirerack website it actually has a lower wear rating when compared to the max performance Sumi listed on tire rack site.

I am looking at a set in either 215/45 or 225/45 if I can figure out whether or not the 225 Sumi's are actually the same size as my current 225's. Anybody ever run this tire? If so what were your impressions? I can strecth my budget a little if I really have to (like $50) but I am really liking how these seem.

 

HTRZ II is a decent bang for the buck, Its definalty lower grip than the
HTRZ III. Being directional, you get great water handling, but the noise will grow over time unless you really watch the wear and rotation.

I currently have the II's on a car, and they work well for moderate agressive driving. If the III's were available I'd have taken them.

II's


III's


Alex

 

Alex,
Is there a non-runflat tire that has a curved profile like the Dunlop runflats. When I switched to Yoko S-drives on my 03 Cooper S I was a little disappointed at the chunky square shoulder profile. They looked taller.

 

in 16's Bridgestone Ecopia EP100

in 17's Continental Sport Contact 3

I am guessing you have the 17's where the 6.5 inch tread width is a drastic diffrence from most others in this size.

Alex

 

Thank you Alex.

 

Well here is where I am coming from. All the tires I have ever had on my cars (SUV's and the MINI) have been all seasons. It's summer right now so I am out of college, but that still doesnt mean I have a whole lot of money.

I suppose it is worth mention that whatever tire I end up on it is going to see some AutoX duty. I am not looking for a tire that is going to be particularly fast at AutoX (if I was I would be getting Star Specs) just one that isnt going to get destroyed in a few events. My WR's have managed to do that in spades (despite looking like snows). Do you think I would be able to do this with the 2s? I typically only do 1 AX a month, so it isnt anything extreme.

It looks like you are right on the 3's having a higher grip than the 2's. Despite the way the 3's look they do seem to have more rubber in contact with the ground at any given time. The 2's have a treadwear rating 100 less... How much of a difference in grip are we talking between the two of them?

 

I had a set of the first generation Sumo HTR-Z's on my Audi A3 and was very pleased with them. My guess is the newer ones continue the tradition of being a decent performance tire at a bargain price.

 

I have run these on 2 Ford Focus's I have owned in the past and they were good in the summer when it was warm. I just picked up a set of the 215 45 17 about 3 weeks ago for the 04 MCS I now have, They ride smooth and are very good in the rain. Once the temp drops they will come right off.

 

Decided to go with the ZIII's. It was an extra $30 so going with the lower performance item with something I would have for at least two years seems silly for 30 dollars.

 

Just got the HTRZIII's installed today. I had them installed at my local Town Fair Tire and they did a very good job. I've only got 15 miles on them, but compared to my old Nokian WRs the grip and response are just astonishing. You turn the wheel and the car just goes, you dont have to wait for it to start turning, I beleive the term is "go-kart like handling"?

These are slightly noisier than my old WR's, you definitely know when the road surfaces chances pavement type. They are also much stiffer than my old tires, the response at 35psi is better than any response I was able to get out my WR's all the way to 41psi even. It reminds me of one of the aspect of the runflats I missed, which was the instant response.

I will keep this updated as I put some more miles on, but first impressions are great.