I need to pick a brand. I've decided on 17 inch sparco asseto gara rims (what do you guys think of them? | Ice Blue MINI with Black rims) and would like some good performance tires. I am also not trying to break the bank. No runflats either. I like feedback in the feel of the car but runflats are too much and too expensive. I have never bought performance tires before so i don't know the brands. I would also like to have them last a little while and not be too heavy. Trying to get rid of some unsprung weight. Thanks for the help!

 

Summer - Michelin Pilot Super Sport
A/S - Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06

 

Cristo's options are certainly the best but on the high-end scale with respect to cost. If you're not looking to break the bank I recommend highly the Cooper RS3-A tires. I am EXTREMELY picky with tires, with respect to performance, aesthetics, road noise and ride and these coopers definitely check all the boxes. You can get 205/45s or 215/45s for a little less than $100/tire.

 

I like the Sparco wheels and the color combination is nice. I run Dunlop Direzza ZII's and highly recommend them as a good summer performance tire. I've daily driven and tracked the tire with great results. They have a tread wear rating of 200 so you wont get an extreme amount of life out of them, but I'm about due for a new set and have gotten 3 years out of them.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....odClar=Hardtop

 

205/45-17 All Season
Kumho Ecsta PA31 $83.10
BF Goodrich Comp-2 AS $97.10
Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 $113.20
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 $138.20

Tire tests, customer surveys, tire specifications, and explanations at TireRack.com.

 

Continental ControlContact Sport AS.
They are made exclusively for Discount Tire by Continental. They are comparable to the Continental DWS, but with stiffer sidewalls.

50,000 mile waranty

 

Thanks for the input guys! I think I'll check all of those options out. I'm really excited for this. Will light wheels and rims make a big difference in terms of performance? Also being that I live in NC I would be alright with summer tires year round right? It's a little cold in the winter but we hardly ever get snow.

 

Yea, I'm in Charlotte as well and run summer tires all year round. You'll be fine all year except for the 5 days a year we deal with ice, but everything shuts down anyway.

 

For A/S, the Conti DWS06 isn't that pricey, a little over 100 per.
For Summer, yes, the Michelin PSS is pricey, but a very good
lower cost alternative would be the Conti DW at a little over 100 per.

 

205/45-17 is $141 at DiscountTireDirect.com. DWS06 is $18 cheaper at Discount and $28 less at TireRack. In Continental's performance measurements the DWS06 beats the ControlContact Sport in three of six categories and is equal in the other three. Odd marketing.

215/45-17 DWS is $95.10 on closeout at TireRack.