Hello!

I'm installing some h-sports as well as rear lower control arms next week. My tires are about spent and I have been browsing around the forums to see what people's opinions are.

I'll be lowered .75-1in. I'm looking at 215/40-17's or 215/45-17's.

I know that the 40 profile is an inch shorter than stockers, correct me if I'm wrong.

I'll be up in Salt Lake City for the next year so I need a decent all season.

I was in Minot North Dakota and my Kumho AST's worked perfectly suprisingly but didn't have the most favorable tread life.


Possible choices:

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 215/45's-- $125

Nitto NT NeoGen ZR 215/40's-- $120

Kumho Ecsta 4X KU22 215/45's--$104

Kumho Ecsta ASX 215/40's--$102

Hankook Ventus V2 Concept H437 215/45--$113

I've grown partial to Kumho's since my last set of them. I've heard great things about the Hankooks and Continental's.

The Hankooks look like they would last forever. Anyone have an input?

Remember that I will be lowered at most an inch lower plus I have the sport suspension and stock s lites.

Thanks

--Christopher

 

I have had both tKumho's and now use the Conti's during the Spring and fall, The conti's in my view are much better for all season, and actually are excellent in an inch or 2 of snow.

 

I have run the continental and Kumho both on my mini. The continental tire did do well in the snow but lacked a lot of positive feedback as far as driving dynamics were concerned. The tire always felt mildly sloppy and it wasn't my favorite choice by a long shot. The Kumho ASX has to be my all time favorite choice for a mini driver. The tire is smooth, responsive, triply for an all season tire, and relatively inexpensive given their treadlife. I am currently on 205/40-17 Kumho ASX tires and I couldn't be happier! And a replacement tire is under $80 at the tire rack. Once I wear these down to the bars, I may want to test the ecsta 4x and see if they are as good as the predecessor. From my understanding, they are supposed to be even better!

 

4x tested very well for us at TireRack.

 

The DWS has the distinct snow advantage, and slight advantage in wet conditions. The 4x is more precise feeling (quicker in our test) on dry and clear roads.

 

That link didn't work. ^


2 weeks into owning my MINI I have a f*cking flat in a RF. Excuse my french but d*mn I really wasn't expecting this expense so soon.

I am looking for an all-season tire that can get the performance I like (cornering at high speeds, driving fast, etc.) but also handle wet roads (it's New England after all) and also handle all the dang pot holes and such in the city.

I was set on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS's until someone said they weren't good performance-wise?

What should I get? I don't want to spend more than $110 per tire if at all possible (knowing I have to pay to install them and such).

 

Never mind, my brain hurts trying to decide, I'm just going to go for the Ecsta 4X (KU22) if I do in fact have a flat and need to replace all now.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....n&autoModClar=

 

Hummm... I thought they were one of the very best in the All-Season group??? I certainly have no complaints.

 

studio410: At the Tire Rack link you gave in post #7 above, click on "Surveys", then click on "See a Full List of Survey Results for Ultra High Performance All Season Tires." That's below in blue print. That will take you to the list that shows four tires in your size near the top (occupied by the Bridgestone RE970, which doesn't come in your size). Among the top four tires in your size are the Conti DWS and the Ecsta 4X mentioned in this thread. With the list, you can check each tire's user ratings in the various performance categories to determine which tire would probably best suit your compromise preferences (performance in snow versus dry conditions, for example). Almost all discriminating tire choices are complex compromises (you can't get the best of everything in a single tire), but Tire Rack provides the data that makes such choices much easier. When available, Tire Rack's own comparison tests are very useful as well.

If you're still unsure, ask Alex@tirerack (posts #4 and 5 above) directly.

 

Fixed them both, sorry.