planning on throwing some 15's on my car in about a month, and would like some recommendations on what type of tire to get. after reading through the threads im planning on putting 205/50's on. so what tire do you guys think will be best.

i live in florida so summer tires are what im going for since there is no winter here, and i do mostly street driving, but i plan to start autox'ing a little next year if i can, so im looking for a sticky tire thats good on an autox course, but a solid street tire (the street part is more important to me as i will def be driving on the street more than the courses)

 

For basic street use and stock 15x5.5" rims most owners use
205/55-15 tires.

Which rims are you using? What suspension?

What is your budget? How long do you want your tires to last?

205/50-15 is smaller than stock so speedometer and odometer accuracy will be off. You can still use them for street use but the gap in the wheel wells will be larger if you use stock suspension parts.

As an overall tire Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 (Max Performance summer) is very good and affordable in 195/50-15 which is also smaller than stock. It will work with the stock 15" MINI rim for general street use and occassional autocross. It doesn't come in 205/50-15 or 205/55-15. $91 each and currently on back order. 280 treadwear AA traction.

For Extreme Performance Summer tires
Kumho Ecsta MX $72 each 220 treadwear AA traction

For Ultra High performance Summer tires
BF Goodrich T/A KDW-2 $99 each 300 treadwear AA traction
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $72 each 340 treadwear AA traction

KDW2 has a more aggressive tread pattern and handles wet better but is not as comfortable or long lasting as the g-Force Sport which costs less.
Both are available in 205/55-15 which is closer to stock tire size- more accurate speedometer readings.

Talk to Alex@tirerack.com for more info.

 

Best tires in the 205/55/15 category between:

Toyo Proxes T1R


Yokohama AVS ES100


Falken Ziex ZE-512


Kumho Ecsta SPT (KU31)

????

looking for comfort/performance/cost in that order

 

the rims im looking to purchase are either 15x7 kosei k1 racing rims, or konig rewinds that are also 15x7, but i think im leaning toward the kosei's.

i plan on running stock suspension for now as i only really have enough money to blow on rims and tires (which really if i was smart id save and invest or something, but soemtimes you have to live like theres no tomorrow), but the gap isnt to bothersome to me, ive seen MCS's wearing stock 15 inch MC wheels and tires, and i think those are 195/60, so wearing 205/50's or 55's i dont think will make a huge enough diff to concern me, and anyways if it does it gives me an excuse to save money to lower it and put on a better suspension

and budget is really just under $100 per tire, and id like a treadware of 200 or more (more being preferable, but if the tire has amazing grip and only a 200 treadware i can deal with it)

 

OK, 15x7 rims and stock suspension.

$100 per tire or less. Good grip and moderate wear.

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Time for you to talk to Alex@tirerack.com

For Extreme Performance Summer tires
Kumho Ecsta MX $72 each 220 treadwear AA traction

Extreme performance means sticky soft rubber that won't last that well but if you are not too hard on cornering and rotate your tires you will do OK. Maybe up to 20,000 miles if you are well behaved.

For Ultra High performance Summer tires
BF Goodrich T/A KDW-2 $99 each 300 treadwear AA traction
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport $72 each 340 treadwear AA traction

Ultra High performance summer tires are still pretty good but also more durable. For your budget the g-Force Sport is worth considering.

At $91 each the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 is close to your limit, add shipping mounting and balancing cost. But overall I think they are the best tires.

Careful considering the other tires. Some are quite different.
Falken Ziex ZE-512 are H rated all season tires good for general use and tend to wear longer but not in the same performance class as W, V or Z speed rated tires. You might gain in comfort/wear but loose in performance. Everything is a compromise.

Tirerack.com has tests on many tires and ratings as well to check out.
They don't carry any Toyos, Hankook or Falken tires. Be cafeful as shipping prices vary.

 

thanks for the help, i will talk to alex in the coming weeks as i prepare for this expensive but IMO worthwhile upgrade.

i have one question that im sure Alex can tell me when i contact him, so its not super important, but out of curiosity when you purchase both wheels and tires from the tire rack do they mount the tires to the wheels you purchase, and do they balance them?

 

Yes, set of rims and tires are mounted and balanced by tirerack for no additional cost before being shipped to you. If they make a mistake then they will cover the cost of remounting and balancing at your local tire shop.

 

For comfort, the search would start and end with the falkens for me. I bought them for my old car for that very reason, and they delivered and then some. They're decent in the dry, excellent in the wet, and they're quiet, comfy, and durable. I was satisfied with them.

mb

 

sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was pretty set on getting eagle f1 gs d3's but see the tire rack(or good year) only offers 195/50 for 15 inch wheels

bascially should i go looking for a diff tire with a 205 width, or the gs d3's in 195 should be able to create more than adequate grip (which is what i expect, in fact id assume the only real reason to go to another tire with a 205 width would be for the slightly more "substantial" look that comes with it)

 

???

i take the lack of response as "schmuck, the gs d3's are so much better no matter the profile!"

 

The F1 GS-D3's have such a good reputation I suspect the 195/50R15's will be an excellent choice, and if the price is right I'd go for 'em.