Summer Tires!

[dknight3]

Hey lookin to get some new tires. 225/40/18's

What im lookin for:
1) Relatively Cheap
2) Handle good in wet or dry
3) Good wear

All advise is appreciated thank you!

[RedGalant2k1]

I would suggest either Goodyear Eagle GT or General G-MAX AS-03. The General is the newer option, and probably prices out less when compared to the Goodyear. If leading you towards one option, I'd green light my recommendation to the General.

http://www.generaltire.com/tires/G-MAX-AS-03

[dknight3]

do you think that all-season tire is as good as a summer tire?

[RedGalant2k1]

do you think that all-season tire is as good as a summer tire?

Oh snap, you said summer, lol. Well, in this case, both would be quite well performing summer tires also. But giving to a good, inexpensive, summer only tire.?

Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110 are really nice for the money.

Continental Extreme ContactDW would be my choice for summer tires.

[Skyforger]

The G-Max AS 03 is the sucessor to the Exclaim UHP tire. I've had the Exclaim UHPs on my Pontiac since 09, and put +40K on them and there's still 3/32nds of tread left on all four tires. The Exclaim UHP is considered an all season, but it's still a Z rated sidewall, and has V and W speed ratings. I highly recommend the Generals.

[dknight3]

cant find where to buy the generals at? any ideas?

[jimmy_o2]

discounttiredirect.com

tirerack.com

I remember seeing them on one of these sites

[Skyforger]

You could get them online, also, check out local tire shops, I've noticed G-Max AS 03's being more available.

Another good tire for the price, Nexen N5000 and N3000. The N5000 is more of an all season, and comes in H speed ratings, and has a 420-460 treadwear rating (Nexen says they're good for 50K) The N3000 is a summer oriented tire, V, W and Y speed ratings and has 280-300 treadwear rating (30K) the shop I work at sells a lot of Nexens, and our customer base is very happy with these, I'm considering a set of N5000s for my Pontiac once the Generals are done. 235/45 R17, I can nab a set for $377. (My price of course. =P normally $485)

Either one of these Nexens can be had for between $390-$490 for a set of four depending on where you go. The Generals, expect $450-$550 for a set.

[jimmy_o2]

You could get them online, also, check out local tire shops, I've noticed G-Max AS 03's being more available.

Another good tire for the price, Nexen N5000 and N3000. The N5000 is more of an all season, and comes in H speed ratings, and has a 420-460 treadwear rating (Nexen says they're good for 50K) The N3000 is a summer oriented tire, V, W and Y speed ratings and has 280-300 treadwear rating (30K) the shop I work at sells a lot of Nexens, and our customer base is very happy with these, I'm considering a set of N5000s for my Pontiac once the Generals are done. 235/45 R17, I can nab a set for $377. (My price of course. =P normally $485)

Either one of these Nexens can be had for between $390-$490 for a set of four depending on where you go. The Generals, expect $450-$550 for a set.

Im Sorry no offense but Nexens Suck Balls & the only reason u sell more Nexens then the others is because they are more affordable tire, i can find them for as low as 45 bucks a pop and yes im talking about the N3000 (dont belive me Google it). Personally They dont grip very well on Dry so just Imagine what happens in minor wet conditions.

Never go Cheap on tires unless ur on a super tight budget

[Skyforger]

If that's the case, go with the Generals.

I've never had any sort of traction issue with them, and getting over 40,000 miles out of a performance tire is impressive if you ask me. Exclaim UHPs can still be bought, but they're being discontinued, so if you wear out the fronts quickly for whatever reason, or have a blowout, you might not be able to find another one elsewhere.

[Rabbi1991]

What does those speed rating mean?

[Skyforger]

What does those speed rating mean?

Two things basically, the top speed the tire can reach (obviously) but also how stiff the sidewall will be. Usually, the higher the speed rating, the stiffer, more responsive the tire will feel. Also, the tire's compound will affect the grip as well. Also, make sure you stay with or above the OEM load ratings, so you can push the tire to it's limits without worry of a blowout under harsh driving conditions.

[eclipsh]

Try Kumho Ecsta SPT's. I've run two sets now. They scored really well in comparison tests on Tire Rack and I have loved having them on my cars. Great grip and the longevity seems to be pretty good. I used to autocross my '90 Talon on a set.

[WhiteGalant]

If your searching for summer tires the ventus v12's are fantastic in wet and dry for the price.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

[RedGalant2k1]

You could get them online, also, check out local tire shops, I've noticed G-Max AS 03's being more available.

Another good tire for the price, Nexen N5000 and N3000. The N5000 is more of an all season, and comes in H speed ratings, and has a 420-460 treadwear rating (Nexen says they're good for 50K) The N3000 is a summer oriented tire, V, W and Y speed ratings and has 280-300 treadwear rating (30K) the shop I work at sells a lot of Nexens, and our customer base is very happy with these, I'm considering a set of N5000s for my Pontiac once the Generals are done. 235/45 R17, I can nab a set for $377. (My price of course. =P normally $485)

Either one of these Nexens can be had for between $390-$490 for a set of four depending on where you go. The Generals, expect $450-$550 for a set.

Nice! A rookie tire guy! I spent a number of years selling tires, and selling QUITE A BIT of them.

Two things basically, the top speed the tire can reach (obviously) but also how stiff the sidewall will be. Usually, the higher the speed rating, the stiffer, more responsive the tire will feel. Also, the tire's compound will affect the grip as well. Also, make sure you stay with or above the OEM load ratings, so you can push the tire to it's limits without worry of a blowout under harsh driving conditions.

It doesn't mean the sidewall is stiffer. It is more a matter of actual casing construction, especially nowadays. Better or more effective casing design allows for a softer sidewall to improve overall ride quality. Then it also allows for better stability at speed and less deflection under load. Perfect example is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, or even their Pilot Sport Cup tires. They have a far softer sidewall than 99% of tires in the performance category, and 90% have far better, more consistent performance to boot. But that is also why they are $300 per tire.

Try Kumho Ecsta SPT's. I've run two sets now. They scored really well in comparison tests on Tire Rack and I have loved having them on my cars. Great grip and the longevity seems to be pretty good. I used to autocross my '90 Talon on a set.

Kumho's are great tires for the money. The SPT's were one of their best recent efforts, many people are thoroughly satisfied with them!

[Skyforger]

Interesting you bring up Michelin, while they have stellar grip...that soft sidewall is also a huge downside. I've lost track of how many Michelins I've seen with splits and cracks in the sidewalls after just a year or two.

My own experience with them, two sets of Michelin Symmetry's (both on two cars my pops owned, a 00 Mercury Grand Marquis and 01 Cadillac DeVille) and Michelin Pilot XGT Z4's. The Symmetry tires always had nasty sidewall dryrot, the worst being on the Caddy, where the fronts had the tread separating from the sidewall after just 25,000 miles and under two years.

The Pilots were on my GAGT when I bought it, the rears had huge splits on the inside sidewalls, and the fronts had dryrot all over. I bought the GAGT in 07, the tires were dated 05 and 06. But Michelin is very quick to reimburse customers due to these issues, it's obvious they're well aware of it, but when you're paying +$180 a tire, nasty dryrot after just a year is unacceptable. General, Hankook, Nitto, Goodyear (only the F1 and GT tires) and Bridgestone are offer the same performance, for less and longer rubber life.

[RedGalant2k1]

Interesting you bring up Michelin, while they have stellar grip...that soft sidewall is also a huge downside. I've lost track of how many Michelins I've seen with splits and cracks in the sidewalls after just a year or two.

My own experience with them, two sets of Michelin Symmetry's (both on two cars my pops owned, a 00 Mercury Grand Marquis and 01 Cadillac DeVille) and Michelin Pilot XGT Z4's. The Symmetry tires always had nasty sidewall dryrot, the worst being on the Caddy, where the fronts had the tread separating from the sidewall after just 25,000 miles and under two years.

The Pilots were on my GAGT when I bought it, the rears had huge splits on the inside sidewalls, and the fronts had dryrot all over. I bought the GAGT in 07, the tires were dated 05 and 06. But Michelin is very quick to reimburse customers due to these issues, it's obvious they're well aware of it, but when you're paying +$180 a tire, nasty dryrot after just a year is unacceptable. General, Hankook, Nitto, Goodyear (only the F1 and GT tires) and Bridgestone are offer the same performance, for less and longer rubber life.

You are comparing ancient and old Michelin tire models. The Michelin Symmetry has been around for over 15 years. The Pilot XGT Z4's are LONG SINCE discontinued, you *may* only find a few out their as second tier Michelin tires sold be Sams Club and Costco (they effectively own the second tier Michelin tires).

The tires on your GAGT were not original, I guarantee that. There is not a single car that I've seen from new that has mismatch DOT codes. The DOT codes also won't ever exceed 3-4 months older than the vehicle. But again, you are comparing old line Michelin product against brand new competition. It is an unfair comparison.

[Skyforger]

Oh, I know they weren't original. The Pontiac has Goodyear Eagle RS-A's from the factory. IIRC, the Michelin Pilot Exalto is what replaced it, and I know the Pilot Sport A/S holds up pretty well. But I still see a fair amount of Michelin Energy and Primacy tires with dryrot after a year or two. I'm not trying to bash them, just what I see with both OEM equipped cars with them and aftermarket (going by the DOT numbers on them for age).

As I said, they're overpriced for what they are, when you can get a set of Bridgestones or Generals for half the price for the same performance. But everyone has their own opinion on tires, it's just up to the OP here to make sense of the said opinions on here to make his own decision.

[RedGalant2k1]

Oh, I know they weren't original. The Pontiac has Goodyear Eagle RS-A's from the factory. IIRC, the Michelin Pilot Exalto is what replaced it, and I know the Pilot Sport A/S holds up pretty well. But I still see a fair amount of Michelin Energy and Primacy tires with dryrot after a year or two. I'm not trying to bash them, just what I see with both OEM equipped cars with them and aftermarket (going by the DOT numbers on them for age).

As I said, they're overpriced for what they are, when you can get a set of Bridgestones or Generals for half the price for the same performance. But everyone has their own opinion on tires, it's just up to the OP here to make sense of the said opinions on here to make his own decision.

Oh, I believe you can get quite a bit from other brands for less money. But it is arguable to get as much out of them against a top shelf Michelin. And even then, comparing top shelf Continental (General's parent company), and Bridgestone, they aren't any less than Michelin, and if so, only a few dollars, if at all.

[dknight3]

yea i went through a set of spt's, they didnt seem to last very long.