# Help me pick new tires for my 20AE



## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

Like the thread title says, I need new tires. I really like the stock Michelins and will wind up getting about 25k out of them. They have performed well for the entire tread life, and I'm sold on them. But I wonder if there are tires that perform as well for less dough? I don't want cheap tires unless they are truly just a great bargain. If you've had the Michelins, than I'm particularly interested in your comments if you've replaced them with something other than Michelins. Would you do it again, or go back? Also, my first concern is handling and secondly is a sticky tire to get the car off the line. I'm no drag racer, but I also don't want hard tires that just spin. Thanks for the comments.
BTW I did search a bit, just didn't find the answers to my questions.


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## JDriver1.8t (May 20, 2005)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

BFG G-force tires. KDW2s are good.


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

Which Michelin comes stock on the 20AE?


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## JDubU (Jan 28, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (f1forkvr6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *f1forkvr6* »_Which Michelin comes stock on the 20AE?

michelin pilot sports. i recommend falkens.


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## YNotBoost1 (Mar 25, 2002)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

My car originally came with pilot sports and I LOVED THEM!! But when the time came to replace them I wasn't feeling $225 per tire. I switched to Toyo's FZ4's and while not as sticky they handle very well, are predicitable and stable at speeds a jetta could hit on the autobahn . I have gotten 3 summers out of my current FZ4's and I'm in the market for Toyo's Proxes 4 as replacements. Hope this helps.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (YNotBoost1)*

Thanks for the recommendations and the bump








Anybody else?


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## JDubU (Jan 28, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*


_Quote, originally posted by *20th875* »_Thanks for the recommendations and the bump








Anybody else?

just buy them. falkens or toyo t1-r


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (dell6181)*

Bump. Any one else? Many of you 20th owners must have bought new tires.


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## MAlby7 (May 14, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (JDriver1.8t)*


_Quote, originally posted by *JDriver1.8t* »_BFG G-force tires. KDW2s are good.

I have these on my BMW M3 and they stick like glue. They are not even as close to loud as some people describe them.


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## Jetta03 (Feb 12, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (MAlby7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MAlby7* »_I have these on my BMW M3 and they stick like glue. They are not even as close to loud as some people describe them.

I have these (BFG KDW2). They seem to stick pretty well and they wear well. Definitely noisy though.


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## markwaddle (Aug 6, 2003)

i just finished a set of kdw2s and they are fantastic tires for performance and cut through standing water like knife. they are somewhat noisy. the tread pattern is beautiful to look at. guys would look at them and comment "nice tires". they are rather expensive.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: (markwaddle)*

Bumping this back up.
There's gotta be some more comments out there.
I was recommended the Falken Azensis RT 615 and read some good comments. I'm also thinking the Mich. PS2 or Bridgestone RE050A Pole Position.
What do you guys think. You've got to be buying replacement tires. Chime in please.


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## Weetabix (Jun 4, 2006)

I've had Pilot Sports and I replaced them with Kumho Ecsta MX, they are quieter, they stick just about as much in the dry, not as much in the wet but close and they are a little bit wider than the Michelins. They are cheaper also but if money is no object i'd go with a set of Pilot sport PS2.


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## lesliearer337 (Nov 9, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

I had pilot sports on my 337. Replaced them with T1-S 2 years ago. Not as sticky and would spin 1st and 2nd more but there are good at high speed corners and definitely more comfy. 
Now switched to Falken Rt-615 and will never look back. Stick a lot more than the pilot sports and wouldnt even spin 1st. great for an occasional track tire. treadwear is a problem though. 
P.s. I am running Toyo T1-R at the back to make the car rotate more in corners.The back needs something softer for a daily driver too


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: (20th875)*

Do you need wet weather performance?
How much do you value comfort?
How much do you value quiet?
Any tire on your short list is a good one, but in the end they all have their own character.
On my B4 (with Shine RSS) I've run:
Bridgestone: RE730, RE750, S-03
Toyo Proxes: T1-S, T1-R
Michelin Exalto PE2
All great tires, all different in many ways. Clearly define what is important to you: Dry/Wet/Quiet/Wear ... and pick the tire that excels in the areas YOU deem important. With money no object, the decision really isn't all that hard.



_Modified by f1forkvr6 at 8:37 PM 10-20-2006_


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (lesliearer337)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lesliearer337* »_I had pilot sports on my 337. Replaced them with T1-S 2 years ago. Not as sticky and would spin 1st and 2nd more but there are good at high speed corners and definitely more comfy. 
Now switched to Falken Rt-615 and will never look back. Stick a lot more than the pilot sports and wouldnt even spin 1st. great for an occasional track tire. tread wear is a problem though. 
P.s. I am running Toyo T1-R at the back to make the car rotate more in corners.The back needs something softer for a daily driver too









Tell me more about the RT 615s. I like they won't spin. That's great. But you mention tread wear is a problem. What do you mean? They don't have a long life, etc.
Also, help me here because I don't understand. You mention you're "running Toyo T1-R at the back to make the car rotate more in corners. The back needs something softer for a daily driver too". Seems that if your running the T1-R so you can oversteer the car, that the tire would be harder. But you say the back needs a "softer tire". I don't get it. Also, if you run different tires on the front than the rear, how do you rotate them?
Thanks for your input.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: (f1forkvr6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *f1forkvr6* »_Do you need wet weather performance?
How much do you value comfort?
How much do you value quiet?
Any tire on your short list is a good one, but in the end they all have their own character.
On my B4 (with Shine RSS) I've run:
Bridgestone: RE730, RE750, S-03
Toyo Proxes: T1-S, T1-R
Michelin Exalto PE2
All great tires, all different in many ways. Clearly define what is important to you: Dry/Wet/Quiet/Wear ... and pick the tire that excels in the areas YOU deem important. With money no object, the decision really isn't all that hard.

_Modified by f1forkvr6 at 8:37 PM 10-20-2006_

Thank you for your post. I want the best performance I can get. I'm not sure this equates to the most money I can spend though. I'm in SoCal where it rains some, so wet traction is needed, but dry traction is my biggest concern. It'd be nice to have less spin off the line too. I do value comfort and quiet too. The car is my daily driver and I do about 8k miles per year, which is not considered allot of drive. So, I'm willing to sacrifice a little noise and comfort for a bit more performance.
I don't want a tire that needs replacement in 10k miles. The Sport Pilots lasted 25k and I'm looking for something in the same category. They were quiet for about 22k miles and when I rotated the tires last time, the noise started. Mainly only noticeable at low speeds though.
You say "With money no object, the decision really isn't all that hard.". If you'd comment, I'm not sure what you mean. Again, I'm not sure that higher priced equals highest performance. And to qualify, if a $200-225 tire is significantly better than a $100-150 tire, then I'd be willing to spend the money. But I'm getting the impression that the Falken RT 615 is a pretty good tire and as good as most. It is $149.
Finally, of the tires you mentioned in your post, which did you like the best and why? Thanks again for your input.


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: (20th875)*

Of the bunch, the S-03 gave the best dry performance. They have the stiffest sidewall, widest treadwidth for a 205/50-15, and offered the quickest response. You can throw your car around with these tires, and they will always stick ... but they were very heavy, and offered the lowest comfort. Wet traction was second to the PE2s, and these tires.
The RE730 and RE750 were also quite good in the dry, and not too bad in the wet. They are also a fairly stiff tire, but had a narrower treadwidth (nearly an inch narrower) than the S-03, and didn't have the same edginess . This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the S-03's tramlined quite a bit, and needed constant small corrections to stay on track during long highway trips. My comments on the RE750 here:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1448171

The PE2 is one of my favorite's of this bunch - here is what I thought of it in a previous post:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2189828
Finally the T1-R is a pretty decent tire, but it won't meed your needs for top-notch dry grip - it's a great commuting tire, feels much like the PE2 in terms of required driving style and comfort (perhaps a little stiffer sidewall than the PE2). I've got about 6000 miles on them and so far they offer a very good balance of performance, comfort, and value.
Sorry to break it to you, but superior dry grip nearly always comes at the expense of accelerated treadwear. The RT615 will probably last about half as long as your Previous Pilot sports. Gotta pick which qualities are most important and go from there. I have yet to find a best in class dry grip tire, with best/near best in class wet weather performance, combined with very good treadwear.
edit to fix PE2 thread url


_Modified by f1forkvr6 at 12:08 PM 10-22-2006_


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: (f1forkvr6)*

Alright, bumping this up. I got a set of Kuhmo Ecsta MXs. I only have about 150 miles on them. They are definitely sticky, but not really broken in yet. I hope they get even better by the time I get 500 miles on them. I will post a review once they get there. Thanks for all the help on this.
BTW My research lead me to these three tires: Kuhmo Ecsta MX, Falken RT-615 (+/-$127/tire), and the Hankook Ventus RS2 (+/-$128/tire). My research indicated the RT-615s were the best tire. But all three were rated pretty good. I got the MXs from Tire Rack for $97/tire! For $638 total, they were delivered, installed/balanced, came with road hazard and a laser alignment was done on the car. It would have been substantially more for the Falken or the Hankook tires, so the MXs won out.


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## the_journalist (Jul 21, 2004)

*Re: (20th875)*

The Falken RT-615 is unbelievably sticky (You'll wonder how other companies can sleep at night calling their tires "performance tires"), does pretty well in the wet for a dry weather tire, and is about half the price of the Michelins. Unfortunately, it only lasts about half as long. I run them on two of my cars.


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## gehr (Jan 28, 2004)

*Re: (the_journalist)*

Sticky means quick wear! I have the RT-615 for track days they kick a$s but I wouldn't bother with them for the street.........how fast do/can you go on the street anyway!!!???!!


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: (20th875)*

Alright, responding to myself! I have over 500 miles on these tires now. They handle quite good. I am actually still getting used to them. At speeds I'm used to, the car seems to be going slower in the turns. In other words, the car is handling better with the new tires and certainly no worse than with the Sport Pilots (got 26k out of them). The MXs also seem to handle launches better, providing better grip. The tires still look new with almost no perceptible wear. Hopefully, they will last 20k+ miles. Only time will tell. I'll try to update once in a while once I get used to the tires. Although I occasionally think what the RT 615s would have been like, I like the savings I got with the MXs.
Also http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif to TireRack because the transaction was very easy and their recommended installer did a great job. I think it was a great way to purchase tires.


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## VR (Jul 2, 2001)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

i liked my bfgoodrich gforce sports http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
dont like my kumho spts as much they are a tad loud...
might try the MX next time or go back to the gforce sports....not sure


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## the_journalist (Jul 21, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (VR)*

One set of Falken Azenis RT-615 and you will never look at another Michelin or BFG tire.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (the_journalist)*

UPDATE: I have around 5k on these tires. They appear to be wearing well and handle quite nicely for a $97 tire. I can recommend them based on my experience with the Sport Pilots and the Kuhmo MX on my MKIV. I think the MXs are overall better than the Michelins and they are half the cost. That's a bargain for sure.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*


_Quote, originally posted by *20th875* »_UPDATE: I have around 5k on these tires. They appear to be wearing well and handle quite nicely for a $97 tire. I can recommend them based on my experience with the Sport Pilots and the Kuhmo MX on my MKIV. I think the MXs are overall better than the Michelins and they are half the cost. That's a bargain for sure.

Quoting myself above. Overall, I liked the MXs. However, they were a bit noisy starting around half life, which seems early for a tire to start getting noisy. By the time I replace them, they'll have right at 20k on them and that seems fair for a tire with nice dry performance characteristics. That is the reason for reviving this post. I am now needing to do a bit of research on some new rubber and need to replace the MXs for the wet season that starts in later December. I am thinking either MXs or RT 615s. 
Heard lots good about them. So, anyone with RT 615s that have run their course that can chime in how long they lasted? Did you get 20k out of them, or less, more? What's the noise factor with these tires?
Here's what I'm looking for. Price and Good dry weather performance, which means launching and cornering. We get rain a few times a year and when we do I just slow down and drive even more safely. I never had any problems in the wet with the MXs. They did just fine. -On the launching, I don't launch very often, but it sucks when you step on it in first or second and the front end looses traction. When that happens, the lose is inevitable.








So, I know it's been three years since I installed the MXs. Any new tires I should consider? I won't buy the Pilot Sports (or any of the premium tires) because I only got 5k more out of them and they are twice as expensive. They just aren't cost effective.
Your comments, insight, links to recommendations, etc. are appreciated.


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## pturner67 (Dec 27, 2002)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*

bang for the buck, go with the Sumitomo HTR Z III


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## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2008)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (pturner67)*

try the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, a little more $$$ but AWESOME !


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_try the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, a little more $$$ but AWESOME !

OK. Thank you. I'll give you a shout.
Anyone else? Just looking for a good summer-compound tire. 
When you reply, please post tire, $$, and where to buy. 
I appreciate all the replies.
Warren


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

http://www.tirerack.com
I had kumho ECSTA SPT on my old mkiv with 225/45r17 tires. They are "UHP" summer tires


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## Racer Rob (Aug 26, 2003)

*FV-QR*

Falkin 512


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (pturner67)*

Forgot to quote pturner67 - Sumitomo HTR Z III was their recommendation.
I've heard good things about this tire. May go this way and save some $$.
_edited for clarity_


_Modified by 20th875 at 4:34 PM 11-11-2009_


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## teutoned (Jul 29, 2008)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (20th875)*


_Quote, originally posted by *20th875* »_- Sumitomo HTR Z III 
_edited for clarity_

_Modified by 20th875 at 4:34 PM 11-11-2009_


http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Re: Help me pick new tires for my 20AE (teutoned)*

I appreciate that response.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Back from the dead - Looking for my next set of tires*

Well, I've just about run through my most recent choice in tires, Falken RT 615s. They are a somewhat better tire than the Kuhmo MX I had run previously. They wore very evenly and were always quite. However, I've only got 10,000 miles out of them. The MXs gave me 15k (I was wrong when I earlier said 20k miles). The stock Michelins gave me just short of 25,000 miles. So really, these less expensive tires don't seem to be "cheaper". Certainly not on a cost per mile basis. Anyway, I need new tires by mid December and I'm looking for suggestions.

What would you suggest I look into this time? I still want sticky summer performance rubber but hopefully can find a tire that will last longer. If there aren't any that'll last at least 20k, I'd rather go back to the stock Pilot Sports. Neither the MX nor the RT 615 was significantly better and I can't see paying for tires twice as often. Thanks for the help.


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## 20th875 (Feb 11, 2004)

*Bump*

Any suggestions? Its been a week and thought I'd get a few replies, but nothing. Please, suggest away.


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