question on tires
 

shopping for 4 new tires for my 01 boxster 18" when i researched the sumi htr111s on tirerack.com it pulled up a load warning saying these tires might be a rough ride but alot of you on this forum say all good things about this tire. i dont track my car (yet) mainly looking for less tire noise and a little more mileage and performance going up the twistys im in sunny san diego so dont have to worry about snow & ice any help would be appreciated
thanks mark

I have 3,000 miles on my Sumitomo htrIII's and really like the tire. I do notice that they seem to be a little stiffer than the original Pirelli's; but, not by a great deal. This is primarily noticeable when I hit a pothole or deep sewer drain. I find them to be a little more responsive and quiet than the Pirelli's (keep in mind the Pirelli's were very worn when I replaced them, thus, noisy). However, I have not had them on the track yet so I'm not sure how responsive they are at the extremes. I really haven't had flat spot issues and I drive the car once or twice a week. I find them to be an excellent tire at a very good price.

On a side note, I see that you are in San Diego. My wife and I recently returned from a trip there last month in the Boxster. The tires rode very well on the trip from Phoenix and seemed to be quieter than the Bridgestones on her Subaru which we took the prior month. I should note that I didn't even have the hardtop on the Boxster.

Last week I replaced 17" Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position's with 18" Sumitomo HTR Z III (on new 18" rims, obviously). I was worried the ride would be worse, but that's not the case. I give much of the credit for the new smooth and quiet ride to the Sumi's. Turn in responsiveness and grip is impressive, too.

I'm very impressed by this bargain tire, but keep in mind I've only put about 300 miles on them so far.

Don't the the 97Y load rating on the rears scare you away.

I've had my HTZRIIIs for about 500 miles. They provide noticeably more road feel and grip than my previous Continental Extreme Contacts. They're stiffer than the Contis and have more ride harshness, but this is a sports car, not a Cadillac. I do find them to be noisier than my previous tires and they do flat spot when sitting for a week, but 2 miles of driving will smooth things out. I'll buy another set when these wear and would recommend them to others.

Imho
 

Just my experience, but after one year and 10K miles, I'm still very happy with my HTR ZIII's. I don't find them to be noisy at all. And, I'm very happy with the tread wear. I haven't found flat spotting to be a problem, and they're as responsive as the Michellin Pilots I had on before.

thanks guys for the feedback im going with the sumi htrz111

Best price that I found:

www.onlinetires.com

I've found that local shops will sometimes match the online store prices + shipping, so I'd at least use the onlinetires.com price as a starting point.

FYI. Tire Rack is currently offering a $50 gift card with purchase of the Sumis. May end up being a better deal.

For what it's worth, I just put four Sumi 3's on two weeks ago. Four tires and install less than $600.00. I don't have a lot of miles on them yet, but so far I like them very much, I do not track or drive too aggressive. Definitely like the savings. Quieter than the Bridgestones that I replaced. I went a little bigger in the front 225's, replaced the standard 205's. They feel better to me.

best price ive found so far is thru tirerack 595.00 plus 100.00 for install at evans tire san diego