Pure Street Tires?

[Seadweller]

It pains me to start another tire thread, but I've read through a ton of them, and nearly all seem to be a discussion about tires for both street and auto-X use. Also, I don't see road noise mentioned much at all.

My fairly-new-to-me '98 currently has Kumho ECSTA XS tires on the factory wheels, and during the cars last service, my INDY told me that I need to "get that crap off the car."

I think just about every time I've driven the car, the top has been down, but driving it last night with the top up, I noticed the tires are really loud. Not that alone, the car feels like it was set up by Fred Flintstone, because the tires are like stones.

The car will occasionally see some spirited driving around town, but no auto-X. What have you guys found to be the best tire (price/performance) for pure street use, that's quiet and less harsh?

Thanks!

[VGM911]

Two thoughts come to mind:

1. Are your tire pressures okay - perhaps your tires are overinflated?

2. The Tire Rack website has ratings of various tires submitted by users of the site, as well as performance tests.


Good luck!

[Joe B]

Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Not the cheapest, but you won't find better tires, and a Boxster deserves good tires!

[kk2002s]

Originally Posted by Seadweller

It pains me to start another tire thread,...

Thanks!

But you did, didn't you
Being in warm weather you can opt for summer tires. Comes down to how much you want to spend. There are so many different tire options.
My car came with Sumituno HTR Z III, I've been replacing with same. They are priced well, last reasonably long and offer good street driving grip wet or dry but that is my opinion.
You certainly can't go wrong with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports if you can afford them

[Porsche9]

Tires that are worn can get loud. What shape are they in?

Summer tires would be appropriate for the Boxster and where you live. ECSTA XS's aren't the best.

[JayG]

Sumi HTR ZIII and Hankook V12 are both great choices for street tires. I have had both on my Boxster and they perform great and have good grip. You can't beat their price/performance ratio.
They are just not good track/AX tires. Of the 2 the Suni's were OK on the track and the Hankooks, get greasy when subjected to the heat generated at the track. For street driving and canyon carving both are great choices

You can probably buy 2 sets of Sum's for the cost of 4 Pilot Super Sports. Bear in mind that you generally go through 2 sets of rears for 1 set of front tires.

I am getting the Sumi's for my DD wheels now that I have a set of wheels for track and AX


woohoo.... my 2000th post

[Topless]

All tires are a trade off so you need to prioritize the things most important to you, and that will point you to the "best" tire for your car. Apply some thought to this and really get tires that are right for you.

Wet grip, dry grip, road noise, cold weather use below 40F, responsiveness, road feel, longevity, and price are all personal preferences that affect tire choice.

From what you indicated so far, Bridgestone SO-4 might be a contender along with Super Sports, and Continental Extreme Contact DW. These all offer excellent road manners and tend to be pretty quiet tires while still offering good grip for a DD car.

I had a set of Sumis and thought they were just ok on road noise and grip but they are attractively priced if you put a lot of miles on the car. Lots of choices and to me, tires are the most important option on a sports car because that defines our contact patch with the road.

[lkchris]

Originally Posted by Porsche9

Tires that are worn can get loud. What shape are they in?

Summer tires would be appropriate for the Boxster and where you live. ECSTA XS's aren't the best.

This is the salient point ... most all tire brands and models get noisy when worn ... even when just old. The rubber goes from nice and soft to harder, too.

There are noise differences between new tires, and places like tirerack.com will often have comparison test results.

[Finnegan]

I recently got a set of the Continental Extreme Contact DWS-06 for the rainy winter. I've been very pleased with them so far.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by lkchris

This is the salient point ... most all tire brands and models get noisy when worn ... even when just old. The rubber goes from nice and soft to harder, too.

There are noise differences between new tires, and places like tirerack.com will often have comparison test results.

Premium tires are designed with quiet tread designs. If they wear evenly they become even quieter. If they wear unevenly you have altered the tread design & usually get louder.

[Seadweller]

The Sumi HTR ZIII seems to be the go-to for the Carrera guys as well...It's a weekend/nice weather car, so it won't be out in inclement weather, nor ice/snow...

Will the Sumi's be quieter than the Kuhmo's? The Kumho's on the car are fairly new with plenty of tread, but they feel unforgiving...

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Seadweller

My fairly-new-to-me '98 currently has Kumho ECSTA XS tires on the factory wheels, and during the cars last service, my INDY told me that I need to "get that crap off the car."

Thanks!

I think your mechanic was riding shotgun with me when I first autocrossed those tires.

I bought a set of mint coniditon BBS RK's for a previous car that came with those tires, they were like 80%. I hadn't yet taken my autocross wheel set out of storage. Oh lord those Ecsta's stepped out every time. Slip slip slide. Slip slip slide. That sort of thing does not inspire confidence. Very prone to flat spotting too which made the ride loud and terrible.

For Florida I would concentrate on wet weather performance. Nobody gets a donwpour like the Sunshine state. In the dry, I don't think there's much between the best tire options for this car, not enough to crow about. I have dedicated summer tires (RE-11) since I run winter tires five months a year. Many people track and daily drive the RE-11 or whatever the most current version is. It's the stickiest tire I've had since RA-1's, which I also drove for autocross and street but a true R-comp was a bit too much for my mileage. I was trying to have my cake and eat it too.

p.s.
wash your tires and keep them treated with a good product from Griot's Garage or similar. That cycling of moisture, humidity, blazing hot sun and all the stuff that gets kicked up from wet roads is rough on the side walls. Cars in Florida go through paint, batteries and rubber quicker than most. Except they just keep driving like that anyway.

[Seadweller]

Anyone running the Dunlop Direzza DZ102? They seem to be rated one of the quietest tires based on Tire Rack reviews.

[Fintro11]

Super sports .

They are incredible in the dry. Our highways are so bad for pools of water here. I can hit a puddle doing highway speeds and easily control the car through it.

We have had some cold weather here just around freezing and have had the car out and the tires beat my expectations for a summer tire in the cold

Tires are one thing I would not cheap out on. The super sports I think can handle more than the boxster can give and I can sleep easy at night knowing they are on the car.