Any one with "Sumitomo HTR Z III" Please comment
 

I am in need of new tires "soon". I have Mich pilot sport on them now, but the rears are down to the tread bump thingys and have found a nail in one.

I would appreciate any thoughts by "Owners" of "Sumitomo HTR Z III" . I hear they are much better than the II's. I won't be doing any snow driving, but will do a little rain driving. I have read endless reviews on these. And the only negatives I have read are for the track, which I don't do. I am not cheap,just frugal as if I was cheap I would go General uhp or cheaper.

Here is my short list of tires and I am leaning heavily towards the Sumitomo's.

Matching set............................tire rack (Installed).......Local Shop(trinity tires)
Sumitomo HTR Z III...................111/163 (749)...............700 OTD
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymc.........175/252
General Exclaim UHP..................95/158 (654)..............664 Installed
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2..............245/315 (1300)
Yokohama ADVAN S.4............................................... .....1010 intalled

Couple threads on here that might help:

Sumitomo HTR Z III

Replacement Tires

Thanks, I missed the first site on my search. I have been heavily leaning towards them, but most reviews on tire rack have been from people that have less than 500 miles. How the hell can you review something that hasn't even had the nipples worn off yet? :eek:

I put over 1k miles on mine while only being on my car for 72 hours....I've said it about 5 times already....amazing tires in dry weather....suck ass in wet conditions,loose as heck.

From the tire rack reviews
 

if you're looking for similar cars--RWD,small cars (BMW,S2000)--the consensus was these are good tires for the $. A little more tire noise, not quite as good in the wet, but a decent tire.

I have no experience with these tires, but do with the GY Asym F1--a tire very close to the PS2 performance at a much lower price.

If you're looking at the Exclaim, you might also consider the Kumho SPT--priced about the same. Similar performance--quiet, smooth ride decent traction, but a rather soft sidewall.

Thanks for all the input folks, :cheers: I just got back from my local tire guy, he said the fronts were in pretty good shape(pilot sport), but it would cost almost as much to put 2 new Mich sports on the rear as it would be to get 4 new Sumitomo HTR Z III. He also said with 4 new the ride would be better than 2new/2 45% fronts. He originally recommended General UHPs :eek: . I felt for $100 more the sumitomo's were much better.

So I ordered the Sumitomo HTR Z III 18's. I will post a review after a few thousand miles and let you all know. If they are as good as everybody says then they are definately a great/cheaper alternative to the high dollar tires. :cool:

Mikeoh, I was looking at the f1 asyms, but they were about $300 more.

I have a fairly fresh set of Sumi HTRZ (180 treadwear not HTRZ III) that came with a set of 17" takeoff wheels. I had planned to mount R-Comp tires on the wheels and ditch the Sumis. I have changed my mind. These are really nice street/daily driver tires. Very predictable, quiet, good road manners, good traction wet or dry. I now have several spirited canyon carving days and 1 track day on them. I highly recommend.

They don't have the crisp turn in or absolute grip of my last set of PS2s but they are a joy to drive around town or "going deep" in twisty mountain roads. The one downside is track days. In continuous fast laps on a warm day grip fades pretty quickly. Where PS2s would really hang in there the Sumis start to get greasy by lap 3 or 4. I will run out these tires as my new daily driver tire. The R-comps are going on the other set of rims for the track.

Yeah, I'd def avoid mixing tires front/rear. I did that on another car and it was difficult to drive on the freeway due to each tread pattern following the ruts in the road differently. Felt like the car had casters in the back. :)

Yeah, I wasn't going to mix, I had just thought about replacing the rears with identical Michelins, but the cost would be within $100 of getting 4 sumits. Seems like a no brainer. I do like the Michelins for the short period I had them, so i will compare them to the Sumits when I have put some miles on them.

Hey mp---with all that money you saved on that Box of yours, I'd think you'd have plenty left in reserves for another set of new PS2s :D

Ok smart azz!! :p Do you actually save money if you have to spend it on your porsche later? Actually I now need a new top/rear window. Mine developed two 1/2" cracks on each side right were the window bends(of course). It was a California car so I am sure the sun dried the plastic window out. Thing that rubs my rubbarb is that the top is in like new condition. If it isn't one thing its another with these damn cars (still worth it) :barf: . I am going to try to put some clear silicon cauk stuff on it for now. So my next project is to see if I can sew in a new window and seal it myself. If I can't then what the heck, I need a new top anyways.

What do you think of this? waste of time or worth a shot?
http://www.emiata.com/BoxsterWindow.htm

I just have to speak up once more. I now have nearly 5K on my HTR Z III's. I am more than impressed and will most definitely buy them again. I have plenty of fun winging around corners, they are very progressive and have held up great to a severe beating.

Also we get a good amount of rain here in the NW and I think they do great in the rain. Better than other tires I have had.

Been there, did the fix myself with a kit. It is a lot of work, much more than I had anticipated. I would recommend you find a shop willing to stitch in a new window with the canvas still on the frame. The entire convertible top (canvas & frame) is surprisingly easy to remove. Most shops want to remove the canvas from the frame, that is where it gets expensive.

See also:
DYI rear plastic window.

Cracked Plastic

Replacing plastic back window '01 Boxster's Top

If your on Renntech I sort-of took over another thread about a top, there are a couple pics there as well as some discussion of the process:
http://www.renntech.org/forums/inde...287&#entry94287

I used a clear silicone caulking as a temp fix till it got too bad and ghetto looking.

I first had a set of Falken FK-452s that I loved, when they wore out, from recommendation I went with the HTR Z IIIs and I didnt care for them at all. Now I have another set of Falken FK-452s... They are the best tire for the money if youre looking to be frugal but have a tire comparable to the Michellens.

Im never going to put anything other than Falkens on the car unless i get other tires for free. The HTR Z IIIs didnt live up to my driving or expectations whatsoever

Thanks for the reassurance. I get mine put on tuesday for about $750(otd). Not frickin bad for a local shop. Only $15 more than tire rack(installed). Plus if I got a problem, i got a real person to help me. Anybody in the Urbana Ohio area(43078) look up Josh at trinity tires. He is a good honest Chritian guy who has been in some facet of cars all his life.

I was most concerned with water traction as we get a lot of rain in central ohio.

That is my next project. I am going to do research on different types of plastic and weigh my option of just getting a glass top. As I already understand the glass is much smaller than the original. Not really a deal breaker as the only time I put my top up is when I go into a store or in inclement weather(of course).

I have seen these on ebay, are they worth my time and money?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Boxster-1997-98-99-00-2001-2002-Convertible-Top_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQha shZitem58826934bcQQitemZ380145054908QQptZMotorsQ5f CarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Oh, by the way, thanks for all the links. I really get a kick out of learning by others mistakes. Even though I will probably make the same mistake!! :D

I am half tempted to buy a second boxster just for parts, as it might be cheaper in the long run!! :eek:

I'm putting a set of the HTR-Z III on this week, along with a performance alignment, so I'll letcha know what I think after...

5K on HTRZ III's
 

I've had mine on for over 5K now and as long as they're available I won't buy anything else. They corner every bit as hard as I ask them to. I don't drive in the snow. I only drive in the rain if I get "caught" out in it. (Like going to Porsches to Oxford.) They were fine, keeping in mind you're gonna have to slow down in the rain.

good to hear schnellman. I get my new shoes tomorrow!! I took the Box out on some winding roads tonight to see how the mich sports handled to compare them. I got a little cockey tonight, as I came up a crotch rocket with temp tags going down a 2 mile road with a couple "s" twisties and a "big hill ( I couldn't resist. :D ) I gunned it and passed him doing tiple digits. I should have prefaced by saying, I have driven the road a least a thousand times(lieteraly). I almost slowed down and waited just to see the look on his face, but why temp fate!! :cool:

Now I am going down the same road tomorrow just to see how my new shoes feel.

Ok, I got my sumitomo htr z III's on today. Had a nice suprise when I asked him(before install) what my OTD was going to be and I added "seeing tomorrow is my B-day(seriously it is)). He quoted me $700 otd. :eek: Tire rack would have been like $30 more. Not bad for a local shop. I was able to watch the install and it went flawlessly.

Now I have only driven them for like 10 miles, so of course they haven't even been broken in yet. Also I had a car full of KFC chicken as I was hungry, so I didn't get to test them on any twisties(more to come later).

Initial thoughts:
ride= like I was on rails
braking=seemed better than my Mich pilot sports
looks= Well they are black? Look like tires to me.
sound= could barely hear them,

So after 10 miles I am happy, but I need at least a couple thousand miles to really start to tell how they are. You know what that means? Road trip!!! :D

More to come, but so far if they keep it up, Sumitomo will be a welcomed cheaper alternative from my Mich pilot sports!! :cheers:

Anybody in the central ohio area that needs a good Deal on tires,
Call Josh
Trinity Tire & Auto
771 Scioto St
Urbana,OH 43078-2172
Local: 937-653-5500

Give it about 100 miles of normal driving before pushing them too hard, let the mold release agent scrub off. ;)

Sumitomo Road
 

MPToledo - I've sent you a PM.

Ok second day 100 mile update:I know only 100 miles, but I gotta throw this out.

Boy was I getting pissed off!! I had this god awful vibration and a little noise coming from my tires when I pulled out of my driveway and onto the road. It lasted about 2 to 3 miles and thank god went away. I know all about flat spots, but over night? I was warned by a lot of reviewers on this. Anyways after I got my shoes warmed up I did about 50 or so miles of easy driving and I couldn't even hear them and absolutely no vibration. I then tried my 10 mile personal track(back country roads). Lots of twisties hills and suprises :D (just ask schnellman (If he had the stones to try it :D ). It was darn close to a frickin roller coaster as you can get. I almost went airborn a couple times. Damn that was a cool feeling!!

I am very impressed. These tires are sticky!! I am at least doubling every curve sign. I did notice a little roll but they are still really young so I will give them time. It might even be that I am not used to them yet. Braking was excellent and I seriously tried to do a controlled rear end slide around one corner. No dice. It was like I was on rails. :cool:

Two thumbs up so far, but we are only in the first inning on these puppies!! More to come later.

Side note: I wouldn't endorse a product if I wasn't sold on it. I have the stones to take them back and get something better. Even if I had to pay more!! So if they suck, I will eat crow and tell you they suck. :cheers:

Piatt Castle Run
 

I ran both of your routes this morning. You're right, a ******************** load of fun. I've been to the castles several times, but never took that road up the hill to the left. And, the Sumitomos stuck like glue.
Thanks again for sharing your routing information!
Before this morning's run I had been on vacation for two weeks and the Box sat in the garage. I noticed no flat spotting when I hit the road.

My Continentals flat spot overnight, actually so do my Fuzion HRs, and they're not even sticky.

Maybe it's cause they are new and haven't been broken in yet, or maybe cause I live on a state route and have to get upto 55(at least) out of my drive. they are less noticeable if you are driving in the city at slower speeds.

I love those roads out by the castle's. Its a great scenic route for ohio!! ludlow road south back to urbana is a fun ride home(past ohio caverns). Bellefontaine has some great roads to the east and north as its the highest point in Ohio and they even have a ski slope ( :barf: ). Well kind of, i think its a big hill!! I am hitting those next. I can't remember the names of the road but will write them down for you.

Well guys its my B-day(seriously) so I am off to bracken's pub for my free petrone shot. At least I know my escape route if A cop is stupid enough to try and chase me. I doubt he can handle the back road twisties at 90mph :cheers:

Ok, 1 week, 300 mile udpate on the tires.

1.) They do get flat spots really quick, like in 6 hours. But they go away real quick so not a deal breaker. You barely notice at low speeds but I live on a st rt and have to get up to speed quickly and for about 4 miles from town.
2.) Still love my new shoes. I finally got them to break loose. I was pulling out of the drive thru, and saw a truck a little closer than I thought. I dropped my trip down to 1st and did a sideways slide for about 2 feet, startled me, but not too much. It wasn't as cool as when I had my corvette as it has the perfect slide and grip action, but I am still giving it some time as practice makes perfect!!
3.) We had some rain the other day, so I couldn't resist testing them on wet surfaces. I waited an hour for the oil and crap to get washed off the road and they seemed fine. Of course they weren't as sticky and broke loose around corners when I wanted them to. But under normal driving they were perfect.
4.) Ride and road noise are still better than expected especially for a $700 tire.

Overall, still very, very happy and extremely more wealthy.
Yes I would definitely buy them again.

Afterthought, I live in a rural area of Ohio(ok BFE(bumb fuked egypt)) and it is very common to pick up a piece of metal or glass. I wanted a tire I could replace without waiting till payday and postponing my mortgage payment, :D and without sacrificing handling and ride. These look like the ticket(OH, bad choice of words) :cool:

I need a good road trip for some serious mileage!! Anybody up for a roadtrip from Central OH to like KY, TN, INDY or even Pittsburgh? It could be a blast!! :cheers:

Michelins are overrated
 

My experience -- the Sumitomos are a fine tire, with better ratings and better tread life than the Michelins on my 2003 Boxster. Ditto for replacing Michelins on the wife's Cayenne Turbo. I put Hankooks on and have been very happy with them. Great tire, but they all should be force balanced to get the most from them and improve ride and handling. Also, it pays to get some sporty summer wheels to go with those new tires in my climate (Ohio). After I change the wheels out a couple of times to put on and replace winter tires, the savings on mounting and balancing pays for the great after-market oversized wheels. Tire Rack does force-balancing on all tire-wheel pkgs and it is outstanding. I have been very unimpressed with Michelins. Wear out fast, overpriced and often leak air.

I'm Trying A Set
 

This thread and numerous on-line reviews convinced me to give the Sumitomos a try. I bought a set of four from Tire Rack about a month ago and had them installed today. At a price of $70 for the fronts (205/50R17) and $99 for the rears (255/40R17) I figured they were worth a try.

I've driven them about 5 miles, and the only feedback I have is that they are quieter than the worn out tires I replaced.

mptoledo - Any more updates at higher mileage?

You about made me soil my pants. I did quick math on your numbers and came up with like $340. Then I saw 17" :cool: makes me want to switch to 17 inchers. What was your out the door price(installed?)

I am still overall impressed with these. Road noise, ride, grip ... still is on par, I am probably up to 2k miles on them. I have a small hole in my rear plastic window, so I haven't taken it out in the rain yet.

They still ride like crap for about a mile or two until they get warmed up. Other than that I totally forget about them, I guess thats the best thing, when you totally forget about your tires as it meas they are doing their job. :cheers:

Since I am also in the market for new shoes, I read this thread with much interest. I am in the process of narrowing down my choices and have a question, what is the most noticable difference between the HTR Z II and the HTR Z III? My baby only has 15,000 miles and still has the original Conti's so anything will be an improvement! It only comes out of the garage on the weekend's and will probably be relegated to garage duty in a couple of months. Should I put new rubber on now or wait until the spring? Thanks for all the Great info!

Sumitomos
 

I followed every tire blog I could find and ended up buying the HTRZ IIIs even though I like the tread pattern better on the IIs. Everything I read said that the three's were better tires. Don't know about the two's, but I'm very happy with the three's. I have not experienced the flat spotting that many people talk about. I've had them on for over 5K miles and couldn't be happier.
As for when to buy, I'd wait until spring.

Shipping was $39.80 and installation was $114. So the total was $493.80

Check out the reviews comparing the III's vs the II's on Tire rack. There are also a couple good reviews that you can find on google. The III is such a better tire then the II that they don't even compare.

Everything I read said definately get the III's as they are a whole leap forward in design.

My only disapointment with the III is the flatspot that seemingly occur over night. It runs out in about a mile but it is still annoying for that mile.

The tire noise from my PS2s has finally got the best of me. I ordered a set of HTR Z III from Tire Rack. Hopefully baby will have a new set of shoes by the end of the week.
Any reviews that I give might be a little biased because right now the noise from the PS2s is driving me crazy!!! Anything will be better.

Give a few hundred miles, as I really noticed a difference. Let me know if you get vibrations from flat spots overnight sitting. Mine wear off after a bout a mile. It is my only complaint so far. The III wear seams to be non existent after 1k miles.

I have the II series in the rear and III series in the front, and have had good results in moderately aggressive driving.

Then, last week, after a light rain, a taxicab far to my right on the parkway suddenly went sideways, then skidded 2 lanes over directly in front of me. I was going about 55 mph. I hit the brakes, and thanks to ABS and these tires, was able to swerve around him, missing him by about ten feet. He hit the center median. Could have been really bad.

Also recently, I drove through heavy rains at about 60-65 mph and did not experience any hydroplaning.

However, these tires come with a manufacturer's warning that they are NOT intended for winter. Maybe they turn as hard and slippery as hockey pucks. Has anyone tried driving them in snow and/or single-digits F ?

It can get ICE COLD here in Sac during the winter. My car read 15 F once...I didn't dare test the tires. Drove at 60 on the freeway fine though.

I'm still scared poopless in my car no wet roads with these tires.