Tire Reviews - Tuner Tech

Budget Choice!
Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This felt similar in the dry to the Vredestein and Hankook, with slightly more grip but not as good under braking. It was very controllable and predictable.
Will: It had average grip but seemed to have more in the skidpad than in transition. Once it was in a steady state it was very good but changing direction wasn't the best. It's not awesome anywhere but was predictable.

Wet
Don: This tire pushed a lot and didn't feel good under braking. There was reasonable grip but not great feedback. You could go beyond the limit of adhesion easily, with either the brakes or throttle.
Will: This being the first tire it's hard to call, but it turns better than the OE control tire and though it would lose grip quicker at the rear under throttle it was more responsive.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: It's not bad and decent through the slalom. It has average traction but loses it under lateral transitions when under increased load. Braking is OK but only slightly better than OE.
Will: This tire gives up really easily when pushed. It initially starts to bite when turning, but quickly gives up. It makes you less confident the harder you push, and you could feel it moving under load.

Wet
Don: Not good at braking or turn-in, lateral grip was good but not great. You had to be gentle on the throttle to keep control but it was easily controlled around the skidpad.
Will: Braking is poor and the ABS is triggered easily. Acceleration was a problem too. There's not much turn-in grip, or in mid-corner. It was rather squirmy as well on the tread blocks.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This felt slightly better than the Vredestein. It was more predictable but didn't have loads of grip. However, it was more manageable and gave better feedback at the limit. It braked well and didn't give up as easily when pushed.
Will: This tire didn't fall off as easily as the Vredestein. It was well balanced, less squirmy, but lacked ultimate grip on the skidpad. It was also more stable than the Vredestein.

Wet
Don: I didn't like these in the wet. There was very little braking control and a lack of grip under power.
Will: These weren't as good as the Fuzion in the wet. They lost grip easily and couldn't recover. They would go away quickly and all of a sudden. When they lost grip on turn-in it would snap away. Braking and acceleration were also poor. The tires felt hard and never seemed to grip the pavement.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: Compared to the Fuzion I didn't like these as much. The braking required longer distances. They were controllable like the Fuzion but didn't feel comfortable and weren't as precise, needing more adjustments.
Will: The car seemed to trigger its ABS sooner than with the Fuzion. They pushed more and gave up more easily. Acceleration wasn't as good as before either. The grip was about the same on the skidpad and they liked to be steered with the throttle.

Wet
Don: These were absolutely better than the Hankooks. They had good turn-in, were more controllable under braking and were more controllable around the skidpad, where you could correct them on the throttle easily.
Will: They maintained good grip and didn't break away suddenly. The grip wasn't earth-shattering but they recovered easily and you could control them on the throttle in a wide grip-window. They weren't great under acceleration but were OK under braking.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This is better than the Bridgestone, with a higher level of grip but it's less controllable at the limit. They also fell away as they got hot, and my third lap was the slowest. They're good under braking and in the slalom but didn't inspire confidence as they went off quickly.
Will: It's well balanced but doesn't have a lot of grip. They were controllable on the throttle but a little squirmy (see tread depth). These were good in the high speed section but weren't stellar overall.

Wet
Don: These felt similar to the Bridgestone. There wasn't lots of lateral grip but were controllable. They weren't great under acceleration but braked and turned well, with good feedback. If you were smooth with the throttle and steering it seemed to pay off.Will: Similar to the Bridgestone because they could be controlled well but it was difficult to find their limit and I felt I could go faster.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: These were better cold than hot. The first lap felt most comfortable, with a good level of grip and precision on throttle and turn-in than the Continentals. Braking and turn-in were predictable but they felt squirmy when hot.
Will: This was a fun tire. It's the first one where I've had lots of confidence because they were good at everything. You could get on the power early and they were better around the skidpad than anything before.

Wet
Don: I didn't like these. They weren't as bad as the Fuzion but had less lateral grip. They were controllable to an extent but didn't give you confidence. The braking was average, so you tended to enter corners too fast. On the skidpad they were below average.
Will: These seemed better under braking than the Contis but were similar everywhere else. They had good turn-in and mid-corner grip. They weren't necessarily faster but felt better.

Recommended!2005 Overall Winner!Best Wet Tire!
Will's Tire Choice!
Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: I liked the control of this tire and its braking but didn't like it in the transition because it was hard to control at high speed but was good around the skidpad at medium speed. It's not the best for confidence but it's pretty good.
Will: This tire was awesome for acceleration and braking. Mid-skidpan isn't as impressive as the others, so ultimate grip is not quite there but braking and traction offered a dramatic improvement over the previous tires.It gave good feedback and had plenty of control.

Wet
Don: This is the best tire so far, with superior grip. I didn't like the lack of feedback and it would snap when it passed the limit, but the limit was very high. It feels really good and has much more grip.
Will: Very impressive grip. It was stable, and had good turn-in. It was good everywhere, particularly under acceleration. The tire was better at everything than anything before it.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This is my favorite so far. It's very good, quick, and predictable over three laps. I was getting much more feedback, particularly on the skidpad and at high speed. Braking and turn-in are nice as well.
Will: I really liked the intial turn-in, which gave confidence, but it didn't deliver as much as I expected. It was still good but when pushed hard it seemed to give up a little. I may have over-driven it slightly as a result.

Wet
Don: It's not quite as good as Goodyear and I didn't like its turn-in or grip. The overall grip was high in the skidpan but it was hard to control once it lost traction. Braking was good but not outstanding but you were never out of control.
Will: Initial turn-in felt like it would grip but it gave up early. You had to be gentle with the inputs to make it hold on. On the skidpan it would start to turn but then lose grip evenly and predictably.

Best Wet Braking!
Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: These were confidence-inspiring. Turn-in was very crisp and feedback was good. They were average on the skidpad but put the power down very well, with awesome high-speed lateral control.
Will: These were in the same realm as the Conti and Dunlops. They feel confidence-inspiring and consistent but weren't spectacular anywhere.

Wet
Don: I really liked these. They felt close to the Goodyears, being very consistent, with lots of grip, consistent turn-in and braking. I got comfortable very quickly and found them controllable over the limit.
Will: The turn-in was good on these but they'd still lose grip, although not as quickly as the Michelins. They didn't have as much grip as the Goodyear and you had to be smooth with them. I felt they were average rather than special.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: We feel like we're getting into R-compound territory. They definitely had more grip and good control but the weakness was in turn-in sensitivity and braking. There was good lateral grip but they need more precision.
Will: There wasn't a lot of grip but it was well controlled. They were easy to drive on and turn-in was good but there wasn't much bite afterwards. They were good under acceleration and braking and were consistent.

Wet
Don: These had a lower level of grip than the Pirelli and Michelin, particularly through the slalom and skidpad, but I gained confidence with each lap. You could find the limit easily but they didn't like to go over it. They were good for acceleration and braking.
Will: After initial turn-in the tire went away but it was easy to modulate with the throttle to keep control. There wasn't much mid-corner grip and these were the first tires to get loose at high speed. They weren't the grippiest and were only average under acceleration and braking.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This is a very good tire, although probably not the best. It's consistent but its weakness was its bite after turn-in, which made you hesitant on the throttle. It was comfortable sliding and controllable but not especially sticky. Braking was good but not memorable.
Will: This has moved us up another level. It has a lot more grip, quicker turn-in and doesn't go away as it gets hot. I felt very confident in it and you could be aggressive, both with the brakes and throttle. It feels like you could push harder and harder.

Wet
Don: These sucked. I'd put them at the bottom of the list for outright traction and braking so far. I found the car was sliding out of control and it was hard to get it back.
Will: They had no grip and offered no braking. As soon as you turn in they would lose grip, skid and you couldn't get on the power. I didn't like the transfer from braking to turn-in and you had to be very gentle with them.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: These are the closest yet to an R-compound because you could hear stones sticking to the tread. There was lots of natural grip but not amazing precision in the tight corners, there wasn't enough feedback either.
Will: These were similar to the BFG but felt better in transition and at high speed. They also had slightly more ultimate grip (0.001g, as a matter of fact, but how did he know that? - Ed). I got a good feeling from these tires early on, and they remained consistent throughout.

Wet
Don: These felt really good under braking but were average for grip. I didn't like the high-speed transition but they were good under brakes. These were different than most of the other tires and seemed to have different strengths.
Will: Similar to the BFG but they gave up more at the end of the skidpan. They go away more as you push harder and then give up at the limit. They were better on the brakes than the BFG but about the same mid-corner.

Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: I like these. They're not as grippy as the Falken but did everything really well - brakes, turn-in, precision, grip, confidence. You didn't need to over-drive them and the felt nice and consistent.
Will: I thought these tires had lots of grip but they gave up on the skidpad, although they were better in the slalom. High-speed stability and responsiveness were awesome.They were fun.

Wet
Don: This is an average tire in the wet, with turn-in below average but braking was OK. They were fair in the slalom but you had to be gentle or they went over the edge instantaneously. They were good at modulating with the throttle through the skidpan, but you struggled to get grip under acceleration.
Will: There's not much between these and the Falkens - they had the same braking and mid-corner grip but not as good at getting the power down. They were average rather than special.

Recommended!Best Dry Tire!Don's Tire Choice!Best Comeback!
Driver's Comments
Dry
Don: This is a very good tire that does everything well. I felt very confident to push. It was very precise and in the high-speed lateral areas you could really push it. Ultimate grip maybe wasn't the best but it was impressive.
Will: This was the most fun tire to drive. It didn't slide much but did everything really well. It was easy to drive and felt the most confident. It wants to be pushed but wouldn't slide. It was very precise, the best tire today with a good balance. (The best times of both drivers were just 0.001sec apart on the Neova.)

Wet
Don: I like these. They had above-average grip everywhere, were controllable, had good braking and turn-in. You could go over the limit and control them.
Will: These were definitely better than the other summer tires in every aspect. They were good mid-corner, so you could push hard. You felt confident enough to push them and both acceleration and braking were good.