Tires Toyo or DUNLOP
some people don't like them but I get good results with my Toyo FZ4 205-50-15.
I've cut consistant 2.1s with Dunlop SP8000s with 17psi in them. Pretty damned good for a street tire and aired up properly, they corner unlike anything else I've every used.
Dunlop SP5000 get the job done almost as goos as or just as good as Drag Radials. Proven over and over for solid 1.9 - 2.0 60' times...
These are good tires. I have 225/50/16's on my 2000 Passat GLS Wagon. I have about 8,000 miles so far - Wear is good, Grip is very good, Feel is good, Wet Grip is very good, breakaway has not happened so I can't comment on that. They do make some noise - if you listen you will start hearing the whine about 40-45 MPH, but it does not increase linearly from there, just kinda levels off. If you have your tunes playing you'll probably never hear them. My wife did not notice until I brought it to her attention. I had Dunlop SP8000 on for the first 38K and these tires are very good also. So far I like the FM901 just a little better, they are a little more firm on ride and feel through the steering and easily better in the wet. Turn in is more crisp with the SP8000's, but with the Passat Wagon the ratio is quite fast (probably for the lame stock tires) so I actually like the FM901's better. I can be more precise. I recommend them.
I am running 225/45/17 Dunlop FM901's. You should try a run or two with your tires at about 28 - 30 psi. See how that goes first. Then try two runs at 22-25 psi, If you see your 60' improving, and your high end not hurting too much, you can try a little lower at 20 -22 psi.
With regard to tire pressures, btw. I'm running T1-S in a 245/45 16 size on my S6 wagon, with 36 pounds of pressure in each tire. I started out at 34, and picked it up to 36.
Just ordered some stock size tires from Tirerack - $51/tire for Dunlop SP Sport A2 - good reviews on there and they are cheap.
I'll be putting on my Dunlop Winter Sport M2's in the next few weeks for the 3rd snow season and would echo INDIGO's points. I've been slightly disappointed on the snow performance as I've found quite a bit of understeer with these tires in snow.
I put T1S's on my 96 GTI last spring (on SSR Comps), and by October (maybe 7-8000 miles later) they developed a really irritating humming sound -- this despite being well balanced, inflated properly and cared for (no curb jumping, pothole hitting or other abuse). Couldn't see any evidence of cupping or unusual wear, but they just got annoyingly loud. Nothing turning up the radio couldn't drown out though.
I can speak to the Toyo's from experience. I had them on my RSX-S, 225-45-17. I can only rate them as moderate. Grip is good, but not great. Certainly no better than F1's. Sidewall stiffness also is good, but not great. Press on the sidewall of an un-inflated T1-S, and you'll see. They are not terribly stiff. One thing I would give them an "F" on is noise. They were noticeably louder than the stock Michelines I had when new. And by 20k miles, they absolutely howled. I personally won't buy them again.
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