[04CTSVforMe]

Yes, I searched and researched and looked through the other tire threads, but the most informative ones were a bit old, so...

What is everyone's recent thoughts on which tire to replace the OE F1's?

I thought I was doing well after 8000 miles, but alas, you don't have to race and drive your car like a maniac to wear out the crappy F1 Supercar EMT's.

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever driven my V above 7/10th's of its abilities, but if I did (or do again) it is a rare occasion. I am more than willing to give up some high end performance to get a tire that will go 20,000 miles or more. I seriously doubt I will ever driver over 150mph, so I am even considering a non-Z rated tire.

Please offer your thoughts ASAP, as I need to get some new rubber on before a drive this Saturday.

Thank you fellow V-ers!

 

[Dave's V]

GS-D3 if you want a summer tire, Avon 550 A/S if you need some traction in the white stuff.

 

[Florian]

Other thoughts: Falkens or Nittos

F

 

[cts-v ls6]

I replaced the runflats at 18k miles with Avon 550 A/S. After 24k miles they are cupped and so loud I can't hear the radio at highway speeds. Rotated every 3.5k miles and correct inflation. Would not buy again.

Does Michelin make a tire that fits our cars that is NOT a runflat? Anyone with experience with Michelins?

Jack

 

[Dave's V]

Yes, it is the Pilot A/S at around $260 a piece on tirerack. I don't think they would last much more than 24,000 though. If I get 20,000 miles out of my Avon A/S I'll be happy. At 1/2 the price of the F1s that is like getting 40,000 miles for the cost of F1s. I never had a high performance tire last more than 30,000 miles, definitely not going to happen with 400hp.

 

[NIK]

Yes, I searched and researched and looked through the other tire threads, but the most informative ones were a bit old, so...

What is everyone's recent thoughts on which tire to replace the OE F1's?

I thought I was doing well after 8000 miles, but alas, you don't have to race and drive your car like a maniac to wear out the crappy F1 Supercar EMT's.

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever driven my V above 7/10th's of its abilities, but if I did (or do again) it is a rare occasion. I am more than willing to give up some high end performance to get a tire that will go 20,000 miles or more. I seriously doubt I will ever driver over 150mph, so I am even considering a non-Z rated tire.

Please offer your thoughts ASAP, as I need to get some new rubber on before a drive this Saturday.

Thank you fellow V-ers!

I'm in exactly the same boat as you are and I've been asking the same question for about 6 months. I don't do smokey burn-outs, etc. and, at 8300 miles, my tires are due to be replaced. I, too, am looking for a performance, all-season tire that will last at least 20,000 miles, but if I get 6 responses, I get 6 different solutions. There doesn't seem to be one clear-cut answer. All I can say is that the '06 CTS-V offers the Goodyear RS-A, which is a high performance, all-season, run flat tire as an alternative to the F-1's. Yet many on this board have dissed this tire as "crap", "lousy", etc. Why, if it's so bad, is it offered on the "V" and, as a matter of fact, on many regular CTS's? I, too, must make a decision soon and I still don't know exactly what I'm going to do. I would love to hear some real-life experiences with the RS-A's and its pros and cons.

 

[04CTSVforMe]

Well, good or bad, the best two options I have at this time, again taking into consideration I need them on the car by Friday and I will give up some performance for longevity and I am not paying $300/tire, are these two;

BFGoodrich g-force T/A KDW $901.67 for 4 installed all fees & taxes
Dunlop Direzza DZ101 $711.15 for 4 installed all fees & taxes

I am surprised noone on the boards here have mentioned the KDW's as much as they are liked on other car threads, and it appears the DZ101's are too new for alot of user opinions. They seem to be marketed toward the Sport Compact & Drift crowd from what little I've seen.

BTW- NTB shows the F1 Supercar OE tires @ $450 each!!!

 

[thefly]

I, too, am looking for a performance, all-season tire that will last at least 20,000 miles, but if I get 6 responses, I get 6 different solutions. There doesn't seem to be one clear-cut answer. All I can say is that the '06 CTS-V offers the Goodyear RS-A, which is a high performance, all-season, run flat tire as an alternative to the F-1's. Yet many on this board have dissed this tire as "crap", "lousy", etc. Why, if it's so bad, is it offered on the "V" and, as a matter of fact, on many regular CTS's? I, too, must make a decision soon and I still don't know exactly what I'm going to do. I would love to hear some real-life experiences with the RS-A's and its pros and cons.

i drove an 06 CTS-V yesterday and will tell some traction is lost, enough for me to care in everyday driving, probably not. but one thing to definitely consider, someone please correct me isn't the Eagle-RSA EMT a "V" rated tire??? if so keep in mind they are only speed rated to 149 mph. odds are most of us are never going that fast, but i am not sure about high speed traction vs. an "Y" or "W" rated tire. could be an issue if you drive 90 mph on the freeway, something i never do everyday .

 

[04CTSVforMe]

Latest news: The dealer quoted me $841 out the door on g-force T/A KDW's...$60 less than Discount Tire. I told him if he'd do the wheel hop fix TSB I'd let him put the tires on.

 

[NIK]

Latest news: The dealer quoted me $841 out the door on g-force T/A KDW's...$60 less than Discount Tire. I told him if he'd do the wheel hop fix TSB I'd let him put the tires on.

Is this considered to be an "all-season" tire?

 

[04CTSVforMe]

No, that would be the KDWS. There are 3 variations:

KD (supposedly stands for Killer Dry)
KDW Dry/Wet, which is slightly less dry performance but markedly better wet
KDWS Dry/Wet/Snow which is the all season or M&S version

 

[Dave-V]

I got 18K out of my F1s which came on my V (there were belts showing on 2 tires). I replaced them with RSAs for $198 from Tire Rack. I currently have 10K on them and I like them pretty well. They have always been a little on the loud side but appear to be wearing well. Most of my miles are on the highway and my car has never seen a track. I hope to get better than 25K out of this set. The F1 has a tread rating of 220. I think the RSA is only 280. If I get around to rigging a spare, Michelin make a pilot with a 400 rating.

 

[riverrat]

Just last week I got a set of Kelly Charger HPT's (v rated/149mph) out the door w/4 wheel alignment for $584.72. Was a special buy 3 get one free deal. Did a search and only found one other forum member with these tires and he seamed happy. So far so good with me, look alot like GS-D3's extremely stiff sidewalls (after all Kelly is owned or managed by Goodyear). You can check Kelly Tires web site for details.http://www.kelly-springfield.com/kellytires/display_tire.jsp?prodline=Charger+HPT&mrktarea=Performance

 

[Jon]

Mine came with a new set of Toyo Proxes T1R. No complaints, but I haven't driven it that much yet. Just ordered a set of Bridgestone Blizaak LM22s on some Mille Miglias.

 

[lawfive]

GS-D3.

Accept no substitute. I've had 'em for 7K miles now and see little tread wear. The tire is a beautiful trade-off study between dry and wet traction, noise, bumpiness, tracking, and tread life. Plus, if you care, the tread pattern looks downright menacing.

 

[VELOSE]

I vote for the GS-D3's. I don't have them on my car nor have ever owned them. The most popular tire mentioned on this forum is the GS-D3. Plus, it also received a First Place finish on Car and Drivers December 2005 issue. If you haven't read that issue, I suggest you go get a copy. There were 10 other tires/brands tested against it. The GS-D3 came out on top.

The BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KD came in 10th place. However you plan to get the KDW so you might be ok. The reason the KD came in 10th place is because it's wet traction was VERY WEAK. Car and Driver says, "Once you venture past the limits of adhesion and the tire begins to slide, you get a spooky feeling that resembles driving on ice, that is, you slide for awhile before the tire regains grip."

 

[04CTSVforMe]

I vote for the GS-D3's. I don't have them on my car nor have ever owned them. The most popular tire mentioned on this forum is the GS-D3. Plus, it also received a First Place finish on Car and Drivers December 2005 issue. If you haven't read that issue, I suggest you go get a copy. There were 10 other tires/brands tested against it. The GS-D3 came out on top.

The BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KD came in 10th place. However you plan to get the KDW so you might be ok. The reason the KD came in 10th place is because it's wet traction was VERY WEAK. Car and Driver says, "Once you venture past the limits of adhesion and the tire begins to slide, you get a spooky feeling that resembles driving on ice, that is, you slide for awhile before the tire regains grip."

That article is why I made sure they are talking about the KDW. Honestly guys, the GS-D3 seems to be the best/most popular choice out there, but I am giving up some to save some money.

Just got word that he's doing the TSB, so I guess we can close the thread as far as I am concerned because I am getting the KDW's. I'll post my "review" on the bushings and the tires after my vacation next week if anyone is interested. :thumbsup:

 

[2005eric]

Just replaced F-1 with General UHP from Tirerack for $136.00 ea. The dealer replaced 2 tires due to an alignment problem. The two rear tires had about 11,000 miles and the fronts had 17,000 miles before replacement. So far I like the smoother ride from the Generals and of course the price. I haven't had a chance to try the performance limits of the tire yet.

 

[thebigjimsho]

Unless Car and Driver or the Tire Rack does a comparison of tires on a car over 500lbs heavier than a 3 series BMW and with runflats involved, I cannot take these comparisons as a tried and true application for the V. I'm sorry, I don't think any tire out there will give you the same lateral grip as the F1s. Unless they are runflats or competition tires. With a 245mm width on a 3850lb car, you need ultra-stiff sidewalls to handle like the F1s. That's my conclusion. If you've tracked 2 or more new tires back to back to back, then I can accept the advice that "my X-brand tires handle as well, if not better than, those crappy F1s.

In my opinion, if you want great handling on the V you need: max-performance runflats, competition tires or max non-runflats upsized to 19" or more. If you don't want to replace the F1s with more F1s, go with the Potenza RE050A RFTs. Or try to find an RFT with good handling traits.

 

[MCaesar]

GS-D3 if you want a summer tire, Avon 550 A/S if you need some traction in the white stuff.

I wll 2nd that motion

Eagle GS-D3s for 3 seasons and then get some separate wheels with Pirelli Scorpions or the new M2 snow tires.

The D3s are a godsend in the rain.