Recommend me a set of new tires
 

Looking for a set of new tires for my Subaru Sti.
Currently running a set of Hankook V12 at 255/40/18

Thinking of going to 265/40/18

Anyone know any tires with an aggressive tread pattern and square sidewalls?
Im looking for summer tires with decent tread wear life similar to the V12's.

I dont mind going with the V12's again, but want to see what else is comparable.

List away!
Thanks!

Tire Rack has a number of old (2012) production Continental ExtremeContact DW tires on special/closeout pricing in that size. @USD $152 a tire, you'd be stupid to not pick them up.

Otherwise, current production Conti DW would also be a good choice. The DW is a vastly superior tire compared to the (first gen) Evo V12.

One question I have for you is -- how wide is your wheel? Unless you are running a 18x10 wheel, I wouldn't recommend you going with a 265 tire -- IMO, anything less than 10" wide is not going to provide sufficient support for that wide a tire.

^ Depends on the width of the specific tire, some 265's run skinny and would be fine on a 9" wheel, some that run wide would need 10's for sure.

My rim width is 8.5 I believe. You guys don't think I can make the jump from 255 to 265?

Not on an 8.5" rim, no.

PSS or DW
They are both substantially better than the v12s but still similar performance category.

For more detail, I picked the PSS because it's the most popular performance tire right now.

265/40/18 has a section width of 10.7". That means the entire carcass, the tread width is 10.2". That means ideally, you would want a 10-10.5" wide wheel, the minimum I would want to run is a 9.5" wheel.

A properly fitted 255 will have more grip than a bulged 265.

Continuing with the PSS, the proper width for an 8.5" rim would actually be a 235... (9.3" section width, 8.6" tread width)

Stick with the 245s.

Step up to R888's :lawl:

Please do not get another set of Hankook Ventus V12s. When these tires start to die, they die hard, and fast. I hated them,and still do to this very bitter day.

Michelin Pilot SuperSports or Continental Extreme ContactDW are always safe bets.

Thinking of going with the Michelin PSS.
How's the tread logevity compared to the V12, considering they cost much more per piece?

Also, where would the cheapest place locally be for those tires?
Don't want to deal with shipping/cross border pickup

My experience is limited to only mixed city and highway driving, but my experience with them was great. A lot of 996, 997, and Cayenne owners got good tread life on them with mixed city, highway, and track use.

The general consensus among the 996 community is that the V12s will be good for a season of driving (mixed use) and when they start to go, they go hard and fast. They leave a good initial impression, but they are a budget performance tire, so you get what you pay for. I cannot emphasize that enough and could not, and will not, recommend the Hankook Ventus V12s to anyone, even if I hated them.

Keep in mind, your STI is AWD in comparison to the Porsche cars, but to throw in a bunch of C4S and Cayennes into the equation for an apples to apples comparison, the MPSS do hold up well. I would run them year round, and this year was a great example because of the nice temperatures we've experienced. Just don't take them up the mountain or horse around on the streets.

Most importantly, tread life will depend on your suspension setup such as your alignment settings, ball joints, tie rods, control arms, etc. Good luck in your choice! :)

What about the difference btwn the Michelin PSS and the Michelin pilot sport A3?

You'll likely get a better tread life out of tha AS3 vs. the PSS, but again, this all depends on what you plan on doing and how you drive. I'm sure the AS3 are of better value as well. You can get away running the AS3 year-round as opposed to the MPSS, but that depends on how the weather pans out in the fall/winter so that will always be the million dollar question.

Don't be afraid to consider other manufacturers as well, like Continental's ExtremeContact DWS or Bridgestone's Potenza RE97AS. They all have good tread life and don't cost a fortune. If you have a certain budget, keep an eye out for manufacturer rebates that pop up once in a while. Do some shopping around. Call up the local shops, stop by Costco if you have a membership, and ask other enthusiasts what they like.

Just please, do not get the Hankook Ventus V12.

I wouldnt recommend going as wide as you can. I had a 255 on a 8.5" before on my wrx and the tire was simply too wide for the rim. You get more grip from the wider tires but in return you get sloppy handling as the sidewalls are not squared on the rim. If your seeking more grip, get a stickier compound. As others have mentioned Michelin PSS, Hankook RS3, direzza z2 you wont be dissapointed.