Time for new tires

Last Spring I put Goodyear F1 gs-d3's on my 85' 308 and I love them. Great handling , great wet traction, perfect balance, VERY quiet, I couldn't ask for any more from a tire.
The PO had Pirelli oversized tires on it and it was like driving a truck, with the F1's on it, in stock sizes, it's like the 308 has power steering, the difference is huge!
(no good in snow though)

 

If you are happy with what you're running on the car now, why change? Most folks think about changing because they don't like what they have on the car (too noisy, too squirrely, too slippery on wet roads, too harsh a ride, etc.). If you've found a tire that rides nicely, performs well, and make you happy, stick with it, IMHO.

I have heard some good comments about Pirelli P4000's on 308s, as a street tire. They are not a high performance tire, but ride really nicely on the road and handle well in all weather conditions. I've used them on Jaguar XKEs for many years, and find they ride well. Considering giving them a try on the 308 when the tire on the car now wear out. Beyond that, if you autocross or track the car and want a higher performance tire, that's a whole different story, and considerations are very different than a good street tire for touring and general driving.

 

If possible, drive a friends car with different tires.

Tire technoogy has advanced a lot in 10 years. I am on my 3rd set of Goodyear F-1s and very happy with them. Easier steering, better grip, better steering response than the old Pirellis.

A high performance tire also offers better braking and cornering than a middle of the road tire and this represents a significant safety advantage.

The downside of higher performance tires is initial cost and less tire mileage.

Try reading the tire rack's analysis and comparison of tires in "High performance Summer" catagory. There are several catagories of better tires above this group, but it is a good place to start.

hth,
chris

 

Ditto here. Plus a really great deal on them from Tirerack.com.

Joe

 

Which version 308 do you have; ie what wheel size? I just went thru this process to replace 10 yr old XWXs.
205-70-14 is almost an obsolete size and very hard to find, esp. in a performance tire. I ended up getting H rated Sumitomos from Tire Rack. I'll have to drive the
car to find out if they are any good.

Good Luck!

 

I forgot to mention that the Goodyear F1's were cheaper at Discount Tire than through Tire Rack.
(I brought the tire rack web page with their price and Discount tire beat it.)

 

I will be in the market for new tires too.

I was comparing Brands on the Tirerack and the Yokohama AVS ES100 looks pretty good tire too.

Any thoughts on this Brand??

 

As a brand, Yokohamas are great! I used them (AVS) on my previous M3 and they were awesome in terms of grip, laterally and in the rain. They were a hair noisier than the Michelin Pilot Sports and nearly equalled their performance.

FWIW, YMMV

 

In December 2005 Car and Driver rated the Goodyear F1’s best overall. My 308 is also due for tires and that’s what I’m getting. As Spiderseeker noted they are cheaper at Discount Tire than at Tire Rack, although the difference currently is only $16 and I’ve always liked Tire Rack’s service.

 

I had a set of those on my former '84 Mondial QV. Loved them. Had them on a set of 16" Gotti rims. They were great.