CAR & DRIVER TIRE TESTS...FINALLY

Bought a set of Hankooks for my SRT based on a C&D comparo and HATED THEM. Slippery and even worse, no warning (screech) when they were about to let loose. Nothing like silently sliding sideways around the corner in a 4,000 lb behemoth.

 

I was 2 seconds faster (!) on the Direzzas than the Continental DW's at Autocross. If they had understeer problems, I'd wager they didn't get the pressures spot on. I had the opposite issue at first until getting the pressures dialed in (oversteer). Running 245 front and 275 rear on 18" challenge rims on a 355, 37 psi front and 34psi rear and balance is spot on.

The continental DW's are vastly quieter and more comfortable than the Direzza's, though. I run them on the stock rims on the street, Direzzas are on challenge rims for autox/track days. The Direzzas will shake you up on rough pavement and are loud, hence the DW's on the street. I have not driven the Direzzas in the wet and don't plan to as they are worn, but the dry grip from them is nothing short of excellent. The only thing faster at autox are the cars on R-compounds and one or two other cars running the same tires.

It all depends on your needs. I think the MPSS is rightly ranked where it is as they are quiet, comfortable, have excellent wet grip and apparently long wear life with good dry grip. If you are less concerned with the quiet/comfort/wet aspect and more concerned with outright dry performance per buck, they're the wrong choice.

 

+ 1....

 

I'm not. I've a new set on my car. Just installed 6 weeks ago. On a summer day, they stick like glue. Curious if I'll be saying the same thing in the fall.

 

8. DUNLOP DIREZZA SPORT Z1 STAR SPEC too much understeer balance and
lacks grip

This is the second summer for Direzzas on my Ferrari and Alfa. I have no complaints as far as handling, time will tell how they last as they only get a few thousand miles a year. I just put them on my daily beater, a SL, and the understeer is certainly no more pronounced than the Pilot Sports that they replaced.

 

After watching this thread develop, I have come to the basic conclusion that the results are pretty much bogus.

For me, Once I get on a new set of tires, it generally takes me 3-4 20 minute sessions to get the tire air pressures dialied in (with the pyrometer).

At one tire pressure, the tires might feel greasy and lacking of grip with either oversteer or understeer characteristics. Add a few PSI of pressure, and these crap tires are suddenly running well and feel great.

I can't image that the testing guys spent enough time with a pyrometer adjusting air pressures so that each tire was performing at its best. And this is even before one tries to dial the suspension settings towards the tire.

So, what this gives you is what the crap shoot looks like if you just buy a set of tires and don't bother measuring anything, adjusting anything, to make the tires work.

 

I agree you need to take these results with a grain of salt. There are a lot of variables, including optimum tire pressures and variability across different sizes even within the same tire model and make. Then add in the variability of how different cars react to different tires, and all you have is just a relative rule of thumb. It's still more useful than no information or testing at all, however.

Besides the numbers, the qualitative comments are valuable as well. If a tire pulls more lateral g's but is nervous at the limit, you as a driver on the street may well be faster and safer with a tire that pulls less hard, but is predictable, builds up grip linearly and gives plenty of warning as you reach the limit.

Also, depending on the car (e.g. 458 vs. California), other qualities like ride and noise may trump ultimate grip, or not. I'd go for ride and noise quality over ultimate grip, especially if the tire was more predictable and great in wet weather if for a California, for example. The Continental Extreme DW might trump the Michelin PSS for that car, although you probably can't go wrong with either. I'd probably choose the MPSS over the Contis for a 458, although I'd also consider RE-11s because noise and ride just don't matter as much for more of an all-out car.

 

Just put ContiDW's on my 360. Very smooth,very quiet..a nice moderate clip riding tire. I don't drive real fast,but with spirit at times and I'm very pleased with the Contii. Those Pirellii were shot...
Cheers,
RE