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JUDGEMENT FREE cheap tire discussion - Want to upsize to some sticky All Seasons

danbfree

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#1
This thread is for us who absolutely HAVE to go with an inexpensive tire. Remember the FiST is an economy car so please, no judgments about cheap tires, there ARE a few diamonds in the rough out there. I just need a good daily tire in an area that is mild and rainy. I want to go with one that is sticky but also a bit wider at 215/40/17, which will also add ~0.3" for a touch more height/cushion as well... I have tons of torque steer with simply a good tune and doesn't hurt to go wider... Plus, at stock ride height I obviously won't rub but also probably won't rub much at all with Eibach springs which I plan to get, which have the least aggressive drop at only 0.8"... I have narrowed it down to these as examples that have received plenty of praise for the money, but I'm open to others:

- Antares Ingens A1 - Amazing reviews only like $52, quite sticky 300AA treadwear/traction. I have researched the crap out of these and not finding many bad reviews at all, mostly people very surprised how good they are, would LOVE to hear from someone who's had these on a FiST.

-Nankang NS-20 - Can get very cheap for like $53 at local Discount Tire - 360AA, stickier than it's NS-25 brother. Since I can get directly from local Discount Tire, no worrying about shipping and finding shop that will install any of the others.

-Ohtsu/Falken FP7000 - Good reviews, actual reputable Japanese brand, for only $62 but also more longer life type at 440AA, so not as sticky.

- Federal SS595 - Yes, the budget stretchers at $80 plus no free shipping, but still a great price I found on them, VERY sticky 240AA, not considered an All Season but has great ratings for wet traction too... I'm already assuming just about everyone will say go no cheaper than these, so if I can't get decent enough feedback on the others I will shoot for these but concerned that they won't even last 20k miles.. thoughts?

Again, do not care about opinions like "All Chinese tires suck", I'm skipping over a bunch of those weird off-brands and sticking to some of the most popular known commodities, but any other recommendation for under $80 each is welcome, I can't believe how many good reviews I'm seeing on the Antares A1, looks like a good decently sticky tire for the money with a 40k warranty?
 


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BRGT350

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#2
Going to be tough to find what you are looking for with an all-season, regardless of where it is made or how much it costs. The tire compound is too compromised to provide the traction you are looking for. I would consider an entry level summer tire instead. I think the size is spot on as that is my preferred tire size on the Fiesta. A little extra width, a little extra sidewall, and without the rubbing issues.

Here is an entry level summer to consider https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...7HTRZ2V2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I used a cheap set of Sumitomo's on my Mustang to drive between autocross events and Hoosiers on course. I eventually autocrossed on the Sumitomo's and it was a lot of fun, mostly because the car was sideways all over the course and people love that stuff. Lap times were dismal, but it was fun. I paid around $70 a tire, which is pretty darn cheap.
 


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danbfree

danbfree

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Thread Starter #3
Going to be tough to find what you are looking for with an all-season, regardless of where it is made or how much it costs. The tire compound is too compromised to provide the traction you are looking for. I would consider an entry level summer tire instead. I think the size is spot on as that is my preferred tire size on the Fiesta. A little extra width, a little extra sidewall, and without the rubbing issues.

Here is an entry level summer to consider https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...7HTRZ2V2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I used a cheap set of Sumitomo's on my Mustang to drive between autocross events and Hoosiers on course. I eventually autocrossed on the Sumitomo's and it was a lot of fun, mostly because the car was sideways all over the course and people love that stuff. Lap times were dismal, but it was fun. I paid around $70 a tire, which is pretty darn cheap.
Thanks for the input, I live where it's rainy and mild so some compromise on compound is OK, as otherwise All Season are acceptable where I live so I'm focusing on UHP All Season... my stock tires, that I like, are the Pilot A/S 3's and now they have the +, but out of my price range and I don't mind off brands if they are decently sticky but last at least 20k miles...
 


LaserWhisperer

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#4
This thread is for us who absolutely HAVE to go with an inexpensive tire. Remember the FiST is an economy car so please, no judgments about cheap tires, there ARE a few diamonds in the rough out there. I just need a good daily tire in an area that is mild and rainy. I want to go with one that is sticky but also a bit wider at 215/40/17, which will also add ~0.3" for a touch more height/cushion as well... I have tons of torque steer with simply a good tune and doesn't hurt to go wider... Plus, at stock ride height I obviously won't rub but also probably won't rub much at all with Eibach springs which I plan to get, which have the least aggressive drop at only 0.8"... I have narrowed it down to these that have received plenty of praise for the money:

- Antares Ingens A1 - Amazing reviews only like $52, quite sticky 300AA treadwear/traction. I have researched the crap out of these and not finding many bad reviews at all, mostly people very surprised how good they are, would LOVE to hear from someone who's had these on a FiST.

-Nankang NS-20 - Can get very cheap for like $53 at local Discount Tire - 360AA, stickier than it's NS-25 brother. Since I can get directly from local Discount Tire, no worrying about shipping and finding shop that will install any of the others.

-Ohtsu/Falken FP7000 - Good reviews, actual reputable Japanese brand, for only $62 but also more longer life type at 440AA, so not as sticky.

- Federal SS595 - Yes, the budget stretchers at $80 plus no free shipping, but still a great price I found on them, VERY sticky 240AA, not considered an All Season but has great ratings for wet traction too... I'm already assuming just about everyone will say go no cheaper than these, so if I can't get decent enough feedback on the others I will shoot for these but concerned that they won't even last 20k miles.. thoughts?

Again, do not care about opinions like "All Chinese tires suck", I'm skipping over a bunch of those weird off-brands and sticking to some of the most popular known commodities, but any other recommendation for under $80 each is welcome, I can't believe how many good reviews I'm seeing on the Antares A1, looks like a good decently sticky tire for the money with a 40k warranty?
I'm currently running a set of 595EVOs, have been for over a year now. I've put a good 20k+ on them, they're still holding up just fine. They're as quiet as the stockers, if not more so. No worries or complaints
 


BRGT350

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Thanks for the input, I live where it's rainy and mild so some compromise on compound is OK, as otherwise All Season are acceptable where I live so I'm focusing on UHP All Season... my stock tires, that I like, are the Pilot A/S 3's and now they have the +, but out of my price range and I don't mind off brands if they are decently sticky but last at least 20k miles...
Many of the off-brands are owned by the major tire companies. No doubt Michelins are pricey. I wish I could remember what the regular Fiesta came with from the factory in 2011. They made a last minute change on the tires and then kept changing after that. They were either Hankooks or Kuhmo's. Anyway, the point I was going after was that when I was spending time with the engineer who tuned the US Fiesta, he was able to get similar performance out of the chassis with all-season tires compared to the Pirelli summer tires on the EU cars. I never drove mine on the stock tires to find out, but gave them to my brother to use on his Focus. He was really pleased with them as a 3-season tire. I drove a few rental cars with them as well and they weren't too bad. I had a spirited drive in the mountains in Hawaii with all-seasons on a Fiesta. It won't solve your traction issues and torque steer, but you could look at what the regular Fiesta has come with over the years and use that for your research.
 


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danbfree

danbfree

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Thread Starter #7

Ford ST

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Yeah they have a really big selection. I've noticed with Discount Tire the prices can even very store to store. Walmart also ships tires for free.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
 


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I ran milestars before. The chinese milestar.

Their tires are great for tracking. They're infused with way more silicone than regular tires, as a result they are more sticky, durable, and can handle much higher PSI. They're talking about 60-70k mile range, but I would believe ~50k miles for regular use. Still not bad.
Their grip is out of this world (I'm not kidding), and they are rated V for speed (150 mph, which you won't easily reach). Ride quality is softer, tires are lightweight, and they stick to the hand, almost as if it was pure silicone; stopping power in the rain is great.
No visible cracking or tearing in the 2,5 years I've been running them. Wear was minimal at ~22k miles.

Of chinese tires it's said that they run best in the rain, and once they start wearing, they run better on dry roads than brand tires, due to their rain grooves narrowing out (basically becoming slick tires).

They only have a few cons (cons some other chinese tires might have as well):
1- They have very thin sidewalls, making the ride very soft, and rob some power from the engine causing lousy gas mileage. They need about 10PSI more than regular tires, or inflated to their max PSI (45) to have a 'similar' gas mileage (less than 10% lower MPG) and ride quality than brand tires (say 'Goodyear' or 'Michelin' or so). The higher profile tire, the lower MPG and PSI these tires support. The stock ST tire size from them supports up to 45PSI.
2- They don't have a steel belt in them, but more like cloth/fiber, which makes them more susceptible for punctures.
3- Over time the rain grooves narrow out, and will cause more hydroplaning. Especially for a car as light as the ST, and especially if you're looking to widen the tire width! (It wasn't too long when hatchbacks were equipped with much narrower 175/65's or 175/70's).

If you have more than enough power, but need better cornering, I would say give these a try!
 


JDG

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#11
I will not share my opinion on the tires you listed above per your request BUT I suggest you look into these tires for a daily driver:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...GFC2ASXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

They are $88/tire with the current rebate, are very good tires in the dry (good for the occasional autocross), are fantastic in the wet, and have great hydroplaning resistance. I know all of this first hand with about 13K miles on them since February 2018. I expect to get 30K miles out of them but a normal person could probably get 40-45K. I drive very spiritedly in corners and typically cruise PSL +15.

I would suggest that you take the reviews you read online for all tires with a grain of salt depending on where you read them because not all of the folks who write these reviews on the discount tire websites or Walmart.com are car enthusiasts with the attention to driving characteristics that the forums may have.
 


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danbfree

danbfree

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Thread Starter #12
I ran milestars before. The chinese milestar.

Their tires are great for tracking. They're infused with way more silicone than regular tires, as a result they are more sticky, durable, and can handle much higher PSI. They're talking about 60-70k mile range, but I would believe ~50k miles for regular use. Still not bad.
Their grip is out of this world (I'm not kidding), and they are rated V for speed (150 mph, which you won't easily reach). Ride quality is softer, tires are lightweight, and they stick to the hand, almost as if it was pure silicone; stopping power in the rain is great.
No visible cracking or tearing in the 2,5 years I've been running them. Wear was minimal at ~22k miles.

Of chinese tires it's said that they run best in the rain, and once they start wearing, they run better on dry roads than brand tires, due to their rain grooves narrowing out (basically becoming slick tires).

They only have a few cons (cons some other chinese tires might have as well):
1- They have very thin sidewalls, making the ride very soft, and rob some power from the engine causing lousy gas mileage. They need about 10PSI more than regular tires, or inflated to their max PSI (45) to have a 'similar' gas mileage (less than 10% lower MPG) and ride quality than brand tires (say 'Goodyear' or 'Michelin' or so). The higher profile tire, the lower MPG and PSI these tires support. The stock ST tire size from them supports up to 45PSI.
2- They don't have a steel belt in them, but more like cloth/fiber, which makes them more susceptible for punctures.
3- Over time the rain grooves narrow out, and will cause more hydroplaning. Especially for a car as light as the ST, and especially if you're looking to widen the tire width! (It wasn't too long when hatchbacks were equipped with much narrower 175/65's or 175/70's).

If you have more than enough power, but need better cornering, I would say give these a try!
Thanks for the awesome info on the cheaper Chinese tires, I know some of them are quite decent and I'll absolutely keep this in mind when I get them!
 


JasonHaven

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#13
I will not share my opinion on the tires you listed above per your request BUT I suggest you look into these tires for a daily driver:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...GFC2ASXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

They are $88/tire with the current rebate, are very good tires in the dry (good for the occasional autocross), are fantastic in the wet, and have great hydroplaning resistance. I know all of this first hand with about 13K miles on them since February 2018. I expect to get 30K miles out of them but a normal person could probably get 40-45K. I drive very spiritedly in corners and typically cruise PSL +15.

I would suggest that you take the reviews you read online for all tires with a grain of salt depending on where you read them because not all of the folks who write these reviews on the discount tire websites or Walmart.com are car enthusiasts with the attention to driving characteristics that the forums may have.
I have the BFG Comp 2 a/s as well, in 16 in form, and I've absolutely been happy with them. I've yet to go over the limit of them on the road really, they stick really well for A/Ss in my opinion. They do great in dry and wet weather, and do well enough in light snow (they aren't snow tires though, so i'd say stay at home if you have more than an inch or two). I'll gladly be buying them again as my daily tire.
 


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danbfree

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I will not share my opinion on the tires you listed above per your request BUT I suggest you look into these tires for a daily driver:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...GFC2ASXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

They are $88/tire with the current rebate, are very good tires in the dry (good for the occasional autocross), are fantastic in the wet, and have great hydroplaning resistance. I know all of this first hand with about 13K miles on them since February 2018. I expect to get 30K miles out of them but a normal person could probably get 40-45K. I drive very spiritedly in corners and typically cruise PSL +15.

I would suggest that you take the reviews you read online for all tires with a grain of salt depending on where you read them because not all of the folks who write these reviews on the discount tire websites or Walmart.com are car enthusiasts with the attention to driving characteristics that the forums may have.
Thanks for the tip on the Comp's they sound great for the money! But it sounds like you don't even like the Ohtsu/Falken?

And yes, ignoring Walmart reviews, the tire specific site seem more detailed by the more "car types" and still good reviews on those Antares... hmmm.
 


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danbfree

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I have the BFG Comp 2 a/s as well, in 16 in form, and I've absolutely been happy with them. I've yet to go over the limit of them on the road really, they stick really well for A/Ss in my opinion. They do great in dry and wet weather, and do well enough in light snow (they aren't snow tires though, so i'd say stay at home if you have more than an inch or two). I'll gladly be buying them again as my daily tire.
Wow, I'll have to consider them too especially if they have that rebate!
 


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danbfree

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I will not share my opinion on the tires you listed above per your request BUT I suggest you look into these tires for a daily driver:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...GFC2ASXL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

They are $88/tire with the current rebate, are very good tires in the dry (good for the occasional autocross), are fantastic in the wet, and have great hydroplaning resistance. I know all of this first hand with about 13K miles on them since February 2018. I expect to get 30K miles out of them but a normal person could probably get 40-45K. I drive very spiritedly in corners and typically cruise PSL +15.

I would suggest that you take the reviews you read online for all tires with a grain of salt depending on where you read them because not all of the folks who write these reviews on the discount tire websites or Walmart.com are car enthusiasts with the attention to driving characteristics that the forums may have.
I have the BFG Comp 2 a/s as well, in 16 in form, and I've absolutely been happy with them. I've yet to go over the limit of them on the road really, they stick really well for A/Ss in my opinion. They do great in dry and wet weather, and do well enough in light snow (they aren't snow tires though, so i'd say stay at home if you have more than an inch or two). I'll gladly be buying them again as my daily tire.
Well, those Comp's are not available in the size I want, too bad... That's part of the issue, I REALLY want 215/40/17, not 205/45, and there is much less selection in 215/40...
 


JDG

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Well, those Comp's are not available in the size I want, too bad... That's part of the issue, I REALLY want 215/40/17, not 205/45, and there is much less selection in 215/40...
Mind me asking why you are dead-set on 215/40R17? Your original post speaks to getting some additional sidewall, the 205/45R17 BFG Sport 2 AS has a mounted height of 24.2" which is quite a bit taller than your OEM tires (assuming that is what you currently run) and plenty of folks run that height on lowering springs (I run that height but on OEM springs).

Another item I want to speak to is assuming wider will be better. I actually found that torque steer got worse with wider tires as they tend to want to track with the imperfections in the road. I also think that the 6.7" Tread width is plenty for E30 tuned power levels (I am 215/300 Virtual Dyno stock turbo) assuming a good tread-wear choice. I also love the Stratified Traction Control so that certainly helps.

Just my $0.02
 


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danbfree

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Mind me asking why you are dead-set on 215/40R17? Your original post speaks to getting some additional sidewall, the 205/45R17 BFG Sport 2 AS has a mounted height of 24.2" which is quite a bit taller than your OEM tires (assuming that is what you currently run) and plenty of folks run that height on lowering springs (I run that height but on OEM springs).

Another item I want to speak to is assuming wider will be better. I actually found that torque steer got worse with wider tires as they tend to want to track with the imperfections in the road. I also think that the 6.7" Tread width is plenty for E30 tuned power levels (I am 215/300 Virtual Dyno stock turbo) assuming a good tread-wear choice. I also love the Stratified Traction Control so that certainly helps.

Just my $0.02
Thanks for your input, don't mind the questions at all! So previously I had a car that was a class bigger hatchback,about 300lbs more, but also 1.6t with similar power but twin scroll for low-end torque and some up high, and it had very little torque steer running factory 225/40/18's...Now, it could be the torque with that car wasn't quite as crazy as with our tiny snail punch, but I had also heard from people here as well: that wider helped with their torque steer... Then secondly, I just wanted a "touch" more height for ride comfort but definitely that is secondary for me... I already do have the Stratified traction control with latest 4.0 tune and I like it too, but after that very little 1 second lag we get, BAM, the wheel wants to jerk out of my hand like I can't even control my car... I'm also going to get a TB Performance traction bar as well, you can see my current mods in my sig... Thanks again for your input and discussion, any further thoughts? I definitely want to consider all angles...
 


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