New tires available in OEM size!

[SteveS]

I was browsing Tire Rack this evening and was surprised to find several new tires in the FiST OEM size, 205/40R17. They weren't there a week ago when I last looked. A surprise since the available tires has been dwindling lately.

Vredestein Quatrac Pro+, an all season with 3Peak Snow Rating that topped the comparison when roadt, dry and wet track, and snow tests were combined.

Kumho Ecsta Sport, a 320TW UHP Summer tire

BF Goodrich G-Force Phenom T/A, a 380TW UHP Summer tire

 

[Capri to ST]

Nice to know there are some more options in the OEM size, because as you say they've gotten pretty limited recently. I also look at Tire Rack from time to time just to see if anything new has come up. You got me curious so I checked and saw another new tire in the OEM size I had not seen before, the BF Goodrich G-Force Phenom T/A.
I seem to only own cars that have weird tire sizes with limited tire choices. My girlfriend's son got a Hyundai Veloster N a while back and we were looking at tires for it and its 235/35-19 size, and I was shocked how many great choices there were.
Back to your post, I only run summer tires, does anyone have any experience with the new Kumho Ecsta Sport or the BF Goodrich G-Force?

 

[SteveS]

I doubt there's much experience with them yet. I think Tire Rack had only one review of the BFG so far. The Kumho looks interesting to me, so I'll be curious to know how it is. Maybe Tire Rack will do a test this summer of all the new UHP Summer tires since the PS5.

I'd love if Continental would bring the 205/40R17 to their ECS02. They discontinued the Miata size 205/50R15 a year or so ago, but just brought it back this month--with a $200 rebate on a set of 4!

 

[M-Sport fan]

The BFG Phenom has been out for about 2 years already everywhere but here in the states/N.A.
(I believe that it first hit the market in Thailand, or the Philippines at that time, and then Europe/rest of the world but U.S. )

It was the tire I wanted to install on my 17x8 KE Motorsport T12s, but in a 215/40-17 size, which most tire manufacturers flat out refuse to release in anything over a 200 tread wear (at least here in the states), modern (sorry Neo Gens!), pure summer tire, despite it being one of the sizes used for the ride that everyone and their great grand 4th auntie owns (Miatas).

A 205/40-17 on an 8" wide wheel is just a bit too much stretch (albeit acceptable by the manufacturers) for my area, adding to the potential wheel damage on these roads around here due to the less than 'rubber band' profile of that setup.

So I chose one of the most 'streetable' (and widest thread width) 'endurance type' 200 tread wear stickies out there, the Yok AD09 in that 215/40-17 size.

Yes, in hindsight I probably should have gone with their Fleva V701 @300 tread wear in that size, but I wanted a bit more performance (and tread width) than those way more streetable tires could supply.