We have broken down tires into several categories and here is a short list of what we experienced in our testing. Now remember, we do not have every single tire line in the world so if your particular favorite is not in this list it is probably because we haven't tested it. Also, this is my take on the testing that I have completed here at The Tire Rack on our test track.

Extreme Performance:
You want extreme dry street performance and are willing to trade some comfort and hydroplaning resistance to get it.

Not intended to be driven in snow or on ice, or at high speeds in deep standing water, these specially tuned tires combine big-block tread designs with aggressive tread compounds and reinforced internal constructions to emphasize dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities for serious driving enthusiasts.

These are all fantastic to push to the limits but they also have their own set of compromises mostly related to ride quality, road noise, and wet traction.

1.) Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (Super Glue sticky)
2.) Bridgestone Potenza RE11 (more forgiving than the AD08, all around great tire)
3.) Hankook RS3 (the new entry and might move up)
4.) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec (bigger footprint than most and also noisier but a fun tire to track)
5.) Kumho Ecsta XS (stupid fast but scary in the wet)

Maximum Performance:
These are great performing tires which offer great steering response and wet/dry traction (not for use in the snow!!!).

1.) Michelin Pilot Super Sport (the new Big Dawg that pushes the envelope)
2.) Continental Extreme Contact DW
3.) Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
4.) Hankook Ventus V12 EVO (the bang for the buck winner in this group)
5.) Potenza S-04 Pole Position (new entry that will make some waves)

Ultra High Performance:
A step down from the Max tires but still exceptional performance which fits most applications for a street tire that can be driven very aggressively.

1.) Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport (one of my personal favs)
2.) Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2
3.) Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500
4.) Kumho Ecsta LE Sport
5.) BFGoodrich G-Force KDW2 (killer grip! killer noise though)


Ultra High Performance All Season:
Performance tires which are capable of going through the snow.

1.) Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus (best year round traction and steering feel)
2.) Continental Extreme Contact DWS (strongest for winter traction)
3.) Potenza RE960 Pole Position (strongest for 3-season traction)
4.) Pirelli P-Zero Nero AS (awesome grip, bad wear)
5.) Yokohama ADVAN S.4 (great dry grip and responsiveness)

Budget Performance Tires:
Summer performance with a cost effective tire when your budget is a concern and some tires which are very cost effective are also listed in other classes (based on performance not cost).

1.) Sumitomo HTR Z III
2.) Kumho Ecsta SPT
3.) Yokohama S-Drive
4.) Dunlop Direzza DZ101
5.) Fuzion ZRi
6.) Sumitomo HTR Z II

Please call me to place any orders or use this useful LINK

 

I buy the bulk of my family's rims/tires from TireRack and am always very satisified, but when oh when will they stock Toyo (specifically Proxes T1R)?

 

Nothing on the books yet for Toyo, my friend! Toyo operates as a regionalized company that only allows so many dealers in an area to carry their product. This doesn't work for our business model because we offer to mail any of our product to any area without restriction. It would be frustrating for our customer to see that we carry a product they want but then have to tell them we can't ship it to their area because the dealer quota was already met. That's not a fun phone call for either party.

 

That certainly makes sense; thanks for clarifying. I buy mostly Michelin these days, so no worries.

 

Hey Miles,

Thanks for this post. I need new tires for my 2007 A4 2.0T.

They presently have 235 45 R17 on them that the dealership where I bought the car almost 2 years put on. They're the absolute worst tires that you could ever ask for (Talon? terrible in rain, horrible road noise), but I guess if a dealer is putting new tires on a used car to sell, their profit goes up with the worst tire possible.

My point is I'm looking to invest in new tires and I'm so very lost.

I keep searching for reviews but everything I find is for other car models, and based on their location.

Could you please give me some advice?

I live in Miami and therefore am doing year round summer driving, with some strong rains in the "Calendar Summer"

So, what I'm looking for is something that will 1) handle well in dry AND wet condiitons, 2) is quiet and wears quietly, and 3) will be long lasting.

I plan to buy from tirerack, just trying to get my research done. I had been leaning toward Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, but not sure it works for what I mentioned above. I've heard some people say they're perfectly quiet and others say road noise is horrible.

Can you please give me some insight?

I was

 

Hi!

Miles has taken a promotion here at Tire Rack and is no longer on the forum, my name is Lance and I have taken his spot.

The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is a nice tire, it is an all season tire but a nice tire. I however might suggest the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. This is going to be a summer performance tire and will handle the Miami heat and rain extremely wheel.

If you need anything else please let me know and I will be happy to help!

 

I bought a set of wheels and Bridestone Blisserk LM 60 from Tirerack for my 08 S6. It was wonderful for the last severe Canadian winter. As I changed back to my summer wheelset Michelin Pilot Super Sport, I found the car handles totally different. It behaves on good surface and highway, but overly sensitive on uneven road surfaces. Highly susceptible to all uneven surfaces, car would going crazy when breaking. Any comments from Tirerack?

 

Hello,

Thank you for your comment. This may sound simple but have your checked the air pressure in the tires? Are you running what the vehicle manufacture suggest? If so, how were the tires stored? Did you have these issues last year? Is there specific speeds that the car is more sensitive at? Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss further.