Best wet traction tires for stock '04 RSX-S

[Captain Rabbit]

Hey guys, I could use some advice. It's finally time for me to replace the stock Michelin Pilots, which I have never liked. I live in Florida and the car doesn't go up north, so I don't need or want all-seasons - I want great summer tires. My priority is the best street wet grip available, though naturally I do like to turn corners when it's dry too...I've been thinking some Yokohama AVS Sports, or some Toyo TS-1s. I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts. I'm not looking to go cheap at all, so no compromising tires - I just want the best grip (particularly wet) I can get.

By the way, I haven't used the forus a whole lot. I tried to search for a thread on this already, but I didn't find it....if this has already been discussed to death before, then just a link to that thread would be great

[Captain Rabbit]

Well, if anyone reads this, I'm leaning towards Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's. Anyone have these on their RSX and want to chime in?

[mmont0]

I don't know about the summer tires, but the Pirelli Pzero Nero M&S's that I have on are really nice in the wet and dry weather. I've taken circular exits at about 60 mph without loss of traction in the dry weather. They hold very well as compared to the stock tires. Of course the 17" rims probably have something to do with that as well.

If you're looking for a comprehensive listing of tires for the RSX, I would recommend clubrsx.com. They also have reviews on tirerack.com. I took the liberty of doing the search for you - http://www.tirerack.com/survey/Surve...ents=Y&index=0

[Captain Rabbit]

Thank you kindly, I appreciate the input and link. Yeah, I was pretty disappointed in the stickiness of the stocks, and am looking forward to replacing them. Otherwise, the car's handling is very, very satisfying. I have lots of time to choose my next tires - a few thousand miles, anyway - so anyone else who reads, please let me know what you think!

[Captain Rabbit]

After considerable reading, I did choose a set of the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires. I will post with my impressions here after a bit of driving. Thank you again for your help. I really like this car.

[RSX-S777]

Just for the record, my two cents. Loved Toyo on my ex-Civic EX. Had problems with Pirelli quality (therefore replaced by the Toyos). Read some Pirelli horror stories online if you get a minute. Was very pleased with Goodyear performance tires on my ex-Mustang GT. Granted, none of those were RSXs...and my observations are nonspecific and vague...so this post really helps nobody. I'm useless. I apologize.

[Captain Rabbit]

I don't have to drive a whole lot, so I only have a little over 200 miles on the tires so far, but it is enough to have some feedback. My very first impression when I picked up the car after the tire change was "Wow, it's so much quieter!" It is much more of a difference than I expected. I now hear the engine more than the tire noise, even at low RPMSs, which I am definitely happier about. And the tires felt to have a bit more...mmm, I don't know the technical term...like, squirm, which is almost certainly due to them having both more depth than my worn down old ones, and more tread flexibility than the stock ones had even new.

I didn't take any corners hard for the first 100 miles to let the release compound wear away, so pretty much I just observed how much quieter they were. Since then, I've given them just a little bit of a workout, and my goodness are they sticky! They are the best tires I've ever driven on. I had some nice sets for an RX-7 before, but these have superior dry grip. And in the wet, at normal speeds it felt just like driving dry. I am thoroughly satisfied with them so far, and will post another feedback when I have a few more miles on them. I wish I had changed earlier - the car now lives up to it's stock handling potential.

Oh, and yes, they do look nicer than the OEM tires also.