I had a track day yesterday comparing Ad09 and Potenza Race on my stock S2000.
No wonder Yokohama are rated as Mid Range tires.
The feeling i had was the same feeling i hed with Ad08RS on my Prelude. S2000 is just fun to drive but not efficient on the same tires.
Ad09 were sliding everywhere, not very good cornering speed in tight corners and loosing the rear very easily with only 240 hp. More you drive the worse they feel.
Maybe on modern cars with aids and TCS and different geometry are better but for cars like s2000 they are slow and annoying if you are looking for lap times. Better than Ad08RS on the same car but still not a proper track tire in my opinion.
For spirited driving, touge or having fun they are more than enough tho .
Wear is very good comparing with Potenza Race for example.
255/45 R17 Tires
Everything we know about the 255/45 R17 tire size: 8 owner reviews covering 36,650 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.
- 8owner reviews
- 36,650 milescovered on them
- 72tires made in this size
255/45 R17 EU tire label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 255/45 R17 rather than a range across a model. 37 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 98 (up to 750 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: (Y) (301 km/h), Y (300 km/h), W (270 km/h), V (240 km/h), T (190 km/h), S (180 km/h). 6 tires in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
A Best wet grip
5 tires in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Summer 9.3
- Leao Nova Force Acro Summer 7.9
- Toyo Proxes Sport Summer 7.4
- Triangle EffeXSport Summer 6.6
- Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 Summer 6.1
A Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 1 tires in this size reach rolling resistance class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Bridgestone Turanza T005 Summer 8.6
69dB Quietest tires
The quietest 255/45 R17 tires are labelled at 69 dB external noise:
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Summer 9.3
- Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT Summer 6.8
- Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D Winter 6.6
- Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT Summer 5.5
- Superia Ecoblue UHP 2 Summer
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and apply to the EU market versions of each tire. Wet grip and rolling resistance run from class A (best) to E; noise is the measured drive-by figure. A good label is a floor, not a verdict - the tests and owner ratings above tell you far more.
What does 255/45 R17 mean?
A 255/45 R17 tire is 255 mm wide, its sidewall is 45% of that width (115 mm) tall, and it fits a 17 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 661 mm.
| Section width | 255 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 115 mm |
| Rim diameter | 17" (432 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 661 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 2,078 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 481 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 775 |
Also written as
255/45R17 255/45 ZR17 255-45-17 255 45 17
Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tire runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.
What cars use 255/45 R17 tires?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tires for that exact car.
What drivers say about their 255/45 R17 tires
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
When I pulled away after having two fitted on the rear of a 320d I immediately got some wheelspin in the dry, I had put it down to the release agent.
100+ miles later the car is unstable and today I drove it in the wet for the first time and it's actually quite scary. The traction light is constantly flashing, the car slides at normal speeds and if you gently accelerate in 3rd in a straight line then the traction kicks in when it's wet.
By far the worse tires I've ever had.
When you buy new tires you trust the supplier to maintain a standard where the norm is 8mm of tread depth from new. If radical changes like reducing the tread depth are introduced the customer should be advised in advance of any purchase. Poor move on the part of Michelin. Furthermore and retrospectively trying to find the tread depth of new tires online is not possible
Fitted 2 to the rear of AWD xtype.
Road noise so bad I thought a bearing was starting to grumble.
No feel whatsoever in the dry.
DANGEROUS in the wet/damp. Lost the back end several times going easy round roundabouts and shallow bends in high traffic areas (smooth tarmac) where I'd NEVER had an issue before. Not fun losing the back end with no power down...just slides sideways.
Had on for 500 miles so far. Taking car back to tire fitter as they recommended BCT as an OK budget tire...you know, not 'ditch-finders'...before they kill me.
Just goes to show how these trailblazing magazine tests should be taken with a barrelful of salt...
Being a lifelong Goodyear nut, I only bought these as the odd 255/45/17 profile only has two premium contenders at a reasonable price point - these and the Dunlop SportMax.
Tire wander is considerable in the dry, the noise is quite appalling, cornering feels like I'm lugging the car round with me.
The SL is indeed a big old crate,but with a recent complete suspension overhaul the fault can't lie there. And on 255 width handling should be tickety boo.
Wear is also dismal - measuring 4mm left on the middle treads with only 7,000 miles covered, and I'm a middle-aged grand-dad 60 mph highway kinda guy.
So it's off to the 245 F1 Eagles next for me; can't wait; even with a cm less of rubber I'll be a happier man!
Drive on 255/45 R17 tires?
Review your tires and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Owner ratings are submitted through the review form on this site, naming the tire, the size and the distance covered, and are checked by hand before publication. Test results come from independent published tire tests indexed by size, and label values from the EU EPREL database.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.