Mazda MX5 Tires
On this page you will find the best real world tire reviews from owners of the Mazda MX5.
Do you Drive a Mazda MX5? Why not add your own tire review and help other owners pick the right tire! After all, who knows what the best tire for a MX5 better than the owners?
| Tire Reviewed | Dry Grip | Wet Grip | Feedback | Handling | Wear | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davanti Ecoura HP1 (1) | 90% | 100% | 80% | 90% | 0% | 100% |
| BFGoodrich gForce Profiler 2 (24) | 92% | 85% | 87% | 84% | 89% | 85% |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 (11) | 94% | 96% | 78% | 88% | 96% | 85% |
| Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen 1 (28) | 86% | 90% | 83% | 85% | 88% | 90% |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport (13) | 92% | 83% | 83% | 81% | 88% | 87% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 (156) | 94% | 87% | 88% | 87% | 80% | 85% |
| Continental WinterContact TS 870 P (20) | 87% | 92% | 81% | 89% | 89% | 90% |
| Continental ExtremeContact DWS (9) | 84% | 89% | 80% | 80% | 84% | 90% |
| Michelin Pilot Super Sport (145) | 94% | 84% | 89% | 86% | 82% | 81% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 (138) | 95% | 91% | 88% | 88% | 75% | 84% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3 (7) | 96% | 93% | 94% | 93% | 80% | 76% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 (246) | 93% | 90% | 86% | 88% | 79% | 80% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport 5 (74) | 91% | 92% | 81% | 82% | 84% | 84% |
| Vredestein Quatrac (21) | 87% | 91% | 76% | 86% | 92% | 82% |
| Falken Eurowinter HS01 (22) | 88% | 90% | 85% | 76% | 88% | 80% |
| Vredestein Sportrac 5 (100) | 88% | 85% | 84% | 83% | 86% | 84% |
| Falken Azenis FK520 (34) | 89% | 87% | 83% | 85% | 80% | 83% |
| Vredestein Snowtrac 3 (34) | 84% | 91% | 82% | 76% | 83% | 86% |
| Hankook Icebear W440 (5) | 82% | 86% | 80% | 78% | 82% | 88% |
| Falken ZE914 (99) | 89% | 81% | 84% | 80% | 82% | 81% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 (303) | 90% | 88% | 84% | 84% | 73% | 82% |
| Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (30) | 94% | 72% | 90% | 90% | 70% | 74% |
| Uniroyal RainExpert (133) | 85% | 91% | 81% | 76% | 75% | 86% |
| Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 (34) | 89% | 83% | 83% | 78% | 73% | 87% |
| General G Max AS 07 (3) | 90% | 85% | 80% | 60% | 0% | 80% |
| Michelin CrossClimate Plus (116) | 87% | 85% | 82% | 74% | 87% | 86% |
| Avon WV7 (14) | 82% | 84% | 83% | 76% | 82% | 88% |
| Nokian WRG2 (72) | 85% | 87% | 83% | 80% | 83% | 85% |
| Yokohama A539 (13) | 81% | 74% | 88% | 86% | 78% | 81% |
| Yokohama Advan A11A (2) | 90% | 75% | 95% | 95% | 95% | 75% |
| Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (327) | 91% | 88% | 81% | 84% | 74% | 78% |
| Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 (10) | 81% | 83% | 78% | 71% | 89% | 69% |
| Avon ZZ5 (93) | 90% | 83% | 83% | 86% | 70% | 82% |
| Bridgestone Adrenalin RE002 (108) | 90% | 82% | 82% | 80% | 77% | 77% |
| Michelin CrossClimate 2 (126) | 87% | 83% | 75% | 74% | 83% | 84% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 Directional 5 (30) | 87% | 81% | 79% | 85% | 76% | 78% |
| Uniroyal RainSport 2 (226) | 85% | 91% | 78% | 76% | 76% | 80% |
| Hankook Ventus RS4 (19) | 87% | 73% | 85% | 88% | 85% | 61% |
| Dunlop SP Sport Fast Response (103) | 88% | 84% | 84% | 77% | 76% | 80% |
| Bridgestone Potenza Sport (111) | 92% | 87% | 89% | 91% | 61% | 72% |
| Michelin Pilot Exalto (56) | 86% | 81% | 76% | 80% | 83% | 77% |
| Bridgestone Adrenalin RE003 (93) | 90% | 78% | 83% | 86% | 70% | 74% |
| Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun (104) | 86% | 83% | 81% | 80% | 76% | 79% |
| Falken ZIEX ZE914 EcoRun (92) | 86% | 81% | 81% | 82% | 77% | 76% |
| Falken Azenis RT660 (4) | 100% | 58% | 95% | 95% | 73% | 40% |
| Uniroyal RainSport 3 (286) | 84% | 92% | 79% | 78% | 64% | 83% |
| Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 (66) | 84% | 79% | 81% | 81% | 77% | 75% |
| Uniroyal RainExpert 3 (36) | 83% | 93% | 78% | 75% | 66% | 81% |
| Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance (251) | 86% | 84% | 76% | 78% | 73% | 85% |
| Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 (45) | 79% | 85% | 73% | 73% | 85% | 83% |
| Dunlop Direzza DZ03 (7) | 94% | 66% | 89% | 89% | 71% | 47% |
| Dunlop SportMaxx RT (176) | 88% | 84% | 83% | 82% | 60% | 82% |
| Maxxis All Season AP2 (21) | 84% | 80% | 73% | 76% | 77% | 72% |
| Toyo Proxes CF1 (45) | 85% | 80% | 80% | 76% | 68% | 80% |
| Kumho Ecsta PS31 (62) | 82% | 78% | 74% | 79% | 74% | 78% |
| Continental ExtremeContact Force (3) | 93% | 55% | 93% | 93% | 87% | 60% |
| Kumho Ecsta PS71 (76) | 86% | 82% | 81% | 80% | 72% | 74% |
| Rotalla RH01 E Pace (3) | 80% | 77% | 73% | 73% | 73% | 73% |
| Pirelli CINTURATO P1 (33) | 81% | 73% | 77% | 73% | 80% | 83% |
| Hankook Ventus V12 evo k110 (114) | 84% | 75% | 76% | 78% | 74% | 79% |
| Avon ZV5 (112) | 84% | 78% | 77% | 77% | 71% | 77% |
| Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 (92) | 84% | 78% | 77% | 77% | 75% | 79% |
| Kumho Solus HS51 Harmony Sports (5) | 85% | 80% | 65% | 65% | 80% | 90% |
| Nexen N Fera SU1 (138) | 83% | 76% | 75% | 77% | 73% | 80% |
| Kumho Ecsta KU31 (165) | 83% | 75% | 77% | 76% | 72% | 74% |
| Nankang AR 1 (36) | 91% | 46% | 85% | 88% | 70% | 66% |
| Accelera 651 Sport (25) | 82% | 70% | 78% | 76% | 73% | 73% |
| Toyo Proxes TR1 (68) | 84% | 75% | 78% | 80% | 71% | 67% |
| Yokohama Parada Spec 2 (118) | 92% | 59% | 80% | 80% | 69% | 71% |
| Maxxis MA Z1 Victra (64) | 88% | 77% | 73% | 77% | 71% | 66% |
| Continental Premium Contact 5 (118) | 87% | 83% | 76% | 77% | 58% | 79% |
| Toyo R888 R (28) | 90% | 64% | 82% | 85% | 61% | 63% |
| Nankang NS2R (61) | 88% | 66% | 81% | 84% | 72% | 55% |
| Goodyear Hydragrip (13) | 74% | 88% | 68% | 75% | 70% | 68% |
| Federal 595RSR (51) | 86% | 66% | 76% | 80% | 72% | 57% |
| Nankang SV2 (30) | 83% | 77% | 74% | 74% | 83% | 74% |
| Yokohama ADVAN A460 (20) | 84% | 74% | 77% | 74% | 81% | 65% |
| Landsail LS588 UHP (96) | 80% | 73% | 69% | 67% | 76% | 79% |
| Dunlop SP Sport 200 (3) | 80% | 57% | 77% | 57% | 87% | 83% |
| Nexen N8000 (80) | 79% | 74% | 69% | 66% | 69% | 79% |
| Toyo T1R (288) | 83% | 69% | 75% | 75% | 63% | 70% |
| Firestone TZ300 (19) | 81% | 71% | 75% | 63% | 68% | 76% |
| Kumho Ecsta V720 (11) | 93% | 54% | 83% | 94% | 50% | 45% |
| Goodyear Excellence (126) | 79% | 70% | 72% | 71% | 72% | 74% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 (157) | 84% | 78% | 76% | 73% | 60% | 65% |
| Toyo Proxes 4 (45) | 80% | 63% | 72% | 66% | 77% | 74% |
| Continental Sport Contact 2 (229) | 85% | 75% | 76% | 72% | 61% | 66% |
| Avon ZV7 (137) | 82% | 77% | 72% | 71% | 58% | 78% |
| Debica Frigo 2 (24) | 66% | 60% | 65% | 63% | 84% | 70% |
| Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08RS (34) | 74% | 65% | 74% | 72% | 80% | 68% |
| Kinforest KF550 UHP (21) | 74% | 65% | 70% | 69% | 67% | 70% |
| Bridgestone Potenza RE050A (212) | 83% | 69% | 74% | 72% | 66% | 59% |
| Continental VikingContact 7 (15) | 61% | 67% | 61% | 67% | 59% | 83% |
| Pirelli PZero Nero (141) | 83% | 65% | 71% | 71% | 67% | 64% |
| Firestone Firehawk SZ90 (25) | 77% | 68% | 74% | 71% | 70% | 60% |
| Bridgestone Turanza T001 (107) | 80% | 70% | 69% | 67% | 63% | 72% |
| Rovelo RPX 998 (31) | 78% | 60% | 67% | 63% | 64% | 73% |
| Dunlop SP Sport Maxx (166) | 79% | 69% | 69% | 67% | 63% | 64% |
| Nankang EX500 (1) | 70% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 90% | 70% |
| Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD2 (8) | 75% | 68% | 70% | 64% | 66% | 63% |
| Wanli S1063 (80) | 74% | 58% | 63% | 61% | 77% | 65% |
| Nankang NS2 (211) | 76% | 58% | 65% | 62% | 73% | 62% |
| Barum Bravuris (19) | 79% | 57% | 63% | 64% | 65% | 68% |
| Bridgestone Turanza ER30 (44) | 78% | 61% | 67% | 62% | 73% | 57% |
| Avon ZV3 (28) | 72% | 63% | 65% | 66% | 58% | 66% |
| Pace Toledo TL1000 (15) | 73% | 56% | 63% | 61% | 69% | 61% |
| Kleber Krisalp HP2 (16) | 74% | 59% | 65% | 61% | 85% | 71% |
| Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT (61) | 72% | 59% | 67% | 65% | 73% | 49% |
| Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 H457 (11) | 69% | 47% | 55% | 67% | 73% | 69% |
| Marangoni Mythos (29) | 69% | 55% | 58% | 60% | 62% | 58% |
| Rapid p609 (34) | 68% | 55% | 57% | 60% | 62% | 58% |
| Firestone firehawk S790 (2) | 65% | 65% | 45% | 75% | 65% | 45% |
| Federal SS595 SUPER STEEL (136) | 70% | 47% | 57% | 55% | 69% | 48% |
| Pirelli P7000 (7) | 71% | 47% | 63% | 57% | 61% | 57% |
| Hercules Raptis WR1 (3) | 57% | 43% | 57% | 63% | 63% | 63% |
| Accelera Alpha (131) | 65% | 44% | 53% | 48% | 69% | 56% |
| Bridgestone Potenza RE92A (1) | 80% | 60% | 70% | 70% | 60% | 20% |
| Westlake SA 07 (8) | 71% | 41% | 45% | 49% | 58% | 64% |
| Minerva EMI Zero UHP (3) | 70% | 70% | 65% | 37% | 33% | 50% |
| Hankook Ventus K104 (11) | 68% | 42% | 50% | 44% | 55% | 61% |
| Achilles ATR Sport (57) | 62% | 40% | 54% | 48% | 61% | 56% |
| Maxtrek INGENS A1 (35) | 59% | 32% | 52% | 45% | 62% | 57% |
| Hifly HF201 (35) | 57% | 43% | 50% | 44% | 46% | 56% |
| Event WL905 (129) | 59% | 30% | 41% | 39% | 60% | 49% |
| Infinity INF 05 (68) | 56% | 31% | 42% | 39% | 62% | 45% |
| Fulda Carat Extremo (5) | 62% | 34% | 46% | 40% | 62% | 36% |
| Silverstone M5 Synergy (16) | 58% | 30% | 46% | 45% | 65% | 37% |
| Autogrip F107 (127) | 58% | 27% | 44% | 36% | 60% | 50% |
| Mohawk M112 (28) | 59% | 34% | 44% | 40% | 53% | 46% |
| Wanli S1088 (85) | 57% | 35% | 41% | 39% | 59% | 38% |
Mazda MX5 Tire Review Highlights
Writing about the Davanti Ecoura HP1 given 93% (195-50-15-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 1000 spirited miles
Driving on mostly country roads for 1000 spirited miles
Put these on my mx-5 for road use after using their track tire. Seem like a great tire. Had them on a few weeks so haven't scored the wear as it's too early to judge, but the grip in both the dry and wet seem very good. Very predictable steering response and seem to have reduced the noise in the cabin. The track tires are much better than the Nankang and 888r I've had on before
Would NOT recommend at all . Have these tires on my Mazda MX5 . They are showing signs of spitting on the shoulders on all 4 tires. Tread is still around 6mm.
So will need replacing despite having plenty of tread left on them.
Contacted Nexen direct by email & received a very swift response very impressed
This was not long lived as have tried several times to contact Nexen & got no response at all via email
Manged to get contact number of person who had email me.
When I called I did get the run around from them. Not possible to put my call through from reception , really.
Left several messages on mobile number that I got. They did not have the courtesy to return my calls or emails.
So will need replacing despite having plenty of tread left on them.
Contacted Nexen direct by email & received a very swift response very impressed
This was not long lived as have tried several times to contact Nexen & got no response at all via email
Manged to get contact number of person who had email me.
When I called I did get the run around from them. Not possible to put my call through from reception , really.
Left several messages on mobile number that I got. They did not have the courtesy to return my calls or emails.
Writing about the Kleber Krisalp HP2 given 23% (205-50-16-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 0 average miles
Driving on mostly country roads for 0 average miles
Previous owner put these awful tires on the back of the car. I don’t drive fast, so really can’t comment on dry grip, although the odd tire squeal when setting off on a hill. Which I had put down to a light car with rear wheel drive (Mx5) but now think it was due to rock had rubber. Yesterday I got caught in torrential rain on the motorway. No problems in a straight line but on the twisty B roads they were lethal! Driving at about 30mph the back end would wiggle and we span across the road at one time fortunately missing everything.
The car has Hankook Ventus Prime 4 on the front which look like new so I am swapping out the rears for the same. The Klebers are lethal!
The car has Hankook Ventus Prime 4 on the front which look like new so I am swapping out the rears for the same. The Klebers are lethal!
Writing about the Kumho Ecsta PS71 given 59% (205-45-16-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 10000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 10000 spirited miles
Tested on 2000 NB MX5 with Teinz coilovers
I have another review closer to the beginning of life for these tires, this is a near end of life update
got the MX5 aligned recently, and although it drove well before (its hard to find a poor handling mx5) the toe out on the front destroyed the tires faster than they otherwise would have worn.
however with the new alignment (F: 0 toe; -1.5 camber; 4.5 caster R: -1.3 camber; -0.50mm toe) both the car and tires feel alot better.
I also have done a track day with them, they felt great for about 1 1/2 laps of a ~1 minute track but become really greasy afterward as they overheat somewhat quick. this said that is not a criticism of the tire as it is not designed for track work.
Dry grip on the Twisties / Touge is very good and unless you are really pushing it (to the dismay of local law enforcement) these have more than adequate grip for fun spirited driving. However you can get them loose if you try and of course will not have the pace of dedicated semislicks.
wet grip is very good, you can get them loose with some ease if you try, however to do so would not be 'driving to conditions'. for their class in an Australian climate their wet grip is great (probably not PS4S great, but not so bad it's dangerous.)
only thing I'd say is wear is not that great, granted i did have a poor alignment that accelerated wear, but i would eyeball the wear as below average for it's class. not horrible, not great either. the PS71's on my MX5 have lasted 15,000 km of driving on a harsh alignment (toe out on front) 60-70% of that driving was at 7-9 tenths on twisty roads, so abnormally hard compared to most.
I wouldn't recommend this tire to those who drive Touge / Track at pace often in summer or in a climate where you can run summer tires year round (like australia) . go for a semi slick in that case if you can stomach the poor wet performance. or a PS4/PS4s/PS5/PSs5 if it is in your size (PS4/PS5 also overheat on track so keep that in mind) a PS71 is simply not made for a Track/ heavy Touge use case.
if you need wet weather grip and take your car for a 6-8 tenths run every now and then but need a good daily tire, these tires will be great value for money.
a PSA:
get an alignment. Don't care if you've had the car for a month and the previous owner said they got one recently, get an alignment as any handling or wear issues cannot be blamed on the tire unless you personally have taken your car to get an alignment yourself. a fresh alignment, especially custom performance specs (do your research!) can have a monumental impact on how the car feels regardless of tire choice.
I have another review closer to the beginning of life for these tires, this is a near end of life update
got the MX5 aligned recently, and although it drove well before (its hard to find a poor handling mx5) the toe out on the front destroyed the tires faster than they otherwise would have worn.
however with the new alignment (F: 0 toe; -1.5 camber; 4.5 caster R: -1.3 camber; -0.50mm toe) both the car and tires feel alot better.
I also have done a track day with them, they felt great for about 1 1/2 laps of a ~1 minute track but become really greasy afterward as they overheat somewhat quick. this said that is not a criticism of the tire as it is not designed for track work.
Dry grip on the Twisties / Touge is very good and unless you are really pushing it (to the dismay of local law enforcement) these have more than adequate grip for fun spirited driving. However you can get them loose if you try and of course will not have the pace of dedicated semislicks.
wet grip is very good, you can get them loose with some ease if you try, however to do so would not be 'driving to conditions'. for their class in an Australian climate their wet grip is great (probably not PS4S great, but not so bad it's dangerous.)
only thing I'd say is wear is not that great, granted i did have a poor alignment that accelerated wear, but i would eyeball the wear as below average for it's class. not horrible, not great either. the PS71's on my MX5 have lasted 15,000 km of driving on a harsh alignment (toe out on front) 60-70% of that driving was at 7-9 tenths on twisty roads, so abnormally hard compared to most.
I wouldn't recommend this tire to those who drive Touge / Track at pace often in summer or in a climate where you can run summer tires year round (like australia) . go for a semi slick in that case if you can stomach the poor wet performance. or a PS4/PS4s/PS5/PSs5 if it is in your size (PS4/PS5 also overheat on track so keep that in mind) a PS71 is simply not made for a Track/ heavy Touge use case.
if you need wet weather grip and take your car for a 6-8 tenths run every now and then but need a good daily tire, these tires will be great value for money.
a PSA:
get an alignment. Don't care if you've had the car for a month and the previous owner said they got one recently, get an alignment as any handling or wear issues cannot be blamed on the tire unless you personally have taken your car to get an alignment yourself. a fresh alignment, especially custom performance specs (do your research!) can have a monumental impact on how the car feels regardless of tire choice.
Writing about the Falken Eurowinter HS01 given 74% (205-50-17-)
Driving on mostly town for 1200 spirited miles
Driving on mostly town for 1200 spirited miles
I was pleasantly surprised by the lower sound level compared to other snow tires, however they were still quite loud. I have been very happy with them grip-wise and they seem to have great control and braking in the snow. They were also fairly cheap compared to other more well-known brands. Overall very happy with them.
Writing about the Michelin CrossClimate Plus given 74% (195-50-15-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 18000 spirited miles
Driving on mostly country roads for 18000 spirited miles
MX-5 NA with 1.8 VVT engine, fitting 195/50R15 to 15x6" Enkei MK2 sport rims for all season fast road driving in the UK including 700mi straight trips from south coast England to Scottish highlands in winter. These tires have never lacked in the wet or dry regardless of how hard they were pushed on the road, within road limits.
The MX-5 is a light car coming in at roughly 1ton and 140hp with the VVT engine swap with an open differential, this made spinning the one driving rear wheel relatively easy for the original fitted budgets from the previous owner. With the CC+ fitted I've had to intentionally clutch kick the car to slip the wheel. Only when driving in the cold (
The MX-5 is a light car coming in at roughly 1ton and 140hp with the VVT engine swap with an open differential, this made spinning the one driving rear wheel relatively easy for the original fitted budgets from the previous owner. With the CC+ fitted I've had to intentionally clutch kick the car to slip the wheel. Only when driving in the cold (
Writing about the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 H457 given 53% (205-45-17-)
Driving on mostly town for 8000 average miles
Driving on mostly town for 8000 average miles
They're pretty good in dry conditions for cheap tires but terrible on wet roads. If the road is any wetter than slightly damp my Mazda mx5 wants to slide all over going above 45mph which is not great in south Florida.
Writing about the Pirelli CINTURATO P1 given 66% (195-50-15-)
Driving on track for 100 spirited miles
Driving on track for 100 spirited miles
Tires that feel like any dampness won't have enough grip... Might be because of a harder compound... 420TW compared to TW300 that i use usually, feel like they need a bit of heat before gripping properly.
Writing about the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 given 71% (195-55-16-)
Driving on mostly motorways for 5000 spirited miles
Driving on mostly motorways for 5000 spirited miles
I have run Hakkapeliitta 9s on heavier cars with little discernable impact during dry weather. The Mazda MX-5 is particularly affected by these tires compared to its summer tires. I had these tires installed in southeastern USA before driving the car to Alaska in December. They were almost frighteningly loose in the 15 - 20 deg C temperatures of the southeast. As I drove north into Canada and the temperature dropped below freezing, the tires were much better behaved even on dry roads.
I elected not to get the studded versions to minimize noise. I will probably go studded next time or go with a studless design like the Nokian R5 or a Michelin X-Ice. These tires make the MX-5 a decent winter commuter that my wife is comfortable driving year-round.
I elected not to get the studded versions to minimize noise. I will probably go studded next time or go with a studless design like the Nokian R5 or a Michelin X-Ice. These tires make the MX-5 a decent winter commuter that my wife is comfortable driving year-round.
Writing about the Falken Azenis FK520 given 83% (215-45-17-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 20000 spirited miles
Driving on a combination of roads for 20000 spirited miles
I replaced the Pirelli P-Zeros that came on my car with these after I had the rear end step out at very low speed on a wet roundabout with the Pirellis.
Straight away I felt more confident in wet conditions. The MX-5 being a light, rear wheel drive car, I don't go too crazy when there's standing water but I was at least comfortable to drive in bad conditions compared to the old Pirellis.
In the dry my feelings were similar. I could throw the car into corners without so much as a squeak from the tires. Everything feels very assured.
I primarily daily drive the car but I took it to a track day and they held up remarkably well. The car would bite down into corners and you could feel a natural drop off in grip as you nearest the limit. At that point the tires had already done about 18,000 miles and after the partly melted tread had come unstuck, it seems that they have a lot more life left to give!
Straight away I felt more confident in wet conditions. The MX-5 being a light, rear wheel drive car, I don't go too crazy when there's standing water but I was at least comfortable to drive in bad conditions compared to the old Pirellis.
In the dry my feelings were similar. I could throw the car into corners without so much as a squeak from the tires. Everything feels very assured.
I primarily daily drive the car but I took it to a track day and they held up remarkably well. The car would bite down into corners and you could feel a natural drop off in grip as you nearest the limit. At that point the tires had already done about 18,000 miles and after the partly melted tread had come unstuck, it seems that they have a lot more life left to give!
Writing about the Falken Azenis RT660 given 77% (225-45-17-)
Driving on track for 3000 spirited miles
Driving on track for 3000 spirited miles
For a 200 treadwear tire the RT660s did better than I expected. Over two years and approximately six autocross schools and test and tunes along with a couple thousand road miles these tires held up well and exceeded the performance expectations I had. During fast road driving they really didn’t show any negative behaviors, they just stuck. While not my first choice for driving in the rain, the few times they were driven in the rain they really handled it OK. The only downside that I noticed is that anytime you run over a painted stripe on the road or a slick piece of pavement, the tire tread makes a very distinctive noise. The first time I drove on them I actually thought I left wheel nuts loose and pulled over to check torque. Just like all 200 tread wear tires, they pick up every pebble and sand you encounter in parking lots (or your gravel driveway) and throw it into your wheel liner. This is just the cost of super sticky tires, but understand that going in.
Writing about the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 given 97% (205-45-17-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 500 spirited miles
Driving on mostly country roads for 500 spirited miles
If you are looking for a fun slidey tire, this is not it but this is a tire that will stay stuck to the road in both wet and dry conditions. Truly amazing levels of grip that give high levels of confidence going into every corner.
Best Tire Tests
Best UUHP Tires- Best Performance Summer Tires
- Best Summer Tires
Best All Season Tires- Best UHP All Season Tires
- Best All Weather Tires
Best Winter Tires- Best UHP Winter Tires
- Best SUV Winter Tires
- Best Studless Winter Tires
- Best All Terrain [AT] Tires
- Best SUV Summer Tires
Summer Tire Tests
- Best Performance Tires For 2025
- The Best Touring Tires for 2025 Tested
- 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tire Test
- 2025 Teknikens Varld Summer Tire Test
- 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tire Test
- 2025 Al Volante Summer Tire Test
- 2025 Sports Cars Tire Test
- 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tire Test
- All Summer Tire Tests
All Season Tire Tests
- The BEST All Terrain Tire for 2025
- The Best All Season Tires for 2024 / 2025
- The Best All Season Tires for 2024
- Best All Terrain Tires Tested On Road, Off Road and Snow [2024]
- 2024 Sport Auto All Season Tire Test
- 2024 Auto Bild SUV All Season Tire Test
- 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tire Test
- 2024 AutoBild All Season Tire Test
- All All Season Tire Tests
Winter Tire Tests
- The BEST Performance Winter Tires for 2024 / 2025
- 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tire Test
- 2024 Studded Tire Test
- 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tire Test
- 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tire Test
- All Winter Tire Tests
Features
- Continental AllSeasonContact 2 - Real World Review
- Understanding The Tire Sidewall
- EU Tire Label
- Summer VS All Season VS Winter
- Road vs Track vs Slick Tires
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S vs 4S * (BMW)
- OE vs Aftermarket Tires
- Winter Tires Tested at 0c to15c
Tire Reviews
General
- Submit your review
- About Tire Reviews
- Tire Reviews Ethics
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Contact Tire Reviews
- Site Map
