Which one would you choose?

[The Flash]

All right guys, it is crunch time again and I will appreciate the input of the forum as it always has proven not only useful, but plenty insightful.

Before I get to the issues, I sincerely hope each and everyone of you gals and guys had a joyous Holiday Season and that this year 2020 starts, develops and finishes as a great year of personal accomplishments, career success and individual realization for all of you and your loved ones.

I did not finished 2019 on a high note myself. In the final days of the year I turned a corner on the neighborhood next to mine and heard the loudest bang. Felt a slight shudder too.

Someone saw fit to leave a big chunk of a machine (looked like an industrial sewing machine to me) anchored right in a rain runoff sewer, which happens to be built right in the middle of the corner's curb. Drove there a few thousand times over the years and never noticed that sewer there... in a downhill street ??

Couldn't see it from the driver´s seat, just felt the hit as it tore into the sidewall of my right rear tire. Tire was damaged beyond repair. A little more than a quarter mile from home.

The tires are MICHELIN PILOT SUPER SPORTs. The rears are 285/35 ZR 20's.

All four tires were installed some 3,300 miles ago. Still a lot, a lot of miles in them.

Now, in my neck of the woods these tires are an import. This size, and even the original size for the 2SS, are as rare here as a two dollar bill.
I got mine from Tire Rack.

I went around tire shoping for a few days anyway and, yup, I will have to import the replacements again. Throw in extra cash for the shipping, handling and import duties also.

At this time of the year, I'm just fresh of spending a lot of money on the year's closing festivities plus an unexpected business opportunity that required a lot of cash committment, so I'm postponing buying a full new set of tires until after next May at the earliest.

I'm just going to replace the ones in the driving axle. I will take this opportunity to put in some exciting new rubber when the time comes, but for now I just need to get the CAMARO going again.

So I'm looking at a set of tires to last me until May-July which should not be too far off the handling characteristics of the front set, BUT which meet my budget.

I settled down on three candidates :

1. 1) BF GOODRICH G-Force Sport COMP-2
   
   This is a known quantity for me. These are the tires I currently have in my 1995 Pontiac Firebird - I think that's the third set of G-Force tires from BF Goodrich that I have installed on that car.
   
   I would have bought those for the CAMARO on my last tire change, EXCEPT for the fact that they are not available in 285 size.
   
   The closest size I can get is the car's original spec : 275/40
   
   However these are ULtra High Performance Summer tires.
   

1. 2) BF GOODRICH G-Force COMP-2 A/S
   
   Never before had used these tires. They're listed as Ultra High Performance All Season.
   
   I don't drive the car in the rain, so that's not a benefit for me. I'm more concerned with good, very good traction and reliablity.
   
   Being a BF GOODRICH product I feel comfortable with quality and reliability expectations. Just intend to have them on for a not so long while so those are my main real concerns, mostly the traction.
   
   However, these do come on the size I'm using : 285/35
   

1. 3) KUMHO Ecsta PS91
   
   Never before had any tire made by KUMHO in any vehicle I drove so I have no bias either pro or con.
   
   I picked these as my third option because they are available in my current tire size (285/35) , they are Max Performance Summer , the pattern kind of resembles the one in the MICHELIN's , all of which are a plus, and their price fits the budget I've set for this emergency purchase.
   
   Above all I want to state that I mean no disrespect whatsoever to this tire manufacturer and/or its products, if it were so I would not have put these on my list. They meet the basic search requirements and pricing was a criteria to make my short list.
   
   If their traction is at level with current state of the outgoing doughnuts (3,000+ miles of wear and tear, ... of Fast wear and tear!) and they don't get out of shape for a few months , I'll be a happy camper with them in the back of my car.
   

So that's it, these are the "choices" which fit my needs and budget currently.

Two are the right size, but are unknowns; the third is a favorite, just not manufactured in my preferred size.

All are within the parameters of my needs.

Which one would you recommend??

I thank you all in advance for your time and your thoughts and recommendations on this subject.

[rickyrocket]

Other than the original BFG Radial TAs in the 80s,I've had bad luck with the brand, when I bought new rims/tires the budget was tight,I had to choose between the BFG Sport Comp AS or Lexani LX 30 AS, I chose the Lexani after reading reviews and asking on this forum, ive had them for 2yrs.and put 30k on them,they have easily 10 to 15k left on them and in my opinion they are better than the P Zeros all around, especially in the rain, I know that some will chime in and disagree, so be it

[The Flash]

@RickyRocket

Thanks for your input. Didn't know about that tire brand. I'll check it right away.

My experience with BFG has always been good.

I had a set of sport tires from them right before they launched the first G-FORCE series and when they did, that became my tire year in and year out in my F-Body PONTIAC.

Before that, I alternated between GOODYEARs (the EAGLE F1 SUPERCAR STEEL is to this day the best tire I ever had in a car ) and BFG COMP TA's.

Then GOODYEAR stop making the F1 SUPERCAR STEEL , BFG launched the G-FORCE and I've been in that train since, for my PONTIAC.

Again thanks for your input, and I'll see if they make that tire in the size I need.

[Sinister10]

nitto motivo

[The Flash]

Thanks for the advice Sinister10

Have not been able to find the NITTO Motivo at any of the tire sellers I buy from.

Looks like a very good choice though. Just more tough luck I guess.

Have a great week.


The Flash

[The Flash]

Originally Posted by rickyrocket

Other than the original BFG Radial TAs in the 80s,I've had bad luck with the brand, when I bought new rims/tires the budget was tight,I had to choose between the BFG Sport Comp AS or Lexani LX 30 AS, I chose the Lexani after reading reviews and asking on this forum, ive had them for 2yrs.and put 30k on them,they have easily 10 to 15k left on them and in my opinion they are better than the P Zeros all around, especially in the rain, I know that some will chime in and disagree, so be it

I've not been able to find a Vendor which can take payment via a credit card and deliver the tires to my freight forwarder in the U.S. for export (international vendor).

Found one company that takes Pay Pal, which I don't have/use, but will not deliver outside their area; the cost of having the tires picked up from them and delivered to my freight forwarder cancels any savings on that set of tires.

The export discount/rebate , when available, is important as it lessens the extra cost I will have to take on the shipping charges and the import duties to my turf. That's another reason I need to deal with an international sales outfit.

Wrote to the LEXANI website asking them to name a sales rep that I can go to.

Again thanks for your advice and your time.

The Flash

[hrpiii]

the Comp-2 A/S is the way to go for using a short time. Not like you are looking to run Daytona 500 on these. You need a tire to get you to where you can get a set mid/late year. These will do it and with all the rain during the spring time, the A/S should help with that traction.

Do any stores have Continentals? They has some really great tire sizes and superb traction.

[racesloth]

I have PS91's on the front and Michelin PSS out back. They work great for me and I cannot tell the difference on the street from when I had PSS on the front. The difference I suspect, would come out on the track. For the street I can recommend the Khumo's

[StingrayblueSS]

Comp2 A/S and you may lose to a Hyundai
https://youtu.be/bIhAbn1pXbk

[StingrayblueSS]

I like my Nitto 555g2s.

[rdanzel]

Check out the continental tires also if you are looking for something reliable and not too pricey. They have some nice summer and all-season tires.

[WHAMMO]

Comp2 for durability and colder temp. GForce are good. I'd look into indy500. I got general gmax rs and love em. From my experience they all wear quickly in the back of they are summer perf tires.

[bayarea408]

continental extreme contact DWS - good all around street tire if you arent super modded

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's - cheap and super underrated, research them. i have a set on a turbo 4th gen F body, more than delivers for the price point.

[bmcquill]

I’ve never tried them, but the Kuhmo Ecstas have some really mixed reviews on tire rack... sounds like the quality can vary quite a bit. But I’d be interested in hearing how they compare to the Michelins for the price.

Also I second the Indy 500’s. Ultra high performance but they’ve handled autocross well for me. Plus they might have the best reviews on tire rack.