what are your thoughts on these tires as a replacement for the stock ones? thanks.




-majesty

 

One of the best performance based tires you could put on the car.

 

I had them on my previous car (Audi A4 Quattro with sports suspension). They were GREAT. Tons of grip, very good in the rain and reasonable wear especially considering a few drivers schools. The only thing I did not like about them was that they do get a bit noisy at low speeds as they wear down.

 

I put the S03PPs on my 328 about a year ago.

The Bridgestones have a rounded shoulder which results in a bit of straightline squirm that some people don't like. It feels like it's got a wider footprint in corners than in the straights. (Or maybe mine are just over-inflated) (Nah, 31psi)

I'd guess that the S03PPs are about the best top performance tire you can get for full rain conditions. They give up a bit of dry handling in exchange, compared to, say, the S02s.

However; keep in mind that the S03s have the same seasonal issue as the A046: the handling goes noticably "off" when ambient temps drop below 40degF. These are summer only tires.

Since I got the EVO, I've been very impressed with the A046s for dry handling. I haven't had any real issues with them in light rain, either, but they don't quite have the ability to handle heavy rain that the S03s have.

Following WRC, I was surprised at the notion that the rally Pirellis were considered better in rain than the rally Michelins. My (20 years back) experience with P6s was that they were horrible in rain. (But then, I wasn't very impressed with Michelins, back then, either.)

The new Goodyear F1 GS-D3s are well rated, but I don't know anyone who has them, so I can't say. The Eagle VRs I took off the 328 were pretty bad in the rain -- but that might have been age. The VRs I put on my GTV-6, back in the '80s, were pretty good, even in standing water.

The intriguing option now are the new Yoko ES100s -- way cheaper than similarly rated tires.

 

I had them on some volks on my wrx and my sti. By far the best tire i have ever had. Horrible in the winter, but they are a very heavy tire.

 

these tires kick ***... they are not as sticky as the A046 but they hold their own... not alot of noise from them either... of course that'll change as they wear...

turn in is awsome, and holds the road the whole way through, even when powering out... i have yet to sense a slip that i didn't try to induce...

the treadlife is going to be a substantial improvement over the A046's as well...

everyone knocked these tires when the EVO first came out, they said that they made the EVO understeer like a pig, but having used these before, i ignored the masses and went with them...

looking back, i'm glad i took the chance...

of course like others said, this is NOT an all season tire...

 

I used it on my 3000GT twin turbo 4WD. so far the best tyre I ever used on my car, good on wet too and last longer but expensive!

 

i hope they are good in a south florida torrential downpour, do you guys have any other suggestions for tires? i dont want to spend more than $200 per tire so ive got a wide variety of things to spend money on...let me know, thanks...

 

NO tire will let you drive 100 MPH through a monsoon without slowing.

But the S03s will probably give you the best wet handling you can hope for. (Of the tires I know, at least. Is there a Brazilian tire made for the rain forests? )

 

I've had both Bridgestone S-03's and Yoko ES-100's. I do not recommend the ES-100 for demanding drivers, they squirm a lot and have modest grip; I'd get Kumho Ecsta 712's over the Yokos if you're looking for a bargain tire, though I've heard people don't like them in the rain too much. I got 35,000 miles including a track day on a set of 275/40/17 Ecsta 712's on my Camaro Z28 which can spin the tires pretty easy, and I drive pretty hard.

On the other hand, the S-03's are the best street tire I've EVER had, although the A046 is very good as well but I think it's even more expensive. The S-03 is a rare tire for me, in that I am buying them twice in a row! I have them in size 225/55/16 on an old Mercedes SEC, which is a 3800 pound car. The grip is fantastic, the ride is notoriously GOOD, and the lifespan is pretty decent... 26,000 miles of hard driving with a smallish tire for a heavy car.

 

Well, Not really true. If you own an F1 car you can get tires that will let you drive 100+ mph in the rain. LOL

 

Didn't you see the Malaysian GP this year?

Even F1 cars have trouble with downpours.

Anyone have experience with the AVS Sports, relative to the S03s in the dry?

 

Going to buy these tires soon. Anybody know a cheap place to buy them?

 

Tirerack has the best prices out of the choices I've seen.

When I had the S03PPs put on my other car, I ordered them along with a four wheel alignment. The shop simply ordered them from Tirerack and had them shipped to the shop, as they didn't have a cheaper source, either.

 

It helps when your car makes 2 1/2 times it's own weight in downforce!!