I am using the stock tires, which still have some K miles before they wear out, should I be putting them aside and getting good tires for the rain? (not worried so much for snow \ slush \ ice).

Can anyone recommend a good Rain tire?
Can I expect much better performance in the rain than the stock tires?

Thanks Moshe

 

Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3

 

+100 ... I run a set of these in 265/35 on my VIII, and they are by far the best rain tire I've ever run on the street.

l8r)

 

The OEM tire is a Yokohama ADVAN a13c. They are classified as a "Ultra high performance" tire. That is, they are good on dry and wet pavements (not snow or ice). While a very good tire, they are, however, very expensive at ~$320each;IMHO overpriced. So sticking with the same class of tire as OEM (as opposed to the "Extreme Performance" tire which are not as good in wet but better on dry surfaces), I would recommend the Yokohama s-drive; they have the same speed rating as the a13c but stronger side wall and twice the wear rating; they go for $156 and use nanno particles tech. to increase traction which I have read to be excellent.

Later, Ken
AMS Intake&Exhaust
Iveytune (322 all around)
Robispec K&W

 

i have a set of the Z1 Star Spec and they are awesome

 

If you guys think stock tires are not good for rain you obviously haven't driven your car in rain

 

Better than my All Season's in high single, and low double digit (Celsius) rainy weather...

verkion

 

Actually asking which is the best tire in rain is like asking: What brand of cell phone has the best reception? Or What is the best digital camera? etc. So this thread is asking a question the answer to which will not result in consensus. That said, there is information out there vis., TireRack that may help to discern an answer.
Extreme performance tires="ultra dry traction" means best in dry but compromised in wet. The Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec was recommended by one of us above but because of its defined poorer performance in wet conditions means it is not consistent with the intent of this post and is, therefore, out.
Maximum performance tires="unsurpassed blend of wet and dry" means best combo of these two conditons. The GoodYear Eagle F1 GSD3 recommended above falls into this catagory.
Ultra High performance tires="responsive handling and crisp steering in both wet and dry". The Yokohama s-drive also recommended above falls into this catagory. So of these two tires or more generally catagories of performance tires, it would appear that the Maximum performance tire would be better in rain than the Ultra High performance tire i.e., the F1 GSD3 based upon TireRack's words "unsurpassed blend". So concensus should be .... the GSD3 even though is cost ~$100 more per tire. One might say at this point, " This is the cost you pay for the added wet &dry performance". Clearly then the tires parameters bear this out ...or do they? The two tires are actually quite similar: the speed rating, Y are the same as well as the load rating for the sidewall, 1520 lbs. The UTQG value for the s-drive is 20 units higher than the GSD3. So it comes down to whether this difference will , in fact, result in better traction under rainy/wet conditions? Or saying it another way, TireRack is using 20 units to move the GSD3 from Ultra High to Maximum performance catagory. Whether this numerical difference, generated by the manufacturers, actually results in better performance is unknown and and difficult to imperically test. We poor suckers at the other end of this chain have to decide if the ~$400 additional for a set of four is worth it or not.
Yes, I know this a bit long winded but difficult questions cannot be answered in a few words!

Later, Ken

 

the Goodyear GSD3 has come out on top in all wet-weather tests that I've seen it participate in, which is why I bought it. I've had the tires on the car for over 18 months now, and the wet performance is stellar ... both from a viewpoint of overall wet traction and their ability to displace water. There is no doubt that the stock tires are good in the wet, but IMO no competition for the GSD3. That being said, the dry performance of the GSD3 is not quite as good as the stock Advans.

l8r)

 

Of course, Tire Rack seems to think its wet performance is pretty good, at least compared to its peers. Perhaps not as good as some of the other tires mentioned, but I have been impressed with them. I've tracked my X wet and dry with the Star Specs and was amazed at the grip. It's a good tire, and certainly competent enough in wet conditions that I wouldn't consider trading down to a tire with less dry grip. Consider I live in Ohio, and we don't get tons of rain, but enough that I see it regularly.

"Traditionally, wet traction has been one of the largest sacrifices to achieve the significant level of dry grip found in Extreme Performance Summer tires. But several of the tires in this test show the advances being made in tire design with respectable wet traction in addition to their dry performance. In the wet, the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec was the clear favorite among our team, sweeping the test for best lane change slalom sector time, highest lateral g-forces and fastest overall lap time. This tire displayed excellent overall balance, which translated to driver confidence and quick lap times."

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...e1=yes&place=1

 

I hear what you are saying but the fact remains that the OP wanted an equivalent or better rain tire than OEM. Now TireRack has stated via their definition that Extreme Performance tires like the Direzza Sport Z1 compromise wet traction whereas Maximum performance tires are "unsurpassed in wet and dry". Now I am assuming that this means wet performance is superior to the latter relative to the former.
Now to your point of dry traction. Traction on dry surfaces is related to the UTQG rating. I think it is measure of/related to the softness of the tire surface. The lower the number, the softer the tire and presumably better traction. The Direzza has UTQG value of 200 while the OEM Yoko 180. So from this rating difference, albeit our 20 points again, the Yoko is softer and, therefore, should grip better than the Direzza; at worst, it is equivalent. That is, the dry traction may be the same for these two tires so you are not necessarily "stepping down" when going to Ultra high performance tire. At this point you may say, "But the tread design is also important to the traction". I totally agree and we, the consumer, get a picture of the tread pattern from the manufacturer as the only measure of this important aspect of a tire. In short, this information is qualitative and completely inconsistent and uninterpretable relative to the quantitative parameters (like UTQG) supplied for each tire. Given these problems and the inability to test all tires both within and between the classes defined by TireRack/tire industry on the same vehicle with the same driver, it is very difficult to say this tire is better than that one. We are all stabbing in the dark when trying to decide on tires and IMHO this is exactly where the tire companies want us: confused and vulnerable to their hype.

Later, Ken

 

Toyo T1-R

 

Since TireRack does not sell Toyo's, these tire are not classified by same. That said, with UTQG of 280, 97 load and Y speed rating, they would fall into the catagory of "Ultra high performance" tires. These tires would be quite similar to the GSD3 (as above posts) and also have a 20 unit difference in UTQG relative to the s-drive. Now instead of ~$100 difference with the GSD3 we have ~$75 difference per tire. That is, it would cost ~$300 more for a set of Toyo T1-R relative to the s-drives; whether the added traction of 20 UTQG units actually results in better wet traction is open to quesiton.

Later, Ken

 

If you want/have money to waste go ahead, but the best rain tyre is slowing down and using the feedback from the car to adjust if you must.

 

Rain tires. http://www.americastire.com/dtcs/tireSiping.dos