I've never been much of a Nitto fan, but based on reviews here and their great prices, I decided to spring for a set when my Star Specs finally bit the dust.

Man, I regret it. Handling feel is dramatically reduced. Higher speed turns are floaty and disconnected compared to the Star Specs. The sidewalls are crazy stiff as well, but to no benefit that I can see. Little bumps transmit much harder into the car. Grip potential is lower too as evidenced in cornering speeds.

In short, don't try to save $165. Buy Star Specs or RS3s. Maybe this post can save somebody a little heartache.

 

Were you using the tires on the street of track/autox type of driving? I find the NT05 pretty good, and seem to last pretty decent on the track and autox. Stiff sidewall is a preference of performance driving as it prevents tire wall "rollover"

 

Street only. It seems like NT05s are mostly popular in Evo circles, probably due to their sponsorship of Gates. I'm pretty sure everywhere else the Star Specs are regarded as a better choice for track. There are some nice high speed turns on my way into work, and I find my speed through those corners is a little slower than it used to be. They are definitley scarier at the edge.

 

When I got my new wheels installed on Sunday, My wheel tech was telling me how he didnt like Nitto tires- yes im a Gates fan and thats why I brought them up. Nothing but quick wear and complaints from his customers. He just suggested the Star Specs or Pilot Sports or nothing. He is a big fan of the PS2, so When my tires are worn Ill be getting those.

 

I was considering a set until I saw this. Thanks, mate.

I'm currently on Hankook v12's and they're not that great either...

 

IDK, I like mine a lot...granted I dont have much tread left on them, but I have been on them for maybe 20K miles, since they came out. I have had numerous auto-x sessions with them and they seem pretty good, heat up fast, dont get slick towards the later runs, and are pretty good for spirited drives as well....it's not my DD though

 

The cheaper alternative I like are Kumos. Not noisey, sidewalk not too stiff but good performance and decent tread life for a performance tire.

 

What pressures do you run in them?

 

Supposedly, the NT05 needs a lot of heat, like an old Kumho MX. When cold, you have the worst combination: stiff sidewalls but no need for such (due to lack of lateral grip). Supposedly, when gotten up to temp, the sidewalls become worth it. Thus, it might be a good tire for the (desert) southwest or dry track days, but nowhere else.

 

Are the RS3's a noisy tire? I've had my S-drives for a while but they are about done. I only DD my car so they are fine for me, but I was wondering how the RS3s were noise wise. I need something quiet. Thanks.

 

That actually makes lots of sense. It gets dang hot here. Maybe I'll wait until summer before proclaiming them bad. Thanks again, Iowa! That's two things you've helped me on.

 

Yes. At least, R-S3s can be louder than the OE Advans in a back-to-back comparison. But be very careful taking too seriously what people tell you about the noisiness of a tire, because it depends on so many variables, many of which won't be constant. For example, the same tire can be noisy or quiet depending on camber, with the central circum-ridge making it quiet with low levels of camber, but the outer tread-block slapping loudly at higher level of camber. This is a very hard thing to get from anything besides exact experience.

 

I'll double confirm this. I'm running them right now (will try many tires throughout the season) and they are very picky on temperature. next time you come back from some driving, feel the tires - I bet they're only moderately warm (or even still cold)

at first I hated them, because the OEM tires were pretty good even when cold. it was a hard adjustment. after they got warmed up, it was better. it wasn't until I got a rear sway bar to put more load on the rear tires did they start gripping really well (Andrew@GTWorx was right on the money - rear sway on soft solved everything)

I like them now - I'm just more mindful of their need for temperature. I can see why Ryan Gates used them and did so well, since they're always up to temperature on the track. That combined with the price point, I'm not as grumpy as I was at first.

more details on my experiences here:
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...ure-heavy.html

 

Appreciate the input, guys. Since I'm not racing, they are a poor match for me. I'm going to look into selling them to a friend that actually races his car.

 

Will going from the RS-3 to the Star Specs be a downgrade?

I had the RS-3s last season, and the tread life sucks and they are not good in the rain, not that I expected either out of them but I am considering other options this time around. Not to mention they howl like crazy once worn out, again not a big deal.

Will the Star Specs last significantly longer than the RS3s for street use only?