I need to get a set of 4 new tires for my 06 is250 awd. Anyone have any thoughts on Dunlop SP Sport 5000? Or any other recommendations would be appreciated. I do need to keep this to a reasonable price and I don't do any racing (as you can probably tell from the 250 or anything which would necessitate a special tire.

Also, are dealers competitive price-wise these days on tires?

Thanks!

 

don't go to dealer for tires. tirerack is pretty good.

hankook ventus evo are probably the best bang for your buck tires.

 

Yea, the Hankook's are nice, but they're a straight up performance summer tire. Not sure how good they'd be when you needed to take advantage of your AWD. Although I gave up a little on the performance side, I went with the Conti DWS in hopes of not getting as easily stranded this winter.

and +1 for tire rack

 

Give us a bit more data about your driving habits... Common road and weather conditions you see year round, whether you are the only driver... Summer/winter st or year-round?
Do you have a price point you are trying to stay within, and for what size tires?


Recommendations without these considerations are going to be pretty useless don't you think?

Vince

 

Good point.

The car will be driven in a warm, wet climate. I am the only driver. The tires are stock 17in and I'd like to keep the expense as low as possible while still getting a quality tire....meaning I don't need anything super special but also don't want to sacrifice quality for price.

 

toyo t1r
if u can afford, michelins, highly recommended

 

Probably one of the better year-round tires I could recommend would be the Continental Pro-contacts I've never owned the set personally but had the opportunity to drive a set hard on some mountain passes and couldn't believe the response they gave. Also a very popular choice here in the pacific northwest where rain is a key buying factor. Good price too...
More performance with and slightly less wet capabilities would move me into looking at the Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grids
I've personally owned these in the past and loved them on dry roads. They stuck in corners well, and did not show any signed of block distortion after a hard day of aggressive driving. They also did well in rain, but I always backed off when encountering standing water.... Bridgestones are known for slightly faster wear, but that is the trade for higher overall grip.
The Contis would bite through water like it wasn't there.

Keep in mind that tire decisions involve your desired grip vs life expectancy. You don't get one without loss of the other. A "sticky" tire wears fast, and a long-life tire doesn't "stick" (don't let anyone tell you otherwise). It's a balance scale, and you need to figure out where you want to be with your tires.

Best of luck
Vince

 

The continental DWS sounds like it would be the tire for you. Not as expensive as the Bridgestone or Michelin All Seasons but still holds the quality. And it comes with an impressive 50k mile tread wear warranty.

If that price range is still too high, i'd look at the Hankook V4s. Good tire for the money.

 

So how are you loiking the Conti DSW tire. I have an IS250 AWD. Looking for a new set for my car.

 

I recommend taking a close look at the Dunlop Sp Sport Signature. It won't handle as well in light snow when compared to the DWS but it will last just as long and will have better ride quality throughout it's entire life. If you don't need light snow traction, the DWS is over-kill for your needs.

 

Dunlop SP 5000 tires aren't particularly durable I found. Even with driving that could be considered "lightly-abusive" the tires did not stand up well. Other drivers with cars with these installed have had the same comments. A friend of mine had them on his Mini Cooper S, and he had the same thing. Chunks were being torn out of the tires. Other people might not have had this experience. But on Canada's roads and weather that goes from snow storm to heat wave in a day, they're not a tire I would recommend. I'm going with the Hankook Ventus V12's as my next set.

Hope that helps.

 

I say Hankook h727 for all season. Great price long lasting tire. And since you dont need racing tires this will work.

 

Very True, it's a balance of both. I just picked up a set of Dunlop DZ101 from a tire dealer out in Sacramento for $380 mounted, balanced, and tax included. So it was the out the door price. Not the same as the stock setup.

It's a summer tire, but now that i'm in Cali, i don't really use the AWD in my 07 anymore. I figured i can get a spare set with snow tires for Tahoe in the winter.