Hey,

I need to get some summer tires since Winter is gone (or is it...).

I'm looking at BF Goodrich g-Force Sports
And my friend said Falken Ziex ZE-512 are pretty good.
Anyone else have any other recommendations?

And one more question. I'm going to all these sites and using their search engine, it says my car should be 205//55//16. However, on my current tires, I have 15s.

Would this be because the previous owner had two sets of rims or did some stock Turbos come w/ 15 inch steelies?

 

I'm VERY happy with my Potenza G009's

Don't know what year your car is, but my 850 ('93) takes 15's (195/60-15). My parents used to have a '94 turbo and those were also 15's. However, I believe that starting in '94 the 16's (205/50-16) were an option while the 15's (205/55-15) were stock. Hope that somone can verify this though.

 

^Hm......What you're saying makes sense but when I'm going on these sites, 205/55/16 is all I can choose.

Btw, I think Imma pick up those BF Goodriches. According to 1010tires.com they are very good (Retail there for $143)

Tirerack has them for $79 and Discount Tire has them listed for $99 but they match every price, so I'll pick em up for $79. Plus, there is a $40 dollar rebate. I just hope they don't own me on the install fees...

 

I agree with Dads850, I have the Potneza G009's and I'm very happy with them as well. I had Firehawks on before the Potenza's, and the Potenza's seem to ride slightly rougher, but not bad. Handling is good as is both wet and dry traction. I bought them in late winter so I only had 1 minor snow fall with them, so I can't tell you how they are in the snow.

 

Now I gotta check out these tires thanks to you guys lol.

 

Apparently my snow tires are too dry and they're cracked, so I might look into a set of all-seasons.

Right now, I'm checking out:

Falken Ziex ZE-512
Potneza G009
And MAYBE the Yokohama YK520.

But either my quotes are wrong, or they're all expensive as hell....Falkens are listed $54 a tire, but the guy quoted me 350 bucks??

 

I didn't realize you live where it snows like me (I like in Central NY State). I went for seperate snow tiresm definetely worth it in the winter months and in the Summer, you can run performance. For winters I run studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta II's. BEST snow tire I've EVER bought, and I used to run Bizzack Revo's.

My G009's were about $400 mounted and balanced at Firestone.
My Nokki's were about $450 mounted and balanced at an indy place.

 

^Yeah. I'm from MN. But to be honest, there is barely any snow now. I don't know if its global warming or what, but MN is only the coldest state in the continental US for only a couple weeks each year. It was the end of November, and I played basketball in my shorts.

Right now I have Gislaved Nord Frost II, but the guy said they are dry and brittle so he wouldn't mount them if I took them off.

I like these Falkens a lot. They're cheap and have a pretty good rating on 1010tires.com...

 

I have Falken Ziex ZE512s on my Miata. They are NOT summer tires. They are high performance all season tires, and are a compromise of performance, just like any all season tire.

That said, I really like them. They have rim protector bars which prevent curb damage when paralell parking and they perform nicely for what they are.

Do not buy them expecting all-out summer tire grip -- it won't be there. However, for what they cost they are an excellent value. They are predictable at the limits and break away progressively, with an increasing yowl to warn you. They handle rain and standing water like it's not there. However, when dry and hot, if you suddenly get them wet (going through a puddle) they can and do suddenly lose traction. They do not deal well with sudden changes, especially when worn.

They are lousy in the snow -- more of a three season "all season" if you ask me. Not nearly as terrible as a summer tire would be in the snow (you wouldn't be able to move) but not very confidence inspiring at all.

Honestly though I'm not sure I would recommend them for an 850.
They are known for somewhat soft sidewalls and a bit of a mushy feeling unless you keep a close eye on the pressure. They are fine on my 2100 lb Miata, but on a 3300 lb Volvo, it might be a different story. They also wear quite quickly for an all season, but not as fast as a summer tire.

In summary, they are probably one of the best all season tires you can get, but don't expect summer tire performance from them, especially on a heavier vehicle.

 

^Thanks for the great review.

For 54 a tire, I don't think I can go wrong. Especially since it's an H-rated tire.

I checked 1010tires.com and they gave it pretty good ratings, but like you said, the snow rating was horrible (3.3. out of 5). I'm not entirely sure wether or not I should be concerned, because on one hand, MN hasn't been getting much snow these last couple years. But when it snows, it snows hard.....

Edit: And I just realized my snow tires that I still have on lol, are almost bald on the front. So I gotta hurry up and get new tires.

Is there any danger to using "dry" tires? I talked to a guy today, and he says there is potential for the tire to burst or the inside stuff to come out.
Discount Tire flat out told me that because it's "dry", it doesn't meet their quality standards and they wouldn't mount it for me. Otherwise, I would be set for the winter...