Hello, all. I'm curious about the following: the treadwear rating on the OEM RE050 is 140, and it's listed as an "Ultra High Performance Tire" by TireRack, Discount Tire, and most others who carry it. The rating for the new Nitto NT05 is 200, but it's considered "Maximum Performance". Can anyone clarify why this is? I would think that a tire in a higher performance category would be stickier and thus have a lower treadwear rating.

I've read the exccellent NT05 review in these forums, and I'd like to hear more about what this tire is like to live with every day. I have no problem with the noise or ride quality of the OEM Bridgestones, and they stick fairly well, but based on the treadwear rating they won't last long, and they're expensive.

I'd also like to hear anyone's opinions who's tried the Nitto Invo. From the reviews I've read, it sounds like a good compromise of performance, longevity, and quietness of ride. Other plusses are that it's less expensive than the RE050, and it's available in the stock 19" sizes, which brings up my final question: I'm contemplating going with 245/40/19 fronts and 275/35/19 rears when it comes time for new shoes. I can't foresee any problem with those sizes, since they're less than 1% different from stock and thus shouldn't noticeably effect the speedo/odo/VDC/etc... but I'd like to hear about the real-world experiences of others. Sorry for the rambling nature of this post, I'm eagerly looking forward to the responses.

 

I have the Nitto Invo's 275/35/19 and 245/40/19 and I love them. They are a little cheaper than the Re050 and they last a lot longer.

 

Going to a 245/40 front and 275/35 rear from the stock 225/45 front and 245/40 rear is known as "Plus Zero" in the tire industry. Meaning staying with the same diameter wheel but going to a wider, lower profile to retain the same rolling radius. The G37 stock 19" wheels should accept the Plus Zero sizing without problems.

The Invos seem to be the only stock size competitors to the stock 050A's. I understand the only complaints a few people have about them is the softer sidewalls may reduce the steering feel a little. Some increase pressure to overcome this. And, the softer sidewall supposidly makes the Invo ride like a dream. (The stock tires have fairly stiff sidewalls resulting in somewhat of a stiffer ride.)

FWIW, the Europeans seem to be going crazy over the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo, which is available in the Plus Zero sizes. People in the tire business tell me this Hankook is the new "hot ticket" for these type of performance tires. Very reasonably priced (like the Invo) with a good mileage rating (like the Invo and much better life than the stock 050A's).

 

Thanks for the tip, I'd never heard of this model of Hankook before. Just checked it out on Discount Tire - the price certainly is right, and from treadwear and traction ratings it appears to be a good plus zero alternative. I'm going to dig a little more to find out why in particular the Europeans like it.

 

keep us posted on your findings . . . thanks~

 

I just went with the nittos.. crazy looking tread

 

The Hankooks are on closeout at Tirerack, fyi

 

I have the RE050 (275/35) on my rear. No issues or noticeable wear. They've been on since Feb.

 

Try and find the highest treadwear tire you can, they're usually cheaper and last much longer.

 

Those would be the Ventus S1 evo. The Ventus V12 evo, the tire we are talking about, replaced the S1. That's why the S1 is on closeout. It has been replaced by a new model.

Also, TireRack is not a full line Hankook dealer, and is not scheduled to carry the V12.

 

Higher tread wear numbers indicate that the tread of a tire, and hence the tire itself, should last longer, although this is more true within a single product line than when comparing the product lines of different manufacturers.

 

The Hankook V12 Evo has gotten good reviews from the UK, which were the only ones I could find in English. Based on those and its treadwear rating (280), it seems to fall into the Ultra High Performance Category, more akin to the Nitto Invo (260) than the RE050A (140) or Nitto nt05 (200), which are Max Performance. I'm still not sure what the technical definitions are of those classifications. The nt05 gets good marks from users for wet performance, which is a surprise to me. Its tread pattern looks not far off from a competition tire.

To the moderator's suggestion about getting the highest treadwear rating possible: doesn't a higher # mean a harder tire, and thus less grip? My concern is that I don't want to downgrade in terms of handling/braking/cornering. The stock tires don't bother me at all as far as noise and rough ride, and I could tolerate a little more of each for more stick. Ideally, my new tire would have a slightly higher treadwear ratiing than the RE050A, and at the same time offer an equal amount of grip or slightly more. Or is that not feasible?

I appreciate the input from the community on this, it's very informative. Please keep it coming.

 

^^^ Very true and well stated. The treadwear rating is a loose term when comparing it amongst different tire manufacturers. Each manufacturers has their own way of measuring treadwear and they seldom coincide with other manufacturers.

 

I just put on new hankook rears 275/30/20s to replace my invos. I was attracted by the numbers, tread rating/price/reviews/etc. Initial impression is that they seem a little less solid in turns than the nittos. They feel a little 'squiggly' when doing quick half-lane swerves left and right. Maybe just something to get used to. Also they are directional only, so no rotating corners with these. They are definitely a little more quiet than invo.

anyone else have a direct comparison between invo and hankook?

 

I can't comment on the Invo's but I have the Hankooks and I love them. I've driven Yokohama S-drives and GY Eagle F1 and think the Hankooks rock over those others.