Well, got the Fuzion ZRi's put on and have put a little under 1000 miles on them...

They still grip extremely well for the price. I feel more confident DURING the turn in these than I did with the S-02's... however mine were bald.

Steering response is definately not as good as the S02, but it's decent. 32PSI all around seems the best, as it should be (factory setting)...

They're great in the rain too! I picked mine up for $70 in the rear, $80 in the front... so all together including balancing/installation it was a total of $415! I'm happy, and I have a fatter wallet.

Now, I haven't tried the ES100's out, so I'm not sure how they compare, but they're pretty nice.... Treadwear rating of 320 too!

 

I am much less impressed, although I have only had one day with them so take it with a grain of salt.

Brief background. My S2000 is 4.5 years old and has 45k miles on it. During that time I have only changed the rear tires and that was at 17k miles. I replaced them with new OEM SO2's. Now at 45k all four tires are barely legal. I've been getting away with it because it is hot and dry here. If I were still living in Seattle I am sure I would have had to replace the tires sooner (due to rain.)

I am selling my car at the end of the year so I decided not to put the money into 4 new SO2's. I was going to try the Ecsta MX, however, TireRack is backordered on those for the foreseeable future. Jim recommended I try the ZRi. I saw very few reviews of these for the S2K, but the ones out there seem to be pretty good. I decided to go for it reasoning that for the price and the time I have remaining with the car, I couldn't really lose.

After having the tires installed (the ordering and installation process was super smooth as usual when working with TireRack and Jim) I noticed something immediately was not right on my drive home. The car felt very "heavy". I reasoned that the tires were likely over-inflated and when I was able to check them I found that the installer put 45 psi in them! Of course I drained them to a 34 psi cold pressure. I drive the car 90 miles each day as a commute on one of the worst freeways in the country. I put a little more pressure in for better gas mileage and a smoother ride. At the end of the life of my SO2's, I was actually running at 36 psi.

After getting the pressure set I took the car out for more of a around town test the next day. The car still felt "heavy" (I don't know a better way to describe this) and the tires actually squeaked on some turns. These are turns that my barely legal SO2's never squeaked on. The ZRi's didn't feel nearly as confidence inspiring and the overall feel was not nearly as nimble yet taught as I was used to.

I completely understand that the ZRi is much less dollars than the SO2 and certainly one cannot expect the same level of performance. However, I did expect it to be better than my barely legal SO2's, and I have to say that it is not. I have no doubt that these would perform better in inclement weather (not really a problem where I live), but outside of that I think the ZRi's under perform my low expectations.

If one is in the same situation as I am only holding onto the car for a little bit more, these tires might make some sense. Although now I wish I went for the lower cost Potenza's (although I have no idea how those would perform.) I am certainly not upset nor am I blaming Jim, I got exactly what I paid for and these tires will be more than fine for the time I have remaining. However, I cannot recommend these tires for the S2000 even for the driver not tracking the car (like myself.) If you are holding onto the car, do yourself and the car a favor by getting a higher performance tire (if not the OEM tires.)

If anyone can explain this "heavy" feeling I describe, I'd appreciate it. I am not sure what it is.

When I get some more miles/time, I'll post back.

 

I too felt the same thing when I first got them and was really dissappointed. I believe the heavy feeling is due to the softer sidewall and a bit less steering response. I've put 1000 miles on them now and I feel that they are excellent, and they hold the corners well. I'm an autocrosser too! For the money, you can't beat them, and I honestly can't see why I'd invest in the S02's again unless I was incredibly rich...

I feel that the optimum cold tire pressure is 32PSI all around... Might get a bit less gas mileage, but the handling is worth it IMHO

 

I have about 1000 miles on a set of Fuzions and have found them to be very good for my driving style. They have more "give" to them than the SO2 and will tend to give way (flatten out) on hard turns at high speeds (50 or 60+) so I find myself a bit more cautious at higher speeds. Otherwise, they seem very comparable to the SO2 in hard turns at lower speeds. They are also quite quiet--a smoother drive. I'd recommend them, especially for the price (under $400 for me, balanced, mounted, taxes, disposal fees, etc.).

 

Yesterday, I had 4 Fuzion ZRIs put on my '02 S2k and agree they/the car feels "heavier" now. This was the first word that came to mind when my wife asked how they were. I also think the steering response is reduced. They will likely change after a little break-in.

 

I had a set put on a week ago and I wouldn't call them heavy, but the steering response is alot slower. The ride is also softer. I got in a heavy rainstorm which is where I'm impressed the most with them. Driving the S02's on a twisty mountain road in a rainstorm was scary.
I'm going to wait a week or two to break them in before seeing what they will or won't do.
I still have one good S02 that I might dig around for a set of wheels and some used tires and set up a set of track tires.

 

I will never buy es100's ever again.

 

explain why? I've had es100 and they were fine for the price. S02 are still the best tire I've ever driven on!

 

I have a set for the rear and love them. I have 10K on them and they still have over 70% left. I am about to get a set for my front.

 

Hey Troy, Too bad the tires dont help you at about a 30mph roll and on.

Just messin with you.