I keep hearing ppl say how good the SO-2s are in dry weather but terrible in wet weather. How do the Kumho & Nikko tires compare in dry/wet conditions? They are alot cheaper. Do they wear faster or slower?

 

I would say that the S02's are one of the best for peformance in dry weather. But they aren't that great in the rain and don't last too long.

The Kumho's are a pretty decent performance tire, handle good in wet weather, and have a long tread life.

 

I have the Kuhmo 712's on the back and I like them better than the S02's.
They are a lot better in the wet, they last longer, and are cheaper. You do give up some on dry traction but I like that.
It is more predictable when you toss it around.

 

I think you mean Nitto -- right? I had some of their NT-450s on my Civic. I liked them, but I wouldn't even consider putting those on my S2000. I'm not sure about their others models...

You might want to take a look at the Yoko A520 ( http://www.tirerack.com/tires/yokohama/yo_a520.jsp ). It's only one "level" down (Ultra High Perf instead of Max Perf) according to tirerack.com, but it specs are very similar to the stock S-02s -- at half the cost!

The stock tire have a 140 treadwear rating and a W speed rating, and these A520s have a 180 treadwear (and YES, I know you really cannot directly compare treadwear ratings across different manufacturers -- BUT at least they are both in the same ballpark) and also have a W speed rating! You can get the front and rears for $92/each!

I haven't tried these tires yet, but they look like a good replacement for the OEM tires!

 

Oops! Thanks STL, I meant Nitto, not Nikko. Dang keyboard!