Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 312
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From: Letchworth
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Time for some new summer daily driver road tyres and having used Dunlop SP Sportmaxx TTs for some years, I decide to try the latest version of Goodyear's tyre which is now more widely available in the UK since its launch this Spring.
Goodyear's unique selling point for the tyre is their ActiveBraking Technology which seems to mean the tread blocks deform under heavy braking in such a way that maximises the contact patch. Previously I had shied away from the previous Asymmetric due to reports of soft sidewalls but the A2 claims to be stiffer in this regard.
First impression from handling the tyre was how light it physically is to pick up so the claims of reduced weight seem true although I did not have scale to actually weight them. Secondly how soft the compound felt to touch although it was a warm day (22C for us in the UK).
Goodyear make the followings claims based on tests by a German independent review body but don't say which tyre competitors it was against:
10% shorter braking distance on wet roads*
6% shorter braking distance on dry roads*
7% better rolling resistance*
3% better wet handling*
However you can see who they were at http://www.tyrepress.com/News/1/22/21713.html (Bridgestone Potenza S001, Continental’s SportContact 5P and Pirelli’s PZero).
Other features are that they come with a marginal rim protector and for our EU market, they are made in Germany. The TTs has a very squared off shape to the tyre design, whilst the A2s tread block curves at the edge down to the sidewall. The sidewall seems softer on the A2 at 32psi compared to the TT but this only by me pressing my thumb against so is highly subjective!
Construction is:
Sidewall 1 Polyester (Sportmax TT is 2 Rayon)
Tread 1 Polyester + 2 Steel + 1 Polyamide (Sportmaxx TT is 2 Rayon + 2 Steel + 2 Polyamide)
Those figures may explain the lightness and sidewall stiffness but I am no tyre engineer!
I have done less than a 1000 miles on them compared to the TTs but first impressions as follows:
Wet conditions - both tyres are sure footed, handle safely and give confidence. Both brake well under normal driving conditions (I am not going to practice emergency braking in the wet on our public roads so can't help there).
Dry conditions - Handling: The steering feels much lighter with the A2s compared to the TTs and at first I don't like it as the steering feels loose. On the turn in, I am still learning how they communicate. The TTs felt heavier and when you cornered and loaded the tyre up in the turn, I got the impression they dug into the road which increased your confidence in the grip. The A2s don't handle in the same manner and the impact is less confidence for now until I build my experience of the tyre.
Grip: I never had any issues with grip from the TTs although the front would obviously under steer if pushed too hard in a corner or I set the car up badly for the corner. The A2s seem to have the similar levels of dry grip in the corner but the way they handle compared to the TTs I am used to, means I have not yet felt confident enough to push them except at a low speed, very tight turns where their performance was good.
Ride/Noise/Comfort: The TTs were noiser, more "crashy" over road imperfections, the A2s are quieter, more compliant with rough surfaces and give the impression of having lower rolling resistance as the car goes further if coasted (this is highly subjective and just my impression!).
Overall, the A2s seem excellent tyres but I am not yet sold on their dry handling compared to my TTs which I am big fan off. This may change as I get used to the A2s and in a different make of car, the driving experience could be completely different. There a few reviews but the one mentioned at http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm seems to reflect my experience between the TT and the A2 i.e. the TT is better for dry grip, wet is near enough identical but the A2s are much more comfortable.
I will come back with my views once I have worn the A2s down a good few mm's of tread.
A photo I took of the TT and A2 side by side with A2s on the left and TT on the right using the 245/40/17 rear (I use the 215/45/17 up front)
http://apb211.www.idnet.com/DSC01259.JPG
Goodyear's unique selling point for the tyre is their ActiveBraking Technology which seems to mean the tread blocks deform under heavy braking in such a way that maximises the contact patch. Previously I had shied away from the previous Asymmetric due to reports of soft sidewalls but the A2 claims to be stiffer in this regard.
First impression from handling the tyre was how light it physically is to pick up so the claims of reduced weight seem true although I did not have scale to actually weight them. Secondly how soft the compound felt to touch although it was a warm day (22C for us in the UK).
Goodyear make the followings claims based on tests by a German independent review body but don't say which tyre competitors it was against:
10% shorter braking distance on wet roads*
6% shorter braking distance on dry roads*
7% better rolling resistance*
3% better wet handling*
However you can see who they were at http://www.tyrepress.com/News/1/22/21713.html (Bridgestone Potenza S001, Continental’s SportContact 5P and Pirelli’s PZero).
Other features are that they come with a marginal rim protector and for our EU market, they are made in Germany. The TTs has a very squared off shape to the tyre design, whilst the A2s tread block curves at the edge down to the sidewall. The sidewall seems softer on the A2 at 32psi compared to the TT but this only by me pressing my thumb against so is highly subjective!
Construction is:
Sidewall 1 Polyester (Sportmax TT is 2 Rayon)
Tread 1 Polyester + 2 Steel + 1 Polyamide (Sportmaxx TT is 2 Rayon + 2 Steel + 2 Polyamide)
Those figures may explain the lightness and sidewall stiffness but I am no tyre engineer!
I have done less than a 1000 miles on them compared to the TTs but first impressions as follows:
Wet conditions - both tyres are sure footed, handle safely and give confidence. Both brake well under normal driving conditions (I am not going to practice emergency braking in the wet on our public roads so can't help there).
Dry conditions - Handling: The steering feels much lighter with the A2s compared to the TTs and at first I don't like it as the steering feels loose. On the turn in, I am still learning how they communicate. The TTs felt heavier and when you cornered and loaded the tyre up in the turn, I got the impression they dug into the road which increased your confidence in the grip. The A2s don't handle in the same manner and the impact is less confidence for now until I build my experience of the tyre.
Grip: I never had any issues with grip from the TTs although the front would obviously under steer if pushed too hard in a corner or I set the car up badly for the corner. The A2s seem to have the similar levels of dry grip in the corner but the way they handle compared to the TTs I am used to, means I have not yet felt confident enough to push them except at a low speed, very tight turns where their performance was good.
Ride/Noise/Comfort: The TTs were noiser, more "crashy" over road imperfections, the A2s are quieter, more compliant with rough surfaces and give the impression of having lower rolling resistance as the car goes further if coasted (this is highly subjective and just my impression!).
Overall, the A2s seem excellent tyres but I am not yet sold on their dry handling compared to my TTs which I am big fan off. This may change as I get used to the A2s and in a different make of car, the driving experience could be completely different. There a few reviews but the one mentioned at http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm seems to reflect my experience between the TT and the A2 i.e. the TT is better for dry grip, wet is near enough identical but the A2s are much more comfortable.
I will come back with my views once I have worn the A2s down a good few mm's of tread.
A photo I took of the TT and A2 side by side with A2s on the left and TT on the right using the 245/40/17 rear (I use the 215/45/17 up front)
http://apb211.www.idnet.com/DSC01259.JPG
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,713
Likes: 1
From: SW London
I Switched from Goodyear GSD3s to Asymmetric 2s at about the same time as the above poster.
On my OEM wheels I'd been running the standard Asyms and had alwasy been impressed with them over the RE050 sets I'd been running since new. I only switched to the GSD3s because they were what came on the wheel set that I bought just over a year ago. I'd never really liked the GSD3s, felt a bit wobbly at hi speed and floaty when on the motorway. In that year I'd aslo switched from OEM coilovers to Nitrons.
So switched from the GSD3s on my Volk CE28N (215/45/17 255/40/17) to the Asym 2 (oem sizes only). Clearly I'd had some issue with the old tyres because the wobble is now gone even though I'd had the old set rebalanced. The tyre just makes the car feel so much more stable at speed and the most notable feature is that these now make the car feel quieter than it has been at any time since I started bolting on mods. I had never thought the old Asyms were all that soft, I had and have the Extra Load version of the tyres, and when I had a duff valve in one the tyre still looked inflated even though it had no pressure and drove like a pig.
So I'm happy with them but it would be nice to have some moer options with the sizes such as 225/45 and 255/40
On my OEM wheels I'd been running the standard Asyms and had alwasy been impressed with them over the RE050 sets I'd been running since new. I only switched to the GSD3s because they were what came on the wheel set that I bought just over a year ago. I'd never really liked the GSD3s, felt a bit wobbly at hi speed and floaty when on the motorway. In that year I'd aslo switched from OEM coilovers to Nitrons.
So switched from the GSD3s on my Volk CE28N (215/45/17 255/40/17) to the Asym 2 (oem sizes only). Clearly I'd had some issue with the old tyres because the wobble is now gone even though I'd had the old set rebalanced. The tyre just makes the car feel so much more stable at speed and the most notable feature is that these now make the car feel quieter than it has been at any time since I started bolting on mods. I had never thought the old Asyms were all that soft, I had and have the Extra Load version of the tyres, and when I had a duff valve in one the tyre still looked inflated even though it had no pressure and drove like a pig.
So I'm happy with them but it would be nice to have some moer options with the sizes such as 225/45 and 255/40
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