I was thinking about buying these for a stock ap1 205/55/16 front and 225/50/16 rears and I was wondering how these grip in the rain for daily driving. I wont be tracking or autocrossing(maybe) these during the winter time. I live in SoCal and sometimes the rain can get viscious. Im just trying to get cheap good performance tires that will go through winter and be ready for summer. I also thought about star specs but those are a little out of my budget. So if anyone has driven these in the rain for street driving then please let me know how they are. thanks. and whats a cheap place to buy tires in SoCal around 818-661 area code. thanks

 

If you don't plan on tracking and are concerned about wet grip and hydroplaning resistance then there are better options for you. I love mine in the dry warmer weather but they don't push water too well and they'll only get worse as they wear more. Are you dead set on getting an extreme performance summer tire? It sounds like a Max or UHP summer tire is better for you. Not sure what comes in the sizes you need but Hankook V12, Continental DW (not DWS), Sumitomo HTR ZIII, Federal 595 (non RSR), and a few others are popular options for cheap daily drivable performance tires.

 

star specs are awesome wet or dry



edit sorry i didnt see the part about them being out of your budget...srsly though you should find a way to afford them somehow, you wont regret it

 

They are not good tires to run in the rain. They also do not fair well in the cold. Mix cold and rain and you are asking for trouble. If you won't be autocrossing and mainly using them for dd purpose they may not be the best tire for you. They do not last very long. I would recommend getting a set of hankook v12. Tirerack has an $80 mail in rebate on a set of 4 v12's. Then when spring hits pick up the rs-3's.

 

check out the michelin pilot super sports....not sure the cost in that size but apparently these are the hottest thing out right now

 

the 17 inch versions of those are more expensive than 17 inch star specs...probably the same deal in 16s

 

yeaa i think ima go with the v12. that sounds good and cheap. thanks guys

 

from a "spirited" daily driver standpoint not from a track standpoint though. Not to mention they are BALLS expensive

 

The July edition of Car and Driver tested some Extreme & UHP tires. IIRC, the Conti DWs were awesome in the wet.

 

THis, and here are two more data points for you:

Grassroots motorsports tested various popular autox tires (RS3, R1R, Star Spec, and a few others) against the Conti DW's on a wet autox course, and the DW's were the fastest.

I DD on DW's (autox on RS3's) The DW is nearly a miracle tire in the rain. I absolutely am floored by their rain performance. They also perform very very well in the dry, not as good as Star Specs or RS3's but more than good enough for any spirited street driving. Plus they last longer than RS3/Starspecs/etc... and provide a smoother ride. The only thing you really give up on the street is a little bit of the responsiveness.