I have an 04 that I bought with the original OEM tires on it and drove them until about 16k.
I put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on for the next 20k miles, then put Conti DWS on the rears which need changing out soon.
I get a lot of grief for using A/S, but I drive mostly back and forth to work, putting only about 200-300 miles on of aggressive driving at 4 different events in 5 yrs. The car presently has 57k miles on it. I like using an A/S tire getting 20k miles on the rears.
I thought I'd try a summer tire this next time just for fun; I was told any summer would have more grip than the best A/S tire.
Since I don't need the grip of the Star Specs, which I know are a popular tire, I thought I'd ask which other tire people have driven that gave a 15kish rear tire treadwear for a guy who drives moderately. (I got 16 on the OEMs with some tread left).
I have been told so far that the Khmhos and the Bridgestone 760 don't last 10k miles.
I've also been told that for my driving style any of these would do, just pick one.
I look at Tire Rack ratings and an online Consumer Report that I use.

My interest is peaked at the:
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 with the highest UTQG rating of any summer: 460, which got my interest for $432.

Continental DW Extreme Contact DW UTQG=340, for $518
Hankook Ventus V12 evo2, 320/UTQG for $501
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole position, 280/UTQG for $546
Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport, 340/UT for $584
BF Goodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2, 340/UT for $454
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport, 280/UT for $456
Yokohama S drive, 300/UT for $443
Sumitomo HTR ZIII, 300/UT for $367
Some of these are rated better for treadwear than others, going by the UTQG rating/Tire Rack or by the "bubbles" in Consumer Report, so it'd be nice getting some real world feedback on them.

 

I had the original ventus v12 evo and the gforce sport comp2's.. Noticed similar mileage out of both on the rear, 15k~ (with minimal toe toe in). Also used continental dw but did not keep them very long due to switching wheels. For daily driving I dont have anything negative to say about any of those.

 

Thanks! Exactly the type of feedback I was looking for. Too bad you didn't keep the DWs longer, some say really good things in the past about those.

 

I would pass on the Continental ExtremeContact DW's. I recently installed them on my AP2 and they ruined the handling of the car. The DW's are intended for heavier sedans with comfort in mind and not for lite, sharp handling sports cars. The S2000 demands tires with stiff sidewalls and the DW's are too soft. With the DW's the S2000 feels squirmy and unsafe. Look for a tire with stiff dual-ply sidewalls. As soon as I can afford to I will be replacing the DW's ... can't wait.

 

That's what I suspected after having the Contis DWS A/S.
Thanks for the confirmation.

 

Performance and tire wear are linked. High performance tires wear out faster. Deal with it or accept low peformane.

I replaced Dunlap Z-something Stars with Bridgestone RE-11A tires in OEM sizes last summer and would buy them again if they were available. Alas not. These have a wear rating of 200. So what? Good for a couple of summers is all I expect from summer tires.

-- Chuck

 

I used to think a good performance summer tire with high treadwear was all I needed as I only drive the car on the street. Boy was I wrong. The performance difference is huge between what I had, and a good extreme summer tire with a treadwear rating of 200 or less. You can't extract the real performance capability of this car with any tire that has a high treadwear rating.

I just put on some Bridgestone RE-11a's last week. With Bridgestone RE760's the car was pushing hard and the tires felt like they were rolling over, the car wasn't turning like it should. With the RE-11a's it is a night and day difference, I am amazed at how much better the car handles and how willing it is to turn. I'll never go back, I'd rather replace the tires a bit sooner and enjoy the capabilities of the car the way it was designed to be.

 

Your testimony does get my attention; I've been hearing it for 5 yrs. and 50k miles, taking some razzing over my use of A/S, and I'm finally going to get summer tires rather than A/S, but getting a 200 or sub 200 UTQG instead of a 300+ is quite a step more than I had planned.
There is always another level of challenge.

 

Joey tell him that again please he won't believe us. What did you think of the RE760's on the dragon. Gary I had the 760's and the V12 on the dragon both didn't compare to the Star Specs ZII's or the Re-11a's. I now have 2 sets of the Re-11a's on both S2000's and couldn't be more happy with their capabilities. Try either tire and you won't go back to the A/S tires. I'll bet money!!!

 

I'm listening. I do mostly go back and forth to work. I have very few aggressive miles on the car.
I've been to two Tomcatt Run drives in Marietta, OH and a couple of Brown County Drives, and that's it.
People do rave about the Star Specs, though, but I think they are pushing the boundaries.