Good morning, I have an 03 that will need tires soon. It has stock wheels. I am interested in the following tires:
Bridgestone Potenza
S-02 oem
RE 970 AS
RE 11A
Also interested in the Dunlop, Michelin and Yokohama for this car.

Why such a big price difference between the oem's and the other bridgestones?
This car will never be driven in the rain, raced or tracked, it is a weekend toy and will be driven on short weekend trips.
Please tell me your thoughts and suggestions.

Thank you!

 

RE11A is a very good tire that fits AP1 wheels nicely.

S02 are expensive because they were made specifically for the S2000, low demand means higher price to keep them in stock and available for more than a decade. S02 is for people who want to keep it 100% stock, collectors etc. RE11A will have more grip and about the same comfort and quietness.

 

Out of the tires on that list, RE-11A, hands down.

 

Thanks for the info!!

 

Thanks, do you recommend any other tires for a 100% stock ap1 that will only be driven in dry conditions?

 

Here are a couple others I would look at:

Direzza ZII - A more hardcore street tire. Sticky, stiff sidewalls, loud road noise, limited tread life.
Hankook RS3 v2 - Another hardcore street tires. Sticky, slightly more "soft" sidewalls than the ZII, a little less tread noise than the ZII, limited tread life.
Extremecontact DW - Friendly, well rounded street tire with very good performance. Trades a little ultimate grip (vs REIIa, ZII, and RS3) for more compliant ride, lower noise, and better tread life. They area also less expensive.

There are a number of good options available to you, but honestly, the RE-11A would be at the top of my list. It provides nearly all of the performance of the ZII or RS3, but won't beat you up quite as bad over less than ideal pavement. It's also a higher performing tire than the DW. There is no reason to get the stock S02s given that there are better tires for less money - like the ones above.

 

just purchased RE11-A (215-45-17 / 245-40-17)for my AP2 yesterday from Costco for $632.47 and that includes install, balance, new stems, n2 fill and unlimited tire fix on nails or tire defect. Gets installed today or tomorrow. Its not my DD so i could afford nice sticky tires. If it was my DD i would probably have gone with Michellin Pilot Sport A/S 3's or A/S Plus. Im going to sell my rear A/S plus which are literally brand new. but they are for AP2 wheels.

 

Here are a couple others I would look at:

Direzza ZII - A more hardcore street tire. Sticky, stiff sidewalls, loud road noise, limited tread life.
Hankook RS3 v2 - Another hardcore street tires. Sticky, slightly more "soft" sidewalls than the ZII, a little less tread noise than the ZII, limited tread life.
Extremecontact DW - Friendly, well rounded street tire with very good performance. Trades a little ultimate grip (vs REIIa, ZII, and RS3) for more compliant ride, lower noise, and better tread life. They area also less expensive.

There are a number of good options available to you, but honestly, the RE-11A would be at the top of my list. It provides nearly all of the performance of the ZII or RS3, but won't beat you up quite as bad over less than ideal pavement. It's also a higher performing tire than the DW. There is no reason to get the stock S02s given that there are better tires for less money - like the ones above.
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Thanks for taking the time to write this up, your info helps a lot. I will most likely go with the RE 11A's. Will be pulling the trigger in a couple of weeks.

Thanks, looks like your got a great price.

 

I just purchased tires from Costco the same time frame. There was a $70 rebate at the register upon purchase. (No waiting for some card in the mail)
I did go for Pilot Super Sports; I did not want the A/S tires. Out the door, hair, teeth, guts, and eyes was $765. I had DZ 101s before. The SS are superior and promise greater life. I did get 16K out of the Drizzles but I admit I went to far.

I just put on 4 Bridgestone tires from Les Scwabb on my 2002 Tacoma 2WD truck for the price of one tire on my S!! $196 out the door.

 

How's s04 pole position?