Most important tire performance parameter?

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Tires are judged by dry, wet, snow, comfort, noise and braking performance just to name a few. I personally feel wet performance is the thing I place the most importance too. What's your thoughts?
 
Originally Posted by dbias
Tires are judged by dry, wet, snow, comfort, noise and braking performance just to name a few. I personally feel wet performance is the thing I place the most importance too. What's your thoughts?

I judge only winter tires in snow and ice.
Good tire has to be good performer in all disciplines and excel in those that are focus of the tire.
As for snow, no tire that is good in snow will be good in summer months. There is no any way around this.
 
Where I live, we rarely see snow. I would have to say that wet handing performance matters the most to me.
 
Originally Posted by dbias
Tires are judged by dry, wet, snow, comfort, noise and braking performance just to name a few. I personally feel wet performance is the thing I place the most importance too. What's your thoughts?


like most things, my answer is "it depends". With my tuned GTI, dry performance was pretty important, since I was able to light up the dashboard with ECS lights under hard acceleration--with a pretty sticky tire. After moving on to a Golf R and traction to all 4 wheels, wet performance is a lot more important. I will never hit the limits in the dry on this car on public roads, but I'll be a lot closer in the wet.

Noise is pretty important to me as well. Tread wear isn't, since I don't drive that much.


Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by dbias
Tires are judged by dry, wet, snow, comfort, noise and braking performance just to name a few. I personally feel wet performance is the thing I place the most importance too. What's your thoughts?

I judge only winter tires in snow and ice.



Is that really true? You're always complaining about Nokians and how the perform in the wet!
 
Snow performance is a tire category until itself. So excluding snow, I prefer a balance of all parameters but leaning towards handling. But if you want to point to a parameter that would make a tire a no-go, for me it would be poor wet performance.

This brings to mind that a number of different Pirelli tires show poor wet performance in tire rack testing. Don't know why they got it screwed up.
 
Depends on what season it is and what I want a tire for.

If I lived in the rockies, and it's winter, I want max snow/ice/slush performance short of studded tires.

These days on the other seasons, I value NVH more than lateral grip. Rain isn't much of an issue since it doesn't rain often where I am.

If rain was an issue, then, I would want a wet traction rating of AA, vs the more usual A.
 
For me, it boils down to safety yet the translation is a bit more complicated. I do think we all have our 'list' of things important and try to side on the advantages our choice brings with a realization it's all about what we are willing to compromise on.
Climate and environment ring highest on my strategy so narrowing really depends on where I live and drive. I simply won't settle for a modest performing tire in snow, cold or slushy conditions. I want the better or best but compromise you say ? Yes, I limit my choice to the all season variety. Somewhat aggressive with sipes , yet a good performing tire in other categories important to me.
Luxury or comfort ride, quiet and mediocre tread life. Winter visits us with nasty roads or conditions but maybe a handful of times per season here in lower 7000- 6800. I can live with A/S since we get 20 or 25 + days a month of dry roads or not dicey snow-covered anyways.
That compromise offers me tires I can manage fine in the wintery stuff without going full dedicated winter tires. Yes, that would mean I'm too lazy , cheap or both to bother with extra sets of wheels/tires and the related mounting, storage etc.... I've driven snow and icy stuff though the seasons all my driving days coming up on 40-some years of my near 60. A dozen of those years were route/territory-based travel of 30,000 + miles per year.
*Confidence , experience and assertiveness can thread the needle with respect to driving conditions and ability, yet too much can get you into trouble. Knowing the limits and not testing them too often can make driving a bit fun or somewhat of a sport.

Tires listed here with links are;

-Conti DWS I ran a few of these for years on a sport coupe and a bit pricy. Arguably one of the better or best All season high perf tires easily available. They did superb on a rwd in Colorado.

-Pirelli Scorpion Verde, also liked enough to buy more than once, well suited for our 3 row SUV, luxury ride and quiet, good in the city area- snow and slush, likely not up to the traction if required as the DWS but a good all-rounder. ie; DWS could do well in the high country conditions better.

-Lastly is a tire I'm thinking of trying; Quatrac 5. Seems to be rated well, reasonable price if not 'cheap' and def aggressive looking tread.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=mqDg9J5I&id=2C98E613139797CCA948F78583BC50A26B0AB0E4&thid=OIP.mqDg9J5IVHub5S2XPIPn2QHaIT&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fcdn.pneusecono.com%2fimages%2fproduits%2fContinental-DWS06.jpg&exph=678&expw=605&q=Continental+DWS+All+Season&simid=608042101563852874&selectedIndex=9

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=SG7%2b8uUz&id=71B7F503AC2F903D99FC9936625B9B7B8906F2F7&thid=OIP.SG7-8uUzrNey92qI1LWc0gHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.1010tires.com%2fimages%2ftires%2fPirelli%2fPirelli_ScorpionVerdeAS_lg_800x800.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=pirelli+scorpion+verde&simid=608019312451849593&selectedIndex=10

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=A0E3FEBA8ED0E62AB5A2D32C64A8226CA91510ED&thid=OIP.cQ7mM8QO8IZMHd2qVgOnRQHaHa&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quattrotires.com%2Fuploads%2Fmedias%2F10746%2Fconversions%2Fvredestein-quatrac-5-4-saisons-homologu-hiver-large.jpg&exph=500&expw=500&q=quatrac+5&selectedindex=4&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=0,1,2,3,4,6,8,10&ccid=cQ7mM8QO&simid=608039481663031877&sim=11
 
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I'm with what Bachman said for the most part. I just can't justify the cost and hassle of getting dedicated snow tires for the occasional snow covered road, so I stick with all seasons. So far, the Altimax RT43's have done good to great with everything I've thrown at them with my RWD vehicle.
 
Winter tires are a very complicated calculus where I live.

The rest of the year, it's easy:

1. Wet braking
2. Wet cornering
3. Limit behavior
4. Feedback
5. Other aspects of feel

Any tire that does well in those ways will have plenty of dry grip for the street.

I rarely consider NVH. By the time I get to that point in the list, the decision is usually made. Few exceptions.

I never consider treadwear. Never seen a case where prioritizing treadwear over anything else seemed worth it. Nor have I seen a very short-lived tire that ticked all the other boxes (they tend to suck in the rain).
 
I'm not looking for the best handling tire but a tire that still handles well. I want a quiet & good riding tire with good foul weather performance.
 
Originally Posted by dbias
Tires are judged by dry, wet, snow, comfort, noise and braking performance just to name a few. I personally feel wet performance is the thing I place the most importance too. What's your thoughts?


It was an old saying in the tire industry that the 3 most important things about tires were wear, wear, and wear. I have seen no evidence that this has changed.

But one of things I have become aware of is how many people will give you an answer different than the true answer. This applies to more than just tires. This makes surveys difficult to construct - that is, you have to ask your questions to avoid someone giving you what they think is the correct answer. Way too many surveys aren't constructed properly to get the "honest" answer.
 
For me it is mostly wear and noise, then ride. You can change your driving behavior for the conditions. It so seldom snows here, that snow performance is not an issue. I know how to drive in the snow, and here I have never had a problem. I slow down when it rains.

Ike the poster above, it is wear.

Rod
 
Depends where you live. In desert region wet handling/braking might not ever be needed. In Florida doubt you ever need snow traction.
Rural environments in middle of no where with long commutes to everything and never see any other cars might be longevity.
Have to know what your needs are and choose based on those.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
deleted post
I reread the title and saw "performance tires" specified

Tire performance, not performance tires.
 
For where i live its how the tire does in wet weather.
 
I had to make a choice on tire for my lowered 2018 Hyundai Kona AWD 1.6T. I did not want dedicated snows since I "Sport" drive my car during our Minnesota winters and have different rims and tires during the summer. I chose Conti DWS 06 Extremes from past use as a year round tire from past cars. I went with them for my winter tire and had a bad flat spotting problem with then and the Discount Tire manager knew I was still a winter sport driver so he suggest switching out to DT exclusive Continental tire that is the next level up from the Extreme 06 that are known to be on the old side of technology and a soft sidewall. I notice right away this DT exclusive tire had a stiffer sidewall and a better handling tire in the dry with just a hair less of a snow tread pattern for snow. I was so glad I trade to these from the Extreme 06, the Conti Contro Contact Sport A/S.

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/continental-control-contact-sport-a-s

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Tire diameter, tread sexy look, brand, how much extra to fit & balance. Most important price. Never spent or would pay more than £100/tire.
 
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