Tires BRIDGESTONE or TIGAR
My vote is for RE950. I have just replaced my Passat's 195 OEMs with BS RE950 215/60/15. So glad I made the switch, the difference is like day and night. No sidewall flex, the wheels now look much better too.
Bridgestone Potenza RE950 - lotsa grip in wet or dry - had them for a year and not disappointed at all, and I do drive my car very hard.
I had Bridgestone Potenza RE930's on my Audi Coupe GT (185-60-14). They were great. They cruised quietly and worked great in dry cornering. Also, at least the first winter I was driving circles around 4 wheel drive vehicles in snow. SUPER.
In the 185 size I'm currently running Bridgestone Potenza RE92's - a little bit more money, but great grip (especially in the rain) and good tread life so far.
Love the 730's. Excellent wear so far. Grip hard in dry, good sense of road, good directional stability, very responsive, very good in wet. I have yet to find them hydroplaning
I have ridden on Bridgestone 730's for the past 35,000 miles, and the tires still have decent tread left on them. They still handle surprisingly well for a tire with such mileage on them.
The Bridgestones, on the other hand, handle as well if not better than many tires costing nearly $100 more per tire, and they have excellent tread life. Bridgestone Potenza RE730 In the dry, these tires afforded so much grip it was spooky, even during the break-in period. It was very difficult to get the car to slide, and when it did slide, breakaway was always slow and predictable. The sidewalls are extremely stiff, and do not roll perceptibly. In most cases, my cornering speed was determined more by my own fear-factor than the true performance limits of the tire. The tires are very confidence inspiring, and grip well enough to discipline the rather nose-heavy understeer characteristics of the Mk IV GTI. In the wet, even on recently damp surfaces the tire grips very well. It does hydroplane a bit in very heavy rain, especially when 3/4 through the tread depth. However, until that point, there is quite a lot of usable grip. I have never driven a match for these tires in the wet. They will communicate with a bit of scrubbing noise prior to breaking away, so as long as you listen, you can stay out of trouble.
I use Blizzak Mz-01's. Sure they're soft but that's what they're made for:snow & ice.
Yes, WS50 are like bars of soap on dry roads. Almost dansgerously slick... Don't corner too hard on them, you'll be in the ditch fast. I had that wonderful experience on my 97 GTP... If you bear that in mind, they are phenomenal in snow and especially on ice
After this mornings hellish commute in this monsoon, I am having second thoughts about the Bridgestone RE950's. This is coming upon the end of my first summer with these tires and they are getting scary in the rain. I drove the hell out of the OEM Michelins until they would hydroplane at 40mph. These Bridgestones are wearing much faster than I thought. The dry road handling is still terrific, but wet weather leaves a bit to be desired.
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