Tires SUMITOMO or Vredestein
I had Sumitomo HTR ZIII tires on my Mk5 Rabbit. They were $82 each for 225/45/17. They grip incredibly well, quiet and comfortable and were good in the wet. Couldn't recommend them enough.
I have it on pretty solid authority that Sumitomo htr z3's are essentially Michelin pilot sports as far as grip goes with 75% of the tread life magic, for roughly half the price.
The Sumitomo HTRs are pretty good. Either the A/S P02 or the Z III. The Z IIIs are a bit sportier, and the P02s are solid all seasons with a 500 treadwear rating and a W speed rating. They also grip impressively well for a set of fairly cheap all seasons.
I have Sumitoma HTR ZIII's on my car and they work great for a street tire. I am surprised how long the rear tires are lasting.
I have a set of 205's from sumitomo on my 17x9" rear. They stretched nicely, ride good and were cheap as dirt.
I guess that's the end of my third set of Sumi HTR Z IIIs... I really like those tires for the price. And until that little scare... I ever had a clue the back tires were 1/2 slicks even in the rain.
I also put on Vredestein tires b/c factory tires were slipping when I punched it from a dead stop.
The Sumitomo HTR Z III gets a lot of crap for being cheapbut performance is a very solid performer
I had Falken 512s on a Miata and I hated them. Very noisy at and before the limit. For Foxes, I've always gone with 185/60/14s. Not any real reason. It was the stock size for the Rabbit GTI and it doesn't throw the speedo off too much, which doesn't really matter on a Fox. The profile also looks natural; the sidewall isn't too short or too tall. And the 185 width isn't too wide; not a bad thing on a car that has no power steering. But you should be fine with any similar size. On my current Fox, I have these Sumitomo HTR A/S P01s. I like them a lot. They're a great all around tire. Very quiet, wonderful in the rain, rides nicely and handle well. I'd like a little more dry grip, but, really for a street tire these are great. I had these BF Goodriches on the Fox I sold last summer. They were noisier than the Sumitomos and the steering feel felt a touch heavier, but they were also a nice all around tire and perhaps a bit grippier than the Sumitomos or at least they gave that impression.
These tires were purchased along with the wheels. Two, i had a second tire begin cracking on the sidewall which they are not covering, and they are trying to pass it off due to road hazard and underinflation. This is clearly a manufacturing defect, which they aren't covering! I am posting this as a warning, and it is up to you to make the ultimate decision. This is just my personal experience, with which i am very displeased. The problem is not with the company i bought the wheels from, but with Vredestein tires. I have never had this many problems with a set of tires in my life!
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