P5 Tires: want quiet and smooth

[aca2983]

I know this goes against the tastes of most on this board. It's almost time to replace the stock Dunlops on my '03 P5.

I live in an urban area with crummy roads. I just need a little extra cushion. Yes, I know I will give up sharp handling, and yes, I know that tires alone won't give a Town Car ride. I'm willing to live with that. I often take 2-3 hr road trips occasionally, and I want to cut down on road noise too. I want more of a "touring" tire than a "high performance" tire.

I plan to upsize to 205/50/16. I use stock wheels. I already have winter tires and wheels, so these tires can be summer or all-season type.

My initial choice was BFG Traction T/A, but a lot of review says they are noisey. Have heard mixed opionions on Falken Z-512. I am willing to consider anything that will last at least 30k miles. Not willing to pay for Michelin. I would consider other brands, I know Cooper, Kelly, Fuzion, private label brands, and other less popular brands make a few in this size.

I would appreciate hearing first-hand experience, rather than editorials. Thanks!

Priorities (in order):
- smoother ride
- quieter
- better wet traction and wet braking
- treadlife & price not so important

 

[zmzmzm]

I installed four new 205/55/16 Pirelli P3000 tires about 10,000 miles ago. They're quiet and smooth, and the extra size gives some extra cushion. They have a 5% larger diameter than stock, so the speedometer and odometer are off by that much, too.

They're a 620 A A tire, and they have an 85,000 mile warranty. They're my third set of tires, and I would definitely buy these again.

Chris

 

[Protege52003]

I installed four new 205/55/16 Pirelli P3000 tires about 10,000 miles ago. They're quiet and smooth, and the extra size gives some extra cushion. They have a 5% larger diameter than stock, so the speedometer and odometer are off by that much, too.
Chris

did you put them on your stock rims.....bet it looks like your car has been dropped a little?

 

[aca2983]

Thank you Chris. I had thought about going to a 55 series, but I thought the clearance might be too close. You have had no problems? Did your gas mileage change any? Any body else use a 55 profile? My winter tires are 195/65/14, and that profile does smooth things out a bit. Also keeps me from worrying that I've busted my rims everytime I hit a bad pothole.

 

[zmzmzm]

Yes, my 205/55 tires are on stock rims... it doesn't make the car look dropped, but the wheel gap is slightly smaller. I've been on highway, byway and dirt roads up in the mountains, and have never had any clearance issues.

My gas mileage increased by between 1 and 2 mpg, mostly due to the drop in RPMs to achieve the same speed. Our motors aren't particularly efficient while buzzing along the highway at 4,000 RPM. With these tires, I can drive the same speed at a lower RPM.

Chris

 

[Protege52003]

Yes, my 205/55 tires are on stock rims... it doesn't make the car look dropped, but the wheel gap is slightly smaller.
Chris

thats what i meant....about .6-.7 inch......bet that looks nice!

 

[aca2983]

Thanks again Chris. I did a search on that size, and wow, moving to that size definately opens up a lot more possiblities to choose from. I'm almost tempted by the Goodyear Assurance Comfortred, which is in that size. Yikes, I'm getting old!

 

[tonkabui]

how about some continental contiextreme contacts? those things are uber quiet. my sister has them on her car.

 

[Protege52003]

I'm almost tempted by the Goodyear Assurance Comfortred, which is in that size. Yikes, I'm getting old!

hey if performance is not what you are looking for in a tire, get the Goodyear Assurance Comfortred's or more of a touring tire.

 

[02.5 ES]

middle ground tire recommendation

I'd recommend going with a middle ground tire -- meaning not ultra performance, not basic touring. Your car will feel significantly looser on basic touring tires. Not to mention stopping distance and cornering speeds.

I'm about to buy a new set and am leaning towards the Bridgestone Potenza G009. Its an all season tire with 460 tread wear , AA ratings. From what I've read --- its better than the basic touring tires in terms of performance - but not as soft and noisy as some high performance tires. For my location (TX, almost no snow) it seems like the best fit for me.

Its avail in both 205/50/16 AND 205/55/16 --- so you'd have your pick. At about $90 per tire, its also middle of the road on price. My experiences in the past have shown that Bridgestone has a decent group of people ready to back their warranty as well.

 

[Mike R]

Kumho ASX, quiet, and most say a little soft in the sidewall. Great ride and I had over 30K on my 17's with 4 autocrosses and one day of autocross school. Still have a bit of tread above the wear bar! I bought them for my stock wheels too.

 

[chaosProtege]

i used to sell tires and i sold a ton of the BFG traction T/A 's. i haven't heard any complaints about the tires being noisy at all. my dad has them on his integra and he loves them.(he's 56 so noise and comfort are an issue and he's pickey) plus a 60k warr. they do have a stiff sidewall, but in a 205 it shouldn't be too harsh. definetly less that the stock dunlops.

 

[aca2983]

re: Kumho ASX

Kumho ASX, quiet, and most say a little soft in the sidewall. Great ride and I had over 30K on my 17's with 4 autocrosses and one day of autocross school. Still have a bit of tread above the wear bar! I bought them for my stock wheels too.

Mike R. : I had heard that about the ASX also, and they're fairly cheap right at Sears. I think I will go with a 205/55/16 on whatever I get though. I'm running my winter tires now, which are Nokian NRW 195/65/14. They are actually all-season tires, you can leave them on all year, 50k warranty, but with the "severe service" snowflake/mountain rating. Definately can't take corners hard in them, but they are predictable, and fantastic in the little bit of snow & slush we've had. I figure most any 55 tire is probably going to be a little softer than the Dunlop SP5000's, but not as soft and will corner better than the Nokians with a 65 profile.

I found the Pirelli 3000s that the other guy mentioned on the Pirelli website, but non of the dealers I checked had them on their website. I'm in no hurry though, so I'll just gather more opinions.

 

[SciFiMan]

My Proxes 4's are fairly cushy when run at 32psi, due to the softer sidewall (so I run them about 37psi). Great in wet and noise isn't a problem. On our Grand Caravan we have the Dunlop Sport A2 and they are also low noise and good ride, but does less well in the wet then Proxes.

Of course, our personal idea of what a soft ride is will vary. My dad has a Town Car but it's soft ride is also very much based on its weight and the rest of the suspension. The P5 has built in Zoom-Zoom, so you'll only be able to get just so much compliance in the ride. Check on Tire Rack for touring tires, and check reviews on the OEM tires that come on a non-performance lux sedan.