OMG the stock tires...
 

Michelin Primacy HP, 215/45/R17 sell for the tune of $214/ ea. at Tirerack.

omg..you have got to be kidding me!? Now there is truly no reason at all to go back to these tires once they are shot.


Has anyone found a good & inexpensive set that are better than stock, yet not "overly grippy"

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Specs are all the rage in the performance category and they sell at $147 per tire, though I have to ask, why would you not want sticky tires on this car? If you're looking to drift, I'd recommend spending your money on some cheap rims and swapping on some bargain basement all seasons or something when you want to get sideways.

I do like the communication level of these tires...that's what Im looking for. What i do not want is : grip, grip, grip grip..then a very sudden break loose...followed by ...oooh shit!!!

Hankook rs3's , star specs, nitto nt-05 or invos etc.

Im running 245/40/17 hankook rs3's and love them so grippy.

I haven't driven on them but the Direzzas are supposed to be really good, Road and Track picked up something like 2 seconds a lap just by switching to those tires.

Dunlop Z1 Star Specs esp if you are going to track or autoX


Michelan Pilot Super Sports may be what you are looking for in grip. I have also heard good things about BF Goodrich g-Force Comp 2's for a UHP tire.

With the current tires selection available and my 99% on the street, 85% commuting - I'm going to try the Comp 2's when I either get new rims or time to replace stock tires. Star Specs probably wouldn't last me more than a year or so. (well, likely 2 years...)

snow tires gonnna be next, til next summer lol

the stock primacy tires are rated as grand touring tires.

if you want something that's similar to the stocks but for a lot less money, i'd look at the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100. they're also rated as grand touring tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Z&autoModClar=

i'd avoid tires like the star specs unless you're going to track your car. you won't get a lot of mileage out of those types of tires.

If you're not after an 'ultimate grip' type of tire I'd suggest Continental Sport Contact 3s - more grip but a very progressive tire in my experience.

Welcome to the world of Michelin.

Im running Star Specs now, and I guess you could classify them as overly grippy, but I love them.

Ive also run Hankook Ventus V12 Evos and loved them. Ive also heard good things about the Continental ExtremeContact DWs (summer) and DWS' (all season).

Something to consider is tread life. Yeah, the Primacy is more expensive than the current top of the line summer tires, but in $/mile I'm sure they're cheaper (assuming you're not doing burnouts or running excessive toe).

That said, I've got Star Specs on my M3 and absolutely love them. I'll probably be moving to those when I get new wheels for the BRZ. They grip great up to the limit, and surprisingly don't stab you in the neck the moment the start to let go. Great tires, those.

I would look into the Nitto Motivo. Not too much more grip and good wear ratings. Even if you track you don't want the super grippy tires with this car unless you have more power and suspension to justify it. The car is setup very well and the way the stock tires let go allow you to explore the limit and your skill in a very controlled manner. Also there is more involved in cornering fast than more grip. Its more about your line and your weight transfer with this car. Its hard to explain until you go out there and learn how to really corner. Grip is not faster with this car at stock power unless you know how to get to the limit of it. Don't mod your car with crutches...put in the things that will make you a faster drive.

You can buy my nearly brand new set for the low low price of $400 :) That's over half off :-D