Do sticky tires make the car feel slower?
 

Honest question lol. From the beginning of time I have heard online that sticky tires are the best and what makes the car fun and fast. But hear me out..

My main concern is the affect they have getting up to speed from a stop on day to day driving. My thought process is since this is not a fast car to begin with, I wouldn't want to add more resistance getting up to speed at stoplights etc. Would stickier tires make this car feel slower in that sense? If so, by what extent?

I do understand that grippier tires will let you corner faster and with more confidence, but my main concern is straight line feel on day to day driving.

Tires I'm looking at are Continental ExtremeContact Sports and MP4S, coming from OEM tires and plan to stick to stock 215/45r17 size.

:thanks:

In my own experience, I would say quite the opposite. Higher performance sticky tires are meant to transfer the power to the ground more efficiently since tires are the main point of contact. High horsepower builds always have big meaty tires. Cheaper tires will usually spin more and therefore lower your 0-60 time.

BUT you are absolutely right on a straight line, especially with a lower horsepower car. You need more HP to propel stickier tires. I guess it's all a question of finding the right balance. There is a lot of factors involved.

Here is an interesting article I just found : https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/ar...ht-line-speed/

Both choices are great tires. I hate the Continentals on my G8 GT and was very pleased with the overall performance. I have the MP4S on my TS and they are the stickiest tires I have had the pleasure to experience.

Grippier tires will let one drive fastest.
But fastest as absolute value not always equals fun. Rather imho it's "driving fast for car capabilities". There are people for whom fun is to drive close or beyond grip limit, and lower grip limit simplifies/eases/broadens possibilities where&how/cheapens that. No need to install lot of accompanying mods for sticky tires, one can have that "fun" at legal speeds instead of tramlining, grip loss might be more progressive, at lesser speeds, with higher margin of error with potentially lesser consequences.
Also going too grippy may result in two cons like rest of car (suspension/brakes) not being well fit for tires, and most grip is offered by specialized tires that may start to have cons for universal use. Eg. track slicks will have bad wet grip, short life, and in some cases if used for daily driving may have even less grip then "normal tires", due not getting upto temps.
Conti EC/MP4S are good tires, if you consider only for daily driving, not worth to hunt for even more grip then those. Don't go also overboard with tire width.

No but you'll definitely take a nice fuel economy hit.

This is exactly what I have been mulling over as I am planning to order new tyres for the car.. I'm sticking with the OEM rim, considering Cup2 Vs Pilot Sport 4. Sadly we don't get the PS4S OEM fitmet in the UK..

Which one to buy?????

JD001: if you don't track, "basic" PS4 were fine, and available in 17" in EU too. Otherwise only "older" models for tires of that hybrid class. AD08R, PSS and so on. Same thing with 17" availability for contis ExtremeContact6 & goodyear Eagle F1 supersport, in EU - only from 18" and up.

I put 200tw tires on my car when I bought it. Didn't feel slower, but it definitely was giving me more body roll and worked the suspension harder. It was nice to be able to use launch control and never worry about tire spin!

For some strange reason we get the PSS in 205/45.. I am leaning towards the PS4..

I don't think you'll notice any difference with either of those tires as long as the width is suited to the car.

What will make it feel slower is heavier or larger diameter than stock tires... sticky stock weight and diameter tires a will not make it feel any slower. On the other hand, switching to same weight 205/45-17 sized tire will make it feel faster and more planted than stock size - a little better engine responsiveness to acceleration/deceleration and a more planted feeling because of free over 0.15" CG drop.

The two tires you should be looking at for daily driving are the Continental ExtremeContact Sports and the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500.

What are the differences from the 4 and 4s? I don't believe they sell those in America, can't seem to find any.

ItsReiko: Shouldn't both 4 & 4S be available on tirerack? Similar enough, 4S IIRC have a bit stiffer sidewalls and if tracked, degrade less from overheat. Less difference between S with non S then it was between PS3 vs PSS. Obviously due no 17 S available in EU i haven't had chance to try them, but by my experience too was that non-S on track didn't stand that well, like in eg. this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMv64liOqIE
Cup2 would be nice trackday tire, but i dislike that it's not one-tire-does-everything, i don't want to give up wet grip. Would have preferred 4S compromise .. but in 17 it's US only choice.

I'd probably prefer the stiffer sidewall since that should translate to more direct steering. I don't see the 4 available on tire rack.

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I have watched that video over and over again. The reviewer is very positive about the PS4 for the road but it drops off on the track, whilst the PS4S picks up where the PS4 drops off and the Cup goes much further on the track.. but is compromised on the track in the wet.

This reviewer has done another video of the Cup Vs PS4S as DD on his M3. In the rain the Cup is spikey but as the driver doesn't use his M3 much he is prepared to live with the Cup as loves the positive feedback from the tyre in the right conditions. And it's this that is causing me difficulty, as I don't use my car much either (2.5k per annum) so extreme track tyres won't be too much of a problem.

https://youtu.be/ovwopvZLuNc