Tire Choice for a first timer
 

Hey everyone,

So I just got my 2018 Toyota 86 last week and have been enjoying it a lot. I've decided to keep things stock for 6-12 months and really test the limits of the car before starting to mod it.
A lot of people think the primacy's are a good tire since they allow for very controllable skids and are great for learning the car. The only problem is cracks have started forming on mine so I need to replace them asap.
Would it be silly to get another set of primacy's or should I just go for a grippy set of summer tires? Car will mostly be a DD with the occasional autocross or track day.

(Only get sun and rain here so don't need all-season tires)

Maybe this will help.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=223


There isn't a wrong answer technically. But I'd recommend a tire that gives you the best performance on a rainy day, which I'm sure there's a lot of based on your location.

Not silly at all. Some people do just that, typically buying lightly used Primacy tires that came from someone replacing them with stickier ones. I don't know how it is in the Philippines, but in the US the Primacy tires are extremely expensive, almost the most expensive tire you can get in the stock size. This leads to almost nobody buying them new, as it makes more sense to buy better tires for cheaper.

As for the Primacy tires themselves, I agree that they are good tires to learn on. They behave very well in the dry, with good traction and easy breakaway that happens gradually and at slower speeds, making the car easy to catch. Their main issue is in the wet, where they have low grip, especially for the rear tires (making accelerating from a stop challenging in anything but granny pace and any mild application of power causing the rear to step out in turns).

Still, I wouldn't call them a must and you should be fine with 300 or higher treadwear category tires . Just keep in mind that oversteering would require more deliberate throttle application and will happen in higher speeds.

Agreed on the Primacys. Picking up a set cheap on craigslist/FB Marketplace is. Great option for someone learning to drive quickly. They provide acceptable grip if you're smooth and have predictable breakaway characteristics. A set of Michelin as4 is another excellent option. Somewhere that doesn't have winters you could get away with PS4S or the Conti ExtremeContact Sport. I generally avoid tires not made by Michelin or Continental for street use. Other brands make perfectly fine tires, but those two are the leaders.

The Primacy's are surprisingly decent tires (moderate grip, low road noise, decent sidewall stiffness). I think they're well suited to be a daily driver/canyon tire and even a beginner track tire. If you can find a lightly used set for cheap, I think that'd be a great choice. My only concern is they seem to be wearing fairly quickly in aggressive driving on my 22 BRZ, so I definitely wouldn't buy them new or pay a lot for them.

Mostly street and some track you can not go wrong with MPS4s. Not the least expensive to purchase but in the long run price is reasonable.

I've gotten decent performance out of my Hankook Ventus summer radials. For me, they were a good beginner tire.

i would never, ever pay new prices for a set of primacies. they're a very predictable tire, that makes a lot of noise before letting loose. it really is a great tire.

but they go for about $400 EACH. i don't like spending over $150 per tire. currently running the bfg comp2 a/s+. don't care for them, they're a lot stickier, and more violent than the bfg comp2 a/s.

Thanks everyone!

Think I'll see if I can get a really cheap pair from anyone replacing their stock ones and if I can't find a good deal I think I'll get a set of max performance summer tires: MPS4S, Continental ECS, Hankook Ventus, whatever I can find the best deal on I suppose.

Personally I will go with something alike MPS4S (300 Trade wear, good for rain, and manage some heat).
There are alternatives to MPS4S in price and quality.
I will not use Primacy unless they are extremely cheap to get it.

i wasn't a fan of the primacys. yes they break loose easier but i found them to be unpredictable while sliding.
i upgraded to Falken Azenis 615k+ and love them. now the car doesn't have the power to drift with these tires, but sliding is very predictable and long aggressive canyon runs i have zero tire fade which the primacys did.



all depends on what you're looking to get out of the car and the tire.

if you are not a member yet, join the fb group below. they can give you first hand experience on tires based on ph weather and road conditions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/182046735250533

also maybe include firestone indy 500s in your options, they worked great for me.

It thought the Primacies were damn near dangerous in the wet. I went full sideways pulling out of the dealer in the wet in front of traffic trying to get up to speed.

However, from doing years of autocross, no I don't think "newbies" head out and buy a set of 200TW autox/track tires.

The Falken 615k+ is a good learning tire that doesn't have loads of grip like the RT660's they offer do. It's a good learning tire, is going to have good grip for the street for sure, and offer you chance to get your feel wet in autocross or track if you ever choose to in the future.

I agree with your comment about primacies (honestly god awful) and the falken RT615 or even FK510