adobian

And how do you like them? Thanks.

Kristopher

I went a slightly different route than most.

My 2002 AR has 225/60/17 instead of the standard 55s. I wanted a bit more ground clearance and had been looking for an AT/S tire initially. I came across these Kumho KR21s which are an 'eco' tire with a high treadwear rating after becoming far too frustrated with this panzer eating rubber. It's much friendlier on tires now and traction is surprisingly good.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....tnum=26TR7KR21

01 2.7t

How do they feel around town and on the highway??

Kristopher

These tires feel really good. Highway driving is great, no more noise than the Falken Ziex nor the Pirelli Allroad tires I've had before. I'm sure around heavy corners running the tires back-to-back you might perceive better traction from the Ziex however given the weight of this car and that it's 10 years old I haven't noticed the tires as being to blame for cornering ability. In fact it holds the tight corners just fine. (I used to have a very modified eagle talon [505hp at the wheels, proper suspension, etc] so I have an idea of what *good* should feel like. Granted the AR isn't a performance car but it does well for what it is)

In the light snow the KR21s are way ahead of the Ziex. The car had been undriveable in snow with the Falkens. A softer compound tire should be better than these (although the Ziex wasn't) and a proper winter tire would do wonders I'm sure. In rain I've had no complaints.

I chose these tires as a balance of treadlife, cost, and the fact I've now had 5 sets of Kumhos on various cars (wife's MK4 Jetta, Talon, 2000GTX). Any tire that got better snow performance and longevity than the Ziex would've been a bonus. No doubt there will be better tires, but given the cost they're not a bad option IMHO.


HTH


k

01 2.7t

Thanks again

adobian

I have read that some has put 245 50 17 on theirs. Some went for 235 55 17.

wanarace66

I am running the stock 225/55R17 size. The tires are Nokian WRG2's. They are a severe weather rated tire, (snowflake and mountain) but have a 60000km tread rating so they can stay on all year round.

They might not be as good as a dedicated winter tire on ice, but so far I am very happy with them.

Steve

GTA_Driver

235/55-R17

Sottozero 240

They are OK in any weather, excellent highway grip for a winter tire.

Kristopher

I'd never heard of these and found out they're Pirelli's. Nice tire. However they don't come in that size.

Both the 225/55/17 and 235/45/17 would be fine, but the 235/50/17 (Porsche size) don't have enough load rating for the AR.

Whatever tires you end up with ensure they meet the min load (97) or 1600lbs (if memory serves)

GTA_Driver

Oops, they are Sottozero 210, not 240. I didn't check the load rating, but I bought the AR with them last year.