You can put an assortment of anti-roll bars, plus-size rims and the ultimate race-tuned coil-over kit on your car, but in the end, the tires are where the rubber meets the road, literally speaking!
Since I got my Honda Civic FD2 some 4 years ago, I’ve been through a number of tires. Starting with the dismal Goodyear NCT5 (205/55/16) which came with the stock 16” rims, moving on to Yokohama DB501s (which were almost devoid of road noise, at the expense of grip (especially on wet roads), and next, the Goodyear Asymmetric F1, which complemented my then-new OZ Allegerita 17” rims. The transition to 215/45/17 tires was smooth, cornering grip and while braking hard improved dramatically, with practically no noticeable increase in fuel consumption.
The Goodyear Asymmetric F1 tires were noisier than the previous Yokohamas, but more than made up for it with their superior handling (specifically, better grip and reduced body rolls when cornering hard, possibly due to harder sidewalls). With the Asymmetrics, the car turns and goes where you want it to. With the Yokohamas, cornering hard is more like drifting! :)
Alas, high performance tires tend to rely heavily on soft compounds for their construction, and hence suffer from a higher wear rate compared to “normal” tires. After just 25,000 km, my tires appeared heavily worn out. It was high time to get me a new set of tires. Of course, during this time I have been to the track at Batu Gajah and Sepang (twice), so the casual driver would most likely get more kilometers out of the Asymmetric F1 tires than me...!
So, what brand and type of tires to try out next? I was quite eager to try out the Nexen N8000, which had been receiving a lot of hype lately among the local Civic online community. This would be a first for me, using a tire that was made in Korea. I called up my preferred tire service center, Quicksave, and made an appointment with Leon.
Alas, due to some “inventory cross-over” issue, on the day I went to Quicksave, there were only 2 Nexen N8000 tires in stock. Thus, I settled instead for Nexen N6000. I have feeling that the N6000 wouldn’t be as good as the N8000 (psychological, as the bigger the number the better?), but I guess it would be OK to try them out. I don’t plan to visit the track again (at least not in this car), so getting a more passenger and comfort-oriented tire would be OK.
Links to the two tires on the manufacturer's website:-
Note, the radar charts for both tires are different, so unfortunately, cannot use them to make apple-to-apple comparison! :(
There was practically no one at Quicksave that day, so I thought it would be a rather quick swap of tires. When the tires were removed, it became apparent that one of my rear tires was extremely worn out - to the point where the underlying metal mesh was now visible! This was along the “in” side of the tire, which was practically hidden from normal view. A really good thing I had decided to get my tires changed, as any further delay could have meant an automotive disaster....
During the tire balancing, the crew at Quicksave detected one of my rims was severely bent. Not surprising, given the road conditions between my house and workplace. To be honest, I could not visually discern the distortion in the affected rim, but any imperfections in the geometry would be amplified during rotation, especially at high speeds, and would result in vibration, instability and possibly increased tire wear. It was possible to fix the distortion, though it would take some time (so much for the planned quick stop to change tires). Fortunately, I did not starve for half a day, as Leon was around to take me for lunch.
Well, after silently bidding a fond farewell to my trusty old Asymmetrics (who have definitely saved my skin more than once these past thousands of kilometers), I started the journey home and paid special attention to the driving sensations with these new Nexen N6000 tires.
Typically, fresh new tires don’t grip as well, as a result of residual mold release chemicals left over from the manufacturing process. So, until they were properly broken in, I would have to drive extra-cautiously, especially when braking and cornering. In a nutshell, drive slowly!
The journey home was a pleasant one indeed. These tires were very silent, compared to the previous ones. Ride comfort was also improved, evident as the N6000s soaked up the many minuscule holes and bumps on the city roads. Cornering ability was somewhat poorer than normal. Apart from the tires being somewhat more slippery (which was expected), I feel that there is now more body roll than before. Perhaps the side walls are softer, which could explain the better comfort. The slippery feeling will wear off as the tires are seasoned, but I think the body roll will persist. In spite of being classified as an Ultra High Performance Tire, I would say this tire is more akin to my earlier Yokohama DB501s.
So far, with some 800km on my Nexen N6000 tires, the experience is quite similar to my first impression. A moderately sharp left turn off ramp that I frequently traverse on my way to work, which I usually take on without much thought at 80+ kph, now has to be cautiously handled at just 60+ kph. Even at this reduced speed, I can already feel the limits of traction, and of course, the increased body roll.
In a FWD car like mine, this further increases under-steer, so my FD2 now starts to feel very much like a Toyota - safe but boring. :)
I’ve only refueled twice since switching to these new tires, but I notice a slight increase in fuel consumption. Too early to say, so I’m collection more data before I can draw a conclusion on whether the difference is practically / statistically significant.
Hmm, once I get more mileage on these tires, I’ll see if I can minimize the under-steer to "improve" the handling, especially around corners. But that is another story for another day....
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