Would like some advice or comments on some performance tires. Mounted on 14" Miata alloys (94-97 hollows), I'm aiming for good comfort, wet corner grip and relatively quiet. The 323 is going to be regulated to family beater so I don't want anything rough, noisy or $$$. So far my options are:

1. 195/60-14 Yokohama H4
2. 195/60-14 Falken ZIEX ZE-502 or ZE-512

Leaning towards the 195 for a bit more grip, but at the expense of .7-1 lb of extra weight. Is it worth it? Would like to get some Azenis but not really practical for NorthEast weather. Thanks.

Scratch the ZE-512, it won't be available until 3rd quarter of this year.

 

I've always been a fan of the Dunlop D60A2, which was recently replaced with the SP Sport A2. This is a very nice handling tire with excellent wet grip, suprisingly good dry grip, low noise and a very reasonable price. FWIW Consumer Reports has top-rated this tire every time they've done an all-season performance tire test.

The Pirelli P400 is another decent choice. Grip is significantly lower than the Dunlop, but they tend to be cheaper and longer lasting.

 

Go for the Yokohamas H4!, i love em. I have the same exact ones 195/60/R14. THey handle good in the rain and snow.
And Awsome traction on the dry pavement. I dont know much bout tires, but bridgestone makes some shitty tires, all of Yokohamas and i think Toyo makes some awsome tires too.

CHeck TireRack.com or Whalentire.Com

they both have cheap prices.

 

Bridgestone also makes some awesome tires. They make a lot of OEM tires like the RE92's which are chosen by auto manufacturers primarily because they are CHEAP. I have the Potenza S-03's and they are the best tires I've ever had. Granted, they're also the most expensive tires I've ever had, but I still think they're worth it.

 

Well, I was thinking about the SP Sport A2 but I've heard the Yokohama H4's are little more comfortable. The tread patterns of the two are very similar, wondering if thats why many rave about both of them. I liked the Bridgestone 950's, the rain performance looked outstanding and they just plain look nice. They are a bit more than I would like to pay but I'm sure they won't be as quiet as the Yokohama's or the SP Sport A2's. Toyo Proxies, in the 195/55/14 size would be my 1st choice but at around $100/tire its a bit much for the family beater budget. Maybe on my next car wrapped on 17's. Coming from Michelin Rainforce 175's, the P400 would be the second coming of a touring tire not really suited for new struts and maybe springs (Eibach/Tokico). What attracted me to the Toyo's and the 950's was the V-tread pattern, it looks aggressive and spits out water like pumps. So, I'm waiting to hear good comments on the Falken Ziex 502's cuz of the tread pattern. Hopefully they ride comfortable and quiet as advertised. I heard somewhere that Falken is a subsidiary of Dunlop, so they are supposed to be in good company. Thanks everyone for their comments.

 

If you get the Falken ZE-502, they will be the last tire you ever buy for the car. One of our local autocrossers has those tires on his daily driver, and with 80k miles on them, and they still have plenty of tread life left.

The Bridgestone RE-950 is a much better tire. A friend in the Seattle area has those in 195-60-14 on his '92 Protege, and they are quiet, grip well, and are awesome in the rain (important in Seattle). Unless autocrossed on, they should last 40-50k+ miles.