Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
195/65R15
I put on a set of these this past spring, with the intention of getting some more cornering ability and better handling without having to change over to winter rubber as it is not my primary driver. However, after a couple of snowfalls, I had to change over. I can't see how some can have positive things to say about their performance in the snow. These things are like slicks. I live in Ontario and my wife uses this car to commute to the train station. After she spun out (no damage fortunately) that was it. My experience in the snow was limited with them, but well below what a regular all season average tire would rate in my opinion.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
A highly recommended tire for street and highly use for Miatas.
Superior to the stock tire in 1991 Miatas at the time, but not a tire to rave about. In retrospect, I wouldn't rate it as the tire in 1997 to buy or in 2002, but only a alternative to replace the stock Bridgestones in 1991. I would not buy another D60. Maybe most reviewers here don't keep their tires as long as I did, and maybe the D60 performs well for but a few years. But tire failure is not a price to pay for traction, as even the abysmal Bridgestones lasted to 50,000 mi in good shape.
Since replacing stock tires in 1997, the D60 gripped the road better than the stock tires. Since 2001, I got my first and second punctures almost 6 months apart. I also started to skid more under light wet terrain. Today, I got my third puncture. Enroute to repair the puncture, I saw the threads were separating from the tires in a 3 inch tear! At a tire store, another D60 showed an 8 inch tear separating the thread from the tire. The wear indicator had begun to show in rare sections of two tires, and another two tires were in better shape, but not so much more than the rear. While the D60 maybe rated more sporty, I find it very strange that it would deteriorate like this, even if its 5 years old and with ~40Kmi on the threads. I had 2 sets of tires in a 1984 Honda Civic over 10 years, just run-of-the mill cheapo no named brands, and they went bald without any signs of thread separation. I rode several sets of cheap no-name tires in a VW Beetle for 10 years and same thing.
The NHTSA has several complaints identical to mine. One thread separation caused a minor accident while on the road.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/index.html
Not an installed item
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Everyday commuter tires.
3 years later, summer use only, I still recommend these ... 35k of use, wet and dry, 14 inch 185/60-14s, saved my butt a few times on fast turns. On cold mornings there is a small bumping from the wheels until the tread settles in, then gone. In spite of rotations, correct tread inflation ... they wear in the middle of the tread first (maybe my high speed interstate driving). I never had shimmies. Best buy, would buy them again, but JRMuffler/RBIntake added horses, and now need more grrrip. I'm looking at SP8000s.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Popular tire.
After more than 20k mile, I am very satisfied with quiet ride and respectable performance. I detested the original Toyos: rapid wear and dangerously prone to skid on wet pavement. The D60 is much better. The car had a shimmy after the D60s were first installed, but when wheels were swapped from right to left this disappeared. It is difficult to say, but i would be surprised if the tire lasted the rated 50k miles, but they will certainly outlive the OE Toyo tires.
Good recommendation for ordinary pleasure driver who doesn't need super performance tire.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Dunlop D60-A2 185/60R14 Tires
I recently replaced my aging set of Pirelli P600's on my 1993 Miata. This is my third set of tires after ~42,000 miles. The Pirelli's were very harsh in both road-noise and ride quality. They handled on dry pavement well. The New Dunlop's are definitely quieter than the Pirelli's and improve the ride comfort quite a bit. My gut feel is that they don't "stick" as well as the Pirelli's, but I hope to enjoy the extra mileage as the Pirelli's only lasted ~27,000 miles. The Dunlop's are warranted for 50,000 miles. Also, these new tires have totally eliminated the 65mph shake I experienced with the Pirelli's.
I would definitely recommend these tires to anybody who wants to keep some level of performance, some extra cash in the bank, and does not enjoy annual tire replacements the truly high-perf tires would require for a daily commuter vehicle.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Dunlop D60-A2
Went to NTB to buy Dunlop D60-A2's to replace my aging and dry rotting OE Bridgestone’s. Once at NTB the guy talked me into the pirelli HP's. I drove on the HP's for three weeks before taking them back. The tires had good grip and were quiet running but on turn in they felt less than sharp. I returned to NTB and the manager replaced the Pirelli HP's with the Dunlop D60's at no cost. The D60's have much better turn in feel than the Pirellis giving back the sporty feel that was missing. The Dunlop’s do not have quite the ultimate grip that the Pirellis had but grip is much better than it was with the aging Bridgestone’s. I live on a really twisty back road and I have beaten these tires hard. After 5000 miles of near autocross type abuse the rear tires were half gone. The D60's on my Mazda Protege have around 5000 on them with little signs of wear so normal driving will get 30 to 40 thousand I think.
I would recommend the D60 for the miata if you like a sharp turn in and do not want to shell out bucks for performance meats. If ride quality is more important than turn in characteristics then go for the Pirelli HP Tires.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
D60 A2 P185/60R14 82H Tires
Worst tires I've ever bought. Inexpensive and it shows. Poor grip and bad shimmy at 65 mph. Dealer was no help, neither was Dunlop. Finally got some Toyo Proxes T1-S 195/55R14 tires and shimmy is almost completely gone. I waited three years for the Toyos - wish they had come out sooner. You get what you pay for.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
All season tire. Decent if not mediocre tire at a good price.
I replaced a set of Michelins with the Dunlops at around 70k miles and used them until 107k miles when 1 got cut up badly (road debris from construction) and I replaced them with Yokohama AVSi's. The Dunlops were OK tires for every day driving and long highway miles, but not very good in the corners or when wet. They made a lot of noise in hard turns, but at least they let me know BEFORE they broke loose, which my Michelins never did. When I replaced them there was considerably less tread left in the center of the tire (nearly bald) than on the edges, even though I never overinflated them (mostly 26-28 psi). Also, I did not tend to have the same 65mph shimmy with these tires as I did with the Michelins.
If you are on a tight budget and aren't really looking for a high performance tire, the D60 A2 is a good choice, but in the future I will personally spend a little more to get a better tire.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
I've had them for a couple years now, and have found them to be pretty good all-around tires.
The one thing I'd like to add is that you need to let them warm up some before hard cornering or braking, especially if it's cold out, or they will slide on you. The compound isn't very sticky when cold.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
New low profile tires
Good tire wear experience (40K+ miles), but at the cost of a very poor driving experience. Uncorrectable vibration from 60 to 70 mph and very poor cornering stability. Rebalancing did not help. I cannot recommend this tire.
Just purcahsed BF Goodrich Euro TA's and problem is gone.
Not an installed item
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Replacement tire for the Bridgestone OEM tires.
After putting these on my '93 Miata the car had a softer and spongier ride at city speeds. On the highway, the car trembled and shook starting in the 65-70 mph range. My teeth were literally chattering. I returned the car to the store I bought the tires at and they took them off the car and put them on the spin balance machine. At the spindle they were perfectly balanced, but when they lifted the hood the tires were spinning in an ellipse due to sloppy manufacturing. On a car that weighs more than a couple thousand pounds the weight of the vehicle would most likely work to neutralize this effect, but on the Miata the body hops and shimmies. I would not reccomend these tires for this car.
I purchased the tires at Sears in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The staff was extremely helpful provided one of the best customer service experiences I've ever had. The Dunlops were $55.00/tire on sale. They opened their warehouse to me and gave me a very thorough education and hands on of performance tires. They also gave me the choice of any replacement tire they had in stock as an even trade. I chose a set of Pirelli HP's and absolutely love them. My salesman was Erik and the technician that provided the tire background was Steve, who had formerly sold tires at Tires Plus. I test drove the 10th Aniversary Miata with the Michelen Pilots prior to picking up my car and actually prefer the performance and handling of the Pirelli's. The car just sticks to the road.
All season,inexpensive,general purpose tires
Bought these tires after a year's experience with Bridgestones, which were stock on my '96 PEP. Hydroplaning was a real problem with the Bridgestones ... sliding towards a stopped car at an intersection was NOT fun. The Dunlops fixed this perfectly. Slightly more road noise, predictable at high speed, great in all weather. Not state of the art in cornering, but that's the biggest trade-off. I recommend them. A Connecticut driver.
Replacement tire for the Bridgestone OEM tires.
Cosmetically I find the D60's to improve the appearance of the side profile. I believe the hydroplaning problem I had with the Bridgestones is gone. Good cornering. My main critisism for the tire is the "singing" they do. There is a definate and quite annoying amount of road noise associated with this tire. I have tried tire pressures from 24psi to 35psi but no joy. Top up or top down these tires have a definate whirring noise. Anyone else with a similar experience or solution?
I would like to hear from a Miata owner with a recommendation for an all purpose tire with better manners in the noise department. I do not drive this car in the winter at all!
Mild performance radial, stock size
I had a set of these on another can several years ago when they first came out. I didn't like them at first but grew to appreciate what I believed to be a good set of compromises. Nothing is for free and no tire that lasts forever will provide and best traction. I think this tire is designed with a nice set of compromises - good traction, long life, and a better ride than you'll get with a stiffer side wall. The Miata does not have the stiffest chasis in the world - far from it. To my way of thinking it makes no sense to shake the car apart with low profile high performance tires if this ultimately takes away from your driving experience by making you fear every pot hole you see. One noticable characteristic is that they seem non-directional and the front end sems to wander. You get used to this and it goes away to some extent as the tires age. They have very soft single-ply side walls, as you might expect. A tread wear of 320, traction A A, temperature A. My car is slightly lowered by the installation of Koni shocks set to the lowest spring perch position, they are adjusted to the stiffest setting. The change from my old tires (Yokohama A-509's) was remarkable for the increase in compliance. The "cornering on rails" effect is very much gone, replaced with something I can live with on a 1000 mile trip. I no longer slow down for every defect in the road.
A good set of compromises in an inexpensive tire. Paid $50 each, get them anywhere. This is my choice for a good tire that will last longer than 20,000 miles of typical driving.
Dunlop D60 tires
As "high performance" tires go, these tires suck. I got rid of these several years ago. Mostly forgot about them until I stumbled across these other reviews tonight. The D60's may be better than stock but that's not saying much. They track terribly on the freeway. They have average to poor traction for a "high performance radial". They don't give good feedback at-the limit. Plus they really don't hold up well to spirited driving. My current Toyo tires may cost a bit more but they give much better performance and they last a lot longer (even when run hard at the track).
D60's are old technology. Pay a little more for something else and get a lot more.
I purchased these tires earlier this year at after reading about them in the Miata magazine. Before, I had factory bridgestones on my car. The car was scary to drive in the wet because of hydroplaning and slipping around on acceleration. My car also would have a heavy vibration around 60 m.p.h. I read that the Dunlop would eliminate the vibrating and I thought my car would possibly handle better. I was amazed at the improvment. My car handles wonderfully now even when wet and no more vibrations. I bought them for 48 a piece at discount tires.
"H" Rated All-Season High Performance Radial - UTQG Rating: 320-A-A
Unfortunately, my tire buying experience came earlier than expected due to a automobile accident where I was broadsided by a teen. As a result of that incident, I blew out one of my tires, but that's an entirely different story altogether! Instead of just replacing that one tire and having an imbalance of one new tire and 3 half-worn tires, I decided to get fresh, new tires. The original equipment tires for my 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata were some discontinued Bridgestone summer tires which were not exactely favourable due to their lack of dry and especially wet traction. I would "chirp" on corners in dry weather and slip and slide and even hydroplane at high speeds in the rain. Although, one should be cautious in poor weather conditions. ;) Anyway, since I got these D60's, I have had no problems or complaints with them and have been completely satisfied with the job that they peform. They handle exceptionally well on dry pavement as well as wet pavement. I have not "chirped" on corners as they stick really well to the pavement which is surprising for an all-season tire to do. I have not slipped once in the rain even when I accelerated hard or drove aggressively even. On top of that, they have a long treadwear life which adds to the value of the product. Not to forget those who live in mild snow climates, they can take on the snow pretty good too might I add, but then again, that's half tire and all technique. No need to buy separate snow tires anymore! Overall, the Dunlop D60 A2 tire is truly a high performance all-season tire that is well priced. These tires are well suited for Sunday drivers to the urban race car driver, but not too fast now! Then I would recommend the Dunlop SP Sport 8000 tire for that purpose!
This tire is highly recommended for direct replacement of OEM (stock) Miata tires. For enthusiasts in the Greater Vancouver area (British Columbia, Canada), I also highly recommend Volco Tires for all your tire needs. Volco carries practically every brand of tire on the market including a wide assortment of mag wheels at one of the lowest prices and best service. Don't I sound like their spokesperson or what?! Just another satisfied customer. ;) Not only because the Dunlop D60 A2 was rated number one for the best high performance all-season tire in its class in a leading consumer magazine, for a well-balanced tire (all-season, smooth & quiet ride, performance handling, great milege) you get your money's worth and more bang for the buck. This tire is approximately $99 CDN per tire which is considered inexpensive.
Dunlop D60s
Bought my Maita used(42K) with what I think were the original tires. Went with the "Club" recommendation of the Dunlops as a replacement.
The D60s feel great in most conditions, but it seems that after letting the car sit at the airport for a few(4-5)days, they give me a shimmy for the first 10 or so miles. Any thoughts from anyone? (Could it be the tranny instead?)
Good all-weather performance tires with an agreeable ride, nice turn-in, and fabulous grip. About $70 each from an independent tire shop in my hometown.
I replaced my worn (and now discontinued) Pirelli P6's on my '91 base Miata with a set of four Dunlop D60 JLB (jointless band construction) tires. I had loved the old Pirellis in the dry, but their wet weather and snow performance always made me rather nervous. The Dunlops outperform the Pirellis in every aspect, but their most impressive showing is in the snow. While the Miata will never be an easy-to-drive winter car, the D60's make even snowy Interstates manageable.
Shortly after buying these tires, I was caught in a rather nasty, gusty snowstorm while on the Interstate. As a 20-year-old, my winter driving technique is less than sparkling, but the D60's kept me out of trouble for the most part. I did have one minor loss of traction, but that was due to an obnoxious driver forcing me to make a lane change on glare ice; nothing but studs can help you there. Overall, an extremely impressive package, a terrific value, and worthy of any Miata enthusiast's praise.
I replaced the stock Bridgestones on my '94 A less than two weeks after I got the car. I had read in Miata magazine about the D60's so I decided to get them. I have had THREE FLATS with these tires in less than a year. The sidewalls don't seem to be very strong. Each flat was due to sidewall rupture. (Okay one was a nail, but the other two I can't explain) I drive my car hard, but not THAT hard!
I was immediately impressed by the grip of these tires. It is nearly endless. The car handles in rain as well as it handles on dry pavement. Snow traction is also excellent. I'm just wondering when my next flat will be. Has anyone else had this problem with these tires? I'd be interested to know!
Purchased from Allied Tires in Tampa - they offer Miata Club members a discount. Installed, balanced and the car realigned. Everything is outstanding.
Unlike another member's experience, I have had no leaks and no problems. Significant improvement in traction from Factory tires. Also, a slight drop in gas mileage (1-2 mpg). Very satisfied for both wet and dry driving. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by: Brad Colbert - bcolbert@acm.org
I have no experience with any other tires on this car. I purchased the car (a '92) with these tires, in October of last year ('95). Probably the worst winter I have had in Tennessee. I lived up on a mountain and was coming home one day with 4 inches of snow on the ground. I passed by a 300ZX which was stuck, with little problem. I did however smell a lot of clutch when I finally pulled into the garage. I had to feather it to keep the torque from spinning the rear wheels.
My over all impression is very positive. On dry pavement they stick like glue. On wet pavement it takes a serious effort to get the rear tokick out. On ice/snow, the only time I have had questionable control was on a downshift on ice.The recovery was nice.
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17 February, 2003 |