Alower profile, higher perfomance tire for the Miata.
A VAST improvement over stock tires. Turn in is crisp and I've noticed no decrement in the ride. Best of all is a lack of the dreaded 65 MPH vibration. A larger tire looks pretty cool too.
A very reasonably priced tire from Tire Rack. My wife's Volvo 850 has Michelin Pilots (250.00 apiece!) and I don't think they are significantly better.
Replacement tires; size 195/60/HR-14, 5-ply tread; 180 treadwear rating. Unidirectional design, with an exagerated (thumb-wide) "aqua channel". V and Z-rated performance sizes for Miata also available up to 205/45/ZR-16's Price for 4 tires, shipped from Tire Rack, mounted and balanced on stock alloy wheels: $278.
A consistent gripe among Miata owners is the poor wet weather handling characteristics of the stock Bridgestone S325 tires. The Aqua Contacts have been on my Miata for a few thousand miles now, and have been through numerous rain storms. I have not tried the tires in snow, and I do not plan to.
The wet weather grip is fantastic! Especially when the winds are gusting (which is very common here on Florida bridges). The tires are quiet at highway speeds, and provide a smooth ride. Turn-in is crisp, and dry weather grip is better than the stock tires, but nowhere near the grip of Dunlop SP Sport 8000s. On the track, the tires start to howl and screech before they break away. A slide is easy to catch and correct. Stopping distances in the dry were comparable or better than the Bridgestones. The price is very reasonable. A great wet weather purchase for the money.
| Back to Wheels/Tires | 19 April, 1998 |