Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Yokahama AVS ES100 185/60-14 tires installed after having a scary driving on wet roads in my newly purchased 1990 Miata with 50% worn Michelin X Ones that were estimated to be 5 yrs old
Having had Yokahama AVS Intermediates on my first Miata from 1987 - 2001 I knew that their replacement should be just as good. The day I purchased them the roads went from wet to dry and I was able to drive 2 other Miatas a 90 and 92 over a twisty route. Niether could match the traction with the rubber they had. At the recommened 26 psi the can be made to squeal slightly with very aggresive cornering. I know from exerience that on the autocross track the 40 - 45 psi will eliminate that
A very good upgrade to those Miata drivers who wish to utilize the performance the Miata is capable of. A little pricey in Canada but I did get $30.00 per tire to trade them in.
Not an installed item
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Yokohama AVS Intermediate performance tires, 18560R14 size
Just installed them about 50 miles ago on May 18 2002 on my 1991 Miata (Koni, Sebring, Ansa, etc.)
In brief, they are just like everyone says... a bit slippery when cold, sticky when warmed up, predictable breakaway characteristics, great handling tire. The last of a dying breed of performance tires in the 18560R14 size. These tires replaced ten year old Michelins on my wire wheels that were were rock hard due to age hardening. After a 10 minute drive they were warm to the touch on a 65 degree day and provided plenty of stick. They also seemed to cure an off throttle oversteer condition my car has due to their sheer traction. I understand these tires are soft and will wear out rapidly, but considering my car only gets 5000 miles per year, tire wear is preferred over age hardening. These tires balanced perfectly and generated no noise that I could detect over the sound of my Ansa exhaust and supercharger. I understand these tires may cause problems on heavier cars (M3, M5, MB) but everything I have heard about them says they are perfect for ligh! t cars (Miata, Golf, Corrado).
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
185/60 VR 14
My Miata is old (120K) and tired (previous owner never did a damn thing to it) so it's my summer resotration project. I "rescued" my Miata last fall and it was shoed with Firestones - not terrible tires but the Miata was obviously compensating for them. I was amazed at how much the AVSs made up for my Miata's current condition. I am no where near exploring the car's limits (given the car's condition I know it's much lower than most other Miata's - and quite higher than my old Honda!) but over the next few weeks as I rebuild the car's suspension I expect that limit to go up considerably. I couldn't have picked a better place to start than reshoeing the car with the AVS. Turn in & Feedback: Immediate. Dry: outstanding. Wet: outstanding (but maybe not after 10K miles). Noise: Fine, much quieter than the Firestones.
I can't believe they're phasing these out! What the heck is Yokohama thinking? Buy 'em again? I want to buy another set already - especially since I probably won't be able to come July!
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Size: 185/60/14 and 195/60/14 from Tirerack.
I must be on my 5th set. My 95 has 94k on it. I also have Konis, RB springs/rear sway and heim jointed end links (I shredded the rubber factory bushings).
As I burn through more and more of these great tires, I ask myself, "Self, do you want to try some other tire?" The answer is always no. The price of these things has gone down and my driving fun has gone up. My Miata is like an ice skate and I'm a great skater: it cuts hard when I want and slides like a dream when I want. Sliding, the rear end especially, is as routine as using the turn signals. Mazda really should have made these OE. Funny thing is, they get quieter with age and don't make any noise after a while whether you're laying rubber or sliding like a nut. It's kind of funny to rotate the rear end without ANY tire squeal, just the open exhaust. I have heard so much about the Proxes, but they're twice the dough...
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
v-rated 185/60/14 high performance tire
Had dunlop sp sport 8000's and hated them, so I switch to these. I've only had them for 1 day, so you might want to see what other people have to say regarding the tire's longevity and wear characteristics. These tires are great! Turn-in is instantaneous and grip is tenacious! I commute daily and the sweeping offramp that I could only take at 80mph with the dunlops was easily tackled today at 90mph. I felt in much greater control of my miata than with the dunlops. I don't want anyone to think that I'm knocking dunlop as a company, since I've used their tires on different cars and was pleased. I feel that the yokohamas are more handling oriented whereas the dunlops might be better suited for touring. The ride does seem a little more rough and slightly louder than the dunlops, which do offer a smooth and quiet ride. I highly recommend this tire and am regretting that I will have to put my Blizzaks on as winter is just around the corner!
Not an installed item
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Yokohama 205/50x15 AVS Intermediate tires.
Great tires! The look screams performance. They have exceptional
grip, are fairly light and quiet and relatively cheap. I've only had them for
a couples weeks and haven’t really "explored" their limits yet. Although
I liked the old tires for their "driftability", these tires, coupled
with new Jackson Racing sways, let me calmly rip around sweepers at speeds well
beyond the limits of my old tires. And where the old tires spun coming out of
corners, the AVS-Is just continue to grip. As soon as I get used to the handling
characteristics of the new wheels, tires, and sways, I'll report on their "limits
of adhesion". I'm concerned about the break away characteristics. One thing
that I've noticed is that I feel more "feedback" from the front tires
over bumps in high speed corners. Almost like they are overpowering my suspension
(stock-35k)or steering. Unsprung weight is comparable to OEM (36 lbs. new vs
37 lbs. old), so not sure what it is. No big deal. Highly recommend the tires
Although they weren’t wore out yet, I wanted to upgrade the OEM wheels & tires (Dunlop D89)on my '97 Miata. I selected the 205/50x15 AVS Intermediates based on looks, performance, weight and price. I used web sites such as tirerack.com to research. The 205/50x15s weigh about 19 lbs. and "fill-up" the wheel wells quite nicely. No scraping with my stock "97 suspension. New shocks & springs are coming soon. Price was great. Leveraged various prices (like Discount Tire Direct) against local tire shops until I came up with the best deal. Ended up buying them from a local tire/wheel dealer for about $75 per tire. No shipping charges. Did buy free lifetime balance because I was worried about shimmy with the 205s (no shimmy at all). I’m happy and highly recommend the AVS-I to anyone wanting to upgrade their wonderful Miata handling
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Yokohama AVS-I Tires size 205/55ZR-14
60,000+ miles (ok, so I have a long commute)
Fantastic tires. Too bad this size is DISCONTINUED!!!
At the advice of miata.net, I went with 205/55ZR-14 Yokohama AVS-I's. Note that these tires were about twice as expensive as many others (in more traditional sizes), but I suspect they were worth it. Today (10/25/99) I need some more of these great tires, and I want this size. Unfortunately, Yokohama has discontinued this size. They don't even make a 195/55ZR-14. They suggest the 195/60ZR-14. I tried tirerack and discount tire direct, but neither has any in stock anymore, nor any suggestions for this size, which, as the miata.net tire calculator will tell you, gives you extra width, lower aspect ratio, and VERY little change to the overall diameter.
Not an installed item
Applicable to '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
I was looking for another tire for my '95 Laguna Blue. Tried everything from Dunlops to Toyos, with excellent results on the Dunlops. The Toyo FZ4's were "so-so." Decided to go with (after some lengthy Q&A from the list) some 195/50 15" Yokohama AVS Intermediates. They were to be mounted on my 15" Panasports.
Ordered them from Tire Rack for about $63 each and shipped to my door in 2 days. Had them mounted and speed balanced with every precaution taken so that the 65 shimmy would not return. Even though they are of a soft compound, I really wanted to see if they were as good as people said they were. I also considered the RE-71, SP8000, and Toyo T-1's from various comments on the list. It can drive you crazy at times!
My first reaction was "WOW!"...I couldn't believe how quiet they were on the road. They grip like fly-paper and never budge...at least not yet. After three weeks of driving the wear is very much minimal. Of course all initial driving impressions with new tires are favorable, but based on other impressions I have had with other tires, these were the nicest.
For the buck, these cannot be beat...hands down, the AVSi's just have became my tire of choice. I would also like to add that they are lighter when compared to the FZ4's and SP8000's that I had.
Highly recommended.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
ULTRA HIGH PERFERMANCE, DIRECTIONAL V-RATED TIRE, SIZE 185/60 14
ABOUT 10,000 MILES
This is the third set of tires on my hard charging 95 PEP with M1 in the engine, tranny & Torsen, 14 deg. timing, Bosch Platinums, my homemade PVC CAI, a K&N filtercharger, Koni adjustables set to kill and a Racing Beat rear sway with heim-jointed end links. The second set of tires was Pirelli P600s in the stock size. They were good tires for the money, but a little soft in the sidewall. These AVS Intermediates are AMAZING! Stiff and grippy in the wet and dry. So far, with only 10k on them, slides are very controllable and much harder to initiate than P600s. I run them at 30 PSI and find them to be satisfactory in every way except the one took a while to seat properly on the alloy rim and leaked air for a few days. I recommend these tires as highly as I recommend M1in the Torsen. I paid about $70 each for them at the Tirerack.
yokohama avs intermediate
i have been driving with a 205/55 zr 14 avs intermediate sionce replaced the stinky oem bridgerocks. this tire has made the miata a monster. great dry great wet and good breakaway also a good autocrx tire for a novice (like me). the problem is they dont make it in our size, i have to choose between a 195/55xr14 8000 or go plus sizes at alot more expence. i have an r package for what its worth. the avs is a great tire but beware they are starting to discontinue sizes (per my conversation with them) any ideas email me .
great tires
20,000+ miles on '92 "B" equipped w/Tokico Illuminas and Racing Beat springs/swaybars.
Incredible tires! My Miata was already equipped with Racing Beat springs/swaybars and Tokico Illuminas when the tires were installed. Very sticky and responsive. No vibration, at any speed.Although these tires are not touted as being rain tires, they perform very well in the wet. Much better than stock! I upsized to 195/60-14's, but stayed with the stock alloys, (lighter than any thing else on the market.) Very pleased!
| Back to Product Reviews | 10 November, 2006 |
| [Home] - [FAQ] - [Search] - [Sponsors] - [Forums] |
| [Garage] - [Clubs] - [Contact Us] - [Disclosures] - [More...] |
Copyright
©1994-2024, Eunos Communications LLC
|