Replacing OE Dunlops
 

I've been pretty happy with the 5000m's on the car, but I would have hoped to get more than 40,000 miles out of them. I guess for the treadwear rating, that's probably not bad.

The only thing I really would have wanted to improve about the Dunlops was the wet traction. Any tire in this performance range is not going to be much better is it?

So, getting ready to replace them, I discover that I am apparently a cheap-skate. I can't justify the cost of $700 set of tires - at all... Will I be hugely dissapointed by the Kumho ECSTA 711 (195/50-16)? At $52 per tire (from Tirerack), I can get four mounted and balanced for less than half the Dunlops from the local chain tire shop.

We do a lot of highway miles on the car - 40k in about 20 months. If I spend $700 every 2 years, that's a dollar a day. I can't say to myself, every day when I get in the car, "It's worth an extra 50 cents each day to have Dunlop tires compared to Komhos."

What would you guys pay for quality balancing? Does it need to be balanced inside/outside, or is the standard balancing enough?

Go with Toyo Proxes 4. Great tire.

That's what i was going to recommend.. $400 for my 17"s installed. Had them on my 03 LX (15"s) - great tire. Not sure what the treadlife is on the dunlops, but the Toyo's treadlife is 280

I don't know how many miles they are going to last you (that depends not just on tread compound, but also on driver behavior). But, for the miles you will get out of them, I believe the Korean "value brands" offer some pretty good tires. I went out on a limb and tried the Hankook Ventus HRII, and they have been great. Lots of dry grip, decent in the rain, but have to admit they suck in the snow (what sports tire doesn't). For the money, they are a steal. I have also heard good things about Kumhos. Both brands have a loyal following in SCCA.

See my sig - great tire/fits the stock rim/relatively inexspensive...

Thanks for the replies guys. I got away from the site when the URL changed and just found it again.

I just placed my order for the Kumhos. Any thoughts on balancing?