I cannot give a good review of the tires just yet since I've only put about 15 miles on them. I will do so at a later date. Initial impressions are that they are very quiet, have a very compliant ride, have softer sidewalls but not to the point they feel splashy, and they absorb low speed bumps, like driveways, very well.

In doing the research, I determined to get the optimal front to rear rolling diameters for traction control as well as load and speed ratings, the sizes that best work for our sport wheels are 235/45R18 and 255/40R18. This is not only plus sizing the width, but reducing the overall rolling diameter of the tires from ~26.7" to ~26. I had a feeling this would change the look of the tires on our cars.

Now, as promised, here are the pictures. If you have a small screen, I apologize, you'll probably have to scroll to compare them. In case anyone wasn't aware, the stock tires are Bridgestone RE050's in 225/50R18 and 245/45R18. Stock tires are on the top, with the DWS's on the bottom.

From a step back



Lower rear corner



Front



Passenger Side Front straight on



Passenger Side Rear straight on



Rear



Rear Tread closeup



Rear Sidewall closeup



Front Tread closeup



These sizes do create a little more fender gap, but IMO, you wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it.

I'd like to thank Revline in Kansas City for working with me to determine the right sizes, order these in for me with great communication, and install them very quickly and cleanly.

 

Told ya you would like them

 

I've heard that the sidewalls on these tires are a bit soft, but can be helped by increasing tire pressure. What does the stock sport setting call for and where are you running these?

I'm replacing my stock 225/55-17's with 245/50-17's this weekend (same DWS tire). Although a ++ zero in width, it keeps the diameter virtually the same as stock.

They look great! Congratulations!! Please keep us posted on how they are working out for you..

 

They are definitely soft, the installer said the RE050's require a bar to pop loose the sidewall because they are so stiff, yet these he was able to get in just by pushing on them...and just by looking at them they look soft.

I'm not a huge fan of the looks of the tire...they are kind of plain and look cheap, but with some tireshine I'm sure they'll look acceptable.

For pressures they are at 35 all around but my installer said the same thing...pump it up to around 40 if they feel too squishy. I didn't notice any wall flex but as I'm breaking in the tires, I'm not really pushing it too hard either.

Something to note: these specific sizes I selected bumped up the load rating to 'XL' for both the front and the back, which does give the ability to maintain higher pressures and are generally stronger than the equivalent SL sizes...so that may help combat some of the softer sidwall issues.

 

I am also running stock 17 rims (assume you have an X, due to stock size), and really liked Conti DWS cold and wet weather performance on my dad's Accord. Have Eagle GTs right now but they may need to be replaced come winter... post how the 245/50-17 fitment works out.

 

Just bought some 235/55/17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus today. That size in the Conti DWS were nowhere to be found so they gave me the Michelin's for $16more each then the Conti DWS price plus a $70 rebate made them $1.50 less for each tire then the Conti's.

 

I took them through a few windy roads at reasonable speeds and the sidewall flex is definitely noticeable at 35psi. I'm going to up them to 40 and see how they feel.

 

I have these tires I got 2k miles on them, I have them at 35psi, Its a great DD tire, and it has legendary Wet performance a hell of a lot better then the Eagle RSA's I had. Dry traction in a straight line is great, but in the bends traction wise in the dry its not as good as my eagle RSA's But not far off. As well as the sidewalls are a bit soft, but then again its a DD tire and not a track tire so thats something I can live with you get used to it after the first 1k. They are also a bit quieter then my Eagle RSA's but they were quiet also.

Overall its a great tire and should be on anyone's list for a all season.

 

40psi should make for a real nice ride.

 

I take it you've never been an autocrosser.

Your definition of nice ride and mine are going to be two different things.

 

That's what I'm thinking. I don't race cars. I did like to play sweepsweeper in my 68 vw.

 

I checked pressures this morning and they were at 32ish psi cold...lower than I expected. I upped them to 38 and the tire is much, much more acceptable. It's still nowhere near the performance of a summer tire, but it didn't feel as sloshy and it's something I can live with, given the ability to drive on this tire all year around as well as reasonably expect 30-40k miles out of them.

On a side note: I've discovered a new perk to these tires.


I've never gotten that good of mpg. I had the A/C on, wasn't hypermiling it, and had it on cruise the majority of the time. Additionally, my wife was in the car with me. I'm 215lbs, she's 120 lbs.

I figured maybe it was just a fluke and was due to hwy being downhill one way or something...but by the time I got home completing the trip, I was at 27.5 mpg. Pretty nifty.

 

that's a realllly high mpg reading...highest i've ever got was 24.6

 

The highest I'd gotten before is 27 and that was with me REALLY trying. Me coasting up hills, losing speed, making up speed by light throttle acceleration down hills, etc.

This was just with the cruise on.

Right now after almost a full tank and pretty much all city driving after that excursion, I'm still around 22mpg average when I'm usually around 19-20.

 

Best I could do was 23.9, cruise control on 75 and pretty flat freeway and no wind. Haven't checked since new tires, new air filters and pennzoil platinum.