Hey guys I have an order on a 6mt sedan and I just realized that the order went through without the all season tires. I'm worried about driving in snow this winter, but if the summer tires are good I'll buy winter tire and keep the other ones. I know that the A/S is the Goodyear RS-A. I was just wondering that the summer tires are. How do you guys like them? Are they worth keeping?

On Order:
"04 G35S 6MT Diamond Graphite, Full Aero, Navi, Sirius, Winter
Coming Mid October (Hopefully)<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by 04NismoV35 on 10/16/03 10:50 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

There are 3 OEM tires:

Goodyear Eagle GS-D (summer performance)
Goodyear Eagle RS-A (all-season performance)
Bridgestone Turanza EL42 (all-season touring)

If you got the Winter package, you'll probably be getting the Bridgestone Turanza all-season touring tires. Probably better in inclement weather than the RS-A's, but they aren't a performance tire -- they do provide a more comfortable highway ride. I could be wrong about which one you'll be getting. Based on what other people have, I've guessed at the following: RS-A is the standard tire, GS-D comes with sport suspension, and Bridgestones come with the winter pkg (w/ or w/o sport).

If you're in the snow quite a bit during the winter, you may want to get winter tires anyway. I hear they do wonders for traction when it's white out, compared to all-season tires. I'm in sunny SoCal, however, where we only experience 3 seasons: Spring, Summer, and Oh-My-There's-Water-Falling-From-The-Sky! Search the Wheels forum for "snow tires" and you'll find plenty of recommendations.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Hey guys, remember the '03 winter pkg option is now standard equipment in the base '04 6mt sedan. My '04 has the Eagle GS-Ds, and I'm pretty sure the order form now gives you a choice between all three.

 

Unfortunately, they all three suck.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

My 04 6MT sedan (which I simply bought off of the dealer lot) came with RS-A tires. Perhaps the dealer specified that when he placed the order?

They were removed as soon as I drove home and are in the garage, BTW. I'll put them back on if we happen to get snow sometime this year. Until then I am using 18" Contisport 2s.

--Steve

 

The RS-A sucks with FWD in the snow so just imagine what they are like with RWD.

2003.5 G35
2003 350Z
2003 Murano SL

 

The RSAs poor in rain and are one of the worst A/S tires I've tried in snow. I unloaded them at a Goodyear Dealer and they gave me a decent price.

<font color=green>GG</font color=green>

 

Are you saying you were able to sell your used Goodyears to a Goodyear dealer? I didn't know that was possible. None of the tire offerings on the car seem to be worth crap, but the since the order went in without specifying summer or A/S I'll probably end up with the Goodyear GS-D's which go for $207 each @ Tire Rack. If I can sell them that sould buy me something decent.

Did you have to buy something else from that dealer?

On Order:
"04 G35S 6MT Diamond Graphite, Full Aero, Navi, Sirius, Winter
Coming Mid October (Hopefully)

 

Yes, I think I was lucky. I had 8.5/32 left on the tread and they gave me about $425 USD for the four of them. I guess the RSAs are really quite expensive new, and the 215/55-17s fit on several Nissans, so ppl are looking for them as replacements. Didn't have to buy anything else from the dealer, took my money and got a set of Pilot Sport A/Ss!

<font color=green>GG</font color=green>

 

Ahhhh, Pilot sport A/S, great tire. Very expensive. How do you like them?

Goodyears seem to be way overpriced overall. Michelin on the other hand are expensive but far bettet and seem to be well worth it.
On Order:
"04 G35S 6MT Diamond Graphite, Full Aero, Navi, Sirius, Winter
Coming Mid October (Hopefully)

 

Love my Pilot Sports! Yes, expensive, but great tire. Though I have winter wheels, I had the Pilots on for the last 4" snowfall last spring and I couldn't believe how well they did. They are without question, the best A/S tire I've ever tried in the snow/ice! Also a great tire in the dry and wet. If tire wear is reasonable, they may actually be worth the price.

<font color=green>GG</font color=green>

 

'03 MT Sedan came with RS-A - total garbage tires - almost as bad as the RE-92 from my last maxima

I was in for service last week, and many of the '04 on the lot had RS-A as well - the MT6 sedans had RS-A unless the sticker said specifically "summer tires" - those had GS-D

 

Gordon, what were the size of the Pilots you put on? Might purchase a set now and hold on to them when my Bridgestones wear out.

 

One of my biggest gripes about my G35 is the wheel and tire size. 215/55-17s on a 7 inch wide rim. Thats a pretty nonstandard configuration. At tire replacement time, the choices are very limited...I think the G35 may be the only production car in the US running 215/55-17s. And the 7 inch rims are too narrow to go to a wider/lower profile set-up.

Just curious what you guys are doing that intend to keep the stock rims. Over 200 bucks for a Goodyear GS-D is pretty outrageous. I can put a much better set of tires on my M3 for way less than that.

'04 6MT Sedan | '95 E36 M3 | '91 Miata

 

Some Altima's, Maxima's, and I35's with 17" wheels come with this tire size. Nissan/Infiniti uses it in a few vehicles. I don't know what other cars may use it. The selection is pretty weak.

235/50R17 fits the 17x7 rim, is a dead-ringer for outside diamter, and improves the tire selection a bit for all-season tires, but not much in the way of summer rubber. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is probably the best here, but darn pricey. For those that want to save money, Kumho makes the ECSTA KH11 grand touring tire in this size, generally for half the price of most tires that fit our rims -- probably a decent choice if you're looking at keeping the Turanza's, though I hear people say a bit noiser after they start to wear out.

225/55R17 is 1.6% bigger (when speedo says 60, you're going 61)
225/50R17 is 1.7% smaller (when speedo says 60, you're going 59)

There are a couple of good tire choices for 225/55R17, such as Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position and Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

I haven't fully decided what I'm going to do yet, myself.. my Turanza's still a ways to go.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter