Nitto NT01 vs Falken Azenis RT615

[The Satch]

need opinions, Im getting one or the other. my decision is based on performance and tread life, they will be used for the occasional track day and around town in between.

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[import111]

Those 2 tires are VERY different from each other. NT01 is an R-comp that should not see much street use. RT615 is a sticky street tire that can be used for auto-x and track days (though they over heat quickly at track days).

Sounds like you would be better off getting Dunlop Z1 Star Specs or Bridgestone RE01R's.

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by import111

Those 2 tires are VERY different from each other. NT01 is an R-comp that should not see much street use. RT615 is a sticky street tire that can be used for auto-x and track days (though they over heat quickly at track days).

Sounds like you would be better off getting Dunlop Z1 Star Specs or Bridgestone RE01R's.

Why shouldnt the NT01 see much street use? i have a few friends running the RT615's for the same use i want and they say they work great, would the other two you mentioned stand out that much?

[mav1c]

Originally Posted by The Satch

Why shouldnt the NT01 see much street use? i have a few friends running the RT615's for the same use i want and they say they work great, would the other two you mentioned stand out that much?

Because the NT-01 is an R-Comp tire not really meant for street use. There's a reason it says "Recommended For Track Use Only" on the tire. RT-615's are a decent street/track tire, but they do tend to overheat, as stated above. If your smooth and not overdriving, they'll last longer.

[subaru3169]

performance and tread life don't really go hand in hand.. any falkens generally can get eaten up pretty quickly compared to other tires

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by subaru3169

performance and tread life don't really go hand in hand.. any falkens generally can get eaten up pretty quickly compared to other tires

i understand that, im just looking for the best performance without sacrificing too much tread life

[Crawdads]

Originally Posted by subaru3169

performance and tread life don't really go hand in hand.. any falkens generally can get eaten up pretty quickly compared to other tires

That is a very broad brush you are painting with. Does your statement have any basis in reality?


On the original question: Neither of those tires will suit your purposes. The NT-01 will wear to quickly to drive on everyday, and the RT615 is just not a good track tire for a heavy subaru.

Dunlop Z1s or Bridgestone RE-01Rs will suit your purposes, a better option would be picking up a second set of wheels so you can have track tires and street tires.

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by Crawdads

That is a very broad brush you are painting with. Does your statement have any basis in reality?


On the original question: Neither of those tires will suit your purposes. The NT-01 will wear to quickly to drive on everyday, and the RT615 is just not a good track tire for a heavy subaru.

Dunlop Z1s or Bridgestone RE-01Rs will suit your purposes, a better option would be picking up a second set of wheels so you can have track tires and street tires.

im already picking up a second set so i can run summer/winter, cant afford a third set right now, so i guess my choice is between the Z1's and the RE-01R's. opinions on those?

[nhat]

Originally Posted by The Satch

so i guess my choice is between the Z1's and the RE-01R's. opinions on those?

search? there are TONS of threads about both tires.

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by nhat

search? there are TONS of threads about both tires.

i was hoping for opinions from people who have run both, all i have found so far is "I own this one and its AWESOME!". not really what im looking for as most people decide that whatever they bought is awesome unless it really sucks.

[Arctic Penguin]

Originally Posted by The Satch

i was hoping for opinions from people who have run both, all i have found so far is "I own this one and its AWESOME!". not really what im looking for as most people decide that whatever they bought is awesome unless it really sucks.

buy the cheaper one first

see how those work for ya

then deceide


there is NO right answer for everyone and a tire that many LOVE will be hated by others

i HATED the rt215 and loved the mx for the street---NOT AUTO-X

[Back Road Runner]

If you're looking at Nitto, you might want to look at the Invo instead. This is more akin to the high performance street (non-R compound) tires. I've heard quite a few positive things about the Invo, but I haven't dug too deep or really cared enough to see how they compare directly to some of the other tires out there. Some quality time with Google should give you your answers.

[subaru3169]

Originally Posted by Crawdads

That is a very broad brush you are painting with. Does your statement have any basis in reality?

just personal experience and from what many other locals have told me.. scic can get pretty hot and it doesn't really rain a lot, so i think that may also be a contributing factor in my opinion.. i've had falkens on my cars as well as other makes in the same categories.. and from what i gather, falkens perform decently but their tread life isn't very long

[LoLoHax]

Changing to RT-615's made the whole car feel different. I can only describe them as one of the stickiest tires I've ever driven on. Breakaway is quite predictable and they definitely do not squeal up a storm. Confidence inspiring to say the least.

That being said, I got maybe 12k~ out of them. I could still use them for 2-3 autox's but the tires are at the wear indicators and driving on them with even light water on the freeway was unsafe.

[Crawdads]

Originally Posted by LoLoHax

Changing to RT-615's made the whole car feel different. I can only describe them as one of the stickiest tires I've ever driven on. Breakaway is quite predictable and they definitely do not squeal up a storm. Confidence inspiring to say the least.

That being said, I got maybe 12k~ out of them. I could still use them for 2-3 autox's but the tires are at the wear indicators and driving on them with even light water on the freeway was unsafe.

The OP mentioned using the tires for DD duty and Track Days, not Auto-X

HPDE/Roadracing/Lapping days have different tire requirements from auto-x. RT-615s are notorious for overheating and getting greasy when used on a track. (On heavy subies....lighter cars have better luck with them). Combine that with the fact that they don't make very good 'everyday' tires with the low hydroplane resistance.

They are a good tire and a good value, just showing the age of the design. There are better tires on the market now. The RE01R and Z1 take the heat much better, and are both a better Daily Driving alternative to the 615. (and IMHO, the Bridgestone and Dunlop are superior to the falken for auto-x too)

[Red_Wrx]

here an opinion from someone with nt01'S!!!!!!
these tires rock, my nieghbor's has had them(brand new) for over a year. going on 14 months now and feel like they got about another month in them. and he ripps it on his evo. i got a set of 18s nt01 on my car and there awesome! they dont look appealing considering the tread is practically gone after 8 months but there so much life in these tires. ive went to the mountains (awd) during sligiht snow to go snowboarding with him and he didnt have any trouble. but u must consider the factors when driving such as weather, thats all.
i think there awesome tires and im sold on them considering there cheap on the market right now, and mostly people only think of them for track. hes only had to repair them one time because of a small FOD but repaired and still good to go just regulary rotates them at a buddies local tire shop..
it comes down to what u want. sticky tires of street sticky. id go for super sticky like us on a DD. tires are suppose to be fun and that where i stand. these tires can handle the street. but can u handle them? is the question.

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by Red_Wrx

here an opinion from someone with nt01'S!!!!!!
these tires rock, my nieghbor's has had them(brand new) for over a year. going on 14 months now and feel like they got about another month in them. and he ripps it on his evo. i got a set of 18s nt01 on my car and there awesome! they dont look appealing considering the tread is practically gone after 8 months but there so much life in these tires. ive went to the mountains (awd) during sligiht snow to go snowboarding with him and he didnt have any trouble. but u must consider the factors when driving such as weather, thats all.
i think there awesome tires and im sold on them considering there cheap on the market right now, and mostly people only think of them for track. hes only had to repair them one time because of a small FOD but repaired and still good to go just regulary rotates them at a buddies local tire shop..
it comes down to what u want. sticky tires of street sticky. id go for super sticky like us on a DD. tires are suppose to be fun and that where i stand. these tires can handle the street. but can u handle them? is the question.

i have a big problem with the tread rating on the NT01s. i drive over 35000 miles a year, they will not last more than 3 months on my car as a DD is my estimate, and i cant afford new tires every three months.

[Red_Wrx]

depends on your driving 35000 is alot a year thats triple then a normal person..lol

[jamesohoh7]

Originally Posted by The Satch

i have a big problem with the tread rating on the NT01s. i drive over 35000 miles a year, they will not last more than 3 months on my car as a DD is my estimate, and i cant afford new tires every three months.

With that kind of mileage you're putting on the tires, you're not going to get more than 8 months out of even a tire like an RT615.

You may want to look into Kumho MX's then... they don't tend to overheat as badly as Azenis, don't cost much more than 'em either... though they are an 'older' tire, and don't grip as well as the current hot-dog 'uber' tires... they still grip better than your run-of-the-mill tire. Kumho just came out with a new max-perf tire, the XS.. but it's quite new, jury is still out.

Dunlop Z1-SS's are designed to heat up fairly quickly, which to me would indicate you may not want them for track duty. The set I have for autox get quite hot after just 2 runs, and I'm still chunking off pieces of them after 5 events. I'd be afraid to see how badly they'd wear on a track-day... much less after a few track-days and 35K of street-miles. If you shave them first, this may not be an issue.. but I didn't have mine shaved... so, ymmv... and of course shaving cuts down 'street-miles-wear'.

You're kind of asking a lot of a single tire to do the extremes of 'long-street-mileage' and 'track-duty'...

[The Satch]

Originally Posted by jamesohoh7

With that kind of mileage you're putting on the tires, you're not going to get more than 8 months out of even a tire like an RT615.

You may want to look into Kumho MX's then... they don't tend to overheat as badly as Azenis, don't cost much more than 'em either... though they are an 'older' tire, and don't grip as well as the current hot-dog 'uber' tires... they still grip better than your run-of-the-mill tire. Kumho just came out with a new max-perf tire, the XS.. but it's quite new, jury is still out.

Dunlop Z1-SS's are designed to heat up fairly quickly, which to me would indicate you may not want them for track duty. The set I have for autox get quite hot after just 2 runs, and I'm still chunking off pieces of them after 5 events. I'd be afraid to see how badly they'd wear on a track-day... much less after a few track-days and 35K of street-miles. If you shave them first, this may not be an issue.. but I didn't have mine shaved... so, ymmv... and of course shaving cuts down 'street-miles-wear'.

You're kind of asking a lot of a single tire to do the extremes of 'long-street-mileage' and 'track-duty'...

i dont expect my tires to last a year, but i need around 6 months out of them at the least. i have had three sets of tires since i bought the car a year and a half ago. went through neo-gens in 12000 miles, my current eagle F1 all seasons are going to be gone before 20000. i just need a good street tire that is trackable and will have decent wear ratings. i want something stickier than an all season, and i would prefer a full summer high performance tire. im in AZ right now, contrary to my profile information, i go to school here and that is where the tires will see the main use, in phoenix.

[Red_Wrx]

toyo proxie 4's awesome tires!.. i had them for 2 years easy.. tread is good and grip is excellent. not great but good enough for some corner ripping.

[Arctic Penguin]

Originally Posted by Red_Wrx

toyo proxie 4's awesome tires!.. i had them for 2 years easy.. tread is good and grip is excellent. not great but good enough for some corner ripping.

dewd

were talking the MAJOR LEAGUE here

not stickball

[my4isflat]

I have the RT 615's on my '00 2.5RS right now.

Lets see where to start, everyone is right they don't take heat too well. After a couple of laps at any track day they start falling off very quickly. I've had them for 1 year and 4 months up to now, and after this weekend (HPDE) they will be toast. This includes 4 auto-x's, two track days, and daily driving for the summer months only, so if your hard on these tires they don't last too long.

I guess the only thing I'm hearing I would disagree with is the hydroplaning resistance. Everyone says they're bad in the wet, just a couple of days ago I made a trip to Denver in the rain, tires are about 3/32, no problems at all.

Next set of tires is going to be the Dunlop Stars.

[express_wagon]

Originally Posted by Arctic Penguin

dewd

were talking the MAJOR LEAGUE here

not stickball

Hahah...I like this. You show that n00b!

[Back Road Runner]

Lol Artic.

Ditto though. I owned a set of Proxes4 tires, came with the rims I bought. Compared to RE01R, Star Specs, RT615, etc., they aren't even close in terms of grip level. The Proxes4 is a nice performance tire, but they hate auto-x and get torn appart quite quickly with that. For track, they'd be bald in one day. They don't get greasy, but they simply tear apart under load. I now run RE01Rs, and they are far, far, far more durable under sport use and almost as civil, albeit a little firmer over bumps.

I've never tracked my car, so I don't know how they hold up for extended use. I've ran them the end of last summer and fall and all this spring, summer, and now heading into fall. I've been to a couple test and tunes(lots of laps) and a couple auto-x events. For the most part, I can barely get them warm on milder courses. Twistier courses will generally get a little bit of heat into at least one tire, but it's still not sticky. I think they'd fair well on a track where you can bring them up to temp and keep them there. I rarely see them up to this level. The only time I've had good heat in one is on a skidpad. They wear very well, especially through daily use. I easily see at least 2 more full years of use on them, even with various auto-x events tossed in. Wear is quite minimal. Pure track use, heavy, heavy use, I wouldn't expect any tire to last long, but these do show great overall durability. The other benefit is that these are probably some of if not the best daily use higher performance summer tire on the market. For comfort and general driving, these are the leader. They're content in a downpour too which is a big plus for these types of tires. Hydroplaning resistance and wet grip is rather quite good, better than they probably should be.