Picking up my 06 STI Today, never owned a manual - any tips?

[Mark T.B. Carroll]

be sure to pull crapenza RE-070 right off

That's interesting. I've found them really good indeed on dry tarmac.
They're noisy, not so good in the wet, and obviously quite useless for
ice and snow, but for summer driving I've found that they grip the road
excellently. In what situations did you find them performing poorly?

-- Mark

 

[k. ote]

AWD makes no difference to handling when you're not
accelerating (or using the power to maintain your current
speed). You would have hit that tree in either a FWD or
RWD car anyways.

Not quite true. A RWD would've had a tendency to oversteer and he might've
hit it sideways. If there is power being applied to the wheels, all wheels'
traction is being applied to controlling the velocity and direction of the
vehicle. There's a reason why AWD cars are used in rally sports. Still,
what the original poster probably meant was that the insane summer tires
and the 'feel' of the STi gave him an unfortunate dose of overconfidence.

Unless there is a change to your approach to driving in
general, I'd decline another STi. Get an RS or if you must
- a WRX, and put the difference into performance driving
school. You'll end up with a "less capable" car, but be
faster AND safer anyways.

He'll be fine with another STi.

 

[k. ote]

If your insurance does cut a check for the new STI be sure to pull
crapenza
RE-070 right off and invest $1000 in a set of Advans. I don't know
what kind of deal Subaru struck with Bridgestone and what kind of
ass they pulled RE-070 out of, but it's probably the same pile
of stationwagonware that RE 960 pole positions come from.
Good enough for RS maybe (if you are nearing a retirement),
but completely unsuitable for the STI. evo that comes for $2-3k less
wears
advan neovas out of the door. Needless to say my goodwill towards FHI
took a good beating in the last 1.5 years. Crapenza 92 OBS came shoed
with being a small part of it.

Incorrect. The RE-070 offer excellent dry, sunny weather traction. They just
suck in the rain, mud, snow.. well pretty much everywhere but dry, warm
pavement. There are very few tires that will match the RE-070 in normal
summer driving. You know the treadwear is 140 right? They're practically
slicks..!

--

 

[CompUser]

That's interesting. I've found them really good indeed on dry tarmac.
They're noisy, not so good in the wet, and obviously quite useless for
ice and snow, but for summer driving I've found that they grip the road
excellently. In what situations did you find them performing poorly?

Bear in mind that this guy pronounced the STi
transmission as 'good' based on sitting in one at
a car show, and moving the stick around (with the
engine off).

 

[Body Roll]

Bear in mind that this guy pronounced the STi
transmission as 'good' based on sitting in one at
a car show, and moving the stick around (with the
engine off).

Humor me,
what tires do you currently have on your WRX?

 

[Body Roll]

That's interesting. I've found them really good indeed on dry tarmac.
They're noisy, not so good in the wet, and obviously quite useless for
ice and snow, but for summer driving I've found that they grip the road
excellently. In what situations did you find them performing poorly?

I don't have RE-070 and don't plan to have them ever. The only good
reviews
I could find is from WRX owners who dumped RE92, installed 070s
and could not be happier. Well, duh, just about anything would be
an improvement over RE92s.
Google for "070 comparison test" and post a link here.
Could not find any tire comparo? Me neither. That's the tire that is
made by Bridgestone
specifically for STI. Why they had to do a one off tire just for STI is
totally
beyond me. Maybe some hand greasing was happening or maybe Bridgestone
provided some very good lay for the FHI brass. The mysteries of
corporate deals are well above my reach. Maybe CompUser can explain in
his endless
wisdom why Mitsubishi rolled the dough over to Yokohama for a proven
max perf tire and FHI pinched a few pennies.
I'm not saying that doing 40 in 4th reflects particularly well on the
skills
of the OP, but with ADVANs possibly another tree further down the apex
would've
sacrificed itself to stop his sti. If there were other trees.
I also get an impression that Bridgestone ships the shittiest tires in
its bin to the OEMs.

 

[Cam Penner]

Not quite true. A RWD would've had a tendency to oversteer and he might've
hit it sideways. If there is power being applied to the wheels, all wheels'
traction is being applied to controlling the velocity and direction of the
vehicle. There's a reason why AWD cars are used in rally sports. Still,
what the original poster probably meant was that the insane summer tires
and the 'feel' of the STi gave him an unfortunate dose of overconfidence.

You'll note that I specified when not under power. Many
many many people hit the ditch because they think AWD is
some magic traction aid in all situations. Truth be told,
AWD makes no difference under braking or coasting.

He'll be fine with another STi.

I'm not sure. It almost sounds like he needs a less
capable car to learn self control in first.

It's very common advice in the world of motorcycles, and I
think it applies to performance cars too.

 

[Mark T.B. Carroll]

I don't have RE-070 and don't plan to have them ever.

(snip)

Ah, so you've never actually tried them. Okay. Are you trolling?

(snip)

Google for "070 comparison test" and post a link here.

(snip)

A couple of minutes playing with Google found me a hundred reviews on
tirerack.com, many of which mention comparison with other tires the
owner's had, e.g., "Absolutely much better than S-03s or Pilot Sports."
"Driven AVS Sports and Kumho 712s on WRX and Audi S4.. would definitely
not pick either of those over this tire." etc.

I also found some tire comparison threads on NASIOC - e.g. "I personally
loved the RE070 and rate them close to SO3's"

I also found people comparing them with other tires on other sites, such
as at http://bbs.scoobynet.com/archive/re070-and-similar-t504535.html

Maybe you just need to learn how to use Google?

-- Mark

 

[Jim Stewart]

You'll note that I specified when not under power. Many
many many people hit the ditch because they think AWD is
some magic traction aid in all situations. Truth be told,
AWD makes no difference under braking or coasting.

I believe it does make a difference under
compression braking. I don't have any
subjective proof, but early-on I noticed
that the Subaru had a nice grippy feel
during moderate compression braking that
my 2-wheel drive cars never had.

 

[Body Roll]

(snip)

Ah, so you've never actually tried them. Okay. Are you trolling?

Not really. I don't test tires for living. But I do have sufficient
second hand data
to make the conclusion I made. See below.

(snip)
(snip)

A couple of minutes playing with Google found me a hundred reviews on
tirerack.com, many of which mention comparison with other tires the
owner's had, e.g., "Absolutely much better than S-03s or Pilot Sports."
"Driven AVS Sports and Kumho 712s on WRX and Audi S4.. would definitely
not pick either of those over this tire." etc.

I also found some tire comparison threads on NASIOC - e.g. "I personally
loved the RE070 and rate them close to SO3's"

I also found people comparing them with other tires on other sites, such
as at http://bbs.scoobynet.com/archive/re070-and-similar-t504535.html

Maybe you just need to learn how to use Google?

Maybe I should excercise restraint and post from home so that I can
waste more
time googling. Ecsta 712 is uhp. RE-070 is max perf tire. Comparison is
invalid.
712 grip is on par with ASX with slightly better handling. Same for
AVS.
As for S-03s I think they closed next to the bottom of the pack in the
15 tire C&D comparo
whereas Advans finished in the top 5.
S-03 is a dated design. It should probably be downgraded to summer uhp
category by now.

 

[CompUser]

@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
(e-mail address removed) says...

Humor me,
what tires do you currently have on your WRX?

Sumitomo HTRZ II 17"s now. Previously Yokohoma
AVS ES 100 17"s, with Bridgestone RE-92 16"s
before them.

What kind of tires do you have on your WRX or
STi? Ah, that's right...you don't have one.

Hmmm...what kind were on the one you sat in, at
the car show?

 

[Jim Stewart]

@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
(e-mail address removed) says...



Sumitomo HTRZ II 17"s now. Previously Yokohoma
AVS ES 100 17"s, with Bridgestone RE-92 16"s
before them.

What kind of tires do you have on your WRX or
STi? Ah, that's right...you don't have one.

Hmmm...what kind were on the one you sat in, at
the car show?

LOL

 

[Body Roll]

@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
(e-mail address removed) says...

Sumitomo HTRZ II 17"s now. Previously Yokohoma
AVS ES 100 17"s, with Bridgestone RE-92 16"s
before them.

Wow. Wonderful set. Enjoy.

What kind of tires do you have on your WRX or
STi? Ah, that's right...you don't have one.

Not only I don't have STI, but I won't buy it. Ever. Unless
it goes thru a major redesign and becomes competitive with Evo.
Or Evo departs along with Mitsu. Which is a possibility
considering how Mitsu fares in the US.
For the reason I have explained in this and preious missives.
For WRX life is simpler for FHI because they don't have major
direct competitor and lots of people are into muscle cars.
I'm writing mostly for the benefit of FHI and Bridgestone
since you obviously are non comprehende of the problems outlined.
Next time Evo owners talk shit about your ride have your ears peeled.
They might be onto something.

 

[nobody]

Not only I don't have STI, but I won't buy it. Ever. Unless
it goes thru a major redesign and becomes competitive with Evo.
Or Evo departs along with Mitsu. Which is a possibility
considering how Mitsu fares in the US.
For the reason I have explained in this and preious missives.
For WRX life is simpler for FHI because they don't have major
direct competitor and lots of people are into muscle cars.
I'm writing mostly for the benefit of FHI and Bridgestone
since you obviously are non comprehende of the problems outlined.
Next time Evo owners talk shit about your ride have your ears peeled.
They might be onto something.

For someone who's bee scattergunning automotive newsgroup, Body Roll
actually wants more.

Did you get your wish for alt.autos.mazda there guy?

Are you practicing you reporting skills so that you can be a new Betard?

 

[Body Roll]

For someone who's bee scattergunning automotive newsgroup, Body Roll
actually wants more.

Did you get your wish for alt.autos.mazda there guy?

Are you practicing you reporting skills so that you can be a new Betard?

I'm not sure who Betard is, but I probably do owe the group an apology
for posting way too much. It's time to face the consequences of my
own actions and move on. As much as I would like to exert a revenge as
sadistic
as possible for the existence of Bridgestones RE92s I'd have to resort
to whatever
leverage I have and buy Advan S.4 or Pzero Nero M&S when it's time to
replace
RE92s (real soon now) instead of RE960 A/S regardless of how they
fare in snow (there are no reviews on snow performance yet).

It's much simpler with summer rubber if I go the summer/winter wheel
set route.
RE-050 was never on my shopping list for summers.

As for the Subaru, I just won't trade in my Outback Sport for WRX as
I have originally intended and call it a day.

Thank you for letting me to step back and see the bigger picture.

Take care and have a wonderful day.
I feel so much better now.

 

[k. ote]

Not only I don't have STI, but I won't buy it. Ever. Unless
it goes thru a major redesign and becomes competitive with Evo.

? Right.. the instant your name shows up at an auto-X event, you void your
warranty. They're so sensitive about the Evo that if you look at them
cross-eyed they'll deny any warranty repairs. Why get a faster-cornering
car (STi beats it in straight-line, unless something drastic's happened
since the last time I checked) if it's destined to fall apart in expensive
ways?

Or Evo departs along with Mitsu. Which is a possibility
considering how Mitsu fares in the US.
For the reason I have explained in this and preious missives.
For WRX life is simpler for FHI because they don't have major
direct competitor and lots of people are into muscle cars.
I'm writing mostly for the benefit of FHI and Bridgestone
since you obviously are non comprehende of the problems outlined.
Next time Evo owners talk shit about your ride have your ears peeled.
They might be onto something.

The RE-070 are superlative summer tires, bordering on slicks. They just suck
for other stuff: i.e. they were specially-designed for a single
application, and for that application they do very, very well.

Also, Pzero Nero M&S, as you say you'd like to purchase, have turned out to
be not such a great tire for me after all. When I first put them on as an
interim all-season I loved them. The more and more I drive them, though,
the more I've learned to hate not only how squishy they are, but how the
traction fucks with my steering. It's not an alignment problem. Either I
can get it to go sort of in a straight-line when I tromp on the gas, or I
can get it to stop sort of in a straight line. I can't have both, and
believe me I've tweaked air pressure and alignment again and again and it
comes out Not Quite Right every time.

I won't be buying any PZero Nero M+S again anytime soon, unfortunately.

The tendency towards a curve ain't so hot on pavement. Plus, they make
the car feel very unstable at extremely high speeds.

 

[k. ote]

Maybe CompUser can explain in
his endless
wisdom why Mitsubishi rolled the dough over to Yokohama for a proven
max perf tire and FHI pinched a few pennies.

A custom tire is not "penny pinching."

I'm not saying that doing 40 in 4th reflects particularly well on the
skills of the OP, but with ADVANs possibly another tree further down the
apex would've sacrificed itself to stop his sti. If there were other
trees. I also get an impression that Bridgestone ships the shittiest tires
in its bin to the OEMs.

If it was dry pavement, I doubt it.

 

[Body Roll]

The tendency towards a curve ain't so hot on pavement. Plus, they make
the car feel very unstable at extremely high speeds.

Did you find any uhp all seasons that you did like or did you just gave
up and
went with the separate summer & winter sets?

 

[k. ote]

Did you find any uhp all seasons that you did like or did you just gave
up and went with the separate summer & winter sets?

Haven't worn out the PZero Nero M+S yet. When I do, finally, wear them down
or the original RE-070s down, I'll probably still go with all-seasons
again.. just a different brand of them. I drive through too much weird
weather too infrequently to justify winter treads, and I do drive through
weird weather occasionally, so I can't justify pure summers as my primary
tire.

If I lived up north somewhere I'm sure I'd definitely be fiddling around
with winter/summer and forego the all-season "My Name is Mr. Compromise"
altogether.

--

 

[JD]

If your insurance does cut a check for the new STI be sure to pull
crapenza
RE-070 right off and invest $1000 in a set of Advans. I don't know
what kind of deal Subaru struck with Bridgestone and what kind of
ass they pulled RE-070 out of, but it's probably the same pile
of stationwagonware that RE 960 pole positions come from.
Good enough for RS maybe (if you are nearing a retirement),
but completely unsuitable for the STI. evo that comes for $2-3k less
wears
advan neovas out of the door. Needless to say my goodwill towards FHI
took a good beating in the last 1.5 years. Crapenza 92 OBS came shoed
with being a small part of it.

I find them excellent, and I bought another set when the first ones wore
out. They are noisy, but awesome grip in the dry, not bad in the wet and no
good below 4C