Goodyear F1 GS-D3 ~ Fun on the road wet or dry - Avoid the Winter
Written: Jan 06 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great on dry and wet roads, quiet
Cons: They will cost you about $200 a piece
The Bottom Line: These are great wet and dry performance tires. They are sharp looking and you will have fun driving on these tires.
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| nchoward's Full Review: Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 |
I got a steal on my used 2000 Passat but I also ended up with some after market 18" rims and some pretty bald Kumho tires. I drove them for a couple hundred miles and decided that safety prevailed over the cost of new tires.
My search for tires started with the obvious, what tire could fit my rim? The choices were only out of those brands that provided a 225/40/18 size. I was not too concerned about ultra performance; I would have actually preferred an all-weather modest tire. The size of my rim limited my choice to performance tires, so I wanted to get the highest rated and safest all-weather tire I could find. I also wanted to match what Sam's Club offered because their discount would be huge.
I chose the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 because Tirerack.com had them highly recommended and they topped the list of performance tires for max performance summer tires (out of a pool of 18). I liked the fact that they gripped the wet pavement almost as well as dry, offered a high degree of comfort, and were relatively quiet.
I dove in and paid a total of ~$875 at Sam's for complete installation. I got the tires at $192 each. I was up North in Iowa when I purchased these and since then I have been on icy, snow-covered, wet and dry roads. The last 2,000 miles on these tires have really showed me what they have to offer.
DIFFERENT DRIVING CONDITIONS
- ICE One of my first days on these tires was right after they cancelled school in the Midwest because of freezing rain and sleet. What did I do? I decided to drive out of the mess and get to dry country.
I first noticed that accelerating from a stop was slow and difficult. It took a lot of patience to start moving without spinning the tires. We?re talking bad conditions here, so do not think that these tires can?t handle anything cold. Once I got started, the driving was fine. No jerky movements, slow stops, and slow starts were the keys to safety. I learned to drive in the Midwest, so I would not recommend these tires to a Southerner if there is a chance of snow in your area. These are only summer tires for a displaced Southerner or inexperienced winter driver.
In the snow or on ice, I would compare these tires brand new to a regular all-weather tire that are 5,000 miles from being bald. They felt slippery and unstable on ice and snow. It was probably better I had these tires; I usually drive relatively fast in bad conditions.
- WET: Initially, I drove like I always do when the ice gave way to rain about Mid-Illinois as I headed South again. I drove cautiously at night as the rain came down in a steady pattering. The rain was not pouring, but the Semis and cars on the road made the traveling more dangerous with their braking at corners and by throwing up the rain mist.
I noticed the first performance increase when I started taking curves and exits as fast I would in dry weather. Other cars were braking where I was feeling the tires grip the road like it was dry. Puddles were no problem either. I waited until I got off the Interstate and headed towards my lodging to hit a puddle in a parking lot. I almost gave myself whiplash stopping in the water.
- DRY: If these tires handled extremely well on wet pavement, it is not hard to believe that these tires are a dream on dry ground. They are sticky and make lane changes fun.
COMFORT: An 18" rim does not leave too much room for absorption when your car has to have low profile tires. The Interstates, highways, and blacktops are great. The sideroads, railroad tracks, and cracks in pavement make for a jolt or two. Once, I cringed when I hit a railroad track at 40mph. I thought I was going to pop the tire the bump felt so strong.
The ride is comfortable and smooth and only the largest of potholes or cracks will make you jump. The size I?m talking about would make anyone feel the obstacle/obstruction, however, you just feel it a little more with these tires.
NOISE: The noise for these low profile tires are amazing. This is probably the first time that the wind outside the car is actually noisier than the tires on the road.
OVERALL TIRE
I am very pleased with this tire thus far. I did not need/want performance tires at first, however, the limited selection caused me to look at more performance oriented tires. I find that driving is safer and much enjoyable with these tires installed. I would just warn again for people with these tires to avoid any sub-freezing conditions where precipitation is involved.
Make sure you check the width of your rim and make sure that it can fit this tire. These tires will fit rims between 7.5 and 9.0. My rims are right at 7.5 so the installation was very tight.
THE RATINGS (1-10: 10 being the best)
WET - 9
DRY - 10
COMFORT - 7
NOISE - 8
OVERALL: 8.5
ICE/SNOW DRIVING - 3 (Goodyear does not advertise these for winter driving)
From Goodyear:
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires are available in a wide range of V-, Z- or Y-speed rated sizes in 55-, 50-, 45-, 40-, 35- and 30-series sizes for 15" through 21" rim diameters.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 192 each
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Epinions.com ID:
nchoward
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Location: USA
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Happy father of the most beautiful girl in the world
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