[BabyDiesel]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

They were ten years ago. I don't know if anyones ever tested them against Conti's or Michelin's latest. The VW XL-1 runs Michelin. Take from that what you will.

Hmm. You do make me wonder about these newer tires. There might be another tire out there that is better than the Bridgestones.

The XL-1 runs 115/80R15 up front, which would be awesome to get hold of! However, I read that they cost over $1000 apiece

I see basjoos, MetroMPG and DonkeyCRX running RE92's, so it makes me think that there is something to them. Tygen1 put RE92's on his ZX2 and he spoke highly of them. Although, I am curious about the unknown Conti's... someone with a SmartCar needs to post up!

Originally Posted by RPM

OP, please be mindful of the load index. Smaller sizes aren't usually made to carry high loads and therefore might not be appropriate for your vehicle. It is a safety issue.

Further reading: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=35

Absolutely, RPM. Safety is a high concern. The Conti's carry 783 pounds @ 44 psi. My car is around 2200-2300. So I still have ~750 lbs of wiggle room. And I would run them at 50-55 psi, just because I am a limit pusher

There will be handling differences with the skinnier width and thinner sidewalls. Whichever I get, I plan on finding a road with no traffic and testing them out at different air pressures, just to get a feel for them.