Tires shouldn't be a consideration when doing a car review....

"TJDMAX" (tjdmax) 10/27/2015 at 12:59 • Filed to: None

4

33

Just got done reading the road and track first drive on the new NSX, and yes there were a couple of issues that Travis had with the car but a big complaint was the tires. To me this is useless information and it shines a negative light on the vehicle yet is something that is very easily fixed. No one has to keep the same stock tires on a car for the car’s entire life. I don’t care if the tires suck because they can be changed so easily. And if you are spending 150K+ on a car you can definitely afford whatever tires your heart desires.

Rant over.

lone_liberal > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:02

3

That’s true, but the reviewer has to say how the car drove when they had it. They can’t go swap tires, so they have to review how it drove with the crappy tires that the manufacturer chose to put on it. If anything it’s giving the car the benefit of the doubt to say that the tires were the problem and not the car itself.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:03

7

I disagree, I think they should be mentioned. Manufacturers spend a great deal of time and money figuring out what tire best suits they car they have created. If it’s a great match, they should be commended. If they fucked it up, they should get some flak for it.

jjhats > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:03

2

disagree. car reviews are on stock equipment not modified so whatever tire the manufacturer chooses matters big time. when someone reviews an frs he has to comment on speed steering visibility brakes and grip. if the tires suck he cant say grip is good he has to say grip sucks but it should be noted the tires are the cause. oem tire choice is huge in designing a car. it affects braking acceleration grip and handling. he did right by mentioning it and helped prospective buyers choose the right equipment

RallyWrench > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:05

1

They have to bring it up. If the car is good enough to outshine its tires (like the BRZ for example), it has to be mentioned that it’s hamstrung by its factory equipment.

Chariotoflove > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:06

0

I agree with you. To be fair, the author should know better, and he did. He was just writing it to be dramatic about the night and day difference the tires make, but it sounded like he was putting all the blame on the car until you read 2/3 into the article. Then, the car suddenly transforms from understeering shit-box to joyous revelation. I think that’s not the best writing I’ve ever read.

Also to be fair, Travis didn’t review the car. He’s just the editor that posted the review to Jalopnik.

Nibby > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:06

1

Agreed, they’re fucking MORONS for not lifting it and putting 35” tires!!!!

jariten1781 > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:12

6

Nope, tires that come with the vehicle totally matter. That’s how the manufacturer decided to present the car to the public. Car’s with sticky summer tires will get dinged for forcing you to get a second set, car’s with less performing tires will get dinged for that. Reviewer’s job is to let folks know what they’ll be getting if they buy the car, not what the car’s potential would be if you do something else.

Plus, there's the whole lease thing. Most people who lease do not change the tires and when they do there are restrictions on what you can have on there at turn-in.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:13

0

#1 point: The tires were stock, and base level at that. It’s part of the package, and happens to be something wrong.

#2 point: If something easily fixed is tarnishing the driving experience, it’s better to say “this didn’t feel as good as it should have because it doesn’t have xyz optional component” than to say “this did not meet expectations”.

#3 point: Imagine it the other way around. You are in the market for an NSX. The test car had the optional tires. The reviewer LOVED the car, but didn't mention what options were or were not fitted. You go get an NSX and are immediately disappointed because you didn't get the tire upgrade.

Urambo Tauro > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:15

0

*shrug* It’s a two-for-one review. You get the reviewer’s opinion of the car, and of the tires it comes with.

But I agree; you can’t condemn a car just because you don’t like the tires that the manufacturer decided to offer with it. It’s almost like turning down a car just because it doesn’t have Mobil 1 oil.

Scott > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:17

0

I remember back when I wasted my money on Motorcycle mags that a number of them would change the tires on every bike they tested to one brand. Their logic was that it took the variable of the tire out of the review. the problem is that vehicles, bikes or cars are engineered with the tires that it will be sold with in mind. If the manufacturer can’t optimize it to the tires they spent millions of dollars to make the car work with than what are the odds that a different tire will be better. Also if they got that wrong what else might they have gotten wrong. It’s very much worth considering especially since changing the tires is so easy. Since it is so easy why did Honda not make that change, especially since the NSX has been so late in coming to market. How could they not get that simple bit right.

Ianlikerally > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:17

0

I disagree, the type of tires a manufacturer puts on a car might not matter on an econobox or the family minivan. However, when you are building a sports car or hyper car ( depending on how they market this thing) the choice of rubber is essential to the handling and performance of the vehicle. So putting a cheap or lacklustre set of shoes on your flagship car can be detrimental to its success. It would be in Acura’s interest to put the best rubber on their car to highlight its handeling especially since this NSX has been highly anticipated for such a long time.

Nobi > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:18

0

There’s four kinds of people that will buy this thing. First, sadly, is the majority of the people that will buy these to just putter it around to show off to their friends that they have one. Seeing as they’re not going to race it around a track, just like most owners of 911’s, 458’s/488’s, AMG GT’s, etc., the tires on it, Contis or not, will be fine for them when they idle up to the golf course on the weekend. Next are the ones that think this thing will appreciate to the status of the original NSX. They’ll buy it and Sultan of Brunei it away for years thinking they’re sitting on an eventual windfall. By the time they unload their neglected car, it’ll need tires anyway. Then you have the weekend racers. The ones that have the cash and are looking for something to stand out. I include RealTime racing in this category. They’ll buy it, modify it, and race it, so the stock tires won’t matter anyway. Finally, there’s the rich, entitled douchebags. These are the trust fund millionaires that will buy one because it’s new, and drive it like it’s an F1 car, and you’ll eventually see them plastered all over wreckedexotics.com since they can afford another one when their (lack of) driving ability fails them. The stock tires will save these people from a quick, firey death, and since they probably can’t tell the difference between a tailpipe and a radiator hose since they pay someone else to, that won’t matter to them either.

HammerheadFistpunch > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:20

5

I sorta disagree, a tire is chosen carefully to match the goals of the car, if the tire isn’t right its either a poor engineering choice (in the case of Honda, unlikely) or a deliberate compromise to suit the mission of the car. In any event, many of these tires are special compounds just for the car, though I don’t think its the case here though it could be more difficult to get a good aftermarket tire in these sizes if they are staggered, oftentimes there isn’t much choice...at least for a while.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:37

0

I read Pilot Sport Cup 2 are available as an option.

Teleph0nes > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:45

0

I disagree. Tires may be easily swapped, but for many people, they are going to simply go with the manufacturer’s selected tire. Obviously, being a 570 horsepower super-car, shitty all-seasons are not even close to being ok. It’s one thing for an FR-S to have hard slippery prius tires for the #drfting, or a GTI to come with all-seasons since its fundamentally a cheap hatchback, but your $170,000 supercar should have different considerations.

If you can afford a $170,000 car, you can afford another set of wheels and winter tires if you want to drive your supercar in December.

Teleph0nes > Nobi 10/27/2015 at 13:53

0

I think the stock tires will cause their quick, fiery death in less time than if they had the proper tire for a supercar. Think about how quickly the NSX will be able to reach cornering speeds that those all-seasons can’t handle. 570 horsepower + all-seasons + AWD + designing a lot of understeer into the car = plowing straight into a tree with the front wheels turned going 80.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 13:57

0

I disagree with you for reasons Hammerfistpunch listed already.

Nevertheless, the NSX does offer the Michelins as an option and it comes alive with those shoes

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > HammerheadFistpunch 10/27/2015 at 13:57

0

spot-on

TJDMAX > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 14:03

0

I’ll reply to myself on this and see if i can clarify some of what people are saying. Yes i agree that a reviewer should review the car in the spec that he or she is testing it. And if the stock tires suck they should say so. Yes i agree also that on some of these high dollar high end super cars, tire manufacturers are custom making tires for individual cars. Whether it be a special compound or size etc the tires usually wear the same name as a tire that already exists (Michelin pilot cup 2 for example) yet will have a different compound specifically for one car. In those cases though rarely do you hear of the tires being a complaint. When the car manufacturer spends the time to get a custom compound of tire made for a specific vehicle...it usually works damn well. In the case of the NSX it seems these are just off the shelf tires. Both the Continentals and the Michelin’s.

The reason why i said that tires shouldn’t matter is because you CAN change them, and relatively easily. It isn’t the same as saying that a car’s infotainment system is garbage, or the dash layout is terrible, or the turbo’s have too much lag, or the throttle response is sporadic, or the suspension is uncontrollable etc. Things like this are much more difficult to change than some tires.

Nobi > Teleph0nes 10/27/2015 at 14:09

1

This is true. Maybe this is a crazy form of population control or 1%’er control by Acura.

TJDMAX > HammerheadFistpunch 10/27/2015 at 14:10

0

Right, I agree that there are cases where the engineers spec out a tire and get a custom compound and size etc just for that vehicle. In those situations though there aren’t typically negative reviews of tires on these cars. The point i was trying to get at though is that if you don’t like a tire you can easily change it. You can play with different compounds and sizes relatively easily. Sure it is helpful to hear that the stock tires suck...but i also wouldn’t necessarily not buy a car because the stock tires are terrible....

TJDMAX > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 10/27/2015 at 14:12

0

Sure, they should get some flak, but then you could just pick a better suited tire and be happy. OEM’s don’t always pick custom tires for each vehicle. And there are always compromises to be made between performance and longevity so it comes down to what the owner wants anyways. And compared to the price of vehicles, tires are relatively cheap, and you can swap out different tires to try what works best for your setup.

HammerheadFistpunch > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 14:15

0

I agree with what you said, though I do think the tire choice on a 170 grand car reflects a deliberate choice on the part of the engineers to have that blend of traits. That being said, if tires are available in the NSX’s staggered size, it would be the first thing I would change.

for Michigan > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 14:17

0

If you’re charging $150K+ for a car, the stock tires should be perfect.

Teleph0nes > Nobi 10/27/2015 at 14:17

1

Or more likely it’s just the Acura brand doing their best to make the NSX less interesting. bazing!

Justin Hughes > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 15:08

0

Tires do matter. Many have written that the FR-S/BRZ is a car you can enjoy sliding around below the speed limit. This is true on the stock Prius tires. But the car has so much more performance potential that can be unleashed simply by upgrading the tires. I took it to one autocross on the Prius tires, and never went back because it was more frustrating than fun, knowing that the car could do so much more if properly equipped. After swapping my Michelin Primacy HPs for Pilot Super Sports, its a brand new car, yet nothing else about the car changed. I’m still running 100% stock suspension, but have thoroughly enjoyed it on the road and track. (See what I did there?)

On the other hand, the Mustang EcoBoost press car I had came with Pirelli P Zero tires. They worked quite well on the street - not as well on gravel rally stages , but they weren’t made for that, so I didn’t hold it against them. In this case I think the Mustang’s tires didn’t matter so much in my review because they were well matched to the car, while the BRZ’s original tires left me wanting more.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 15:15

0

I'd say he's reviewing the car as it is, not the car as it can be. What's the harm in him telling you the stock tires suck?

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 15:24

0

Then there would never be another FR-S review

wiffleballtony > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 15:57

0

Disagree. If that’s what that manufacturer supplies then that’s OEM spec.

wiffleballtony > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 16:07

1

There’s a lot of stuff you CAN change on a car fairly easily. It takes essentially no effort on my part to remap my ECU. Should Ford get a pass on that because they’re easily changeable?

Nobi > Teleph0nes 10/27/2015 at 16:29

0

Seems to be their mission with everything they make these days.

Brian Silvestro > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 19:17

0

Travis didn’t write that article.

Justino6969 > TJDMAX 10/27/2015 at 19:35

0

I’m glad he mentioned it, because the better tires are a dealer option. Now you know to spring for that option rather than the ‘stock’ tires that ruin the car as a whole.