FYI,

I just bought a replacement Bridgestone RE730 and there is a new version available. Leigh, at tirerack.com, tells me that while the RE730s sell like crazy, customers invariably call back after awhile to complain about how they're getting louder as they wear.

Tirerack (and other outlets?) told Bridgestone that they were no longer including this tire in their "recommended" choices as it was becoming a customer service hassle.

Bridgestone responded by adding a bar, which ties the outer treadblocks together and supposedly eliminats the source of noise and uneven wear.

205/50ZR16, delivered to my door in two days for $120.

More information at:

http://tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_re730.jsp



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Erwin in Memphis, '95 855t

Erwin, I have the "old gen" RE730 on my 95 850 turbo and found them to be quite loud initally until they wore down (or I became numb). I just recently rotated the tire front to back after 20K (I know, I'm Late) and was appalled at the amount of noise that now comes from the front end. I'm sure its due to not wearing the shoulders down yet, but I wouldn't buy another set because of the noise. I love the grip and bought them for the wet grip characteristics. I'm open for my next set, maybe Yokohama's. At this point in my life I'm more interested in comfort than the ultimate in handling. Frankly, my 850 rides like a go-cart now. With todays tire compounds, ultimate seems to be a lot closer to comfortable than it used to. I have never had a set of tires "let go" and convince me that I needed a sticker compound. Let us know what you experience.

The RE730s were on the car when I bought it. I had to replace just one and compared to the new one, the other three are down 1/8" in the center groove. Whatever that translates into in terms of mileage I can't say.

I'm with you in terms of real world usage. I'd sacrafice a bit of grip for quiet. These tires are noted for their wet grip, and the AAA traction rating is awarded as result of a straight-line braking wet test.

I find however, and maybe it's just me, that they hydroplane like crazy in moderate rain and shallow standing water. Worst case is water collectiing in the two troughs that most asphalt highways develop due to heavy (tractor trailer) use.

Perhaps it's the combination of (relatively) wide footprint, front wheel drive and power, but when it's raining and I pull out to pass a semi and the front end starts skating left and right I'm not happy. Add cars or trucks lining up behind me to follow me around the truck or car I'm passing and no one's happy when I have to back off to regain traction. Never had this problem in my asthmatic Nissan Sentra with skinny tires.

I don't want to change to a 15" wheel so I'm kinda stuck (bad choice) with hi-perf tires that are biased (radialled?) toward speed/handling over all round real world use.
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Erwin in Memphis, '95 855t

kuhmos, best bang for buck. korean (go figure) friend swears by them.

had pzeros... great straightline acceleration and braking...hydro'd like crazy in puddles...s-02 were amazing in handling and in wet. if u get a chance...c if u wanna try out s-03 or pilot sport. these are probably not going to the quietest or the cheapest. does memphis snow? could stick with summer tires if not...

I just bought 4 of rthe RE-730's about 2 months ago. They are loud compared to a street tire, but not loud for a maximum performance tire. In case you are new to tires....Higher performance = higher noise level.

Personally I have driven my 850 on Yokohama A520's, Khumo 712's and the Bridgestone RE-730's. The Bridgestone RE-730's are outstanding tires if you are looking for grip.

I look forward to burning this set up and getting the next generation.
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Nathan Valles, Black 855R, Tint

At 43, this is my first car that requires "performance" tires. I got my adrenaline boost on motorcycles before. What's your opinion of the Khumos? I was considering them next.
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Erwin in Memphis, '95 855t

I am 41, married with child and LOVE automobile performance. I have a 1997 850 R wagon. I have had the car for about 6 months and the only suspension mod so far is a strut brace which took about 30 minutes to install. I am riding on 215-45-17 tires on the stock Volan rims. I have upgraded the brakes to the powerslot rotors with semi-metallic pads on all 4 corners. I also changed to all synthetic oils and ATF.

When I bought the car it had 205-45-17 Yokohama A520's. They are great tires if you are looking for STICK, but they are NOISY too. When it was time to change the tires I tried the Khumo 712's. Then I changed to the RE 730's. I haven't driven the other Volvo models so I don't know how their suspensions are set up or the tires they run on.

The Khumo's are a great entry into performance tires. If you are looking to upgrade from all season tires to something better, without giving up much in the way of comfort, than I highly recommend the Khumo's. If it's the wife's car or if it doesn't get pushed to it's limit then the Khumo's are great. If you are looking for the maximum adhesion to the road and don't mind a stiffer ride and some road noise, then I recommend the new RE730's.

The Khumo's stick very well, but not as good as the A520's or the RE 730's.
The Khumo's do have softer sidewalls than the other 2, which gives a smoother ride, but also means less control at the absolute limits of adhesion. (I like visiting those limits on some of our mountain roads from time to time.)
The Khumo's are also much quieter than the other 2. I couldn't hear the Khumo's while I can hear the tread of the other 2.
I guess it comes down to this....In my opinion the R's suspention was better than the Khumo's, but the RE 730's reveal the limitations of the car's suspension.

If the car ever reverts to being just my wife's car, then I'll put on the Khumo's without hesitation. She will like them better for all the reasons mentioned above. On the other hand I want all the performance I can get without spending $200 per tire.

Hope this helps.
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Nathan Valles, Black 855R, Tint