So, my rear tires are dead. One is nearly bald completely, and the other rear is corded. Unfortunately, I won't have the cash until Friday to buy a set, and how easy it will be to survive 'till the next pay period ends depends on how much I spend on these tires.

I'm set on Continental DWS'. For once I wanted to get what I wanted instead of getting what's better for my wallet, because I've decided to make quality-driven decisions instead of cost-driven ones. Tires is the main thing that I don't want to skimp on.

So, I know what tire. The size is the issue I'm struggling with.

Ever since Tire Rack started charging tax, their prices are no longer feasible for my budget. With taxes and shipping costs, I'm paying easily $100 more for the tires than without any of those things. I'd diverted my attention to Tire Buyer, a ZHP Mafia affiliate.

Here are the sizes I was looking at (all prices in sets of 4 shipped):

225/35ZR-18 - not offered in this size (consider other brand??)
225/40ZR-18 - $617.72
235/35ZR-18 - $582.44
235/40ZR-18 - $676.44
245/35ZR-18 - not offered in this size (consider other brand??)
245/40ZR-18 - $714.88

OEM Sizes:
225/40ZR-18 Front
255/35ZR-18 Rear
$766.26

+ approximately $80 for mounting and balancing
+ approximately $120 for performance alignment

I'm thinking of going with a square setup. I'd love to have the stock setup of 225/40ZR-18 fronts and 255/35ZR-18's because it looks absolutely badass, but that would run me mid $700's, which is far too much money just for the tires. I would consider it, however, and isn't completely out of the running...

My beef is that I'd like to avoid going 225 all around if I can help it because it just looks a little too skinny for me, and I'd like more rubber on the road. I was thinking 235 all around or maybe even 245. The price sweet spot seems to be 235/35ZR-18's all around, which seem to be the cheapest. This does raise a couple of questions:

Why is the price difference so high between the 235/35's and the 235/40's? There isn't that much extra rubber there...

Would I be better off with a 35-series or 40-series profile tire? Does it make that big of a difference from a pothole perspective?



Things to keep in mind;
* I'd like to get at a minimum 35k out of these tires
* These will be track driven, approximately 3x a year
* These will be used year round, including in snow.
* These will not be autocrossed.
* I drive about 80-90% highway miles.
* I drive approximately 30-35k miles a year, depending on what's going on in my life.
* On the street, I do not drive aggressively. I get rolling softly, no wheel spin. Sometimes I go WOT on an on-ramp, but do not accelerate once on the highway. I almost always take exit ramp turns with some spirit, traffic permitting. No burnouts, no donuts, ever. I make damn sure that there is no wheelspin when driving on the street.
* I'm a cheap bastard, so I refuse to buy tires every 15-20k. Because of my driving habits, I will drive the tires 'till they reach the legal tread depth limit, so the tires must perform until then. I understand that winter performance is compromised with less tread depth, and don't care as long as I can safely drive in the rain or dry.
* I plan on rotating the tires every 2 or 3 autocrosses (I take my wheels off and switch on track wheels when autocrossing), or every 5k miles, if I get a squared setup.
* The car will be immediately aligned (all 4 wheels) at Kaizen Tuning in Acton, MA once the tires are mounted. Will be aligned within its breakin period of 500 miles.


So, input on what size you think is best, and answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you see something here that directly conflicts with my choice of tire, please let me know and say which tire you think is better for the job.


Thanks...