Honda Civic: High-Performance Tire Reviews

This article applies to the Honda Civic/Del Sol (1992-2000).

So, you've done a few auto-crosses and maybe a track day, but you want to go faster. The best modification you can do, short of the "driver mod" (seat time), is utilize better tires. As unglamorous as it may seem, tires are best way to make your car faster. You can have all the power in the world with that turbo kit, but if you can't put the power down, then you're going nowhere. These days, there are high-quality street tires that offer near-race tire performance, with the accessibility of a D.O.T. legal tire.

If you're getting serious about track performance, then you may decide on a dedicated set of track wheels. Most racers with Civics of this generation are using either a 15" or 16" wheel with a 205 section width tire. Tires are cheap and plentiful in the 205/50R15 and 205/45R16 tire size, and that will be the basis of this comparison.

High-Performance Tires

Bridgestone RE-11/A

Price – $460-620*

Dry Grip – Good

Wet Grip – Best

Treadwear Rating – 200TW

Best Suited For – Street/Autocross

The Bridgestone is available in 15" and 16" sizes, hence the asterisk in pricing. Also, mid-year, Bridgestone released a revised compound, dubbed "RE-11A" that was a near-identical-looking tire offering improved response and sharper feedback. The newer "A" tire is ever so slightly more expensive than the standard RE-11. A great perk for these tires are the yearly incentives from the manufacturer, with Bridgestone often offering $50 to $100 mail-in rebates with a purchase of four tires; with that incentive, they may end up being the most cost-effective in their class. "Good" dry grip is subjective when talking about the Bridgestone RE-11/A; if you're coming from plain Jane all-season tires, this will be a massive step up in performance. However, compared to the others in this review, the Bridgestone is more prone to overheating if driven at the track for excessive periods of time. Conversely, they do offer great levels of grip when cold, not requiring much warm-up time to reach their optimal range. As a result, they are favored for autocross, where drivers demand maximum grip right out of the gate. These tires are also praised as being the most "daily-driver" friendly, and offering the best wear and mileage of this comparison. Due to rubber compound used and tire tread design, these are also best in class when it comes to wet grip. If you live in a rainy state, you won't be disappointed with the Bridgestone. Recommended for those who want the tire with the best street manners and wet grip.

Dunlop ZII (Z2)/Star Spec

Price: $450

Dry Grip – Better

Wet Grip – Better

Treadwear Rating – 200TW

Best Suited For – Autocross/Track

The Dunlop Z2 was only available in the 15" size, hence the class-leading prices. Much like Bridgestone, Dunlop released a revised version of the Z2 in late 2014 called the "Z2 Star Spec" which offered a slight increase in responsiveness and dry grip. Production of the original tire has ceased, and the Z2 is set to take the place of the original. This tire has all-rounder, solid street manners in the wet or dry, and is very competent at an autocross or track day. Like the Bridgestone, the Dunlop does well right off the starting line, not needing much warmup time, making them great for autocross. It is not uncommon to see the fastest cars out there on the Dunlops. They are commendable on the track as well, but ultimately will begin to overheat during prolonged, hard driving, especially if you drive with a "loose" or sloppy style. They are more resilient to heat than the Bridgestones, but less so than the Hankook. Recommended for those who want a great all-rounder tire that can handle the street, autocross, and track with aplomb.

Hankook RS3 (Version 2)

Price – $540

Dry Grip – Best

Wet Grip – OK

Treadwear Rating – 200TW

Best Suited For – Autocross/Track

In this review, the Hankook was only available in the 16" tire size, hence the pricing. Once the wheels and tire packages go larger and wider, the Hankook usually shines as the best budget option. In 2014, Hankook re-released their RS3 tire with a revised 200TW rating from the previous 180. According to Hankook and many forum goers, there was no apparent change in performance, just the treadwear rating on the tire. Of the choices here, the Hankook is the most common "track rat" tire, and is a very common sight on race tracks around the country. While they may be often thought of as an awesome track tire, they are no slouch at your local autocross, with many nationally-competitive drivers still using them. The Hankooks take a bit of heat to work, unlike our first two options, but once up to temp, they provide class-leading dry grip. It is possible to overheat these tires, but it's a large window, and these tires will tell you when it's time for a cool down lap. If your Civic is particularly lightweight, you may never even experience it, which makes it a great option for those tracking in hot climates. RS3 tires like higher tire pressures and are happy to deal with "dirty" driving and leaning on them hard. As a result of their heat tolerance, they do compromise in ultimate wet grip and street manners. Also, these tires will wear out more quickly than the first two options. Recommended for those who plan on going to the race track frequently.

BFG Rival

Price – $500

Dry Grip – Better

Wet Grip – OK

Treadwear Rating – 200TW

Best Suited For – Autocross

The BFG Rival was only available in the 15" size for this comparison. For 2015, BFG released an upgraded version of the Rival, known as the Rival-S, to try and keep up with the competition in the hot street tire class. This tire is excellent for cars with stock suspension due to its design where the tread blocks actually wrap around the edge of the sidewall, providing useful grip even at that amount of slip. This is important because stock suspensions tend to be soft and cause the car to roll a lot in the corners, and this tire works well in those conditions. It should be noted that although all four tires in this review are 200TW rated, the BFG comes out of the box shaved down to 6/32nd of read, versus the others which are full-tread tires at 9-10/32nd. This means that it will not last as long as its competitors. However, for lightweight cars like the Civic, the tire wear will still be decent as the car isn't working the tires as hard as a heavier car. That also means that there is no required break-in period, and they will offer maximum grip from day one. The Rival and Rival-S have fallen behind some of their competitors in outright grip and performance, but they are excellent for the novice driver as they clearly communicate when their limits have been reached. Recommended for those who have an unmodified suspension or want an easy-to-drive-at-the-limit tire.

Related Discussions

• Road Racing/Autocross Forum - Honda-Tech.com
• Tire Talk for AutoX and Track - Honda-Tech.com
• Fastest 200TW Tires - Honda-Tech.com