GDavis

I need to replace my OEM SP8000Es after 34,000miles. I loved these tires and would not hesitate buying them again. However I have heard good things about the 5000s and would like a good comparison if someone has had experience with both. Things I am interested in knowing are treadwear (real life), road noise, wet and dry weather handling, and corner handling.
Granted I drive a little spirited and love to corner and I want to feel comfortable with the way it handles on my car. It is a stock 2.8 quattro. I am looking at the dunlops since I have a good connection with someone there. I am not worried too much about snow, don't get much here.
Thanks

Dave G

The wet and dry grip is very good, but the cornering is very different. Different from performance tires. The SP5000s should be called touring tires, not performance tires.
I have driven on SP8000s, so I have a fair idea of what they feel like. Based on my experience with the SP5000s, I don't think you are going to like them, if you like cornering a lot.
The SP5000s appear to have great credentials on paper, but the sidewalls are so soft (in size 205/55-16) that they radically changed the handling characteristics of my car. I've heard other people with other sizes of SP5000s talk about the soft sidewalls. Other people don't notice, or don't experience any problems.
My application is on a Subaru with stock 6.5" wide wheels. Your wheels, if they are stock, on your 2.8, should be 7.0" wide. That may make a difference, but I still think you might not be happy with the change in handling characteristics.

After mine went on, I played with tire pressures, especially after the tire pressure ***** on this board put their two-cents in, and I contacted Dunlop tech directly (bypassing the Tirerack) in order to get answers on the radical difference in handling. They admitted that you might need to increase tire pressures as high as the maximum (on the sidewall) in order to regain some or all of the handling characteristics. For my application, the increased tire pressures helped, but did not solve the problem. I have learned to drive my Subaru much more carefully, and I no longer take corners as fast. I also do not make rapid lane changes on the highway anymore. It makes my all-stock S4 feel like a Corvette by comparison. All I can do is give you my opinion and impressions. I can tell you that my Subaru was changed into a car that is no longer any fun to drive. My local tire shop, and my Subaru dealer both concur in that opinion. They have both told me that they have never seen tires with such soft sidewalls, nor tires that made such a difference in handling characteristics.

The only saving grace here may be that these Dunlop SP5000s will turn out to be good in the snow, but I haven't seen snow yet this year.

Good luck.

GDavis

Thanks for your input. Kinda what I was afraid of with a "touring" tire.