New NEXEN N'FERA SUR4

[YESTURBO3]

Well I'm trying out a tire that's likely new to us all. So here's some basic info of the setup I'm soon to be running.

The Kosei K1-TS Wheel
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=TS120LG&wheelMake=Kosei&wheelModel=K1 TS&wheelFinish=Light Grey Painted&showRear=no&autoMake=Mazda&autoModel=Mazda6+Sport+Sedan&autoYear=2010&autoModClar=i+SV

The Nexen Tires
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...dewall=Blackwall&partnum=245YR7SUR4&tab=Sizes

I'll let you guys know how it turns out with a review that's non subjective as possible. May drop another thread for the Sumitomo Htr ZIII(really great cheap tire) talking 115 bucks or less in our typical sizes and puts down lots of grip.

Review BELOW!!!

 

[ibcrusn]

Just curious how are the 245's going to fit on 7" wide wheels? Although the K1-TS look nice Tire Rack is running a sale on the K6R in 17x9 +45 which would work a lot better for 245's and they are 18lbs ea. and $139 each.

 

[YESTURBO3]

I just picked out the wrong size for the link. Size will be 225/45/17. This setup isn't really about looks. Just go fast. 14.6lbs is pretty dang light. I'm cutting 50lbs+ of rotational mass off a very under powered car. Getting other stuff as well. Will be a surprise at Mazda Dragon Camp. Will take pictures and post later of what little stuff I'm adding for this setup.

 

[ibcrusn]

Okay, that makes much more sense. Sounds interesting though, those wheels are in the realm of light weight Miata wheels.

When you say under powered are you driving a straight 3 and not a MS3?

 

[YESTURBO3]

Look at my profile pic its a regular 2nd gen mazda 6. I'm going to edit the link from the first post so it's accurate for pricing etc. They very much are in the realm of miata wheel weight I've been calling my car a fat miata for awhile. You're talking about a car with the basic workings of a speed6 chassis minus the awd and turbo gear meaning it's about 400lbs lighter and much much less nose heavy. It handles very well just under powered so I'm focusing on complementing what it can do for now. Light wheels and some suspension stuff plus sticky tires is where it stops before big money comes out.

 

[YESTURBO3]

The Nexen tires and wheels were mounted to the wheels in the first post. The only suspension mod was adjustable upper ball joints set at -0.8 degrees. Left a little toe in on the front. Just a bit on the rear. I opted for more stability versus shear cornering prowess.

Now I'm going to have some subjectivity in here but I'm going to do my best to keep it reasonable as I want people to honestly know and understand this product from my experience with them. For around a 100 bucks a tire and almost cheaper then the competition in most sizes I would buy these again as well as recommend to anyone that wants a budget extreme tire.

I'll start with the good. The tires performed admirably. They really have that ultimate level of grip to them that I would class right beside or above some other "200tw" tires but I'm honestly leaning towards the top of the heap. These tires had no problems outclassing any non "200tw" that came their way. It almost didn't matter what car was behind me or in front of me out on the dragon unless it had similar classed tires. Just hill toe down in the corner and know they were going to stick. The straight line grip is in the middle of the group from my experiences and almost on balance with the lateral grip. Damp traction is high with deep water traction suffering as any "200tw" will due to large tread blocks but it's acceptable. This tire gives up a bit more in the wet then others in the class. Transitions under heavy loading are very nice especially coming off the brakes into the corner. Wheel weight is light on center but the car reacts very quickly to inputs with a nice linear build to the wheel weighting(partially my cars steering attribute). Grip is good even when the tires are cold up to a point. Once up to temp they are awesome until about 40 degree surface temps which is basically the cutoff for all tires in this class. They hold heat well and heat up quick. The tires were impossible to overheat on cooler surfaces. Can't speak of the temperature resilience on hotter surfaces. One bonus is that hey have a very aggressive look to them. The tires look very serious and anyone who sees them will know they aren't just Walmart all seasons. These tires really need a second to take a set and start slipping before they really get to working well which I think for a car on the road I like and enjoy. However, for track and autocross uses they won't be the best in this respect. Ride quality is extremely good considering what we're talking about here. Those last two qualities are a result of one thing though, a soft sidewall...which for some is the end of the world which means Hitler is back. Lets keep in mind I'm running a 225 on a 7 inch wheel. Stick a 235/45 on an 8.5 inch wheel and you'll eliminate most of this squirmy stuff. For my purposes and uses this setup was perfect as well as cost effective. A tire to autocross every now and then or blast on the occasional track day can be found withe Nexen's tire. If you want to compete with the absolute best times look else where and spend more money. Now moving from the take your pick of good or bad to the bad section. The wear is just about as bad as "200tw" tires can get but I abused these tires with a poorly sorted suspension. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're in the lower middle for wear. This is mainly because they like a lot of slip angle, way more then the DSC system in my 2010 Mazda 6 wanted to deal with. My car also has a lot of body roll without the proper amount of camber to counteract this so wear isn't terrible. THE NOISE sucks and is one of my main complaints about these tires now tire in this class is quite but these have a faint mud tires sound to them which is typical of a "200tw" so it doesn't matter that much. The kind of people that run these tires don't care about that sort of thing anyway right? Something to add about noise is how audible these tires are NOT under loading. They rarely scream even when you're in a full on slide at least 85% plus of your grip is still available however. I may post a video or two in reference to this. The tires will give this little audible and tactile grumble when you're using all the grip available. I really liked that but it still could be a huge negative of the tires for other people. Again were speaking on a negative that applies to most "200tw" tires. That's all. These tires won't disappoint anyone new to the "200tw" class. If you've had some Bridgestone re-71rs and are willing to continue spending 150+ average per set for a better tire spend it. If you want an amazing alternative for $85 to $120 per tire cost across most of common sizes people use, go for the Nexen N'fera Sur4. You won't be mad about your 400 dollar set of tires that genearlly will outpace half the "200tw" class available today. These tires are fun and forgiving so give them a shot.
[doublepost=1482150061][/doublepost]The Good:
Great lateral grip(near the best)
Tactile feedback at max grip
Ride quality
Consistency
Temp holding/temp building
Looks
Cost on average
Forgiving past the limit
The Meh:
Wear
Softer sidewalls
Wet grip
Ease to use all grip available
The Bad:
Road noise
High slip angles
Low audible feedback(note tactile feed back)
Average in the class at a lot of things
[doublepost=1482150221][/doublepost]You can see how much the front tire wore but I really did beat them. Check out how the back is nearly new. Time to flip them on the rim and rotate front to back for more hoonage. I need some roll stiffness in my suspension to reduce outer wear on the front tires. More static negative camber won't be ideal for the camber gain through compression of the suspension as well as driveability

 

[mangosmoothie]

Just curious how are the 245's going to fit on 7" wide wheels? Although the K1-TS look nice Tire Rack is running a sale on the K6R in 17x9 +45 which would work a lot better for 245's and they are 18lbs ea. and $139 each.

How do you shop tirerack by size? They make me select a car and shop by wheels they think fit that car. Won't let me see anything mildly aggressive for an MS3

 

[YESTURBO3]

Are you in mobile or your computer?

 

[mangosmoothie]

Computer

 

[YESTURBO3]

How do you shop tirerack by size? They make me select a car and shop by wheels they think fit that car. Won't let me see anything mildly aggressive for an MS3

Looking on the main website where it allows you to select make and model. In that same box you wanna click shop by size.

 

[mangosmoothie]

I can do that for tires, but it won't let me for wheels. I can only shop by vehicle. Selecting a WRX will show me some wider wheels, but still not ideal.

Also thanks for this thread. Looking at budget extreme tires and you're helping my decisions lol

 

[YESTURBO3]

I can do that for tires, but it won't let me for wheels. I can only shop by vehicle. Selecting a WRX will show me some wider wheels, but still not ideal.

Also thanks for this thread. Looking at budget extreme tires and you're helping my decisions lol

I can do that for tires, but it won't let me for wheels. I can only shop by vehicle. Selecting a WRX will show me some wider wheels, but still not ideal.

Also thanks for this thread. Looking at budget extreme tires and you're helping my decisions lol

I've had the same issues selecting wheels on their site. Best bet is to look else where then come back to them to see if the wheels are available through them cheaper. Glad I could help. They really are worth what you pay. Of course they won't be the best. The one thing they do better then most other tires is the shear lateral grip. Try looking under a mustang you'll find some aggressive width and offsets there.

 

[ibcrusn]

How do you shop tirerack by size? They make me select a car and shop by wheels they think fit that car. Won't let me see anything mildly aggressive for an MS3

My bad, I haven't been around much lately so I missed your post. When I'm looking for 17's that fit a MS3 I search using a 2012 Mustang non-GT and select the diameter in my case 17". I'm sure the same would apply if one was looking for wider 18's. Either way once you get to the diameter you're looking for you can then filter by offset to find the fitment you're seeking. If you have any other questions let me know.

 

[VTMongoose]

Like Jon said the warmup time seems to be a little long with these, but once they're warm, they do perform extremely well. I will probably buy a set to replace my RS3's next season. They are an undeniable value for the price.