http://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/catalog/product.action?id=68115&pricing=true Went to the firestone on Roswell Road yesterday to get another set of Star Specs priced out and put on the car and the dude at firestone told me to look into these. I found 30 different threads on various other forums through a google search and can't seem to find any real solid information on them. He said he's sold them to a lot of high end car owners and they all love them, but there's something about going with a 'no name' tire that makes me nervous. Through Firestone, they are $113/tire. Firestone replaced their Fuzion lineup in house with these, and I was told they were made by Firestone/Bridgestone. However, on the sticker is this website, which is clearly a chinese owned company http://www.giti.com/en/ . It seems like their biggest sales come from truck and tractor trailer tires. Josh?
Looks like your typical asian cheapo tire...like LingLong, SungLi, WanLi, Sunny, etc... Never had problems from them, but they are not worth the $ compared to others that are better for a similar price. Some time ago Kauffman clearanced ALL of their LingLong L688 tires. The 215/45/17 size were $21 EACH. Crazyness.
Matt, Primewell tires are built over seas the Primewell name is owned by Firestone/Bridgestone. We sell a ton of them there an ok tire at a good price. I would not put them on my car butt that is not saying alot. There is a lot of tires people run that I would not put on my on car.... What size are you running and I can get you full specs.....
235-40/17. I have a set of Dunlop Star Specs 'waiting' for me at GTE, but getting over there is near impossible. Was just weighing my options.
I have a set of Primewell 245/45 17" on my STi. I bought the tires in November 2008 because i saw an ad in the paper for these tires at a really, really low price. They look good on the car, but are loud at any speeds higher than 60 and squeal around corners at any speed. I would not recommend these tire to anyone with a STi. However, i got all four mounted and balanced, chrome valve stems, for $340 out the door.
Matt, Looks like you have all the specs in your first post I did not see that the first time. I would go with the Dunlop Star Specs for sure.... I think you will be mad after you get the Primewell tires putt on and end up spending double money replacing them with a better tire.
In my experience there are two things that we should not cheap out on for our cars -- tires and brakes.
Sorry, I'm kind of late on this, but I found it during a search for something else. I work for Bridgestone. Bridgestone/Firestone doesn't technically make them. We just distribute them from China (Giti as you already pointed out). I don't have any personal experience with them, but I would not recommend them for the Suby.
I sell Primewells. You are getting exactly what you pay for and not a penny more. If you are at all discerning about your tires (and it certainly sounds like you are) then you may not be happy with them. They ain't no Michelin's. If you live where it snows then forget it - any traction you get in snow is purely accidental. Otherwise Primewell's are black, round, hold are and are durable enough.