# Nitto Motivo



## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

Finally a Nitto tire for the rest of us!
Motivo


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## thekevin (Feb 21, 2012)

I like the way those look, I was also looking at the Neo gens.

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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

Neo-Gen's are good but they are designed for negative camber, so they wear funny for a bit if you don't have any. I had them on Legacy GT, they were a pretty good tire.


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## Smurfenstein (Nov 16, 2011)

Those would be amazing. Definitely on my list for when I get my wheels down the road.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Smurfenstein said:


> Those would be amazing. Definitely on my list for when I get my wheels down the road.


Same.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

You guys must be seeing something that I'm not.... A all season tire with a 560 thread wear, is there anything good about it at all? 

No thanks...


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> You guys must be seeing something that I'm not.... A all season tire with a 560 thread wear, is there anything good about it at all?
> 
> No thanks...


Isn't 560 a high number. Meaning that the tread will wear longer. And get more mileage out of the tire.

I'm not familiar with the min and max tread rating. 

Could you explain a lil.


Sent from iPhone 4


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

tecollins1 said:


> Isn't 560 a high number. Meaning that the tread will wear longer. And get more mileage out of the tire.
> 
> I'm not familiar with the min and max tread rating.
> 
> ...


There is no industry standard for treadwear values. The only comparison they are valid for is between other tires made by the same company. A Goodyear treadwear of 500 is not equivalent to a Firestone treadwear of 500. Generally speaking, the higher the treadwear number, the longer the tire will last. 

I'm not sure what Nitto's treadwear rating is compared to the OEM tires we have, but this gives us another option that appears to be quite a good one. 

The tredwear number will typically give you an indication of how much life to expect out of a tire. It will sometimes give you an indication of the hardness of the rubber compound used. Naturally, a harder tire will compromise traction for tire life. 

Since these are compact economy cars, I wouldn't be one to try a 200 or 300 treadwear rated tire and have it last me 20-30k miles. 

These would appear to be a great tire replacement for the Eco.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

tecollins1 said:


> Isn't 560 a high number. Meaning that the tread will wear longer. And get more mileage out of the tire.
> 
> I'm not familiar with the min and max tread rating.
> 
> ...


Most people (myself included) want tires that perform better than stock in terms of how well they actually grip the road. As for treadwear ratings, the higher the number the harder the rubber compound. The softer the the tire compound is, the more grip the tire will have (generally). Most ultra high performance summer tires will have a 200-300 treadwear rating.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> There is no industry standard for treadwear values. The only comparison they are valid for is between other tires made by the same company. A Goodyear treadwear of 500 is not equivalent to a Firestone treadwear of 500. Generally speaking, the higher the treadwear number, the longer the tire will last.
> 
> I'm not sure what Nitto's treadwear rating is compared to the OEM tires we have, but this gives us another option that appears to be quite a good one.
> 
> ...


I don't disagree with anything you said but why are you guys interested in replacement tires for your brand new car with tires that are at the same performance level as your oem tires? I thought the point of modifying your car was to improve performance...


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Skilz10179 said:


> Most people (myself included) want tires that perform better than stock in terms of how well they actually grip the road. As for treadwear ratings, the higher the number the harder the rubber compound. The softer the the tire compound is, the more grip the tire will have (generally). Most ultra high performance summer tires will have a 200-300 treadwear rating.


And will cost over $200 if not $300 a tire and will require replacing in 2-3 years if you're lucky. Many (if not most) don't even have a treadwear warranty. 

Cruze =/= Camaro/Corvette. 

See what I did there?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Skilz10179 said:


> I don't disagree with anything you said but why are you guys interested in replacement tires for your brand new car with tires that are at the same performance level as your oem tires? I thought the point of modifying your car was to improve performance...


I'm under the impression that these Nitto tires would be a step above the OEM tires we have on our Cruze. The tread design certainly seems to hint at that. Admittedly, my knowledge of tires is limited, but these do look promising.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> And will cost over $200 if not $300 a tire and will require replacing in 2-3 years if you're lucky. Many (if not most) don't even have a treadwear warranty.
> 
> Cruze =/= Camaro/Corvette.
> 
> See what I did there?


No one ever said performance is cheap but if I ever wanted to improve my Cruze performance with different tires there isn't a chance in **** I'd have try to accomplish it with another set of all seasons.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Skilz10179 said:


> No one ever said performance is cheap but if I ever wanted to improve my Cruze performance with different tires there isn't a chance in **** I'd have try to accomplish it with another set of all seasons.


I agree with this. I'm just saying, adding another attractive option for those who will eventually have to replace their tires is kinda cool, since most of them won't want to pay for performance summer tires. This tire simply attracts a lot more people than a purpose built summer tire would. 

I was considering going with summer tires for my SC 3800 Regal since I have winter tires on a separate set of rims, but I still couldn't justify the cost so I ended up going with some 400 treadwear Firestone 245-wide all-seasons; the Firestone P019 Grids.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I'm under the impression that these Nitto tires would be a step above the OEM tires we have on our Cruze. The tread design certainly seems to hint at that. Admittedly, my knowledge of tires is limited, but these do look promising.


The stock Eco tires are nothing special in terms of grip but they are probably the lightest tire in their size. Just something else to consider when looking for upgrades.


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## Smurfenstein (Nov 16, 2011)

Its also not just about whether or not they want to pay for a higher performance tire. If their first set is worn out or they blow a tire, they NEED a new set to simply drive their car; and if they don't want to go for the tire upgrade performance wise for any reason, then a good set of long lasting tires is the best choice, as it should last them until they are ready for a performance tire.


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## limited360 (May 6, 2011)

Got a feeling the weight of the tires doesn't compare.

Always shocked how light the rim/tire combo is on my Eco when I have a rim off.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

they are a 60,000 mile, W and Y speed rated tire and cost about $150 each. I'm interested in your reasoning that a 560 tread wear rating means the tire won't handle well, they have nothing to do with each other. If you are looking for a straight up performance tire this is obviously not it and you can tell that just by looking at the type of tread it has. But I'd be willing to bet it will kick the crap out of the garbage fuel max tires that come on the Eco's in every way shape and form and may even equal or at least get close to, their gas mileage since this tire was also designed to be light. Obviously they are not an NT-01 or NT-05 type tire, and to compare them is idiotic, it be like comparing them to a BFG A/T KOR and saying they aren't as good going thru mud. But for people that want a better all season radial than the OEM crap I'm willing to bet they will fit the bill nicely. either way i am putting a set on a friends Cobalt SS, I'll let you know what I think


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

NBrehm said:


> they are a 60,000 mile, W and Y speed rated tire and cost about $150 each. I'm interested in your reasoning that a 560 tread wear rating means the tire won't handle well, they have nothing to do with each other. If you are looking for a straight up performance tire this is obviously not it and you can tell that just by looking at the type of tread it has. But I'd be willing to bet it will kick the crap out of the garbage fuel max tires that come on the Eco's in every way shape and form and may even equal or at least get close to, their gas mileage since this tire was also designed to be light. Obviously they are not an NT-01 or NT-05 type tire, and to compare them is idiotic, it be like comparing them to a BFG A/T KOR and saying they aren't as good going thru mud. But for people that want a better all season radial than the OEM crap I'm willing to bet they will fit the bill nicely. either way i am putting a set on a friends Cobalt SS, I'll let you know what I think



Where do i begin... My reasoning behind my 560 treadwear comments is because a tire that that high of a rating is going to be made of hard compound which will not grip the road surface nearly as well as an identical tire rated at 300 treadwear which would be a much softer (stickier) compound. I never said a 560 won't handle well, but i did imply that these particular tires aren't what i would consider to be a great upgrade overall compared to oem Eco
rubber.

I know treadware ratings aren't everything and there isn't even an industry standard which different manufacturers use but it will give you a good idea of how hard the rubber is, and they are part of the equation of how a tire will perform when pushed to its limits. The tread design with bigger shoulder blocks will provide better traction in the corners, as will a stiffer sidewall but both of those features will also make a tire heavy. Light weight is by far the biggest benefit of our oem Eco tires, using heavier tires with those features will provide a little better grip in the corners will most likely hurt straight line acceleration, fuel economy, and how responsive the suspension is.

I am not saying i think its a bad tire but it just doesn't seen to be anything to get excited about compared to my oem tires which still have years of life left in them. 

When it is time for my oem tires to be replaced i will be buying two sets and another set of wheels as well. In my honest opinion all season tires just plain suck, they are decent at best in any given condition but compared to snow tires in the snow they are awful and they surely can't compete with real performance summer tires during the warm seasons.

Thats my logic...


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

I do completely understand your logic, but not everyone can afford multiple sets of wheels and tires and I guess what I was trying to infer is this may be a very good, affordable compromise for a lot of people on a budget to get a nice bump in performance and handling, be able to use them all year, and still get decent gas mileage. Kinda why I said it was a Nitto Tire "for the rest of us" since they are a performance based company. I've been reading up on the test results from Nitto and the only place these tires give up anything to their best tires is in dry performance and it really isn't by a lot. And while I am sure this is because it is a "harder" compound they still pulled .93G in a BMW 330 with them, I'd say that is pretty darn good and far beyond what a Cruze (and especially the fuel max tires) is capable of. The tread wear rating is completely subjective because there is no standard, so all it really tells you is it is harder than other Nitto tires. I'm not expecting blazing performance on the skidpad from my Cruze, but being able to stop and turn when the road is wet or dirty is already way ahead of the stock tires, the goodyears are garbage


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

If y'all want some tires check out what I will be buying for autocross there humho v710

http://www.google.com/search?q=kumh...iw=320&bih=544&sei=I7RiT47VO9SztweXwsGWCA#i=1 

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## limited360 (May 6, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> If y'all want some tires check out what I will be buying for autocross there humho v710
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?q=kumh...iw=320&bih=544&sei=I7RiT47VO9SztweXwsGWCA#i=1
> 
> Sent from my R800x using AutoGuide.com App


And how is this relevant to the original post?


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

NBrehm said:


> ...i am putting a set on a friends Cobalt SS, I'll let you know what I think


Did you ever have these installed? If so, thoughts?


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

Put them on 3 cars, all customers were very pleased. After driving the Cobalt they are not SUPER sticky tires, but way more tire than you will likely need in a Cruze


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Sounds good. And, good to know there's another good choice out there.


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## DanoHB (Aug 15, 2012)

I am running the Motivo's on 18's and love them. I went with 225/45/18's and they are a much needed improvement over the stock 16's this car had. I love it!!!

Putting a lower profile tire on a bigger wheel will MUCH improve performance as it is. I agree though, I am not a speed racer in this car. I like the look, feel, quietness, and performance in all seasons of these tires. A very good alternative to OEM crap.


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## Discount Tire (Jun 12, 2012)

We had the opportunity to test the Nitto Motivo on a test track and found them to be an excellent UHP all-season tire. They did not have quite the grip of the Nitto Invo but they were not far off and they have a 60,000 manufacturers wear warranty. That is unheard of for a UHP tire.

We tested the tire on wet and dry surfaces and found the grip to be excellent. We had a blast pushing the new Jaguar FX vehicles to their limit.



















I posted a thread with more information about the Motivo as well here:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/12-wheels-tires-suspension/9147-what-motivo.html#post130769

Give us a call if we can be of assistance.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

Invo is a pretty bad a$$ tire, so that is saying something


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

NBrehm said:


> Invo is a pretty bad a$$ tire, so that is saying something


If they made it in 235/50/17, it would be be at the top of my list of tires to put on my Eco when the stock ones wear down.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> If they made it in 235/50/17, it would be be at the top of my list of tires to put on my Eco when the stock ones wear down.


- The width of the stock 215/55-17 tires is 8.9" (measured on a 7" wheel)

- The width of a 235/50-17 (GoodYear Eagle GT) is 9.7" (measured on a 7.5" wheel)

- At the top of the tire, with a steel rule I measure 10.5" from the outside of the strut to the outside of the front fender

- At the top of the wheel I measure roughly 1.1" between the strut and the wheel

All that said, the 235 will reduce the clearance between the tire and the strut by close to 0.4" mounted on a 7" wheel (I didn't measure the existing clearance between the tire and strut). A tall sidewall tire will "shift" quite a bit under hard cornering, possibly allowing the tire to contact the strut? I would double check the tire-strut clearance before going with a wide 50-series tire to make sure you're OK. You may need to use a thin spacer.

For comparison, a 235/45-18 has a wider tread than the 50-series 17" tire, has a narrower overall width even when mounted on a wider 8" wheel, and will "shift" less under cornering due to its shorter sidewall. This tire would be much less likely to contact the strut. I'm not suggesting you are interested in going to an 18" wheel, just some food for thought while being tempted by the voluptuous sidewalls of the 235/50-17.

There's a Toyota Camry Hybrid in my parking garage here at work. It has the same 215/55-17 tire size as the Eco, but uses a wider wheel (likely 7.5", googling doesn't turn up a quick answer). The tire looks very different on that car, it actually looks lower-profile than it does on the Cruze. A 235/50 on the narrow Eco wheel might look even higher profile?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> - The width of the stock 215/55-17 tires is 8.9" (measured on a 7" wheel)
> 
> - The width of a 235/50-17 (GoodYear Eagle GT) is 9.7" (measured on a 7.5" wheel)
> 
> ...


The tire will shift, but only the bottom of the tire will shift. The entire tire does not consequentially change shape during hard cornering, only the portion of the tire in contact with the road. For example:


















I chose the 235/50/17 tire simply because it will be the exact same diameter as the 215/55/17 stock tire. A 235/45/17 tire will be thinner, and I don't believe I saw any tires in that size that are advised for a 7" rim.

I run 245/45/17 tires on my 95 Regal, and I have about 1/4" of clearance between the tire and the coilover spring, and I've never had them rub.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

In this case the tires have virtually the same sidewall height (235/50 is 4.63", 215/55 is 4.66") and both fit on a 7 inch rim. I don't see where sidewall flex would be an issue. You may get a minor amount of flex on the smaller rim but I don't think it would interfere with the strut. I think 235 will be fine on the car


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

NBrehm said:


> In this case the tires have virtually the same sidewall height (235/50 is 4.63", 215/55 is 4.66") and both fit on a 7 inch rim. I don't see where sidewall flex would be an issue. You may get a minor amount of flex on the smaller rim but I don't think it would interfere with the strut. I think 235 will be fine on the car


From the image I posted earlier of what a 235/50 looks like on a 17x7 wheel, I think it will look incredible. Very aggressive look.

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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> The tire will shift, but only the bottom of the tire will shift. The entire tire does not consequentially change shape during hard cornering, only the portion of the tire in contact with the road. For example:


Nice pics! Those show the shift really well!

Correct, the botom of the tire does the most shifting, but the top will shift slightly as well, just not nearly as much as the bottom.



XtremeRevolution said:


> I chose the 235/50/17 tire simply because it will be the exact same diameter as the 215/55/17 stock tire. A *235/45/17 *tire will be thinner, and I don't believe I saw any tires in that size that are advised for a 7" rim.


I was referring to a 235/45-*18* tire (same OD as 235/50-17), and you're right, they are rated for wider wheels.



XtremeRevolution said:


> I run 245/45/17 tires on my 95 Regal, and I have about 1/4" of clearance between the tire and the coilover spring, and I've never had them rub.


Sounds like you're not driving that Regal hard enough! :th_angelsmiley4:

The first set of wheels I put on my '96 Saturn were 16x7 42et with 225/50 tires. I never measured the gap between the tire and the strut, but there was a small shiny spot on the front struts where the tires had worn through the paint. I wasn't able to actually measure the clearance but there was a gap there, if I had to guess I'd estimate between 1/8" and 1/4". There was never any damage to the tire, but it touched often enough that every time I had a wheel off the metal was shiny, not rusted.

I later upgraded to 17x7 42et wheels and 225/45 tires. That shiny bare metal spot quickly rusted over and I touched it up with Tremclad.
I think a 235/50-17 will probably be OK, but it will be getting kinda close. Just something to be aware of.

A 7" wide wheel measures about 8" total width. I measure VERY ROUGHLY about 1.1" between the wheel and the strut (sticking a 1" wide ruler between the wheel and strut and estimating how much wiggle room there is).

215/55-17 GY Assurance Fuel Max is 8.9" wide overall on a 7" wheel, so it bulges past the wheel ~0.45" on each side. A 235/50-17 will be as much as 0.4" wider per side, making the overall sidewall bulge as much as .85". With about 1.1" to work with you're down to your 0.25" gap. It will likely be fine, but it's something I would measure after installing the tires and check up on periodically.


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