Last year, we attended the double launch of Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 and Eagle F1 Directional 5 in Thailand. Held at the Kaengkrachan circuit near Hua Hin, we got to sample the successor to the original Eagle F1 Asymmetric that was launched few years ago, on the tight twisty Thai track.
Admittedly, we didn’t get to fully experience first hand the much touted class leading features of the A2 at the event. It’s not Goodyear’s fault though, as the track is a tight one and safety is top priority, as it should be. Tyre events generally don’t serve a lot of drive time, since there’s usually a big group of media people from across the region sharing a few test mules. It was more of a sampling session, rather than a full course meal.
Despite that, I know the potential and ability of Goodyear’s Ultra High Performance (UHP) contender, having tested the original Asymmetric at Holden’s Driving Centre near Gold Coast, Australia a few years back. That one was a more comprehensive test, involving a rotating turntable to simulate oversteer. If this sequel is better than the original, as claimed, the A2 will be one heck of a performance tyre.
Continue reading after the jump.
As detailed in our launch report, the A2 is not an all new tyre, but is based on the first Asymmetric, with improvements to keep it ahead of the pack. The Asymmetric was widely accepted as the benchmark UHP tyre in its heyday, and is still a top tyre today, but no one stays at the top by just standing still – continuous improvement is a must in every industry.
Factors deemed good enough to retain included dry handling and noise levels, but Goodyear has put a lot of focus into wet handling and wet braking, things that matter A LOT in our market. It could be a life saved or a big damage bill avoided, so wet performance is top priority in a UHP tyre, for me at least.
And while the Asymmetric isn’t shabby in this regard, the A2 is boosted by new tech. Goodyear’s ActiveBraking Technology makes its debut here, allowing for shorter braking by up to three metres in the wet and two metres in the dry, as tested by TUV SUD Automotive against three leading competitors. The tests (80-0 km/h wet, 100-0 km/h dry) were done in Europe in December 2010, so the rivals in question are current or fairly new flagship UHPs.
Three metres is a big deal, and some may be skeptical at the margins, especially when we’re talking about the best tyres in the market. I used to take claims like these with a pinch of salt, too, until I experienced it first hand. It was the launch of the first Asymmetric in Australia four years ago, and we tried the Goodyear back-to-back with the best Bridgestone of that time.
Not only did the Goodyear perform better in the more obvious and objective tests such as straight line braking distance, the E90 3-Series we drove was also noticeably grippier and more predictable/easier to recover at the limit of adhesion.
By the way, this is not presumption, we’re talking about cars thrown fully sideways (courtesy of Holden’s turntable, the only such device in the Southern Hemisphere) with the challenge of getting as near as possible to a (cone) target. Great fun and great eye opener, it was.
With this tucked in the back of my mind, I got hold of a set of A2s for the E36 BMW 328i you see here. The wheels are M Contours made for the E36 M3, and the setup is staggered – 225/45 for the fronts and fatter 245/40 at the back, all 17 inches in diameter. Balancing and alignment work was done at Hory Tyre & Auto Service in Rawang.
I’ve done nearly 1,000 km on them now, and I’m satisfied with the “new shoes” for the E36. I was running the car’s standard 15-inch setup with high profile Yokohamas just before this, and I’m most surprised by the current level of ride comfort, which isn’t too far off from before.
No complaints from my frequent rear seat passengers either, who never noticed any change in comfort. There is a harder edge over bumps of course, but I was prepared to sacrifice more in terms of comfort, so this is a pleasant discovery.
In the launch report, we tried the A2 on a Porsche Cayman, and I remarked that “the A2 is quite pliant and silent for the performance it promises” – that has now been confirmed over many miles.
Another surprise is the low levels of noise. While the E36 is very far from being as library silent compared to say, a Japanese D-segment sedan on touring tyres, the A2 is quieter than expected.
There is a subdued roar on our concrete paved highways (I rely on the NKVE daily), but the noise is low pitched enough to slip under the radar. No annoying high pitched whine, thankfully. I’m hoping that much of this will be retained as the tyres age – old car NVH needs as much help as possible!
Other qualities fall within expectations. The E36’s good steering feel relative to its younger siblings is nicely channeled to the steering rim, and the car tramlines less compared to my previous thick rubber setup, while feeling more surefooted in a cruise. Of course, grip is excellent – the A2 is a tyre I can lean on with confidence. No thanks to the harder driving, I’m thinking of new suspension now!
The A2 is nothing much to look at though, the tread design is plain and doesn’t scream performance, so those who want a tyre with flash won’t be fulfilled. However, the wide spaced Goodyear logo on the sidewall is quite distinctive, I think.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is made in Germany. Available in 17- to 20-inch sizes, it retails from RM535 to RM1,710 in Malaysia.
While we’re on the topic of tyres, the Chinese New Year holidays are here, so before you make the journey home, make sure your tyres are still in good condition. Check for irregular wear and balance/align if necessary. Also remember to not drive on under inflated tyres, which could be very dangerous.
Check tyre pressures when cold, follow the recommended PSI or go slightly higher if you don’t mind a slightly firmer ride. Tyres are often and easily overlooked, but remember that those four little contact patches could be the difference between life and death, sure not something you’d want to gamble with!
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Good review. Sure helps for those with big rims… and deep pockets *sweat*
Tyre discussion is interesting, a segment seems less talked, but very, very vital to safety of driving. Hope to see more of posts like this, Danny. And thanks!
Hopefully you guys can help those on the lookout for good and reasonably priced 13/14/15″ tyres, common tyre size for Protons and Peroduas.
I used Asymmetric 1 tyres (245/40/18) on my E60 in the past and I gotta say that the handling and grip was awesome.
However the price has been increased significantly compared to when they were launched. Guess it’s due to the popularity of this range of tyre. I have yet to ask on the price of A2 but it won’t be cheap.
Good review Danny and Gong Xi Fa Chai to you…
Thanks and happy holidays!
i’m more interested in the M contours rims than the tyre……
I am using A2…so far…No complaint…Wet grip is great. Recommended for
RWD cars.. like Lexus, Merc & BMW…..
say this sentence 3x –> “…tight twisty Thai track”
never a fan of GY tires but interesting read.
I have this rubber on my Mazda3 for the past 3 month – 5000km ++ and I would highly recommended for those who are looking for something outstand on comfort + quiet + superior gripping. It’s abit pricy but if you experience a safe, firm and a confident delivery in a highspeed corner, you will smile and admit that the price is not important anymore :)
Happy new year and have a safe trip everyone.
u buy how much and it made in malaysia or germant?
E36 looking delicious!
Great review on A2. Just slapped the Asymmetri 2s on last month on my Peugeot 308 and the ride has so far been awesome compared to both Conti & Michelin (was using this 2 before). I can feel the car hugging the road better, especially during rain.
One thing of note I didn’t see you mentioned but was highlighted to me by the workshop was how surprisingly light the tires were compared to other UHP tires in its class which translates into some benefits (can’t recall what are they).
Less unsprung weight.
What sizes available now? 215/40 R17?
So when are they gonna introduce 15″ & 16″.
I don’t think that’s going to happen for the A2. The Eagle F1 Directional 5 caters to those sizes
nothing wet weather performance?
nothing about wet weather performance?
Dear all friends I reqwest to you good year new tyre ,Dura plus,Dukaro,Hi millar ,this tyre is very funtastik ,esy Drive ,I say realy one revalution ahed. good year tyre,,,
I am inspected good year tyre,EGAL-NCT3,Deura plus,Hi millar,very butifull and long life tyre.
NCT3???..for real??…haha duno wat you are takling about…no disrespect to goodyear but NCT3 are not very good tyres!!
would love to get my hands on A2 but..
long-time user of GY F1 GSD3, switched to F1 D5 which turned out to be a disaster (it is touted as the direct replacement of F1 GSD3, but IMO it’s a fake Eagle F1).
Interestingly, the D5 are only sold in these countries:
Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, India and Philippine.
Not sold in any of the European countries (30+ of them) e.g. Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia etc. Not sold in US and any countries in North, Central and South America. Not sold in Africa and Middle East. Not sold in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Seems like its only targeted to ‘selected’ Asia Pacific countries.
If the Eagle F1 D5 is a direct replacement for F1 GSD3, it should be sold in all the countries where GSD3 is sold. But this is not the case to be.
The fact that the D5 is only sold in ‘selected’ countries is rather fishy. If it’s good or even better than GSD3 or it’s the replacement for GSD3, then why don’t sell them worldwide and replace the GSD3?
Sold at higher price than the GSD3 (but IMO lacks the GSD3 performance), really wonder what GY is really up to. The D5 is a very fishy product indeed.
you seem to be more interested in going on and on about country of sale… i don’t blame you as that’s probably the only factual thing you can say, how about telling us why it “turned out to be a disaster” and “a fishy product”? or is that too subjective?
Simple… and it has been mentioned in my post.
IMO its lack the performance of the GSD3. Noticeable differences. A product that replaced GSD3 should deliver better performance but it is not so with the D5.
Moreover, the D5 is sold in limited countries only. Not as global as the GSD3. And why is that?
Perhaps you know:
1) The information that will show us that the D5 is better than the GSD3?
2) The justification that can explain why it was not sold globally (which is totally perplexing, if its better than GSD3 and supposed to be the replacement for the GSD3)?
If you do, then care to share and contribute?
I am glad to be proven wrong, as long as it is done with supporting facts.
Why? I wish the D5 perform better than GSD3.
I am not disagreeing with you, or agreeing with you either.
The reason I asked if you could kindly clarify your comments is for the benefit of all web surfers who might stumble upon this page while trying to figure out what tyre to buy… you say it’s a “disaster”, but didn’t say what you mean. does the tyre cause natural disasters?
if you are a seasoned commenter/forum participant in malaysian websites, you would know there are just too many distributors of products these days going online, using an anonymous nickname, and either praising their own product or bashing the competitors. like a certain ‘journalist’ who keeps whacking french brands and praising german brands.
Even you clarification says “noticeable differences”, but do you mean dry grip? wet grip? sound levels? braking distance? what do you mean? we should share as much as possible… so that people can learn from our experiences…
and btw, the reason for the limited tyre available could do with the kind of roads and weather that different countries have. goodyear has been known to do this, for example, in some countries there’s the LS-2, but not our market. the directional 5 is available in australia, so it’s not just a “third world country” tyre…
But if one goes by the people living in a country, maybe Australia IS a “third world country”… :-)
We would like more info on the D5 though.
Alternatively, let GY provide an 80,000 mile warranty on it.
Another alternative is to provide the D5 for tyre test comparisons
What about forumers, anyone had first hand experience?