If you want a Yokohama Advan tire but don’t want the track ready harshness from one of Advan’s other offerings, the Fleva V701 might be right up your alley.
Earlier yesterday (Apr. 6, 2019) Yokohama dropped a press release adding a new tire to its Advan lineup, the Fleva V701, and if you look at the preliminary specs they are surprisingly similar to the popular S-Drives which, as far as I know, are no longer available from Yokohama tires. The Fleva V701 is Yokohama’s entry-level tire to its Advan lineup if you’re looking for an ultra high-performance tire that provides both dry and wet traction with sizes that accommodate the gamut of passenger cars, even CUVs.
“Now available in the U.S., the V- and W-rated Fleva comes in 67 sizes with 15- to 20-inch fitments, and offers superb wet and dry braking, crisp handling and a quiet ride.”
The Advan Fleva V701 is not an entirely new tire globally as they’ve been on sale overseas for at least two years now. With 67 sizes in a wide range of fitments, it sounds like Yokohama took all the most popular S-drives sizes, made its own bespoke tread pattern and infused it with Yokohama exclusive Advan silica-infused compound.
As mentioned, main benefits of the V701 include,
- Wet braking performance
- Precise handling
- Grip for days for both wet and dry weather driving conditions
- A quiet ride.
That last point is the most important. This is not a track tire by any stretch of the word. Yokohama emphasizes a comfortable and quiet ride WHILE providing you with legendary grip in most conditions that lives up to the Advan name. Sure, you might be able to turn a fast lap if you took it on the track, but during 9/10’s and 10/10’s driving, it would behoove you to have another Advan offering on.
Since this car’s been on-sale elsewhere, here are a couple of review snippets and links to full-reviews you might find useful if you’re shopping for a good Summer tire.
“Two years on from the original complete set fitted to my 206 CC I have decided to stick with Fleva V701 when replacing the front (drive) tyres. Good feeling of grip and stability in a small car at motorway speeds and on the twisties.”
“Road noise has never been so quiet. The car feels better in the wet than the previous tires.”
“The first immediately noticeable improvement was the lower road noise . . . and I mean much lower! Comfort has also been dramatically improved: potholes and speed bumps are no longer teeth-jarring. Feedback from the tires is tip top and every bit of the MX5 ‘Jinba Ittai’ experience is retained. It’s too early to comment on how well the tires last, or on fuel economy. Would I make the same choice again? Definitely yes!”
And here are a handful of videos about the V701 you’ll find useful.
To sum up, if you’re looking for a grippy tire that you’ll have a blast in through Spring, Summer, and Fall and won’t run out of grip if it rains, the V701’s are a safe, if not sure, bet.
The perfect California tire? Maybe. Hey, Yokohama, let me test a set out for you! E-mail me at paulo.acoba@gmail.com (^_^)V
Source: Yokohama
Where do I buy these??
You should be able to order them from your local authorized Yokohama tire dealer. https://www.yokohamatire.com/dealer-locator As per TireRack, they don’t know when they’ll be available for purchase, yet, but I assume soon.