Tyre choices

[roachcoach]

Take her on a ditch finding adventure and she might change her mind

There's a mastercard/carlsberg advert somewhere in there.

[abaxas]

"Kumho Ecsta Le Sport KU39"

Good in the dry, good in the wet, hard wearing.

Job done.

[kalniel]

"Kumho Ecsta Le Sport KU39"

Good in the dry, good in the wet, hard wearing.

Job done.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm

"The last 3 places were taken by the Toyo T1 Sport, GT Radial Champiro HGY and Kumho KU39, with common criticisms of these 3 tyres being high rolling resistance, poor wet performance and a risk of aquaplaning. "

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm

second from last:

"While the KU39 offers strong braking characteristics it gives very little feedback to the driver resulting in a doughy steering feel. It also lacks traction in the wet."

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article...-Tyre-Test.htm

"Wet Braking
1. Continental Contisportcontact 3
2. Bridgestone RE050A
3. Uniroyal Rainsport 2
4. Michelin Pilot Exalto
5. Hankook Ventus K12 EVO
6. Vredstein Ultrac Cento
7. Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
8. Kumho Ecsta KU39
9. Zeetex HP103

Lap time (wet)
1. Continental Contisportcontact 3
2. Vredstein Ultrac Cento
3. Michelin Pilot Exalto
4. Bridgestone RE050A
5. Uniroyal Rainsport 2
6. Hankook Ventus K12 EVO
7. Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
8. Kumho Ecsta KU39
9. Zeetex HP103

Lateral G (wet)
1. Continental Contisportcontact 3
2. Michelin Pilot Exalto
3. Vredstein Ultrac Cento
3 = Bridgestone RE050A
5. Uniroyal Rainsport 2
5= Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
7. Hankook Ventus K12 EVO
8. Kumho Ecsta KU39
9. Zeetex HP103

Subjective (wet)
1. Continental Contisportcontact 3
2. Michelin Pilot Exalto
3. Vredstein Ultrac Cento
4. Uniroyal Rainsport 2
5. Bridgestone RE050A
6. Hankook Ventus K12 EVO
7. Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
8. Kumho Ecsta KU39
9. Zeetex HP103

Overall
1. Continental Contisportcontact 3
2. Uniroyal Rainsport 2
3. Vredstein Ultrac Cento
4. Bridgestone RE050A
5. Michelin Pilot Exalto
6. Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
7. Kumho Ecsta KU39
8. Hankook Ventus K12 EVO
9. Zeetex HP103

[abaxas]

But also 2/3rds the price

86 quid a corner fitted.

[dave87]

I've been told these are a good choice for the TT as well. Where did you find them, and how much were they ?

I got mine from Camskill (www.camskill.co.uk).

The BMW takes 235/45/17s on the front and 255/40/17s on the rear - £170 for the two fronts, £207 for the two rears, plus delivery. £388 ish all in all. I didn't think that was bad value.

I must admit my initial thought had been to go for either the Michelin PS3 - Brilliant tyre by all accounts but much pricier (£130 ish each for the fronts) or the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics - as I had on my last Civic. The only thing that put me off the Eagle F1 was the poor rolling resistance made a noticable increase in fuel consumption and the 530i isn't that fuel efficient as it is (around town I'm averaging 17-23mpg depending on driving style & traffic - so I didn't want to increase that much further).

Compared with the SP Sports that were on the car when I got it, they do seem to be pretty good - not as much ultimate grip as the Eagle F1s but they ride a lot better than the Dunlops did. The other thing is the Dunlops were knackered - got to the hard stage because the previous owner did so little mileage - so the rear was a little 'interesting' in the wet on roundabouts. I've not done many miles with the FK452s but they seem OK so far....

[Phage]

I got mine from Camskill (www.camskill.co.uk).
<snip>
but they seem OK so far....

Thanks for this - £383 fitted from a garage 12 miles away, through Camskill and Blackcircles. Good deal !

[DanceswithUnix]

Interesting ratings there, I was recommended Michelin years ago and really haven't looked back. They cost more but they last longer, and you don't go off at the first drop of rain like the cheap tripe.

[PetrolHead]

Still can't decide is there anyway of knowing which tyres suit different types of car?

For example there is 3 different Toyos (Proxes 4, Proxes T1-R and Proxes C1S on blackcircles all for around £100 each in my tyre size.

What are the differences?

[PetrolHead]

Another question for the knowledgeable hexus people. Current profile tyres are 45, would 40s make any difference?

Could there be a problem with fitting? As there is a big different in cost

[dave87]

You'd potentially need to get your Speedo recalibrated, as the 40 and 45 relate to the percentage of the width you have in height - affecting the rolling radius of the tyre. As the speedo calculates the speed based on the number of revolutions of the wheel, it would end up being inaccurate.

It would also marginally affect top speed (lower) and acceleration (quicker).

[kalniel]

Unless you also increased the width of the tyre to compensate.

http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html

It would also marginally affect top speed (lower) and acceleration (quicker).

And fuel consumption (lower)

None of these effects would be significant, unless you really get into callibration required stuff, which would also mess up your suspension geometry.

[Konan555]

It would also marginally affect top speed (lower) and acceleration (quicker).

And insurance (invalidated) if the combo isn't something the OEM would supply.

[Rave]

Cheapest tyres are good enough for me.

I disagree- having driven on really cheap tyres and seen magazine comparison tests, I really think that the cheapest budget tyres are not worth driving on, when you can get pretty decent tyres for ~20% more.

It's dead easy to drive about on crap tyres and not have an accident that's your fault- just drive really slowly. But sometimes the actions of other drivers mean you have to take evasive action, and that's not easy in the wet on crap tyres. The emotive example of the kid running out in front of your car has already been used. I would use the example of the articulated lorry driver who's spilt hot coffee on his lap and veered onto your side of a 60mph limit single carriageway A-Road.

In a bad situation like that, I'd like to have the grip to steer myself into a hedge rather than have a 100mph closing speed impact with an HGV.

I do about 60k a year and use budget Sava Intensa, and i drive in all weathers and conditions, i find them to be a good overall tyre but i know some people here are going to recommend £100 a corner

Its all well and good you saying that to me, but 60k a year, if the tyres were not safe they wouldn't sell them.

I also did state all weathers, that means sun, rain, snow, ice etc, i am a believer its the driver not the tyres, people who crash in snow/ice for instance tend to push the boundaries or are driving outside of their comfort zone, practice makes perfect.

Well everyone has their own opinion, i don't want to get in a debate over tyre choice, especially when its out of my hands as its not my vehicle and choices are limited.

Fair enough if it's a company vehicle- it's basically out of your hands. But FWIW Sava tyres are probably quite acceptable if not brilliant- they're owned by Goodyear (...as is 75% of Dunlop, interestingly enough), and I doubt that they would risk their corporate reputation by putting really crap tyres out.

But if your company decides to start saving 5 quid a corner by going with real no-name junk tyres, you really should have a word, because based on the many published wet stopping distance tests, that's a dangerous false economy.

I have Kumhos on my Peugeot 106 Rallye, and they can basically corner as hard as I can manage with my 14st bulk hanging off the steering wheel. To really find their limits I'd need a roll cage and a 4 point harness. However I daresay there are much grippier tyres available.

I have been meaning to start a thread about budget tyres for a while now....this thread will be the catalyst. Though whether I can be bothered once I've had another drink and a smoke is 50/50..... I might do it tomorrow.

[Zak33]

I have Kumhos on my Peugeot 106 Rallye, and they can basically corner as hard as I can manage with my 14st bulk hanging off the steering wheel. To really find their limits I'd need a roll cage and a 4 point harness.

you wanna try harder

As to the argument up there /\ that if they weren't safe, they'd not sell them.

Try going head to head at 50mph in each car, closing speed of 100mpg total.. in a Merdeces S class and a Smart car

then decide if it was safe to be in the Smart car because,, if it was ok to sell... it must be safe.. right?

[Yosh]

.

But FWIW Sava tyres are probably quite acceptable if not brilliant- they're owned by Goodyear (...as is 75% of Dunlop, interestingly enough), and I doubt that they would risk their corporate reputation by putting really crap tyres out.

What this man says!

Also, i wouldn't drive on tyres i don't trust, i've used both Sava's and Kuhmo's on my own cars as well.

[roachcoach]

As to the argument up there /\ that if they weren't safe, they'd not sell them.

I don't know how heavily regulated tyres are.....it boggles my mind, all the laws that are in the name of 'safety' and yet ditchfinders are still A-OK to put on a car.

If they regulated these better, maybe they'd not have had to make ESP mandatory....