PH Tyre Review M-Z
Archive #13556428
As the first wiki had reached the text limit thought it would be a good idea to split into two threads, This one is for M -Z.
Useful links copied onto both threads.
FiF
PH Tyre Review A-L
I thought it would be useful for us all to combine our experiences of the various types of tyres out there to compile an informative guide built from practical experience, rather than a half hour 'test'.
Reviews should be listed under tyre manufacturer, then size, model of car and your comments.
Hope it proves to be useful!
Groomi
Marangoni
Verso 225/55/16 (BMW E39 528i) - durable tyre (I'm on my second set, having done 20K on the first) that performs well for regular road use. Good grip in wet and dry, doesn't exhibit any tendencies to tramline. Not the quietest tyre ever, but not noticeably loud. Excellent value at £70 a corner fitted.
Michelin
Pilot Sport 225/40/18 & Pilot Sport 255/35/18 (ALPINA B3S Touring) - Original spec for the car and have replaced tyres over 7 years and 160k miles with the same. Michelin developed these tyres with ALPINA in the first place and they are spot on. Excellent grip (wet and dry) and they contribute significantly to the ALPINA suspension set-up. Tried the PS2 tyres on the rears but didn't find any significant improvement in terms of grip/performance with a significant downside that they lasted 15k miles rather than the regular 20k miles I get from the original spec rears. Regularly get 40k miles from the fronts too! Work consistently right down to 2mm of tread. Highly recommended - particularly for ALPINAs - until the weather conditions throw ice & snow at you! (see report on Michelin Primacy Alpin tyres below!)
Pilot Sport 2 225/40/18 XL (Focus ST225) - These replaced a set of Continental ContiSportContact 3s and are demonstrably superior in pretty much every way. Grip levels in the dry are phenomenal and breakaway is progressive and smooth. At high speed they're remarkably quiet and exhibit superb stability. Grip in wet or greasy conditions is the best of any tyre I've tried so far, in fact I'd go as far as to say that every time I've leaned on them a little more, they've simply served up yet greater levels of grip. An excellent - if expensive - tyre all-round and I would definitely fit these again without hesitation. It remains to be seen whether there is a significant high grip/high wear rate correlation. However Pilots are not suitable for Caterhams which are too light for the compound used (although they will last for years and years). Most Caterham drivers choose something in a much softer compound.
Pilot Sport 2 255/35/18 XL (Audi RS4) - Excellent tyres alround as above although they are expensive around £200 each for this fitment, but money well spent and they are wearing well on the Audi, provide good grip in all conditions and have pretty much transformed the ride quality on my car.
Pilot SX MXX3 285/30 ZR18 (Lotus Esprit V8) - Surprised that they feel better than the PS2 they replaced. Noticeably so in the wet.
Pilot Exalto (PE2) 185/60/14 ('06 VW Polo 1.2 64bhp) - Fitted to the front of the Polo after a puncture in one of the OE Matador Elite's. Front end grip was MASSIVELY improved, especially in the dry. The car could be hurled into corners and roundabouts with real confidence that the front would stick. Mild LOO could also be had as the rear still had the teflon Matador's. Wear was reasonable with new fronts required after approx 10,000 miles/12months . An expensive tyre but managed to get a local Kwik Fit to supply and fit for the less than delivery only from Blackcircles :-). Would certainly recommend for fitment to a small chuckable hatch.
Pilot Exalto 225/40/18 ('08 A3 TDI Sportback Quattro) - OEM fitted tyres, lasted 32000mi good grip all weathers including snow when the tread was <3mm, light to moderate driving style, recently replaced with PE2's from Tyre Warehouse Brackley
Primacy Alpin PA3 225/45/17 - Winter Tyres (ALPINA B3S Touring) - Switched from Pilot Sports to these winter tyres in December 2009 and they have been an absolute revelation in the snow/ice we have been experiencing. Compared to the summer tyres, braking, grip and control are dramatically improved with no discernible increase in noise. Traction on snow/ice is as if the tarmac is bone dry and I have been able to drive around normally where even 4x4 vehicles are struggling. Confidence behind the wheel is significantly improved but does mean you will get angry looks from other drivers on summer tyres when you dare to pass them or tackle roads they are unable to even consider.
Energy XT(?) 175/65/14 and 175/65/15 - Went through several sets on the Citroën ZX and MINI (standard fitment to both). Of course the exact spec has seen some evolution through the years although they all looked identical enough to me. All were hard-wearing and progressive if not grippy in the dry, they can let go rather suddendly in the wet though. Never a comfort or driveability problem with them; QC seems to be very consistent.
Energy 195/65/16 Vauxhall Vectra. Do not buy these tyres. Came as standard on the car. OK in the dry, good on the motorway, but awful in the wet. This is the only fwd car I've ever driven that put its tail out on a wet roundabout while the throttle was still down... no grip at all in the wet. Not convinced about ability to prevent aquaplaning either.
X-Ice 205/55/16 Volvo V50 Studless winter friction tyres even suitable for Nordic conditions. Grip drops when temperature above 10C but in cold, wet and snow/ice conditions the car is completely planted. Tyres currently on their 4th winter including long Continental trips, still got 6mm tread depth. Very low road noise, traction in snow/ice and slush unbelievable, cornering and braking grip outstanding. In fact in the snow you have to hold yourself in check as other road users just don't expect that you can go and stop so quickly.
Millenium
92Y 225/45/18 (BMW 320d) Recommended to me as a mid range tyre. Wobbly feel when driving and poor cornering. Pushing hard in the bends causes traction control to kick in on each turn. I'd rather my Durun Sport 1s.
Nankang
225/45/17 (IIRC) BMW E36 328i. Had a set of these on the front of my 328i. Wasn't very impressed with them and so I put them on the rears (hoping to wear them out quickly, and then move on). The grip of these was simply shocking in the wet, bordering on dangerous (I wouldn't let the missus drive in the rain). Avoid.
Lownoise 185/70/14 I bought these for my daily driver 520i, to date they have covered 20k miles and seem to be about 22/3rds worn. They are quiet, hold their air well and grip is good in all conditions, there is no pretending these are sporting, but for a daily drive fine, I think I paid £40 a corner.
Nokian
W+ 165/70/14 Fabia
Central European winter tyre from top Finnish manufacturer, aimed at cold wet and sometimes slushy conditions typical for C Europe and bad winters in UK. Tyres now fully bedded in, grip on snow/ice good, traction / braking and lateral grip good, grip on clear cold tarmac wet/dry is outstanding, better than the Nordic mix Michelins reported elsewhere this wiki.
Pirelli
Dragon 235/45/17 (01 Audi S3) - Not a particulary inspiring tyre - very squealy under can feel the sidewall flex under hard cornering. Nowhere near as confidence inspiring as the Advans they replaced. only got them as they were the only tyres in my size in a small town after running over about 20 nails, destroying 3 tyres. Wouldn't buy again.
P Zero 255/40/18 ('98 Jaguar XJR) - Lasted over 25k but prone to tramlining and I feel not the best for ride quality.
P Zero Corsa 225/45/17 ('85 Opel Monza 24V) - First set lasted 3500 miles but included a sprint and 2 x 160 miles on track. Great for summer driving but if it rains take the bus as anything over 40mph on very wet road surface is very very exciting for all the wrong reasons, Second set are nearly worn out after 3000 miles but havn't been used on a track as part worn slicks are cheaper
P600's (XJS) - Never, ever, ever again !!! ... probably the primary cause of the demise of my jag, brand new tires (1000KM on them) aquaplained at 70KPH .....
P4000 (15inch) ('90 Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign) - Brilliant tyre for the car. Low wear rate and much improved grip and handling over the old metric Dunlops. Stiffer sidewall meant slightly harsher ride, but barely noticeable in this car.
P6000(195/50/16) - Were on the 16" Saab wheels whn I bought them and already a few years old, which could explain the total lack of wet or dry grip.
P6000 (195/45/15) ('91 205gti) - As above, already on the front of my 205 when I bought it but appalling lateral grip and traction in the wet and dry.
P6000 (205/55/15) ('91 Merc Cosworth) - No specific problems with traction but I've not tried many other tyres, however blew out on a track day (outside rear tyre), big gash in the sidewall.
P6000 (225/50/17) On Volvo S80T6. Horrible is the only word to describe them with. They were worse in every single aspect than the Dunlop winter tyres we replaced them with for the winter season and they were just never put back onto the car. Very loud, poor handling, I know it's stating much but they made the S80s steering even deader than it normally is. Were original fittment, unfortunately. No redeeming quality whatsoever (maybe they are cheap?).
P6000 (205/55/17) (Alfa Romeo Spider) Came with the car. Tramlined astonishingly badly once down to just above legal limits. Awful tyres for this car, although good on the motorway normally. Nowhere near as good as the Eagle F1s it wears now. Average dry traction, below average in the wet. These tyres are also surprisingly expensive.
P6000 205/55VR16 (Alfa Romeo 156 Wagon). Ditchfinders. Last well though - which is a shame as I want rid.
P6000 (195/45/15) (Pug 306 DTurbo) Terrible, how they ever passed any safety standard is beyond me. Should be illegal to sell & use. Exceptionaly poor gip in the wet & greasy conditions, not much better in the dry.
P6000 (195/60/14 (Alfa 75 Twinspark). Good mileage, got over 40k out of them. Everything else was rubbish. Good for drift days only. The only use I can think they'd be in wet conditions is as fenders for a fishing boat.
P6000 (various) Vectra 'B', BMW 328, XJS. Used on track on the first two cars. Great grip and progressive breakaway to under-steer; controllable over-steer. Don't overheat/wear a lot. The BMW and vectra were like different cars after I put these on, undrivable on track before.
P7 (225/50 x 17W,Cadillac CTS 3.6) Terrible tramlining almost from new,got worse when down to 3MM.Pretty good in wet and dry though.
Didn't suit the car at all.
P7205/55/17 Volvo V50 terrible road noise, good grip in dry. Winter grip poor in cold weather, grip completely non existant in snow/icy conditions.
Prestivo
Prestivo Sport (195/55/15) Astra mk3. Made by Yokohama but sold under this brand. Cheap and with an accidental damage warranty. Grip, especially wet grip is quite a bit worse than other budget offerings I have tried. Would not recommend.
Tigar
Godknowswhattheywerecalled 185/50/15 ('91 205gti) - Rediculously cheap yet surprisingly quite good. Not the ultimate grip of GSD3s but still reasonably good grip and very progressive. Stood up pretty well to a trackday with only minor overheating to the sidewall. Recommended for a tight budget.
Toyo
Trampio R1R (205/50/16) - Currently on the bonkers Saab (near-300 bhp/1,250 kg). Basically a semi-racing compound tyre with a full depth rain tread. Excellent wet or dry, one step up from the best 'regular' UHP tyres. Don't like the cold however, and still a bit more sensitive to standing water than the aforementioned. Remarkably silent and wear resistant for a 'trackday' special; in terms of raw speed they probably fall midway between say, a T1-R and the R888 semi slicks. Very feasible to use them all-year round (except really wintery conditions) on 'weekend' cars.
R1R (205/15/150) - Just fitted these to the 75 Twinspark replacing R888s. First impressions, nice, much better ride quality and all the noise and tramlining is gone too (see below). Grip seems as good and turn in is if anything better. Wet and cold condition grip is way better. Only downside so far is that although they're labelled 205 the tread width is actually just over 220mm so they do rub on the arches at full lock...
Toyo T1R (195/50/15)-(Honda civic 1.8 VTi) Plenty off grip in the dry, very good grip in the wet reasonable wear rate.The only problem I have had was in the recent cold weather, putting the power down in semi damp conditions just resulted in wheel spin, must be purely down to the lack of heat in the tyre as this has only occurred when temperatures are sub 5 degrees. Bargain price great tyre! I have just replaced the fronts after 1 year and 11,000 miles. The tyres were not quite on the wear blocks but the edges were ahem a little beyond feathered
Very very impressed!
Toyo T1R (195/50/15) - Rover 218 VVC coupe. Surprisingly good in the wet. They've now added rain channels to the proxies design, and i was very surprised how well they coped on a water logged motorway.- the tyres seemed to plow through the standing water with little aquaplaning. They also survived running over a brick on the motorway, which made the alloy oval- but the tyre stayed inflated. I was impressed by this, as it could have been a nasty accident. Pretty decent grip in the dry, the only downside to these tyres is the tend to wear a little quicker than the goodyear F1's I had previously- but, in this size, they're exceptional value for money (i paid £45 a corner)
Toyo T1R (235/45/17) - Mitsubishi Evo 8MR-FQ300. Pretty good grip in the wet and cold conditions. In the dry, the sidewalls are a bit too soft for really hard cornering. On a 4WD car, wear is very good and tyres give around 15,000 miles, although with very worn shoulders. Paid around £330 for four, plus fixing.
Toyo T1R (255/45/17-225/40/17) - Porsche 944S2. Very good in the dry a bit skittish in the wet but not overly dangerous just need to be careful how you put the power down. Wear looks good too with 2000miles and showing no signs of any wear yet. Paid £300 for all four fitted and balanced at M&M tyres Middlesbrough.
Toyo T1R (215/45/18) - '08 Lancer GS3 DiD. Got these to replace the factory fit Yokohama A10A. Better dry grip, considerably better wet grip. Handling was mushy as hell until I added an extra 2PSI over Mitsubishi's listed pressures. Now they handle well and have lost the shoulder wear evident at stock pressure. Considering the lack of tyres at this size, the Toyos could well be a repeat purchase.
Toyo T1R (195/45/15)- '00 Seat Ibiza Sport. These replaced Continental EcoContact 2's of the same size and the wet and dry grip was simply in another class. Good feedback and the grip in the dry was so much better that it practically eliminated understeer. I didn't experience any noticable sidewall flex but this may have been due to them being on a 7.5 inch wide wheel, giving a slight stretch. Wear seemed good, having covered 5000 miles since new with 4-5mm of tread left. Just bought another set for new car.
Toyo T1R (185/50/16)- '05 Nissan Micra 160SR. Replaced original fit Contis on rear and Dunlop somethings on the front(fitted by dealer, we bought an ex demo with 4500 miles and fronts were a bit "used"), at 22000 miles, Mrs. WG's car and she said she felt more confident with the Toyos, "It doesn't seem to feel as if it's tipping over in corners now".
However, the geometry on this car wears the front outsides and rear insides, such that front to rear changing is necessary, a first for me on a fwd car.
Used to it on my Scooby but it looks like it'll be a 4 tyre change, on a fwd, after 19000 miles, rather than a pair at a time.
Other than that, performance good, wet or dry, usual proviso about summer tyres in really cold and icy conditions though, although despite the electronic limiting diff and ESP stuff, one can make the fronts spin.
Will need to change soon and not sure whether to stick with these or try something else.
Toyo PX-4 (215/40/18) - MINI JCW. Grip is distinctly average with poor aversion to aquaplaning. Sidewalls feel too soft, exhibiting a 'falling over' effect once past initial turn in which is disconcerting. Dry grip is fair but not massively confidence inspiring. Paid £120.00 per corner.
Toyo R888 [185/60/13 front 205/60/13 rear] Mac1motorsports worx ZX10R [7 type derivative] Medium compound and run at 18-20 psi. I use these tyres mainly on trackdays and occasionally on the road. Grip in the dry is exceptional and can only instill confidence. Performance in the damp is less effective but they are still a competent tyre as all wet conditions would affect any tyre on a seven due to light weight of rear and performance. Rear breakaway is progressive and can be felt through the seat of your pants.... I intend to use these in a hillclimb / sprint series in 2010 and they are classed as a type 1B tyre under MSA regs.
Toyo R888 [195/55/15] Alfa 75 Twinspark with 7 inch rims. Ridiculous amounts of grip in the dry, nice gentle breakaway too. OK in the wet but on standing water they're scary. Horrible on the road, they whine, tramline and thump, ride quality is hopeless. For track use only and the occasional trip to the Ring (although the whining on the way down will drive you nuts).
Uniroyal
RAINSPORT 2 225/45/17 (tvr chimaera)
having tried these on my old E55 mercedes on the rear only,i put a full set on my chim recently,in the wet,the road holding is what i can only describe as mindblowing on such a lightweight car.almost as much grip in the wet as the dry,which again,is absolutly superb.prices around the £100 ish a corner mark,on a second set of rears after only 5k miles,though the fronts still have loads left.
Vredestein
Sportrac 3 205/60/15 ('94 Saab NG900)
I bought 4 of these to replace my worn mis-match of tyres, I bought them on the strength of the reviews by Autoexpress and ADAC. They perform fantastically well in the wet, are good in the dry and even handle snow reasonably well. For the average (read 'wet') British climate I think they are perfectly suited.
Ultrac Sessanta (255/40/18) ('98 Jaguar XJR) - Reletively cheap, very quiet, reduced tramlining and excellent grip and wear rate. Also excellent in the wet. My only gripe (and it's a very minor one) is that at sub-zero temperatures they seem to lack grip for the first couple of miles - presumably when they warm up. Now driven in snow and can report these tyres are much better than the Pirelli's in snow. The grip levels seem enough to work with traction control meaning it can be left on and still pull away.
Ultrac Sessanta XL (245/40/18) ('05 Audi A6 3.0TDi Q) - Excellent tyres, bought 4 to replace the mismatched tyres that were on the car when I first purchased the car, transformed the grip levels, much better than the pirell's on the front and michelins on the rear. Excellent grip the the dry and especially in the wet, good tyres for the snow, kept me on the road without any wobbles. Clears puddles and does not aquaplane, I've yet to feel the car aquaplane. I would buy them again, much cheaper than the more 'famous' brands, handles 280bhp with ease.
Ultrac (225/55/16) ('93 TVR Chimaera 430) Were on the rear on the car when I bought it. Really benign handling characteristics it seems, good grip and traction, well suited to the car. Feels safe and stable in the wet. Wears pretty well for an UHP tyre, too.
Ultrac 205/55/16 ('98 Fiat Coupe 20vt)
Came with the vehicle when I purchased it. Very impressed with them- they seem to handle 250bhp well. Dry grip is ok- similar to the Michelin Pilot Sport's, but wet grip is very confidence inspiring.
I would echo comments above about tyre grip, when being driven for the first few miles- you have to take it easy till they heat up, which is no problem really as the engine is still getting warm.
Ultrac (235/45/17) ('02 audi a4 v6tdi quattro)
On my second set and think these tyres are phenomenal, managed 40k on my first set. Excellent in the wet, good in the dry.
Wintrac Extreme (225/45/18) (2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GS3)
Better wet traction and similar dry traction compared to my summer tyres (Toyo T1R), very difficult to make aquaplane - hit a deep puddle and the water goes over the hedge leaving the road almost dry. Snow performance unknown at this time, but fully expect it to be good. Quieter than the Toyos, and handling is sharper as well.
Quatrac 3 All-Season (185/65/15) (2007 Fiat Doblo 1.9 JTD)
Bought these to replace very poor OEM Pirelli P4 fitment as I wanted winter tyre capabilities without buying extra rims and swapping over. They are the only all-seasons I've seen that are snow-flake marked by the TUV as acceptable where full winter tyres are mandatory. So far winter performance has been excellent on icy roads, deep fresh snow, compacted ice and snow and general slush. Having run full winter tyres before I would say these have about 80% of the capability but can stay on all year. They inspire confidence on cold greay roads, ride well and are quiet. Compared to the P4's the sidewalls are soft and it remains to be seen how well they wear, but so far very impressed.
Yokohama
S306 (195/55/15) (Ford Focus) - Fairly cheap and decent traction and lateral grip in the dry which deteriorates to fairly poor in the wet. Aquaplaning performance appears good enough. Braking capability is decent in both wet and dry. Soft sidewalls give good ride comfort but lack of precision and feel with a slightly lurchy feeling on the limit of grip. Noticeably worse fuel economy than Goodyear GSD3's. Reasonable and safe enough tyre, but you can do better for the money. Wouldn't purchase again.
Advan A10A (215/45/18) '08 Lancer GS3 DiD. Factory fit on this car. Adequate dry grip, adequate wet grip, similar to Goodyear NCT5 I'd say. Nice handling tyres with strong sidewall. Lasted 18k on the front, so reasonable wearing. Exhibited cracking between tread blocks at less than a year after manufacture, so I wouldn't recommend for low mile use.
Advan Neova AD07 (255/40/17) MR2 Turbo(rear)
Absolutely awesome rubber. Almost unstickable in the dry, progressive breakaway when provoked. Good wet grip. Stiff sidewalls. They do wear quickly though.
Useful Links
Reports/Reviews/Articles
PH Tyre Test - Part one
www.tyrereviews.co.uk - Tyre review website run by PH'er jon-.
Reccommended Retailers/Fitters
Google Shopping - Type in tyre size and will search multiple tyre retailes including most of the ones below.
Elite Tyres - Very large fitter based in Rainham, Essex. Cheap prices due to bulk quantities and good professional service.
PH/Blackcircles Tyre Selector
selectatyres
Camskill
TyreTraders - bought 4 Goodyear F1s and all ran smoothly, no one else came close to price when rang for price match promise crap.
Useful links copied onto both threads.
FiF
PH Tyre Review A-L
I thought it would be useful for us all to combine our experiences of the various types of tyres out there to compile an informative guide built from practical experience, rather than a half hour 'test'.
Reviews should be listed under tyre manufacturer, then size, model of car and your comments.
Hope it proves to be useful!
Groomi
Marangoni
Verso 225/55/16 (BMW E39 528i) - durable tyre (I'm on my second set, having done 20K on the first) that performs well for regular road use. Good grip in wet and dry, doesn't exhibit any tendencies to tramline. Not the quietest tyre ever, but not noticeably loud. Excellent value at £70 a corner fitted.
Michelin
Pilot Sport 225/40/18 & Pilot Sport 255/35/18 (ALPINA B3S Touring) - Original spec for the car and have replaced tyres over 7 years and 160k miles with the same. Michelin developed these tyres with ALPINA in the first place and they are spot on. Excellent grip (wet and dry) and they contribute significantly to the ALPINA suspension set-up. Tried the PS2 tyres on the rears but didn't find any significant improvement in terms of grip/performance with a significant downside that they lasted 15k miles rather than the regular 20k miles I get from the original spec rears. Regularly get 40k miles from the fronts too! Work consistently right down to 2mm of tread. Highly recommended - particularly for ALPINAs - until the weather conditions throw ice & snow at you! (see report on Michelin Primacy Alpin tyres below!)
Pilot Sport 2 225/40/18 XL (Focus ST225) - These replaced a set of Continental ContiSportContact 3s and are demonstrably superior in pretty much every way. Grip levels in the dry are phenomenal and breakaway is progressive and smooth. At high speed they're remarkably quiet and exhibit superb stability. Grip in wet or greasy conditions is the best of any tyre I've tried so far, in fact I'd go as far as to say that every time I've leaned on them a little more, they've simply served up yet greater levels of grip. An excellent - if expensive - tyre all-round and I would definitely fit these again without hesitation. It remains to be seen whether there is a significant high grip/high wear rate correlation. However Pilots are not suitable for Caterhams which are too light for the compound used (although they will last for years and years). Most Caterham drivers choose something in a much softer compound.
Pilot Sport 2 255/35/18 XL (Audi RS4) - Excellent tyres alround as above although they are expensive around £200 each for this fitment, but money well spent and they are wearing well on the Audi, provide good grip in all conditions and have pretty much transformed the ride quality on my car.
Pilot SX MXX3 285/30 ZR18 (Lotus Esprit V8) - Surprised that they feel better than the PS2 they replaced. Noticeably so in the wet.
Pilot Exalto (PE2) 185/60/14 ('06 VW Polo 1.2 64bhp) - Fitted to the front of the Polo after a puncture in one of the OE Matador Elite's. Front end grip was MASSIVELY improved, especially in the dry. The car could be hurled into corners and roundabouts with real confidence that the front would stick. Mild LOO could also be had as the rear still had the teflon Matador's. Wear was reasonable with new fronts required after approx 10,000 miles/12months . An expensive tyre but managed to get a local Kwik Fit to supply and fit for the less than delivery only from Blackcircles :-). Would certainly recommend for fitment to a small chuckable hatch.
Pilot Exalto 225/40/18 ('08 A3 TDI Sportback Quattro) - OEM fitted tyres, lasted 32000mi good grip all weathers including snow when the tread was <3mm, light to moderate driving style
, recently replaced with PE2's from Tyre Warehouse BrackleyPrimacy Alpin PA3 225/45/17 - Winter Tyres (ALPINA B3S Touring) - Switched from Pilot Sports to these winter tyres in December 2009 and they have been an absolute revelation in the snow/ice we have been experiencing. Compared to the summer tyres, braking, grip and control are dramatically improved with no discernible increase in noise. Traction on snow/ice is as if the tarmac is bone dry and I have been able to drive around normally where even 4x4 vehicles are struggling. Confidence behind the wheel is significantly improved but does mean you will get angry looks from other drivers on summer tyres when you dare to pass them or tackle roads they are unable to even consider.
Energy XT(?) 175/65/14 and 175/65/15 - Went through several sets on the Citroën ZX and MINI (standard fitment to both). Of course the exact spec has seen some evolution through the years although they all looked identical enough to me. All were hard-wearing and progressive if not grippy in the dry, they can let go rather suddendly in the wet though. Never a comfort or driveability problem with them; QC seems to be very consistent.
Energy 195/65/16 Vauxhall Vectra. Do not buy these tyres. Came as standard on the car. OK in the dry, good on the motorway, but awful in the wet. This is the only fwd car I've ever driven that put its tail out on a wet roundabout while the throttle was still down... no grip at all in the wet. Not convinced about ability to prevent aquaplaning either.
X-Ice 205/55/16 Volvo V50 Studless winter friction tyres even suitable for Nordic conditions. Grip drops when temperature above 10C but in cold, wet and snow/ice conditions the car is completely planted. Tyres currently on their 4th winter including long Continental trips, still got 6mm tread depth. Very low road noise, traction in snow/ice and slush unbelievable, cornering and braking grip outstanding. In fact in the snow you have to hold yourself in check as other road users just don't expect that you can go and stop so quickly.
Millenium
92Y 225/45/18 (BMW 320d) Recommended to me as a mid range tyre. Wobbly feel when driving and poor cornering. Pushing hard in the bends causes traction control to kick in on each turn. I'd rather my Durun Sport 1s.
Nankang
225/45/17 (IIRC) BMW E36 328i. Had a set of these on the front of my 328i. Wasn't very impressed with them and so I put them on the rears (hoping to wear them out quickly, and then move on). The grip of these was simply shocking in the wet, bordering on dangerous (I wouldn't let the missus drive in the rain). Avoid.
Lownoise 185/70/14 I bought these for my daily driver 520i, to date they have covered 20k miles and seem to be about 22/3rds worn. They are quiet, hold their air well and grip is good in all conditions, there is no pretending these are sporting, but for a daily drive fine, I think I paid £40 a corner.
Nokian
W+ 165/70/14 Fabia
Central European winter tyre from top Finnish manufacturer, aimed at cold wet and sometimes slushy conditions typical for C Europe and bad winters in UK. Tyres now fully bedded in, grip on snow/ice good, traction / braking and lateral grip good, grip on clear cold tarmac wet/dry is outstanding, better than the Nordic mix Michelins reported elsewhere this wiki.
Pirelli
Dragon 235/45/17 (01 Audi S3) - Not a particulary inspiring tyre - very squealy under can feel the sidewall flex under hard cornering. Nowhere near as confidence inspiring as the Advans they replaced. only got them as they were the only tyres in my size in a small town after running over about 20 nails, destroying 3 tyres. Wouldn't buy again.
P Zero 255/40/18 ('98 Jaguar XJR) - Lasted over 25k but prone to tramlining and I feel not the best for ride quality.
P Zero Corsa 225/45/17 ('85 Opel Monza 24V) - First set lasted 3500 miles but included a sprint and 2 x 160 miles on track. Great for summer driving but if it rains take the bus as anything over 40mph on very wet road surface is very very exciting for all the wrong reasons, Second set are nearly worn out after 3000 miles but havn't been used on a track as part worn slicks are cheaper
P600's (XJS) - Never, ever, ever again !!! ... probably the primary cause of the demise of my jag, brand new tires (1000KM on them) aquaplained at 70KPH .....
P4000 (15inch) ('90 Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign) - Brilliant tyre for the car. Low wear rate and much improved grip and handling over the old metric Dunlops. Stiffer sidewall meant slightly harsher ride, but barely noticeable in this car.
P6000(195/50/16) - Were on the 16" Saab wheels whn I bought them and already a few years old, which could explain the total lack of wet or dry grip.
P6000 (195/45/15) ('91 205gti) - As above, already on the front of my 205 when I bought it but appalling lateral grip and traction in the wet and dry.
P6000 (205/55/15) ('91 Merc Cosworth) - No specific problems with traction but I've not tried many other tyres, however blew out on a track day (outside rear tyre), big gash in the sidewall.
P6000 (225/50/17) On Volvo S80T6. Horrible is the only word to describe them with. They were worse in every single aspect than the Dunlop winter tyres we replaced them with for the winter season and they were just never put back onto the car. Very loud, poor handling, I know it's stating much but they made the S80s steering even deader than it normally is. Were original fittment, unfortunately. No redeeming quality whatsoever (maybe they are cheap?).
P6000 (205/55/17) (Alfa Romeo Spider) Came with the car. Tramlined astonishingly badly once down to just above legal limits. Awful tyres for this car, although good on the motorway normally. Nowhere near as good as the Eagle F1s it wears now. Average dry traction, below average in the wet. These tyres are also surprisingly expensive.
P6000 205/55VR16 (Alfa Romeo 156 Wagon). Ditchfinders. Last well though - which is a shame as I want rid.
P6000 (195/45/15) (Pug 306 DTurbo) Terrible, how they ever passed any safety standard is beyond me. Should be illegal to sell & use. Exceptionaly poor gip in the wet & greasy conditions, not much better in the dry.
P6000 (195/60/14 (Alfa 75 Twinspark). Good mileage, got over 40k out of them. Everything else was rubbish. Good for drift days only. The only use I can think they'd be in wet conditions is as fenders for a fishing boat.
P6000 (various) Vectra 'B', BMW 328, XJS. Used on track on the first two cars. Great grip and progressive breakaway to under-steer; controllable over-steer. Don't overheat/wear a lot. The BMW and vectra were like different cars after I put these on, undrivable on track before.
P7 (225/50 x 17W,Cadillac CTS 3.6) Terrible tramlining almost from new,got worse when down to 3MM.Pretty good in wet and dry though.
Didn't suit the car at all.
P7205/55/17 Volvo V50 terrible road noise, good grip in dry. Winter grip poor in cold weather, grip completely non existant in snow/icy conditions.
Prestivo
Prestivo Sport (195/55/15) Astra mk3. Made by Yokohama but sold under this brand. Cheap and with an accidental damage warranty. Grip, especially wet grip is quite a bit worse than other budget offerings I have tried. Would not recommend.
Tigar
Godknowswhattheywerecalled 185/50/15 ('91 205gti) - Rediculously cheap yet surprisingly quite good. Not the ultimate grip of GSD3s but still reasonably good grip and very progressive. Stood up pretty well to a trackday with only minor overheating to the sidewall. Recommended for a tight budget.
Toyo
Trampio R1R (205/50/16) - Currently on the bonkers Saab (near-300 bhp/1,250 kg). Basically a semi-racing compound tyre with a full depth rain tread. Excellent wet or dry, one step up from the best 'regular' UHP tyres. Don't like the cold however, and still a bit more sensitive to standing water than the aforementioned. Remarkably silent and wear resistant for a 'trackday' special; in terms of raw speed they probably fall midway between say, a T1-R and the R888 semi slicks. Very feasible to use them all-year round (except really wintery conditions) on 'weekend' cars.
R1R (205/15/150) - Just fitted these to the 75 Twinspark replacing R888s. First impressions, nice, much better ride quality and all the noise and tramlining is gone too (see below). Grip seems as good and turn in is if anything better. Wet and cold condition grip is way better. Only downside so far is that although they're labelled 205 the tread width is actually just over 220mm so they do rub on the arches at full lock...
Toyo T1R (195/50/15)-(Honda civic 1.8 VTi) Plenty off grip in the dry, very good grip in the wet reasonable wear rate.The only problem I have had was in the recent cold weather, putting the power down in semi damp conditions just resulted in wheel spin, must be purely down to the lack of heat in the tyre as this has only occurred when temperatures are sub 5 degrees. Bargain price great tyre! I have just replaced the fronts after 1 year and 11,000 miles. The tyres were not quite on the wear blocks but the edges were ahem a little beyond feathered
Very very impressed!Toyo T1R (195/50/15) - Rover 218 VVC coupe. Surprisingly good in the wet. They've now added rain channels to the proxies design, and i was very surprised how well they coped on a water logged motorway.- the tyres seemed to plow through the standing water with little aquaplaning. They also survived running over a brick on the motorway, which made the alloy oval- but the tyre stayed inflated. I was impressed by this, as it could have been a nasty accident. Pretty decent grip in the dry, the only downside to these tyres is the tend to wear a little quicker than the goodyear F1's I had previously- but, in this size, they're exceptional value for money (i paid £45 a corner)
Toyo T1R (235/45/17) - Mitsubishi Evo 8MR-FQ300. Pretty good grip in the wet and cold conditions. In the dry, the sidewalls are a bit too soft for really hard cornering. On a 4WD car, wear is very good and tyres give around 15,000 miles, although with very worn shoulders. Paid around £330 for four, plus fixing.
Toyo T1R (255/45/17-225/40/17) - Porsche 944S2. Very good in the dry a bit skittish in the wet but not overly dangerous just need to be careful how you put the power down. Wear looks good too with 2000miles and showing no signs of any wear yet. Paid £300 for all four fitted and balanced at M&M tyres Middlesbrough.
Toyo T1R (215/45/18) - '08 Lancer GS3 DiD. Got these to replace the factory fit Yokohama A10A. Better dry grip, considerably better wet grip. Handling was mushy as hell until I added an extra 2PSI over Mitsubishi's listed pressures. Now they handle well and have lost the shoulder wear evident at stock pressure. Considering the lack of tyres at this size, the Toyos could well be a repeat purchase.
Toyo T1R (195/45/15)- '00 Seat Ibiza Sport. These replaced Continental EcoContact 2's of the same size and the wet and dry grip was simply in another class. Good feedback and the grip in the dry was so much better that it practically eliminated understeer. I didn't experience any noticable sidewall flex but this may have been due to them being on a 7.5 inch wide wheel, giving a slight stretch. Wear seemed good, having covered 5000 miles since new with 4-5mm of tread left. Just bought another set for new car.
Toyo T1R (185/50/16)- '05 Nissan Micra 160SR. Replaced original fit Contis on rear and Dunlop somethings on the front(fitted by dealer, we bought an ex demo with 4500 miles and fronts were a bit "used"), at 22000 miles, Mrs. WG's car and she said she felt more confident with the Toyos, "It doesn't seem to feel as if it's tipping over in corners now".
However, the geometry on this car wears the front outsides and rear insides, such that front to rear changing is necessary, a first for me on a fwd car.
Used to it on my Scooby but it looks like it'll be a 4 tyre change, on a fwd, after 19000 miles, rather than a pair at a time.
Other than that, performance good, wet or dry, usual proviso about summer tyres in really cold and icy conditions though, although despite the electronic limiting diff and ESP stuff, one can make the fronts spin.
Will need to change soon and not sure whether to stick with these or try something else.
Toyo PX-4 (215/40/18) - MINI JCW. Grip is distinctly average with poor aversion to aquaplaning. Sidewalls feel too soft, exhibiting a 'falling over' effect once past initial turn in which is disconcerting. Dry grip is fair but not massively confidence inspiring. Paid £120.00 per corner.
Toyo R888 [185/60/13 front 205/60/13 rear] Mac1motorsports worx ZX10R [7 type derivative] Medium compound and run at 18-20 psi. I use these tyres mainly on trackdays and occasionally on the road. Grip in the dry is exceptional and can only instill confidence. Performance in the damp is less effective but they are still a competent tyre as all wet conditions would affect any tyre on a seven due to light weight of rear and performance. Rear breakaway is progressive and can be felt through the seat of your pants.... I intend to use these in a hillclimb / sprint series in 2010 and they are classed as a type 1B tyre under MSA regs.
Toyo R888 [195/55/15] Alfa 75 Twinspark with 7 inch rims. Ridiculous amounts of grip in the dry, nice gentle breakaway too. OK in the wet but on standing water they're scary. Horrible on the road, they whine, tramline and thump, ride quality is hopeless. For track use only and the occasional trip to the Ring (although the whining on the way down will drive you nuts).
Uniroyal
RAINSPORT 2 225/45/17 (tvr chimaera)
having tried these on my old E55 mercedes on the rear only,i put a full set on my chim recently,in the wet,the road holding is what i can only describe as mindblowing on such a lightweight car.almost as much grip in the wet as the dry,which again,is absolutly superb.prices around the £100 ish a corner mark,on a second set of rears after only 5k miles,though the fronts still have loads left.
Vredestein
Sportrac 3 205/60/15 ('94 Saab NG900)
I bought 4 of these to replace my worn mis-match of tyres, I bought them on the strength of the reviews by Autoexpress and ADAC. They perform fantastically well in the wet, are good in the dry and even handle snow reasonably well. For the average (read 'wet') British climate I think they are perfectly suited.
Ultrac Sessanta (255/40/18) ('98 Jaguar XJR) - Reletively cheap, very quiet, reduced tramlining and excellent grip and wear rate. Also excellent in the wet. My only gripe (and it's a very minor one) is that at sub-zero temperatures they seem to lack grip for the first couple of miles - presumably when they warm up. Now driven in snow and can report these tyres are much better than the Pirelli's in snow. The grip levels seem enough to work with traction control meaning it can be left on and still pull away.
Ultrac Sessanta XL (245/40/18) ('05 Audi A6 3.0TDi Q) - Excellent tyres, bought 4 to replace the mismatched tyres that were on the car when I first purchased the car, transformed the grip levels, much better than the pirell's on the front and michelins on the rear. Excellent grip the the dry and especially in the wet, good tyres for the snow, kept me on the road without any wobbles. Clears puddles and does not aquaplane, I've yet to feel the car aquaplane. I would buy them again, much cheaper than the more 'famous' brands, handles 280bhp with ease.
Ultrac (225/55/16) ('93 TVR Chimaera 430) Were on the rear on the car when I bought it. Really benign handling characteristics it seems, good grip and traction, well suited to the car. Feels safe and stable in the wet. Wears pretty well for an UHP tyre, too.
Ultrac 205/55/16 ('98 Fiat Coupe 20vt)
Came with the vehicle when I purchased it. Very impressed with them- they seem to handle 250bhp well. Dry grip is ok- similar to the Michelin Pilot Sport's, but wet grip is very confidence inspiring.
I would echo comments above about tyre grip, when being driven for the first few miles- you have to take it easy till they heat up, which is no problem really as the engine is still getting warm.
Ultrac (235/45/17) ('02 audi a4 v6tdi quattro)
On my second set and think these tyres are phenomenal, managed 40k on my first set. Excellent in the wet, good in the dry.
Wintrac Extreme (225/45/18) (2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GS3)
Better wet traction and similar dry traction compared to my summer tyres (Toyo T1R), very difficult to make aquaplane - hit a deep puddle and the water goes over the hedge leaving the road almost dry. Snow performance unknown at this time, but fully expect it to be good. Quieter than the Toyos, and handling is sharper as well.
Quatrac 3 All-Season (185/65/15) (2007 Fiat Doblo 1.9 JTD)
Bought these to replace very poor OEM Pirelli P4 fitment as I wanted winter tyre capabilities without buying extra rims and swapping over. They are the only all-seasons I've seen that are snow-flake marked by the TUV as acceptable where full winter tyres are mandatory. So far winter performance has been excellent on icy roads, deep fresh snow, compacted ice and snow and general slush. Having run full winter tyres before I would say these have about 80% of the capability but can stay on all year. They inspire confidence on cold greay roads, ride well and are quiet. Compared to the P4's the sidewalls are soft and it remains to be seen how well they wear, but so far very impressed.
Yokohama
S306 (195/55/15) (Ford Focus) - Fairly cheap and decent traction and lateral grip in the dry which deteriorates to fairly poor in the wet. Aquaplaning performance appears good enough. Braking capability is decent in both wet and dry. Soft sidewalls give good ride comfort but lack of precision and feel with a slightly lurchy feeling on the limit of grip. Noticeably worse fuel economy than Goodyear GSD3's. Reasonable and safe enough tyre, but you can do better for the money. Wouldn't purchase again.
Advan A10A (215/45/18) '08 Lancer GS3 DiD. Factory fit on this car. Adequate dry grip, adequate wet grip, similar to Goodyear NCT5 I'd say. Nice handling tyres with strong sidewall. Lasted 18k on the front, so reasonable wearing. Exhibited cracking between tread blocks at less than a year after manufacture, so I wouldn't recommend for low mile use.
Advan Neova AD07 (255/40/17) MR2 Turbo(rear)
Absolutely awesome rubber. Almost unstickable in the dry, progressive breakaway when provoked. Good wet grip. Stiff sidewalls. They do wear quickly though.
Useful Links
Reports/Reviews/Articles
PH Tyre Test - Part one
www.tyrereviews.co.uk - Tyre review website run by PH'er jon-.
Reccommended Retailers/Fitters
Google Shopping - Type in tyre size and will search multiple tyre retailes including most of the ones below.
Elite Tyres - Very large fitter based in Rainham, Essex. Cheap prices due to bulk quantities and good professional service.
PH/Blackcircles Tyre Selector
selectatyres
Camskill
TyreTraders - bought 4 Goodyear F1s and all ran smoothly, no one else came close to price when rang for price match promise crap.