Tyre Recommendations

[Prawo Jazdy]

I'm not quite ready to replace my tyres yet, but this will be the first set of boots in my ownership, so I want to think about it in advance.

The car is a Mk2.5 Sport with 16" wheels - tyre size 205/45 R16 V. It came to me on Yokohama S306's. They seem OK, but it's difficult to know when you're not used to the car. What do people find suit the car best?

The tyres i'm considering all cost between £70-90, and are:

Continental SportContact 2
Toyo T1R
Pirelli P Zero Nero
Yokohama Parada (or S306 again)
Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3
Uniroyal Rainsport

Any positive or negative experiences with the above to help me decide? Thanks!

[Xenocide]

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6...

I asked a similar question on nutz.

I have the uniroyal rain things on my standard wheels, they're absolute rubbish - avoid!

[MX-5 Lazza]

I know someone who has tried the Parada & PZ Nero and didn't like either. Best bet are GY F1 GSD3 or T1R. If it's just a daily runabout with no fun driving then the Rainsports would do a good job. The Conti's really need a heavier car to get them working.

[phil_cardiff]

MX-5 Lazza said:

I know someone who has tried the Parada & PZ Nero and didn't like either. Best bet are GY F1 GSD3 or T1R. If it's just a daily runabout with no fun driving then the Rainsports would do a good job. The Conti's really need a heavier car to get them working.

Why do you suggest the rainsports wouldn't be good for spirited driving? The rainsport 2's were well received on a mk3 mx-5 in the recent Evo test. I'm running some on the front (soon to be all round) and there's plenty of feel and bite from them. I prefer them in feel and wear to the Toyo T1-R's I had on there.

[MX-5 Lazza]

My bad. I read it as Uniroyal Rainexpert
I don't know anything about the Rainsport - I was thinking about using them on my 17s but I ended up with T1R.

[phil_cardiff]

MX-5 Lazza said:

My bad. I read it as Uniroyal Rainexpert
I don't know anything about the Rainsport - I was thinking about using them on my 17s but I ended up with T1R.

No worries. I'm getting rainsport 2's fitted to the rear this afternoon so she'll have a matching set all round. I'll be driving a lot around rural west Wales in a couple of weeks so will report back!

[jonstable]

A lot of people seem to dislike the Parada's, but I'm a big fan. They stick like something to a blanket in the dry, offer an entertaining lack of grip in the wet and have lasted me 18 months so far and still showing good tread.
Working in the tyre industry I'd say we do more Toyo T1R's for MX5's than any other tyre.

[garrykiller]

Well I am currently running Falken ZE 19s/50 v. On my mx5 and they are fantastic. They were recommended to me by a friend who runs a eunos too.

[SimonV8ster]

I've heard the Hankook RS2 are a good all rounder as well ?

[garrykiller]

this the falkens i had fitted

[MX-5 Lazza]

SimonV8ster said:

I've heard the Hankook RS2 are a good all rounder as well ?

I have RS2s on my 15s, mainly for the track. They can be used all year round and in all weathers but they are designed to be used on track so the sidewalls are very stiff so the ride does suffer and while they are good in the wet they aren't as good as the likes of T1R.

[Bonefish Blues]

Don't think RS2s can really be called all-rounders.

Another vote for Rainsports - now they are good all-rounders, based on my experience on exactly the car you are running.

[Alex lindsay]

Ive recently changed to falkens too, im really pleased with them

[Alex lindsay]

pik before I put my new wheels on

[piefacemate]

MX-5 Lazza said:

I have RS2s on my 15s, mainly for the track. They can be used all year round and in all weathers but they are designed to be used on track so the sidewalls are very stiff so the ride does suffer and while they are good in the wet they aren't as good as the likes of T1R.

They're pretty rubbish in the cold and they're quite soft. Wouldn't recommend as an all round tyre in my opinion.

[HereBeMonsters]

garrykiller said:

Well I am currently running Falken ZE 19s/50 v. On my mx5 and they are fantastic. They were recommended to me by a friend who runs a eunos too.

I run them on my 205 GTI as well, great tyre. The Toyo T1-R is a good choice, but the Falkens edge it for me in dry handling. Toyos maybe marginally better in the wet, but not by much. On a slightly heavier car I'd go for the Falkens every time.

[Prawo Jazdy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was leaning towards the Continentals before asking, based on the Evo tyre test more than anything. There doesn't seem to be much love for them, so it looks like I might get a tyre better suited to the car and save a bit of money in the process.

Cheers!

[MX-5 Lazza]

piefacemate said:

MX-5 Lazza said:

I have RS2s on my 15s, mainly for the track. They can be used all year round and in all weathers but they are designed to be used on track so the sidewalls are very stiff so the ride does suffer and while they are good in the wet they aren't as good as the likes of T1R.

They're pretty rubbish in the cold and they're quite soft. Wouldn't recommend as an all round tyre in my opinion.

To be fair they are no better on cold roads than F1 GSD3 and they do work well in pretty much all conditions outside of winter. As I said though, they are designed for track use so can't really be compared with road tyres.

[skinny]

continental often come at or near the top of tyre tests because the sponsor or support most of them. not to say they aren't ok tyres, but just take the results with a pinch of salt

[Bonefish Blues]

skinny said:

continental often come at or near the top of tyre tests because the sponsor or support most of them. not to say they aren't ok tyres, but just take the results with a pinch of salt

...and they are often conducted at the Conti Test Facility, IIRC